2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[zippitydoo]

Book 24 of 30

A Dark Mind (Book 3 of Lizzie Gardner) by T.R. Ragan

A serial killer is terrorizing Sacramento, preying on happily married couples and unleashing unspeakable cruelties upon his victims. The ordeal rekindles disturbing memories for private investigator Lizzy Gardner, who barely escaped a serial killer’s clutches only years ago. But while most Sacramento residents are hiding in the shadows, paralyzed by fear, Lizzy is compelled to go after the Lovebird Killer.

So it’s no surprise that, when a routine workers’ compensation case suddenly leads her and her two young assistants onto the killer’s trail, she welcomes the chase, determined to bring him to justice before he can claim another victim. She never imagines he could be two steps ahead, watching her every move and plotting his bloodiest, most triumphant conquest of all.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #48: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Very interesting book about a man who gets pulled into the world of London Below. They describe it as all the dark corners & dark alleys in cities which lead to where all the forgotten people (homeless, etc) go. This man finds a girl bleeding on the street & decides to help her which ends up changing his life. The characters are odd, yet whimsical. Some are frightening & horrible.

Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. His small act of kindness propels him into a world he never dreamed existed. There are people who fall through the cracks, and Richard has become one of them. And he must learn to survive in this city of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels, if he is ever to return to the London that he knew.

Next book: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

 

[DisneyWalle]

Book #17 - The BoneMan's Daughter - Ted Dekker

Review:
A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey, His signature: myriad broken bones that torture and kill - but never puncture.
Military intelligence officer Ryan Evans is married to his work; so much so that his wife and daughter have written him out of their lives. Sent to Fallujah and captured by insurgents, he is asked to kill children not unlike his own. The method: a meticulous, excruciating death by broken bones that his captor has forced him to learn.
Returning home after the ordeal, a new crisis awaits. A serial killer is on the loose, and his method of killing is the same. Ryan becomes a prime suspect, which isn't even the worst of his problems: Ryan's daughter is BoneMan's latest desire.


Great book --- my first one by this author.
Next book The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

 

[StephMK]

I've been on vacation & read lots of fluff books.

#33 - Love You More - mystery about a policewoman who is accused of killing her husband. Pretty good & the story tied all the pieces together.

#34 - Remember Me? Sophie Kinsella - woman wakes up after accident & finds that she has lost 3 years. She realizes she is totally different than she was 3 years ago and has to figure out what happened. Enjoyed it.

#35 - Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella - really liked this one though didn't think I would from the description. Girl is approached by spirit during great aunt's funeral. It was very sweet, had a good mystery included and I enjoyed this a lot.

#36 - I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella - girl loses her engagement ring & gets her phone stolen in one night. She happens to see a phone in a trashbin and starts using it. Typical Kinsella book, cute.

#37 - All for One - 6 sixth graders are found with their prints on a murder weapon next to their death classmate at recess. Mystery to figure out what happened. It was ok, I figured it out before the storyline caught up & kept reading to see if there were any twists. Just ok because it dragged it out.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've been on vacation & read lots of fluff books.

#33 - Love You More - mystery about a policewoman who is accused of killing her husband. Pretty good & the story tied all the pieces together.

#34 - Remember Me? Sophie Kinsella - woman wakes up after accident & finds that she has lost 3 years. She realizes she is totally different than she was 3 years ago and has to figure out what happened. Enjoyed it.

#35 - Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella - really liked this one though didn't think I would from the description. Girl is approached by spirit during great aunt's funeral. It was very sweet, had a good mystery included and I enjoyed this a lot.

#36 - I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella - girl loses her engagement ring & gets her phone stolen in one night. She happens to see a phone in a trashbin and starts using it. Typical Kinsella book, cute.

#37 - All for One - 6 sixth graders are found with their prints on a murder weapon next to their death classmate at recess. Mystery to figure out what happened. It was ok, I figured it out before the storyline caught up & kept reading to see if there were any twists. Just ok because it dragged it out.

I LOVE Sophie Kinsella books. Think "I Love Lucy-The Book". Another good one, cheaper on Kindle is "My Big Fake Irish Life" by Caitlin McKenna. I thought that was similar in style. I just got another of McKenna's books, but I haven't read it yet, so I can't recommend it. But I really hope it's another in the Sophie Kinsella style.

 

[Swimnoid]

Wow! I havent checked in for almost a month!

65. Beyond the Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

This was a sequel to The Chocolate War which I previously reviewed. This took up a few months after the disastrous chocolate sale occurred at the Trinity School. There is unrest in the secret group called the Virgils who cause all sorts of chaos in the school. This book deals with the rebellion and newly found alliances. I liked it. It does not come to a firm resolution though.

66. The Real Life Downton Abbey: How Life Was Really Lived in Stately Homes a Century Ago by Jackie Hyams

This was an interesting look at what life was actually like back in downton Abbey Days. The author explained all the jobs of the servants and equated them to the characters on the show. It described what a typical day was like, what the servants lives were like, etc. Very interesting.

67. State of the Union by Brad Thor

This is #3 in the Scot Harvath series. This time an old Russian General and his secret group have threatened nuclear attack by small bombs planted all over the US. They insist they will detonate the bombs if their demands are not met before the State of the Union address which is to take place in a few days. These books usually fascinate me and have very intricate plots with good action. This book however seemed to take up too much time describing the various advanced equipment they were using which took away from the story line.

68. First To Die by James Patterson

This is the first Installment of the Women's Murder Club Series. I liked it. It introduced the characters of the popular series and spun a good tale. Lindsay Boxer, a police Inspector goes out on a limb and involves her friends (the ME, a newspaper reporter and the assistant DA) in trying to figure it out. Their shared observations help solved the case. Lindsay also has to deal with a diagnosis of a serious health threat at the same time. I liked the book and will continue with the series.

69. Company Man by Joseph Finder

This books has a double story line dealing with the corporate world and a murder. Nick is the CEO of a small town company where everyone in town works. He has to lay of half the company so he is not very popular at the moment. Someone has broken into his home and caused physical and emotional damage but the police are not helping much. Finally one night he shoots and kills a former employee who is trespassing and calls his security man to help deal with the problem. Instead of calling the police the guy dumps the body. The book deals with the police trying to figure out who killed this guy they find dumped, Nicks guilty conscience in trying to keep it covered up, and the problems he finds going on in his company right under his nose. There is a really good twist as well. In the end I liked the book but the two story lines competed with each other too much.

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 100 Books

Book #45 - "Dark Passage" by Ridley Pearson

This book has been reviewed here so I won't give a synopsis. I really enjoyed this book, especially as it got a bit darker and more realistic. I was really stunned by the plot twist, as I didn't see it coming! I can't wait to read the next one, which will take place in Disneyland!

Next up: "The Sassy Belles" by Beth Albright

Now that my daughter's sweet 16 birthday party is over, I should have more time to devote to reading!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Goal:25 Completed:16

#16
Sharp Objects
Gillian Flynn

"WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, ***** on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming."





I really enjoyed this book,even if there were some boring places. I liked the underlying darkness and creepy factor that wasn't right out in your face. I do wish that Amma's character were just a little more developed...Maybe I just didn't quite get the extreme opposites of her personality.

I was surprised to like it as much as I did because I couldn't get into Gone Girl.

Up next... Dark Places, also by Gillian Flynn.

 

[threeboysmom]

Book #17 - The BoneMan's Daughter - Ted Dekker

Review:
A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is on the loose, choosing young girls as his prey, His signature: myriad broken bones that torture and kill - but never puncture.
Military intelligence officer Ryan Evans is married to his work; so much so that his wife and daughter have written him out of their lives. Sent to Fallujah and captured by insurgents, he is asked to kill children not unlike his own. The method: a meticulous, excruciating death by broken bones that his captor has forced him to learn.
Returning home after the ordeal, a new crisis awaits. A serial killer is on the loose, and his method of killing is the same. Ryan becomes a prime suspect, which isn't even the worst of his problems: Ryan's daughter is BoneMan's latest desire.


Great book --- my first one by this author.
Next book The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

I just finished a Ted Dekker book myself. Have read quite a few of his, but don't think I've read either of the ones you've mentioned. I'll have to look them up. He's a great writer of thriller/suspense.

 

[nemofans]

Yeah, I liked Sharp Objects more than Gone Girl too. I did not read the third though.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #49: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

This is my type of book; enchanted land & whimsical creatures. I liked the plot & how the different character plots ended up connected. A boy promises to catch find & bring back a falling star for the girl he loves. His adventures have him meeting all sorts of creatures who either are kind or evil. If you enjoy the movies The Princess Bride or The Neverending Story, you will like this book. I believe this is a movie too, so I will have to find it. This is my third Gaiman book (the 1st I read was The Graveyard Book) & he is a great storyteller.

Gaiman tells the story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love. His adventures in the magical land will keep you turning pages as fast as you can--he and the star escape evil old witches, deadly clutching trees, goblin press-gangs, and the scheming sons of the dead Lord of Stormhold. The story is by turns thrillingly scary and very funny. You'll love goofy, earnest Tristran and the talking animals, gnomes, magic trees, and other irresistible denizens of Faerie that he encounters in his travels.

Next Book: Another Gaiman book

 

[Simba's Mom]

#50-"Vamanos!" It's hard to give an objective review because I live in one of the border towns near where they crossed, and I could identify so much with so much of the words, places, experiences throughout the book. I'm not sure anyone else would find it as funny, but I sure did. However, after about 3/4 of the book, even I was kind of ready for it to end. A funny book, but too long.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#49 Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

Reporter Ellen Gleeson legally adopts a year old boy whose mother left him at a hospital & later gave him up for adoption. Two years later she sees a 'have you seen this child' flyer in her mail. The child looks exactly like her son. Being the investigative reporter that she is, she cannot find peace until she discovers the truth.
I really liked this book. 5 stars.

 

[3smithboys]

Just got back from vacation...

# 27 - Zero Day by David Baldacci

# 28 - Bombshell by Catherine Coulter

# 29 - The English Girl by Daniel Silva

# 30 And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hasseini

 

[CaliBear]

# 15: John Saturnall's Feast by Lawrence Norfolk

Book description from Amazon:

A beautiful, rich and sensuous historical novel, John Saturnall’s Feast tells the story of a young orphan who becomes a kitchen boy at a manor house, and rises through the ranks to become the greatest Cook of his generation. It is a story of food, star-crossed lovers, ancient myths and one boy’s rise from outcast to hero.

Orphaned when his mother dies of starvation, having been cast out of her village as a witch, John is taken in at the kitchens at Buckland Manor, where he quickly rises from kitchen-boy to Cook, and is known for his uniquely keen palate and natural cooking ability. However, he quickly gets on the wrong side of Lady Lucretia, the aristocratic daughter of the Lord of the Manor. In order to inherit the estate, Lucretia must wed, but her fiancé is an arrogant buffoon. When Lucretia takes on a vow of hunger until her father calls off her engagement to her insipid husband-to-be, it falls to John to try to cook her delicious foods that might tempt her to break her fast.

I give it 2 stars, I guess. The characters are really under-developed and it just wasn't for me.

 

[StephMK]

I LOVE Sophie Kinsella books. Think "I Love Lucy-The Book". Another good one, cheaper on Kindle is "My Big Fake Irish Life" by Caitlin McKenna. I thought that was similar in style. I just got another of McKenna's books, but I haven't read it yet, so I can't recommend it. But I really hope it's another in the Sophie Kinsella style.

Exactly! I like her style of romance. More silly fluff than getting really mushy. I love the humor & situations she thinks up! I am checking out the McKenna books, they look cute too. I got samples of two of them from Amazon.

Goal:25 Completed:16

#16
Sharp Objects
Gillian Flynn

"WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, ***** on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming."





I really enjoyed this book,even if there were some boring places. I liked the underlying darkness and creepy factor that wasn't right out in your face. I do wish that Amma's character were just a little more developed...Maybe I just didn't quite get the extreme opposites of her personality.

I was surprised to like it as much as I did because I couldn't get into Gone Girl.

Up next... Dark Places, also by Gillian Flynn.

I am still on hold for that one. I loved!!! Gone Girl , even the ending, and did not enjoy Dark Places so I'll be curious to hear what you think of it.

Goal 72

#49 Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

Reporter Ellen Gleeson legally adopts a year old boy whose mother left him at a hospital & later gave him up for adoption. Two years later she sees a 'have you seen this child' flyer in her mail. The child looks exactly like her son. Being the investigative reporter that she is, she cannot find peace until she discovers the truth.
I really liked this book. 5 stars.

That sounds really good! I can't find it at my library so I got a sample to try. Have you tried any of her other books? There were several ebooks in my library list but this one sounded particularly interesting.

 

[CaliBear]

#50-"Vamanos!" It's hard to give an objective review because I live in one of the border towns near where they crossed, and I could identify so much with so much of the words, places, experiences throughout the book. I'm not sure anyone else would find it as funny, but I sure did. However, after about 3/4 of the book, even I was kind of ready for it to end. A funny book, but too long.

This sounds interesting. It's only 2.99 for Kindle, but I downloaded the free sample first just to make sure.

 

[Christine]

# 30 And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hasseini

What did you think of this one?

 

[nemofans]

And the Mountains Echoed is on my book club list. I would like to hear what you thought of it too.

 

[KrazyPete]

Goal - 24 books
I finished 14 books before the end of July so I'm back on track to hit my goal.

Book #14 - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - This ended with more questions left open than answered. It feels more like an intermission than an ending but I don't really mind because I liked the closing scenes. I guess I'll be picking up "Hollow City" when it is released in January.

Next up - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - I've been reading a lot of supernatural/fantasy stuff lately and I'm looking forward to a straight up mystery.