2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[WowLookAtThat]

#42 The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

Review: The book is about Hattie Shephard and her 12 children. The chapters are about each child and written in different perspectives. The book doesn't follow a basic plotline but really tell the story of the different children and the mother who had raised them.

Hattie is an interesting character. Early on I was a witness to her pain of losing two of her children and I think this tragedy affected her later relationships with her other children. She is a mother and loves her children as it is apparent but there is a lack of tenderness as that had been replaced by almost entirely by tough love. I felt that that she saw her kids as an obligation, loved them but they are still an obligation to be cared for. However, as cold and hard as Hattie could be she was still there for them when they needed her.

I thought the book was o.k but received too much hype.The book tackles controversial subjects such as infidelity, homosexuality and mental illness but there was little to no closure to the characters. The stories were more vignettes than anything else. The Shephard family's stories aren't connected to one another and I didn't feel a connection to the story. However, I did feel that the personalities of the Shephard family and especially the children were complex, no one was bad or good. They were human.

 

[Caseheidi]

Book 35 of 100 - Dark Passage (Kingdom Keepers #6) by Ridley Pearson

Summary from Goodreads:
The five Kingdom Keepers and their core friends have uncovered a startling truth: Maleficent and the Overtakers (Disney villains) are plotting a catastrophic event that could have repercussions far beyond the world of Disney.

Aboard the Disney Cruise Line’s inaugural passage through the new Panama Canal, the Keepers and their holograms uncover a puzzle hidden within the pages of a stolen journal. The point of that puzzle will reveal itself in the caves of Aruba, the zip lines of Costa Rica, and the jungles of Mexico. A destructive force, dormant for decades, is about to be unleashed. The five Kingdom Keepers are to be its first victims

I enjoyed this book, however I missed the Keepers being in the parks. Granted I have never been on the Disney Dream, so the references were missed by me, but it was still fun to have the characters I have grown up with being part of the series. It kind of felt like they were wrapping it up, but there are still some loose threads. It will be fun to pick up the next one next year!

 

[Caseheidi]

Quick question: How are people counting collections of short stories when all in a single book? I am planning to start reading the Sherlock Holmes series, and got the complete collection in a single format. It includes all 56 short stories and 4 novels. I plan to count the novels each individually, but would you consider the short stories as one, or as 56?

 

[KimR]

Goal - 100 Books

Next up: "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton

You are in for a treat - I LOVED this book! I've read 2 others of hers and so far, this was my favorite. I have Secret Keeper downloaded and ready to go, but I'm putting off reading it because once I do, I'll have no more Kate Morton to look forward to.

 

[Ginny Favers]

36/50 Because of Low by Abbi Glines. It officially cured me of my obsession with her books. Basically, all of them are the same book, same characters, with small modifications, so if you've read one, you've read them all. Moving on.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #34: The Death Cure by James Dashner

THis is the final book in the Maze Runner series. I did like the ending & it did explain why the "government" did what it did. Overall it was a good series, except for all the elaborate fighting descriptions. I still feel Hunger Games & Divergent rank higher.

Taking a break from reading for a couple weeks as the kids finish school & we head out on vacation.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#37 Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Second in the Divergent series. Kinda slow until midway thru then became good.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Book 19 best friends for never


About girls who design a uniform for a contest and yes I enjoyed if

 

[threeboysmom]

Finished #20 out of 50

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I'm not sure how to review this book, lol. The end of the book was awful, but I understand that there is a sequel planned, so maybe that is why it ended the way it did. I don't feel anything was really "wrapped up."

Loved all the old-fashioned photographs scattered throughout the book, and really LOVE that the author used these authentic photos to create an entire story around them. So creative & innovative!

Without giving too much away, it's about a boy whose grandfather tells him fantastical stories of an orphanage where he lived with very peculiar children (ie., one can levitate, one has bees living on him, one is invisible, etc.). Are any of these stories actually true or is his grandfather actually making these stories up? As the boy gets older, he begins to believe the latter until one day he sets out to decipher a cryptic message left to him by his grandfather and discovers the truth.

I definitely liked the book, but I don't think I'd consider it a favorite of mine. Perhaps the sequel will redeem itself, but I do give the author props for a VERY creative story!!

Next up: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

#23 - Cemetery Girl - written by one of our Dis posters. It's a YA book about a girl who finds she may be able to draw people and messages from the deceased. I really liked the idea of the story and love that it was a collaboration with the poster's DDs. My DD13 is going to read it and I think she will like it as she loves art and the idea of special abilities.
Ahh, it's been nice to spend some evenings reading lately though my sleep is suffering! Something light is up next.

Thanks so much for reading and I really hope daughter enjoys it. I am sure my daughter would love to discuss the artwork with her.

Finished #20 out of 50

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I'm not sure how to review this book, lol. The end of the book was awful, but I understand that there is a sequel planned, so maybe that is why it ended the way it did. I don't feel anything was really "wrapped up."

Loved all the old-fashioned photographs scattered throughout the book, and really LOVE that the author used these authentic photos to create an entire story around them. So creative & innovative!

I felt the same way. It was still one of my favorite books from last year even with hating the ending, and liking the character more before I met them.
Not to mention he made the greatest book trailer ever.

 

[keenercam]

#39 Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
#40 Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
I read these based on a friends recommendation after I told her how much I loved "The Shoemaker's Wife", and she was right. I really enjoyed the rich story lines in this pair of books about a family shoemaking business in New York. The company is known for its custom-made wedding shoes, and it must find a way to become profitable in todays economy. I am hoping there will soon be a third in the series that will wrap up some of the story lines.

#41 A Seal's Seduction by Tawny Weber (sexy romance; Kindle freebie; I'd read more by this author)

#42 Empty Net by Toni Aleo
#43 Trying to Score by Toni Aleo
These were good stories that exemplify bad editing. Toni Aleo's first book is one of my all-time favorite love stories and I forgave the bad editing there, hoping she'd correct in the follow-on stories. Unfortunately, the editing in these 2 books was so bad that I am unlikely to read any more unless the Amazon reviews say she has suddenly found a good editor or beta readers.

#44 Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks
#45 Never Love a Highlander by Maya Banks
I discovered Maya after I met her at a book signing in September. Her romances continue to entertain. The characters are strong and loveable, and the descriptions of the settings really pull you in to the story.

#46 Texas Secrets: The Gallaghers, Book 1 by Jean Brashear
#47 Texas Lonely: The Gallaghers, Book 2 by Jean Brashear
#48 Texas Bad Boy: The Gallaghers, Book 3 by Jean Brashear
These were wonderful! I think the first one was a Kindle freebie and served its purpose of finding a new reader. Once I read it, I HAD to read the rest of the series because the characters were so wonderfully developed, intriguing and likeable. I have a new author to add to my must-read list!

#49 The Wanderer by Robyn Carr

#50 Chasing Justice (Piper Anderson Series, Book 1) by Danielle Stewart. This was really good and suspenseful, and I will definitely read the sequel.

#51 Dangerous Race by Dee J. Adams. Interesting story about a woman race car driver, with some suspense. Interesting and light reading.

#52 True North by Marie Force

#53 Treading Water: The Treading Water Series, Book 1 by Marie Force
#54 Marking Time: The Treading Water Series, Book 2 by Marie Force
#55 Starting Over: The Treading Water Series, Book 3 by Marie Force
#56 Coming Home: The Treading Water Series, Book 4 by Marie Force

I really enjoy this author and was thrilled to find some books of hers that I hadn't read yet. "True North" was good, but the "Treading Water" series was excellent. The first of the "Treading Water" series was a heart-wrenching story about an architect whose wife is hit by a car and goes into a coma, leaving behind three young daughters.

#57 - Off Limits by Sawyer Bennett. I'd read another book by this author and really enjoyed the story line and the characters, so I was happy to see a sequel (and that the characters from the first book showed up again, too). The author has a third book in the series coming out soon and it is on my to-buy list.

#58 - Once Around by Barbara Bretton. Very good.
#59 At Last by Barbara Bretton. Another very good one. Didn't disappoint.

#60 Just this Once (Escape to New Zealand) by Rosalind James. This was a wonderfully written romance, placed in an exotic locale and featuring a rugby player as the male lead. Very engaging!

I'd upped my goal for the year to 52, but I am thinking I probably should increase it again, this time to 100 books, especially since reading your reviews has me constantly adding to my "to read" list.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Goal:25

Completed:12

#12
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
Random Riggs

I have a mixed review of this book.

I loved the story and premise of the book. It was such a unique story and the photos made it even better.

BUT... It felt very amateurish. The writing drive me nuts. There wasn't anything really wrong with it, but I feel like it didn't flow. I found myself having to reread some sentences and paragraphs because they were just worded strangely. Did anyone else feel his way too?

 

[BearcatsFan]

29/50 - The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

This book was sad in so many places it was hard to read for me. It was well-written, but I didn't find the story enjoyable - I didn't enjoy reading it, if that makes sense. I did like the flower meanings dictionary included at the end.

4/5 stars

Next Up: 11/22/63 by Stephen King (850 pages - this one's gonna take me a while )

 

[Swimnoid]

Goal = 75

52. The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card
This is the second of a series. The Lost Gate was the first book. You do need to read The Lost Gate first. It is an interesting story involving magic and two different worlds and an upcoming clash that will occur between the 2 worlds. The book lags sometimes trying to explain how some of the magic works but overall is pretty good.

53. Deep Down by Lee Child
This was really a novella starring Jack Reacher. It was available for ereaders only. I am a huge Jack Reacher fan but Yuck! Not very good! This story went back into the 80s where Reacher has to see if he can figure out who is a mole in talks about new weapons. It starts out good then near the end just kind of skips forward to wrap it up. I had to look back to see if I had missed a page.

54. Father's Day by Debbie Macomber
I have read several of Debbie's Christmas stories and have really enjoyed them. This book was very light and cute but pretty unrealistic. A widowed mother and her 10 year old son move into a house next to a single man who has a dog. Boy & dog fall in love. Man has a troubled past. It all ends up happy. Just the book I needed at the time but kind of funny because the people are too perfect. It came bundled for the kindle with another similar story which I think I am going to pass on.

Right now I am in the middle of about 5 different books and just cant get hooked on any of them.

 

[StephMK]

#25 - Sad Desk Salad - this stuck out when scrolling through the ebooks on the library website.

It was a quick, light summer read. I'd give it a 3. Young 20-something girl in NY, works as a blogger, and gets her life all out of balance due to her job. Her choice to break someone's privacy and post a juicy story causes all kinds of problems. It lightly deals with internet & privacy concerns in this day and age.

It both makes me feel old and relieved that my young, wilder days were in the "olden" times before cell phones and social media were around to record every awful moment.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 75 books this year.

#46 down and done.

Georgiana Darcy's Diary by Anna Elliott. This is a spin-off of Pride and Prejudice featuring Mr. Darcy's younger sister, Georgiana, to whom he is guardian. The author tells us that in the original P&P we never "hear" Georgiana speak a direct word; her dialog is always summarized by the narrator. I never noticed that and re-read P&P to verify - and I couldn't find one direct quote from Georgiana!

This is a fun read, as we watch Georgiana come out of her society shell as well has her personal shell and cheer for her as she tries to help her cousin Anne break free from her domineering mother and connect with the man of her dreams.

Good read for those of us who can't get enough of Jane Austen.

Queen Colleen

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I was using up some Amazon cards(and reward points.............wait...that means I had to SPEND money)
and came across this book. I got it just out of curiosity, but thought I would share with my fellow Disney loving DISers:

Down in Out in the Magic Kingdom
http://www.amazon.com/Down-Magic-Kingdom-Cory-Doctorow/dp/0765304368/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1369844018&sr=8-1

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I was using up some Amazon cards(and reward points.............wait...that means I had to SPEND money)
and came across this book. I got it just out of curiosity, but thought I would share with my fellow Disney loving DISers:

Down in Out in the Magic Kingdom
http://www.amazon.com/Down-Magic-Kingdom-Cory-Doctorow/dp/0765304368/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1369844018&sr=8-1

I have a birthday in about 4 weeks and money saved that is how I am supporting my reading habit

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Book #43 The Secret of the Bulls by Jose Raul Bernardo

Review: This book was written by the same man who wrote the Wise Women of Havana, one of my earlier reads. I was surprised to find out that the parents of one of the main characters in that book star in this one. 18 year old Dolores elopes with Maximiliano, the town butcher. I thought it was an "us against the world" type of romance but it isn't and I wasn't unpleased as the book is so much more than that. The novel also follows the life of their children Merced, Mani and Gustavo as they grow up and find their own hard and complicated paths (the youngest, Margarita is in the Wise Women and so her story isn't told in this novel).

While reading this, I read how the family survived the depression, fires, hurricane and sometimes feeling trapped by fate. However, the biggest theme of this novel is infidelity. This happens quite often in the book and while I disagree with a lot of what happened, I respect the author's take on it. The characters in the book had their reasons for it but honestly I wouldn't put up with that. I sometimes felt that the author was a bit more forgiving of his male characters' cheating because they were men. That was a bit much but all together this isn't a bad book as it is rich with culture and lush with details.

 

[BearcatsFan]

Goal:25

Completed:12

#12
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
Random Riggs

I have a mixed review of this book.

I loved the story and premise of the book. It was such a unique story and the photos made it even better.

BUT... It felt very amateurish. The writing drive me nuts. There wasn't anything really wrong with it, but I feel like it didn't flow. I found myself having to reread some sentences and paragraphs because they were just worded strangely. Did anyone else feel his way too?

After your review and threeboysmom review, now I'm not sure I want to read this anymore. I hate wasting my time on a book that's no good.