2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[WowLookAtThat]

Book #61 The Family by Mario Puzo

 

[Glynis]

Book 28 of 30

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling

Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide.
After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, thelegendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

Since I am almost at my goal I would like to increase it to 45 books please.

So what did you think of the book? I really didn't like "Casual Vacancy", so I'm wondering about this one.

 

[zippitydoo]

So what did you think of the book? I really didn't like "Casual Vacancy", so I'm wondering about this one.

Honestly I didn’t care that much for Casual Vacancy also, I enjoyed this book it was a fun read.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I was ahead. Now I'm behind.

I am in a slump AGAIN. I have started like four different books only to stop after like two chapters because I just can't get into them!

This happens every time I start a new one.

I honestly think it's because I have too much to choose from on my Kindle(first world problems I know haha!).

 

[wilma-bride]

I was ahead. Now I'm behind.

I am in a slump AGAIN. I have started like four different books only to stop after like two chapters because I just can't get into them!

This happens every time I start a new one.

I honestly think it's because I have too much to choose from on my Kindle(first world problems I know haha!).

I have that exact same problem. Four times I've started 'Gone Girl' and had to stop because I can't get into it.

I am currently reading books by Cathy Glass, about children who she has fostered over the years. Each book is a different child's story, told from Cathy's perspective. They are harrowing but easy reading at the same time, if that makes sense.

I figure I'll try again with gone Girl when I'm on vacation and have more time just to sit and read.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 75 books this year.

#67 down and done.

The Family Way by Rhys Bowen. Molly Murphy, now Molly Sullivan, has "retired" from her job as a private investigator, due to her marriage to police Capt. Daniel Sullivan and the impending birth of their first child.

But a trip to the Post Office brings a letter from Ireland addressed to her old detective agency asking for help in locating a missing Irish serving maid. Despite her promise to Daniel, Molly does a little investigating. She doesn't find out anything about the missing maid (although she will later learn the girl's fate), but she does learn that five babies have been kidnapped in the past month! Her impending motherhood makes it impossible for Molly to ignore these missing children, but what she uncovers will lead her on a terrifying journey through all levels of 1905 New York society, putting her life and that of her baby in danger.

I love Rhys Bowen! She also writes the Royal Spyness mysteries and the Constable Evans mysteries. If you're looking for a new mystery author, I highly recommend Rhys Bowen.

Queen Colleen

 

[KimR]

So what did you think of the book? I really didn't like "Casual Vacancy", so I'm wondering about this one.

I recently finished 'Cuckoo's Calling' (didn't read Casual Vacancy) and I liked it although I think the ending stretched the boundaries of believability a bit. I'm very analytical, though, so take that for what it is worth. Also, I guessed who did it early on and that spoiled it a bit for me. All in all an enjoyable read, though.

I've just started 'Believing The Lie' by Elizabeth George. The reviews were not that great, but we'll see.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

19, 20, and 21

19 - And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - His first two books are two of my favorites! This one did not pack the emotional punch for me, but I still liked it a lot. I think it has about 7 stories, numerous characters, and different time periods throughout. This is not a quick easy read. I think it is very well written although a couple of the stories are left hanging. Like his other books, it makes me want to help Afghanistan. The first story (and the one he ends on) was my favorite. In a way, all the stories intersect, but I would probably need to reread it and plot it on paper to figure out all the intersections. That sounds too much like high school!

20 - Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller - This was for a Christian book club I do every summer. It was pretty good - more like a memoir.

21 - The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - This was reviewed in People magazine so I got it for my road trip to Chicago. I would give it 4/5 because I didn't love the ending. This book could be described as an easy beach read but it has some interesting questions to think about. It begins with a wife finding a letter from her husband to be opened when he dies. Should she open it when he is still very much alive? It has three stories going on and how they all intersect. The second story is about a wife finding out her husband and cousin are in love, and the third story is a woman dealing with her daughter's death.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Goal: 75 books this year.

#67 down and done.

The Family Way by Rhys Bowen. Molly Murphy, now Molly Sullivan, has "retired" from her job as a private investigator, due to her marriage to police Capt. Daniel Sullivan and the impending birth of their first child.

But a trip to the Post Office brings a letter from Ireland addressed to her old detective agency asking for help in locating a missing Irish serving maid. Despite her promise to Daniel, Molly does a little investigating. She doesn't find out anything about the missing maid (although she will later learn the girl's fate), but she does learn that five babies have been kidnapped in the past month! Her impending motherhood makes it impossible for Molly to ignore these missing children, but what she uncovers will lead her on a terrifying journey through all levels of 1905 New York society, putting her life and that of her baby in danger.

I love Rhys Bowen! She also writes the Royal Spyness mysteries and the Constable Evans mysteries. If you're looking for a new mystery author, I highly recommend Rhys Bowen.

Queen Colleen

Is Rhys Bowen cozy mystery, or true mystery. I like cozies, and I thought I'd heard of her there. If so, I may add her to my "to read" list.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I just started Kingdom Keepers.

I'm actually kind of into it!

 

[threeboysmom]

Finished book #52- The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank

This was about a woman dealing with the fact that she is taken for granted by her husband & her husband's friends have divorced their wives for younger women. She hates having to spend time with these people & misses her friends (the ex-wives) while her husband doesn't find anything wrong w/what his friends have done. She decides she is tired of being treated like a housekeeper & finally takes charge of her own life. I did like this book & was really routing for her.

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 wasnt painful enough, a series of setbacks shake Les's world and push her to the edge. Shes 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.

Next book: Fablehaven

Thanks for the review! Looks like something I'd enjoy.

I was ahead. Now I'm behind.

I am in a slump AGAIN. I have started like four different books only to stop after like two chapters because I just can't get into them!

This happens every time I start a new one.

I honestly think it's because I have too much to choose from on my Kindle(first world problems I know haha!).

You haven't read Defending Jacob yet....

Book 28 of 30

Since I am almost at my goal I would like to increase it to 45 books please.

Off to update you now! Nice work!

 

[threeboysmom]

#32 out of 50

Five Days in May by Ninie Hammon

LOVED this book!! It gripped me right from the start, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see how it played out.

Four residents all have an appointment with death in one way or another on the same day in May.

Mac - a man struggling with his faith and wanting to "kill" the pastoral role he's in
Jonas - grandfather who can't bear taking care of his beloved Alzheimer's wife any longer and has come to the hard decision of ending her life
Joy - daughter who finds herself pregnant at a young age and plans to have an abortion
Princess - a young woman convicted of brutally killing her 2 yo sister and facing the electric chair

As a massive tornado speeds towards their town (really not sure what the need for the tornado was...), their lives intertwine with dramatic consequences.

Not all four residents experience death by the path they had originally chosen for themselves nor do they leave with the result they expected.

Highly recommend this book!

Next up: The Shack by William Paul Young and also will be reading Surprised by Joy by CS Lewis

 

[PigletsPal2]

Is Rhys Bowen cozy mystery, or true mystery. I like cozies, and I thought I'd heard of her there. If so, I may add her to my "to read" list.

Not sure I know the difference between cozies and true mysteries! None of them are blood-and-guts stories; they're rich in character development and description. The Molly Murphy series takes place in New York, the Royal Spyness series takes place in England, primarily London, and the Constable Evans series takes place in Wales. I think you'll find Bowen is a great addition to your "to read" list.

Queen Colleen

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 100 books

Book #48 - Beyonders #3 Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull

From Goodreads:
Jason and Rachel were not born in Lyrian. They did not grow up in Lyrian. But after all of the battles and losses, the triumphs and adventures, and most of all, the friendships forged in this fantastical world, Lyrian has become home to them in a way they never could have imagined.

And so, armed now with the prophecy of a dying oracle, they have gone on their separate quests—each surrounded by brave and powerful allies—knowing that the chance for success is slim. But Jason and Rachel are ready at last to become the heroes Lyrian needs, no matter the cost.

My review: I really liked this entire series! It is fantasy that is written well. It is believable (for fantasy), and I grew to love the characters. I was sad to see this series end. Highly recommend. It's a YA book, but it reads well!

Next up: "A Little Bit Wicked" by Kristen Chenowith

 

[Ginny Favers]

42/50: UNTEACHABLE by Leah Raeder

I met him at a carnival, of all corny places. The summer I turned eighteen, in that chaos of neon lights and cheap thrills, I met a man so sweet, so beautiful, he seemed to come from another world. We had one night: intense, scary, real. Then I ran, like I always do. Because I didn't want to be abandoned again.

But I couldn't run far enough.

I knew him as Evan that night. When I walked into his classroom, he became Mr. Wilke.

My teacher.

I don't know if what we're doing is wrong. The rules say one thing; my heart says screw the rules. I can't let him lose his job. And I can't lose him.

In the movies, this would have a happy ending. I grow up. I love, I lose, I learn. And I move on. But this is life, and there's no script. You make it up as you go along.

And you don't pray for a happy ending. You pray for it to never end.

If you liked books like Colleen Hoover's HOPELESS, run, don't walk, and get this book. It is so lyrical and intense. Probably my favorite book of the year.

 

[Christine]

I just completed The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls. There was a long wait for this one and it was pretty good. Not the best book I read, but an interesting story/plot.

This is about a 15 year old girl (Depression era) who gets sent away to the camp for something she's done. You don't find out what it is immediately as it's woven in the to the book through her experiences at the camp. She grew up very isololated and wealthy and the story is about her assimilating in with girls her own age and encountering temptations, secrets, and who she is at camp.

I'm not halfway into Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham (star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood). It's okay. A little to immature for me.

 

[RunningGirl]

#37 - The Long Walk by Stephen King (written as Richard Bachman)
#38 - Breathless by Dean Koontz
#39 - Wild by Cheryl Strayed - this is the only book of the three that I would recommend. I could not put it down.

In between, I'm working on Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, which is about Lewis and Clark.

Unless tragedy strikes, it looks like my goal of 40 was a bit understated. I think I'll move it up to 60!

 

[DisneyWalle]

#29 - The Last Boleyn by Karen Harper
This was an excellent book. I loved it!


She Survived Her Own Innocence, and the Treachery of Europes Royal Courts
Greed, lust for power, sex, lies, secret marriages, religious posturing, adultery, beheadings, international intrigue, jealousy, treachery, love, loyalty, and betrayal. The Last Boleyn tells the story of the rise and fall of the Boleyns, one of Englands most powerful families, through the eyes of the eldest daughter, Mary.
Although her sister, Anne, the queen; her brother, George, executed alongside Anne; and her father, Thomas, are most remembered by history, Mary was the Boleyn who set into motion the chain of events that brought about the familys meteoric rise to power, as well as the one who managed to escape their equally remarkable fall. Sent away to France at an extraordinarily young age, Mary is quickly plunged into the dangerous world of court politics, where everything is beautiful but deceptive, and everyone she meets is watching and quietly manipulating the events and people around them. As she grows into a woman, Mary must navigate both the dangerous waters ruled by two kings and the powerful will of her own family in order to find a place for herself and the love she so deeply desires.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#54 The Sacrifice by Robert Whitlow

Christian based legal thriller. First novel by this author who has written plenty of best sellers since. This one was good & I will try some of his other works.

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 100 books

Book #49 "A Little Bit Wicked" by Kristen Chenowith

I loved this book! Her wit and humor come shining through, and it was a joy! It was also nice to read about someone who is completely open about her faith.

Next up: "STORI Telling" by Tori Spelling