ANNUAL READING GOAL CHALLENGE for 2015!

[SallySkelington]

I just finished Eleven by Carolyn Arnold.

Excerpt from Goodreads:

Eleven Rooms. Ten Bodies. One Empty Grave.

Brandon Fisher never expected this when he signed up as a Special Agent for the FBI. Working in the shadow of Supervisory Special Agent Jack Harper of the Behavioral Analysis Unit his career seemed set. But when the team is called to a small rural town where the remains of ten victims are found in an underground bunker, buried in an unusual way, Brandon knows he'll never return to his normal life.

With one empty grave, and the case touching close to home, he fears he's become the target of a psychotic serial killer who wants to make him number eleven. Only thing is, everything Brandon thinks he knows is far from the truth.

Honestly the book was alright. Not all that great and I had to push through the first half of the book. It got more exciting towards the end of it. It's apart of a series but quite honestly I won't be finishing it.

If you enjoy Criminal Minds you may like this book though.

Next up is book numbah 2/30: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I'm already halfway through it and I don't want to put it down!

 

[indygirl99]

#1 Mr Miracle by Debbie Macomber

I love any of her books. This was a Christmas angel book with the angel being a man instead of woman. I have a feeling this will be a series like her Shirley Goodness and Mercy Christmas angel books.

I tried to read Wayward by Blake Crouch but by page 50 I was still lost and decided I would wait until I got the first book Pines (I'm 43 on the waitlist) and then try again. I have a feeling this is a series that has to be read in order to understand what is going on.

Next up Harvest by Tess Gerritsen

 

[queenofthehive]

Book 2 completed!

Girl on a Train by AJ Waines

4 out 5 - great "who done it" mystery with surprising twists.

2/25

 

[kmb584]

I read book #2, Divergent by Veronica Roth, yesterday. It was a random pick as I was browsing my library's e-books and noticed that the book was available to borrow. I'm glad that I picked it though as it was an entertaining and easy read. I plan to continue with the series as the books become available via my library.

 

[jenny105]

I read book #2, Divergent by Veronica Roth, yesterday. It was a random pick as I was browsing my library's e-books and noticed that the book was available to borrow. I'm glad that I picked it though as it was an entertaining and easy read. I plan to continue with the series as the books become available via my library.

Spoiler alert: The last book in the series is terrible! I enjoyed Divergent and Insurgent but Allegiant is a huge letdown.

 

[kmb584]

Spoiler alert: The last book in the series is terrible! I enjoyed Divergent and Insurgent but Allegiant is a huge letdown.

Oh no!

 

[Christine]

Finished my first book of the year (1/50).

Some Luck by Jane Smiley

On their farm in Denby, Iowa, Rosanna and Walter Langdon abide by time-honored values that they pass on to their five wildly different yet equally remarkable children: Frank, the brilliant, stubborn first-born; Joe, whose love of animals makes him the natural heir to his family's land; Lillian, an angelic child who enters a fairy-tale marriage with a man only she will fully know; Henry, the bookworm who's not afraid to be different; and Claire, who earns the highest place in her father's heart. Moving from post-World War I America through the early 1950s, Some Luck gives us an intimate look at this family's triumphs and tragedies, zooming in on the realities of farm life, while casting-as the children grow up and scatter to New York, California, and everywhere in between-a panoramic eye on the monumental changes that marked the first half of the twentieth century. Rich with humor and wisdom, twists and surprises, Some Luck takes us through deeply emotional cycles of births and deaths, passions, and betrayals, displaying Smiley's dazzling virtuosity, compassion, and understanding of human nature and the nature of history, never discounting the role of fate and chance. This potent conjuring of many lives across generations is a stunning tour de force.

This was an enjoyable read and I wanted to know what happened with all the characters; however, there wasn't anything overly exciting or pivotal in this book. Just a story about familiar relationships over time, the differences in siblings, and parents' perceptions of their children.

 

[Glynis]

Finished book #5 "Shadow Spell" by Nora Roberts.

I enjoyed this book (second in a series) a lot! It's easy reading, with romance and magic thrown in. Add the fact that it takes place in Ireland and I'm sold! I really enjoyed the writing style and can't wait to see how the trilogy ends.

In fact, that's what's next: "Blood Magick" by Nora Roberts

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Told my husband about the reading challenge and he figured out that for my birthday I needed a new Kindle.

Just opened and set up a new Kindle Fire.

Joined Good Reads too.

On my third book.

And I will post reviews or my list soon.

 

[zippitydoo]

Book #3 of 50: Pines(Wayward Pines #1) by Blake Crouch

 

[Christine]

Finished book #5 "Shadow Spell" by Nora Roberts.

I enjoyed this book (second in a series) a lot! It's easy reading, with romance and magic thrown in. Add the fact that it takes place in Ireland and I'm sold! I really enjoyed the writing style and can't wait to see how the trilogy ends.

In fact, that's what's next: "Blood Magick" by Nora Roberts

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the third one. I really used to like Nora Robert's trilogies, but that last one just had the worst "dialogue" throughout and didn't seem to have the heart that the other books had. It could be just me though. Sometimes I get to ready to much because I get all these ebooks from the library with time constraints and I am rushing.

Nora Robert's has another trilogy that has to do with Ireland, vampires, magic, etc. that came out about 5-6 years ago. I can remember the name of that one but it was very good.

 

[Jafar30]

Finished book 4 of 40 Not Taco Bell Material by Adam Carolla-An amusing book of anecdotes from Carolla about his childhood and career.

Next up The Devil in the White City

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Wayward (Book two of the Wayward Pines Trilogy)
Blake Crouch

Welcome to Wayward Pines, population 461. Nestled amidst picture-perfect mountains, the idyllic town is a modern-day Eden...except for the electrified fence and razor wire, snipers scoping everything 24/7, and the relentless surveillance tracking each word and gesture.
None of the residents know how they got here. They are told where to work, how to live, and who to marry. Some believe they are dead. Others think they’re trapped in an unfathomable experiment. Everyone secretly dreams of leaving, but those who dare face a terrifying surprise.

Ethan Burke has seen the world beyond. He’s sheriff, and one of the few who knows the truth—Wayward Pines isn’t just a town. And what lies on the other side of the fence is a nightmare beyond anyone’s imagining.

This is the second in the series. I loved this book too! I always feel like the books in the middle of a trilogy seem kind of blah compared to the first and last books, but this one really wasn't. It wasn't quite as intriguing as the first, but still excellent!

I'm already 1/3 way though the final book.

 

[indygirl99]

Wayward (Book two of the Wayward Pines Trilogy)
Blake Crouch



This is the second in the series. I loved this book too! I always feel like the books in the middle of a trilogy seem kind of blah compared to the first and last books, but this one really wasn't. It wasn't quite as intriguing as the first, but still excellent!

I'm already 1/3 way though the final book.

I tried to read this one and could not get past page 50. Just did not get the book. If I read the first book in the series will the 2nd make more sense? I am on the waitlist for the 1st book.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #3 - This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

I read this book for my book club. It's about a man who finds out his wife is cheating on him & then his father dies. So he goes home for the funeral & has to deal with his family while figuring out what to do about his life. The family is fairly messed up & made for good reading. I really enjoyed the way the author described situations. I could vividly see what he was describing and enjoyed his humor. This is a movie too which I can't wait to see.

The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman clan has congregated in years. There is, however, one conspicuous absence: Judd's wife, Jen, whose affair with his radio- shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public. Simultaneously mourning the demise of his father and his marriage, Judd joins his dysfunctional family as they reluctantly sit shiva-and spend seven days and nights under the same roof. The week quickly spins out of control as longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed and old passions are reawakened. Then Jen delivers the clincher: she's pregnant.

Next book: Fever Dream

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I tried to read this one and could not get past page 50. Just did not get the book. If I read the first book in the series will the 2nd make more sense? I am on the waitlist for the 1st book.

Yeah, it's a progressive story so you need the first to get what's going on.

 

[bedillamouse]

Book 1 of 50

Dreams of Gods and Monsters
by Laini Taylor

This is the 3rd book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series

Description from Amazon:

Two worlds are poised on the brink of a vicious war. By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera's rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her.
When the brutal angel emperor brings his army to the human world, Karou and Akiva are finally reunited--not in love, but in tentative alliance against their common enemy. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people. And, perhaps, for themselves.

But with even bigger threats on the horizon, are Karou and Akiva strong enough to stand among the gods and monsters?

The New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy comes to a stunning conclusion as--from the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond--humans, chimaera, and seraphim strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

this is a YA book series. I liked the book...it was a different take on angles.

 

[mmouse37]

Book 1 out of 30:

Wool by Hugh Howey

This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.

The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

It dragged in places by overall I liked it.

Next up Book 2 - "Liquid Fear" by Scott Nicholson

When Roland Doyle wakes up in an unfamiliar motel room with a strange man’s wallet in his pocket and a woman’s dead body in the bathroom, he fears the worst…and that’s before he finds the vial of pills labeled "take one every 4 hrs or else." Or else what? Ten years ago, Dr. Sebastian Briggs’s clinical drug trial for a cutting-edge fear-response drug went horribly wrong — or did it? It’s true that one trial participant died and five others were left with no memory of what happened to them. But now several interested parties, including a major pharmaceutical company and an ambitious U.S. senator, are willing to back Briggs’s continued research. All he has to do is recall his five surviving "volunteers," whose addiction to a mysterious drug has left them largely at his disposal. They will do anything necessary to keep the pills coming and to stave off the creeping phobias, intense sexual impulses, and all-consuming madness that lurk on the edges of their minds. It’s easy enough for the good doctor to lure the survivors back to the remote Monkey House, where the original trials took place. But when the pills finally run out…that’s when the real show begins.


MJ

 

[mmouse37]

duplicate post

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Book 1 out of 30:

Wool by Hugh Howey



Next up Book 2 - "Liquid Fear" by Scott Nicholson



MJ

Oooohhhh..I'm adding these both to my list.

Great recommendations so far this year!