2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[BearcatsFan]

36/50 - The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank

Experience the sultry Southern atmosphere of Atlanta and the magic of the Carolina Lowcountry in this funny and poignant tale of one audacious woman’s quest to find the love she deserves, from New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank.

Leslie Anne Greene Carter is The Last Original Wife among her husband Wesley’s wildly successful Atlanta social set. His cronies have all traded in the mothers of their children they promised to love and cherish—’til death did them part—for tanned and toned young Barbie brides.

If losing the social life and close friends she adored wasn’t painful enough, a series of setbacks shake Les’s world and push her to the edge. She’s had enough of playing the good wife to a husband who thinks he’s doing her a favor by keeping her around. She’s not going to waste another minute on people she doesn’t care to know. Now, she’s going to take some time for herself—in the familiar comforts and stunning beauty of Charleston, her beloved hometown. In her brother’s stately historic home, she’s going to reclaim the carefree girl who spent lazy summers sharing steamy kisses with her first love on Sullivans Island. Along Charleston’s live oak- and palmetto-lined cobblestone streets, under the Lowcountry’s dazzling blue sky, Les will indulge herself with icy cocktails, warm laughter, divine temptation and bittersweet memories. Daring to listen to her inner voice, she will realize what she wants . . . and find the life of which she’s always dreamed.

Told in the alternating voices of Les and Wes, The Last Original Wife is classic Dorothea Benton Frank: an intoxicating tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, and love, that is as salty as a Lowcountry breeze and as invigorating as a dip in Carolina waters on a sizzling summer day.

I *loved* this book! It has been a very long time since I've laughed so much out loud while reading. I got this from the library, but I'm considering purchasing it so I can read it again and again - it was that good.

If you're looking for something light and fun to read this Summer, I would definitely recommend it!

5/5 stars

Next Up: Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (library waitlist finally came through )

 

[tiggrbaby]

I feel like the freak of the thread.

I could NOT get into Gone Girl.

I read about 20% and gave up.

Don't. While it was a good book, I threw it down when I finished reading it.

I finished it, but I did not like that book either.

Yeah, you're definitely not the only one. I did not like the ending.

Don't feel bad. I read all of it but hated the ending. Are you going to try either of her other books? They're a lot darker than Gone Girl, so if you didn't like it, you may want to steer clear of those.

I did not like it either!

 

[Narnia_girl]

Finished book #43- The Prison Angel by Mary Jordan

This book was for my book club. It's a story of a real life, twice divorced woman who decides to devote her life as a nun to help the poor & prisoners in Tijuana. She did so much to help so many without fear for her own life. It is very inspiring. The trouble I had was the compassion & respect she had for rapists, murderers, & drug lords. I just can't get past what they did.

The winners of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting tell the astonishing story of Mary Clarke. At the age of fifty, Clarke left her comfortable life in suburban Los Angeles to follow a spiritual calling to care for the prisoners in one of Mexico's most notorious jails. She actually moved into a cell to live among drug king pins and petty thieves. She has led many of them through profound spiritual transformations in which they turned away from their lives of crime, and has deeply touched the lives of all who have witnessed the depth of her compassion. Donning a nun's habit, she became Mother Antonia, renowned as "the prison angel," and has now organized a new community of sisters-the Servants of the Eleventh Hour—widows and divorced women seeking new meaning in their lives. "We had never heard a story like hers," Jordan and Sullivan write, "a story of such powerful goodness."

Our book club read this several years ago. It was an amazing story! At the time she was still living in Tijuana.

 

[zippitydoo]

Book 22 of 30

Zoo by James Patterson

 

[Simba's Mom]

36/50 - The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank



I *loved* this book! It has been a very long time since I've laughed so much out loud while reading. I got this from the library, but I'm considering purchasing it so I can read it again and again - it was that good.

If you're looking for something light and fun to read this Summer, I would definitely recommend it!

5/5 stars

Sounds like I book I'd really enjoy. Going to Goodreads to add it to "want to read". Thanks!

 

[threeboysmom]

I feel like the freak of the thread.

I could NOT get into Gone Girl.

I read about 20% and gave up.

NOooooooo! lol

Don't. While it was a good book, I threw it down when I finished reading it.

That was about my reaction too, lol. BUT I do have to say, even though the ending wasn't a typical "happily ever after," I thought it fit the storyline perfectly so chalk me up as the freak that actually LIKED the ending! One of the reasons why I liked the ending so much is because it totally took me by surprise! Never in a million years would I have thought of that.... my head still reels at times when I think of it. I thought it was brilliant, lol.

 

[Narnia_girl]

I just finished Gods and Kings by Lynn Austin. If you've ever struggled to read the Old Testament, this is the easy route--historical fiction.

"Gods and Kings" is the story of King Hezekiah, heir to the throne of King David. When his evil father plots to sacrifice him, Hezekiah's mother, Abijah, searches frantically for a way to save him. But only two men can help her, and neither of them seems trustworthy. In a time and place engulfed by violence, treachery, and infidelity to Yahweh, Abijah and her son must discover the one true Source of strength if they are to save themselves and their country. Book 1 of Chronicles of the Kings.

I liked it enough that I started book 2.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#45 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Last of the Hunger Games Trilogy. Was good but has been reviewed to death so I won't, lol.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #44- On Folly Beach by Karen White

I really liked this book! It is a great summer read. I had read another book of hers which was okay, but I'm glad I read this one. I picked it b/c she uses real history as well as real facts about the location the book is set in. We are visiting Charleston soon for the 1st time, so I thought it would be fun to read this for info on the area. It's a great story that is written with 2 stories intertwined, one in the past (1940s) & one current (2009) that lead you through an intriguing mystery that you get bits of info about as you read. I enjoyed trying to figure it out.

To most people, Folly Beach is simply the last barrier island before reaching the great Atlantic. To some, it's a sanctuary for lost souls, which is why Emmy Hamilton's mother encourages her to buy the local book store, Folly's Finds, hoping it will distract Emmy from the loss of her husband.
Emmy is at first resistant. So much has already changed. But after finding love letters and an image of a beautiful bottle tree in a box of used books from Folly's Finds, she decides to take the plunge. But the seller insists on one condition: Emmy must allow Lulu, the late owner's difficult sister, to continue selling her bottle trees from its back yard.
For the most part Emmy ignores Lulu as she sifts through the love letters, wanting to learn more. But the more she discovers about the letters, the more she understands Lulu. As details of a possible murder and a mysterious disappearance during WWII are revealed, the two women discover that circumstances beyond their control, sixty years apart, have brought them together, here on Folly Beach. And it is here that their war-ravaged hearts can find hope for a second chance...

Don't have a next book yet...

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

#15

Spring Fever
Mary Kay Andrews

"First husbands, second chances…

When you think the past is over and done and when you believe you’ve moved on in life, there’s no harm in catching a little spring fever. . . is there?

In bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews's Spring Fever, Annajane Hudgens truly believes she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless. They’ve been divorced for four years, she’s engaged to a new, terrific guy, and she’s ready to leave the small town where she and Mason had so much history. She is so over Mason that she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to the beautiful, intelligent, delightful Celia. Celia: the woman everyone in town adores. Everyone, that is, except for Annajane and her lifelong best friend, Pauline “Pokey” Bayless.

But when fate intervenes and the wedding is called to a halt as the bride is literally walking down the aisle, Annajane begins to realize that maybe she’s been given a second chance. Maybe everything happens for a reason. And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back.

But there are secrets afoot in this small Southern town. Passcoe, North Carolina, is the home of Quixie cherry soda, and the company has been in the Bayless family for generations. Change is on the horizon, however, and even though anyone born in Passcoe is raised on cherry soda and its mascot, Dixie the Quixie Pixie, things are most definitely not going to be the same for long. In the peaceful and shady lanes of Passcoe, Annajane discovers that change can bring out the worst in people and uncover family scandals. And even though there are people determined to keep Annajane from getting what she wants, happiness could be hers for the taking, and the life she once had with Mason in this sleepy little lake town could be in her future. That is, if she can find out what she’s really made of and what really matters most to her. "





I am a pretty big fan of Mary Kay Andrews.

This book was good...It was entertaining but not as great as her others. It definitely had a more serious tone than I am used to with her work.

 

[BearcatsFan]

Sounds like I book I'd really enjoy. Going to Goodreads to add it to "want to read". Thanks!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

[BearcatsFan]

37/50 - Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

I've been waiting a long time to read this, and unfortunately I ended up a little disappointed. Initially, I loved the storyline. The writing was good, I was there in my mind, etc. But at some point after the two main characters went on the run, I didn't like the turn the story took and just wanted it to be over already. I also hate reading about when animals are injured/killed. So in the end, this was just okay for me - not awful, but not "sing-its-praises" great, either.

3/5 stars

Next Up: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

[wilma-bride]

Well, I've finished my first book since I joined the challenge at the beginning of this month.

59/116 - Do Me No Harm by Julie Corbin

This is what the blurb says....When her son's drink is spiked, Dr Olivia Somers is sure it's more than a random attack. And when an intruder paints the word 'murderer' across her living room wall one night, her worst nightmares are confirmed. But why is her family being targeted? With her ex-husband threatening to fight for custody of their two children, Olivia must delve into her past to find the answer, before her family come to any more harm.

I really liked this book. It is a psychological thriller, well written and really kept me on the edge of my seat. Can't say I was too fond of the ending but it was a good read and I would definitely recommend it.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#46 The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

This is another YA book. First in the Chaos Walking series. Loved it. Would recommend it & give it 5 stars.

 

[Caseheidi]

Books 42 & 43 of 100

Book 42: The Gift (Witch & Wizard Series #2) by James Patterson

Summary from Goodreads:
When Whit & Wisty were imprisoned by the wicked forces of the totalitarian regime known as the New Order, they were barely able to escape with their lives. Now part of a hidden community of teens like themselves, Whit and Wisty have established themselves as leaders of the Resistance, willing to sacrifice anything to save kids kidnapped and brutally imprisoned by the New Order. But the One has other plans in store for them: He needs Wisty, for she is "The One Who Has the Gift." While trying to figure out what that means, Whit and Wisty's suspenseful adventures through Overworld and Shadowland lead to a jaw-dropping climax and conclusion: the highly-anticipated fulfillment of the heart-pounding opening prologue of book one...The Execution of the Allgoods

I liked the first book better, but am still willing to continue the series. It is an easy read, and interesting to see what happens.

Book 43: Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1) by Jean Webster

I didn't like the summary on Goodreads, so I will try one of my own! Jerusha Abbott was raised in an orphanage. She was allowed to stay past the age 17 as she was an excellent student and helpful in the home. After 18 years in an orphanage, she is sent to college to train to be a writer by one of the Trustees who makes the conditions 1) he remain anonymous and 2) she write him monthly letters and never expect a response. After the beginning set up, the rest of the book is filled with her regular correspondence with the man she has dubbed "Daddy-Long-Legs".

As Jerusha, or Judy as she decided to nick-name herself, works her way through 4 years of college (set in the early 1900's) she finds the wonder and joy in everyday experiences while still feeling the disadvantages she had growing up in an orphanage. She pretends that "Daddy" (for short) is her family and it helps her feel less lonely, at the same time frustrates her as she doesn't even know if he is reading her letters. The letters take you through to after graduation where Judy has a big, life changing decision to make and askes for "Daddy's" help. Will she finally get to meet her Daddy-Long-Legs?

I read this book for book-club, and found it entirely charming. It is a quick, easy read. I did find the ending predictable, in fact I predicted it in the first 3rd of the book. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the trip there. I would recommend this book.

 

[Adriana Trigiani]

So glad you enjoyed The Shoemaker's Wife and the Valentine books! The third book in the Valentine series, The Supreme Macaroni Company, comes out this fall on November 5th. Hope to see you when I tour through!

xoxo Adriana

#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.

 

[wvjules]

I just finished "A Moveable Feast" at lunch. I liked some of the 'chapters' and others not so much. Overall, I give it a 4/5. Reading it after reading "The Paris Wife" made it that much more interesting. I do believe he truely loved Hadley. She was the one and only true love of his life. It's obvious he regrets what he did to them and their marriage.

Hem was a complicated man. He comes off as arrogant and overly-confident for a young man that hadn't (at that point in time) accomplished much; however, I think he was overcompensating for his fear of failure and of being nothing.

I have moved on to "A Farewell to Arms" and have also bought a book of his short stories, many of which are referenced in "A Paris Wife". I'm looking forward to reading these and also want to read more about Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. I'm undecided on reading "Hemingway and Gellhorn" the story of him and his 3rd wife. I am so in love with him and Hadlely's love story that I can't imagine reading about him and one of his other wives'.

I'm going to make a pilgrimage to Boston to the JFK library to visit the Hemingway room sometime soon. I can't get enough of his story and those of the "lost generation". It's almost become an obsession.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 75 books this year

#61 - Life as a Victorian Lady by Pamela Horn
#62 - Life in a Victorian Household by Pamela Horn

I'm fascinated by the Victorian era, so I was eager to read these books; they were 99 cent downloads on my Kindle.

Life as a Victorian Lady depicts the various stages of girls growing up in England in the middle to late 1800s. Because of the laws of primogeniture, girls were practically compelled to make advantageous marriages whether there was any love involved or not. She who did not ended up dependent on her father until his death, when she would then become dependent on her father's heir, who may or may not be a loving brother, happy to support an unmarried sister. Those who married became responsible for ordering their own houses, dealing with servants, entertaining their husbands' friends and business associates, many times having to deal with their mothers-in-law who might not be ready to give up their positions as queen bee. They had little to do with their children, either by choice or circumstance. Divorce was unheard of, and in the rare circumstances when a divorce was granted, the wife was completely shunned by Society, while the husband suffered no consequences.

Life in a Victorian Household covers the inhabitants on the other side of the green baize door - the servants. Poor children of the Victorian era had no opportunity to get an education, so when they were sent out to earn money to support themselves or to help support their families, their only option for legitimate employment was service. Sleeping in unheated attics or basements, eating whatever might be left over from the family's meals, many felt that they were fortunate to have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. Their training was mostly on-the-job, and it included everything from hauling coal from the basement to carrying hot water up several flight of stairs to fill a bath for the master. There was silver to be polished, tables to be laid, vegetables to be prepared, pots to be scrubbed, bed and table linens to be washed, mended and ironed, fires to be laid, carpets to be swept and stoops to be scrubbed. There was a definite hierarchy, with the butler lording over the master's valet, the footmen, the grooms and the gardeners. The housekeeper was in charge of the upstairs and downstairs maids, the tweeny and sometimes the mistress's lady's maid. The cook had her own little kingdom, ruling the kitchen maids and the bootblack, who did all the odd jobs all the other servants thought they were too high and mighty to do.

Because I read a lot of Victorian mysteries, I knew some of this, but these books really went into a lot of detail that I didn't know. It makes me very glad I didn't live in Victorian England; my family surely wouldn't have been of the servant-hiring class - we would have been the servants!

Queen Colleen

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I am ashamed to say I have not picked up my book in awhile my excuse is I am saving it for the flight but seriously I will try to get to it by Sunday

 

[keenercam]

So glad you enjoyed The Shoemaker's Wife and the Valentine books! The third book in the Valentine series, The Supreme Macaroni Company, comes out this fall on November 5th. Hope to see you when I tour through!

xoxo Adriana

Oh, my goodness!!! I am SOOOO excited to see this post. I have LOVED every single one of your books I've read so far. And I am truly looking forward to the November 5 release date!!! I will definitely keep an eye open for information on any signings within driving distance. Thank you!!