2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[portia9]

I would love to join this thread. I committed to 100 books this year (I read quickly so this is doable for me. I have been tracking on goodreads. So far I have read:-

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty-really recommend this-a good easy read set in the 1920's.
The Map of Time by Felix J Palma-this was a really interesting story about time travel and has some famous people pop up as characters
The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith-the latest in the Precious Ramotswe series, love this author
Miles Off Course by Sulari Gentill-Australian mystery set in the 1930's. It was ok, I would read this author again
Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair-funny and sad book, easy to read
Mr Chen's Emporium by Deborah O'Brien-Australian book set in a country town exploring the lives of two woman in different centuries-loved the story of the 1800's woman
Wedding Fever by Kim Grunenfelder-light read, not great
Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver-enjoyed this, great protaganist and thought provoking subject matter
Under the Ivy:The Life and Music of Kate Bush by Graham Thomson-a great biography
Victims by Jonathon Kellerman-love Jonathon Kellerman and this was a good one

That is a lot even for me but I am in Australia and we are on our summer break so I have been able to do lots of reading Looking forward to reading through this thread and getting recommendations.

[portia9]

Originally Posted by StephMK

Shopping with the Enemy - Carmen Reid - this is a series of 6 books & I read the first 5 last year. Quick, easy reads about a personal shopper & her imperfect life. She has kids and starts the book dating then it progresses through her jobs and relationships. Kind of along the lines of the Shopaholic series. I thought I was done with British chick lit but these were cute. The later books get better and you don't have to read them all but it makes more sense if you do.

I like these kinds of books and have reserved the first two from the library so thanks for the recommendation.

[portia9]

So finally read the whole thread!

Originally Posted by nemofans

I'd like to join! I am in a book club, so I usually have 1 book to read a month. Then I squeeze in a book or 2 in between as well.
I will make my goal - 40

The Thirteenth Tale, Hunger Games (mostly book 1),
I would also recommend The Language of Flowers which I liked alot.
I have enjoyed some YA books: Hunger Games & Harry Potter series (which I read last year along w/my DS), Wonder

I reserved The Language of Flowers from the library as I loved the ones you mentioned.

Originally Posted by PigletsPal2

Starting today on A Sunless Sea by Anne Perry, my all-time favorite mystery author. Don't think it'll take me ten days to finish this one, as I tend to really tear through her books. I was going to start reading Killing Lincoln, but I kept hearing Anne Perry whispering "read me, read me!"

Queen Colleen

I only just discovered Anne Perry-found her Christmas novellas at the library and read all of them prior to Christmas so I'm keen to read more. Love to discover a prolific author!

I have reserved around 6 titles from reading this thread (Gone Girl,Defending Jacob, 11/22/63, and the three I mentioned in my last two posts) on top of the other 6 I have reserved and the several that are already on my bookcase from the library. I don't see much sleep in my future.

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Originally Posted by kimblebee

I will be the Debbie Downer to Under The Dome. I LOVE Stephen King and have read most everything he's written. That being said I had a real problem getting into the book and staying interested. I know he likes to have a lot of details and a lot of characters but to me this book had too many characters. It didn't help that I would read a few chapters and then put the book down for a month but I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. I thought it was worth it in the end but I would only give it a 3.5/5. Hope that helps to have a different opinion.

I'm not a Stephen King fan at all. I have not finished a single book he has written. I can transfer it to DH's Kindle if I don't like it/when I finish.

[tiggrbaby]

Put me down for 25. Read The Nineteenth Wife already and currently on No Wake Zone.

[nemofans]

Originally Posted by Christine

I think you are spot-on in your assessment. Stephen King is a great writer but the endings to his recent books have been hit or miss. I read Under The Dome a few years ago and was mildy entertained by it. It did have a lot of characters and details but I was ago with that. I do remember, that after all that detail and all that writing and all that investment, the ending fell flat.

And honestly, as one poster way upthread commented, it was eerily like that darned Simpson's movie!!!

I put off reading King's 11/22/63 because of my recent disappointments with King but, I have to say, he did a superb job on that book.

HA ha! You are right! I knew the dome thing sounded familiar while reading the book!

[nemofans]

Portia9, definitely read The Language of Flowers! Great book & now I know I picked the wrong flowers for my wedding!

[phorsenuf]

I'm a little under halfway through Letters From Alcatraz. It started out real good, lots of history about how it came to be. But now that I'm to the letters it has slowed down. I thought the letters would be much more interesting. It was interesting to read more about Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelley and gain some insight to them apart from their reputation. I don't know if I can finish though. I hate not following a book through. Maybe I'll put it aside for now and move on and just finish reading that as a filler.

[PigletsPal2]

No. 5 down and done.

Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear. Investigator Maisie Dobbs is hired by a group of vegetable vendors, fishmongers and general laborers, all of whom she knew as a child, to investigate the supposedly accidental death of their friend Eddie, a mentally challenged young horse whisperer who didn't seem to have an enemy in the world.

In the course of her investigation, she uncovers information that will be important when (not if) Hitler begins his quest to conquer first Europe, then the world. But how does Eddie fit into all this?

A fascinating read with rich character and plot development. An excellent series.

Queen Colleen

[Glynis]

Goal - 50 books

Book #8 - "The Candy Shop War" by Brandon Mull

This is a book that I have been reading to my boys. We all enjoyed it a lot! We are fortunate to live very close to Brandon Mull, and he's even invited my daughter (15 years old and wants to be a writer) to shadow him for a day! He's super nice!!!

Anyway, we loved the characters and the situations. What little boy wouldn't love a story about candy that gives you super powers??? Of course, there's always a catch, and the candy comes at a tremendous price.

We can't wait to start the sequel tonight!!!

Next up - Finishing "The Meryl Streep Movie Club" and continuing work on "Team of Rivals".

[disneyfanforever]

5. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

I read this book after the review here, and I really enjoyed it. A moving love story that deals with some serious issues.

Not sure what's up next. I am on the waiting list for Defending Jacob so I will probably have to wait a few weeks for that. I am not sure what to read in the meantime. I thought about Under the Dome but now I don't think I want to invest the time in it if it has a disappointing ending.

[portia9]

Goal 100

Book #11

A Grown Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson

This is a book about three generations of woman in a family Ginny, Liza and Mosey and the uncovering of a secret that Liza holds.

I really recommend this book. The characters were flawed but you really felt connected to them and I had to keep reading to find out how it turned out. And it was easy to read.

[penguin1102]

Goal 70

Book # 4
I just finished Stephen King's Four Past Midnight
It is four different books of his combined into one larger volume.

One past midnight is The Langoliers:

On a redeye flight from Los Angeles to Boston, only 11 passengers survive--but landing in a dead world makes them wish they hadn't.

I had previously seen the made for tv movie years ago and it was fun to read the book and see how much I remembered from the movie.

Two past midnight is Secret Window, Secret Garden:

Recently divorced writer Mort Rainey is alone at Tashmore Lake--that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.

I found this book rather predictable. It was good, but not one of my favorites.

Three past midnight is The Library Policeman:

is the story of Sam Peebles, a middle-aged businessman who happens to have some overdue books. It seems a minor offense—but not to Junction City's malevolent monster of a librarian. What follows is spine-tingling suspense as only Stephen King can deliver it.

I really enjoyed this story the most out of the whole book and could not wait to continue reading it.

Four past midnight is The Sun Dog:

the source of terror is a simple Polaroid camera owned by a 15-year-old boy in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. No matter where Kevin Delevan aims the camera, it produces a photograph of an enormous, ugly, vicious looking dog. In each successive picture, the menacing creature draws nearer to the flat surface of the Polaroid film as if it intends to break through. When old Pop Merrill, the town's sharpest trader, gets wind of this phenomenon, he envisions a way to profit from it—but the Sun Dog, a beast that shouldn't exist at all, turns out to be a very dangerous investment.

I liked this one, but it seemed to drag on until about the last 50 or so pages.

[momto3gr8boys]

Originally Posted by Soldier's*Sweeties

I'm not a Stephen King fan at all. I have not finished a single book he has written. I can transfer it to DH's Kindle if I don't like it/when I finish.

I am not a Steven King horror fan, but I did love 11/22/63, so being that this one is not horror, I've put it on my list...we'll see if I get to it!

Originally Posted by tiggrbaby

Put me down for 25. Read The Nineteenth Wife already and currently on No Wake Zone.

I loved the 19th Wife - such a fascinating way of life.

Originally Posted by Glynis

Goal - 50 books

Book #8 - "The Candy Shop War" by Brandon Mull

This is a book that I have been reading to my boys. We all enjoyed it a lot! We are fortunate to live very close to Brandon Mull, and he's even invited my daughter (15 years old and wants to be a writer) to shadow him for a day! He's super nice!!!

Anyway, we loved the characters and the situations. What little boy wouldn't love a story about candy that gives you super powers??? Of course, there's always a catch, and the candy comes at a tremendous price.

We can't wait to start the sequel tonight!!!

Next up - Finishing "The Meryl Streep Movie Club" and continuing work on "Team of Rivals".

What reading level/age is The Candy Shop War good for? I am on a never-ending quest for books for my DS12 who is a reluctant reader! And speaking of, thank you to whomever mentioned the cryptozoology books...I found one at B&N and ordered it. It was on my kitchen counter when DS came in...then he was very quiet and next thing I knew, he was reading it. Miracle of miracles lol....big thanks!

[3smithboys]

Finished book #2 today.... 77 Days in September today. I enjoyed this one. Now, I have to figure out what I am going to read next... hmmm