2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[Simba's Mom]

Wow, I'm already more than half way through my "goal". Last week I read "Killing Bridzilla", an enjoyable cozy with a wacky family and cat. Right now I'm reading "All I Ever Wanted" by Kristin Higgins. It can best be described in one word-"Yawn!" It's not a BAD book, just really slow and boring. She was involved with Mark, who left her for Muriel, and is now engaged to her. Meanwhile, she's trying to help the town's new vet "improve your image"-Ian's very stiff, formal, and not too friendly.

 

[Caseheidi]

Book 34 of 100 - A Brewing Storm (Derrick Storm Series #1) from Richard Castle

Summary on Goodreads:
When Derrick Storm needed to leave the CIA, he couldn't just retire. He had to fake his own death. So when his former boss calls in an old favor that will bring Storm out of early retirement and back to Washington to investigate a high-profile kidnapping, he knows there must be more at stake than the life of a senator's son. Working alongside, but not exactly with, bombshell FBI investigator April Showers, Storm must make sense of a confusing flurry of ransom notes and a complicated web of personal relationships and international politics. He'll get to the bottom of the kidnapping, but the storm is still brewing . . .

This is the second Richard Castle (yes, a fictional author from the TV Series) book that I have read. I was not too happy with the first one, but found this book to be much better. It left you hanging, so now I want to purchase the second in the series and see what happens. It is a quick, easy read, and the character interaction is promising.

Next up is the new Kingdom Keepers novel! I really need to catch up for my goal as I am slipping behind. Life just sometimes takes over!

 

[threeboysmom]

I read about 20% last night alone. I like it a lot!

Is it getting weird for you yet? lol

 

[threeboysmom]

Right now I'm reading "All I Ever Wanted" by Kristin Higgins. It can best be described in one word-"Yawn!" It's not a BAD book, just really slow and boring. She was involved with Mark, who left her for Muriel, and is now engaged to her. Meanwhile, she's trying to help the town's new vet "improve your image"-Ian's very stiff, formal, and not too friendly.

I'm pretty sure I read this one. Very unremarkable, obviously since I can't even remember if I read it, lol.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Is it getting weird for you yet? lol

Yes!

It just got into the weird stuff. I wanted to keep reading but I was getting tired and didn't want to lose my momentum.

 

[Glynis]

I'm about 100 pages into Inferno by Dan Brown. It's a fun read so far even though I find his writing style annoying and amateurish at times. I do enjoy the background information he provides in his books and always seem to wind up googling for more information on the people, artwork, architechture, etc. he references. At any rate, I'm enjoying this one much more than his last one, The Lost Symbol.

Glad to hear this! I'm starting Inferno today, and I, too, really didn't enjoy The Lost Symbol.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Glad to hear this! I'm starting Inferno today, and I, too, really didn't enjoy The Lost Symbol.

Never got araound to reading Lost Symbol. Do I need to? Let me know when one of you guys are done.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #32- The Kill Order by James Dashner

This is the prequel to Maze Runner. It did explain some things that happened in the beginning, but not much about WICKED still. The reason the kids have to go thru all this still seems far fetched as well as the technology Wicked has. I did get tired of all the descriptive fighting scenes in this book. I am almost done w/The Scorch Trials (book 2). These are fast reads for sure, but at this point I wouldn't put it on the same level as Hunger Games or Divergent. I'll have to see if I have a different opinion once I finish the series.

 

[tinkerbellfan6880]

Sorry I have not really replied to this thread in awhile. Was not feeling that great all this month and the last two weeks in April.

So far I have read 35 out of 80 books for my goal of the book challenge. Right now reading two books.

Out Of The Black Land by Kerry Greenward. It is about when Nefertiti ruled ancient Egypt with Akhnaten in the eighteenth dynasty. Have read two chapters so far and I am liking it. The chapters are spilt between Mutnodjme who is Nefertiti's half sister and Ptah-hotep who is the royal scribe to Akhnaten. Love reading books that have to do with this time period because you wonder what it was like back then.

Second book I am reading is called The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society. It is the large print version of the book because that is the only one available at my library.

 

[StephMK]

Finished book #32- The Kill Order by James Dashner

This is the prequel to Maze Runner. It did explain some things that happened in the beginning, but not much about WICKED still. The reason the kids have to go thru all this still seems far fetched as well as the technology Wicked has. I did get tired of all the descriptive fighting scenes in this book. I am almost done w/The Scorch Trials (book 2). These are fast reads for sure, but at this point I wouldn't put it on the same level as Hunger Games or Divergent. I'll have to see if I have a different opinion once I finish the series.

I read the series but did not read this one. I'll be curious to hear what you think of the series when you're finished. I will say that I enjoyed the first book the best and agree they are not the same level as Hunger Games.

 

[StephMK]

DD13 has told her dad that she will read 10 books this summer if he agrees to read one. She does not love to read like my other two so he'd better take her challenge!

Yes, he did agree to her challenge. She wants him to read The Outsiders. She just read it in school and really enjoyed it. I read it in HS but he never read it. He used to read but doesn't anymore so this will be good for both of them!

#22 - When a Flower Grows in the Street - it's about a first year teacher working in an urban area. It's a memoir about her first year, struggles with students and finances, and learning to live on her own. I chose it because I just accepted a teaching contract in an urban area. I wish there had been more teacher observations but it was a quick, entertaining read.

 

[RunningGirl]

#29 done - Curse of the Spellmans (book 2 in a series) by Lisa Lutz. I'll give it a hearty "eh". Not much of a story and very, very slow. I think my experiment with that series is over.

Now reading Safe Haven as my daughter had it. So far, okay but not outstanding. I'm pretty sure I can predict what's going to happen in it.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #33: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

What this "government" is doing to these kids is insane. They can't trust anyone or anything, even each other b/c of how their minds are manipulated.

Next book: The Death Cure (book 3)

 

[BearcatsFan]

28/50 - A Perfect Husband by Aphrodite Jones

Unfortunately, the bad reviews were right on the money with this one. While I've enjoyed other books by this author, she really dropped the ball this time. The writing was terrible - facts were repeated over and over, the way some of it was arranged was past/present/past/present and that made it very confusing. She also took a lot of liberties when it came to knowing what people were thinking and feeling. It could have been about 25% shorter, too. I learned nothing new - most of the facts presented here I already knew from watching the 1-hour show on Biography.

In other words, I didn't like it!

1/5 stars

Next Up: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 52 books this year

#40 - Further Chronicles of Avonlea
#41 - The Story Girl
#42 - The Golden Road
#43 - Kilmeny of the Orchard
#44 - The Watchman and other Stories
All by Lucy Maud Montgomery


I finally finished this series! #41-44 really didn't have anything to do with Anne Shirley, but I found the stories interesting enough to keep at it. Book #44 was all poetry, but I slogged through it. These books have been reviewed enough that I really can't add anything other than to say that I'm glad I didn't read them when I was young, because I wouldn't have appreciated them as much.

If our Bookmeister would be so kind, I'd like to increase my goal to 75. Enough wholesomeness! And now I'm off to read some of my beloved death and destruction and murder and mayhem!

Queen Colleen

 

[portia9]

I've just read through the last 10 pages and have downloaded The Enchanted April and The Maze Runner.


Goal 100

#60-62 Death of a Fop, Jane and the Bow St Runner, Jane and the Opera Dancer by Sarah Waldock-mysteries set in the 1800's.Only $1.50 ea on the kindle and well worth it.
#63 Emma by Jane Austen-not my favourite Austen but had to read it for book club. enjoyed it more re reading it than the first time I read it
# 64 Restoration by Rosé Tremain-good historical fiction set in England during the rule of Charles II

 

[Glynis]

Never got araound to reading Lost Symbol. Do I need to? Let me know when one of you guys are done.

I haven't finished Inferno, yet. I'm loving it, though! It's much more like DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. As far as I'm concerned, you could skip Lost Symbol entirely!

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 100 Books

Book #38 - "Inferno" by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, art history professor and symbologist, is drawn into another mystery and is off to save the world, again. He races a clock to find Inferno a plague a madman has devised to "save mankind." The biggest problem, though, is that Robert has amnesia, and no idea of what he is supposed to do, or who he can trust.

I really enjoyed this book! It felt more like "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons." It was fast-paced, believable, and full of intrigue, history and poetry! I loved it!! I would totally recommend it to fans of Dan Brown.

Next up: "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 75 books this year (increased from 52)

#45 down and done.

It's More Than The Music - Life Lessons on Friends, Faith and What Matters Most by Bill Gaither with Ken Abraham.

Bill Gaither is a giant in the gospel music field, writing and recording original songs, developing and encouraging young talent, and bringing gospel music to millions of people through live Homecoming Concerts, videos, and CDs. This book lays out in story-telling format how the Gaithers got to where they are in the music world, without sugar-coating the journey.

I'm a huge gospel music fan (but I can't sing a note!) and have been to a Gaither concert and really enjoyed learning about the ins-and-outs of the Gaithers' lives and careers.

While not preachy, this is a spiritually uplifting book and I couldn't put it down.

Queen Colleen

 

[StephMK]

#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.

#24 - Light Between Oceans - really enjoyed this and loved the ending, even though it might not end the way you think. I like books that don't follow an expected pattern. It's hard to believe this was her first book!

Ahh, it's been nice to spend some evenings reading lately though my sleep is suffering! Something light is up next.