2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[wvjules]

Finished #5. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover.

It was a teen-romance with some dark stuff thrown in. I enjoyed it enough that I read it in two days. (It was supposed to be my lake weekend book but once I started I coudln't put it down.) It has a couple of twists in it. One I definately wasn't expecting.

I'd give it a 3.75 out of 5.

Now i need to find something to read this weekend....

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Light Between the Oceans, or The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I need something that doesn't require a lot of full-time concentration since the whole family will be there.

 

[threeboysmom]

Finished #5. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover.

It was a teen-romance with some dark stuff thrown in. I enjoyed it enough that I read it in two days. (It was supposed to be my lake weekend book but once I started I coudln't put it down.) It has a couple of twists in it. One I definately wasn't expecting.

I'd give it a 3.75 out of 5.

Now i need to find something to read this weekend....

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Light Between the Oceans, or The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I need something that doesn't require a lot of full-time concentration since the whole family will be there.

We must have similar tastes. I have Hopeless in my "top 10" on my to-read list based on its reviews... but gosh, it's a teen romance??? How did I not know that? LOL!

I'm also waiting to read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Light Between the Oceans. Guess I need to look up that Wallflower book too bc chances are that it'll turn out to be something I'm interested in!

After the weekend, you need to get back to Les Miserables!

 

[willowsnn3]

Looking back I think I either left out a book or numbered incorrectly. Mine so far should be:

Goal 72
#1 Light Between the Oceans--no star
#2 The Giver---5 stars
#3 Age of Miracles---1 star
#4 Wild---5 stars
#5 Gathering Blue---5 stars
#6 This Is How You Lose Her---0 star

Now maybe I can keep them straight

 

[CharityLynn]

Ok my goal was 30..I am down to 28 after my last post.

I finished Candle Bay by Tamara Thorne...the book was meh. It was about a hotel run by a hidden vampire family. Not very good at all.

Also finished Daimon (The prequel to Half-Blood) by Jennifer Armentrout.

This is description for it:
For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she’d been trained to fiulfll as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she’s pretty much accepted that she’s a freak by mortal standards… and that she’ll never be prepared for that duty.

According to her mother, that’s a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she’s being hunted by the very creatures she’d once trained to kill.

The daimons have found her.

I really enjoyed it and I am now nearly done with Half Blood. It's a Young Adult series, but I found it enjoyable. I have boook 3 on hold at the library and will probably pick it up tomorrow.

So I am down to 26 books

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I'm pretty intrigued by Under the Dome now. I might have to add that one to my list.

 

[CharityLynn]

I loved Under the Dome until the end. I HATED the end and almost regretted reading the entire book (And its a big one)

 

[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.

 

[PigletsPal2]

#2 Completed: The Devil in the White City
Goal: 28 of 30 remaining

Its a true story about the World's Fair in 1893 and a serial killer who used the fair to lure women to his hotel. I found the book to be very good -- it moved fast and was very interesting.

Next book: Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James

I've gotten so many good leads from this thread! I feel like I have to put in my two cents worth with recommendations.

Erik Larsen also wrote Thunderstruck, the true story of how Marconi's newly-invented telegraph is instrumental in capturing the notorious British wife-killer, Hawley Crippen.

He also wrote In The Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin. The American family just happens to be the family of the US Ambassador to Germany.

Both are fascinating books. Larsen's attention to detail and his through research are unmatched in my view. Enjoy!

Queen Colleen

 

[Christine]

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 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.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I just finished #3. I didn't plan on reading it, but my DD 11 started it, and it was my favorite book when I was her age - Anne of Green Gables. Loved it as much as I did when I was 11.

I put Defending Jacob on hold at the library.

I have Les Mis here to read, but I don't think I want to start it before Defending Jacob. I have a couple of paperbacks I haven't read yet. I'll decide on one of those.

 

[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]

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!

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.

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]

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]

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".