2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[Glynis]

Goal - 100 Books

Book #51 - "The End of Your Life Book Club" by Will Schwalbe

From Goodreads:
This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a book club that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isnt the opposite of doing; its the opposite of dying.

I LOVED this book! It was so amazing! The thing that I found the most inspiring was what the author learned about his mother because of the books that she read. I hope that I can leave a similar legacy to my kids. I thought it would be a really sad book to read, and I did get teary at the end, but it was so much more inspiring than sad! I definitely recommend this book! I'm pretty sure I'll be buying a copy to underline and highlight!

Next up: "Shakespeare: The World as Stage" by Bill Bryson

On a positive note: I've finally passed the halfway mark! Good thing school is starting so I can get some uninterrupted reading time!

 

[3smithboys]

Book #33 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children...

This book was not what I expected it to be.... although I'm not sure exactly what I expected (it did have peculiar in the title after all!!!)...

I liked it, but I can't say that I loved it. It's not the typical genre that I read, but I thought it was enjoyable.

 

[zippitydoo]

Book 29 of 45

Morning Cup of Murder(Book 1 of Lacy Steele) by Vanessa Gray Bartal

After a disastrous few years trying to make it on her own, Lacy Steele returns to her tiny hometown. Feeling like a failure, she moves in with the one person guaranteed to make her fat, her beloved grandmother--a woman who uses food as love. As if to make her already depressing life more confusing, she reconnects with Jason, the former Adonis of their high school. Now a cop, Jason seemingly doesn't remember the frizzy-haired band geek Lacy was. Instead, he sees her as a potential problem, especially when someone she loves is arrested for murder. Lacy won't stop until the murder is solved, even if it means putting herself in danger. Somehow, Lacy is determined to clear a name, put her life back together, and heal old hurts. But more than anything she's determined not to fall in love with Jason Cantor.

 

[Swimnoid]

I'm happy to see that there's a new Ivy Malone book. I read the first one about two years ago and have been waiting not very patiently for the next one. It seemed so long between books that I was afraid there wasn't going to be a next one!

As you seem to like your sleuths a little more mature, you may want to try Ann Purser's Ivy Beasley series (what is it about the name Ivy for little old British ladies?). There are only four books in this series so far, but Purser has another series "starring" Lois Meade, which is very good also. Lois is younger and has a family; she runs a housecleaning business in small English village. Both series are on my "must-read" list.

Queen Colleen

There are actually 4 total! The next 2 are On the Run and Stranded

I'll definitely be on the look out for the books you mentioned.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Book #62 Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

Review: This book was pretty good. Basically Thea is a Hebrew slave dring the Roman times and the last survivor of her town. She is the slave to Lepida who is a spoiled, vain, malicious, rich woman who abuses Thea. When Leipida discovers Arius the Barbarian during a gladiator match she sends her slave to give letters to him. Thea and Arius fall in love and this sets into motion everything. Thea is sold before Arius could buy her and set her free. For five years she doesn't see him but becomes a singer for the royal court and begins to be the abused mistress of Domitian, the Emperor. This sets in motion a master plan....

At first this didn't get me. The characters were kind of one sided and lacked complexity but as I went further in the book, I was hooked! Thea is no damsel in distress like I thought at first but very resourceful and Arius seemed like a regularly angry man (it is understandable why though) but soon his progression shows that he is more. My one complaint is Lepida, she does horrible things just so she could have some power and fame but what I don't get is why she was the way she was. What was her backstory? The author just shows how bad she is but without a motive at the beginning. This book pulled me a quarter of the way and it got really good!

Book #63 Empress of Seven Hills by Kate Quinn

Review: Vix is the son of Arius and Thea while Sabina is the daughter of Lepida. They fall in love and soon part ways. Sabina marries Hadrian who is the Emperor's heir and a real momma's boy but she wants to see the world and she has to marry someone in her own class bracket so why not marry someone who suits her? This isn't a love match and the marriage lacks any passion, love or even respect. Her decision causes Vix to join the Roman military and throughout the book Sabina and Vix interacy and affect each other's future.

This book was ok. It didn't pull me in and honestly I couldn't like the characters. Vix has the mentality of a man who couldn't understand that Sabina was a woman (during the Roman times no less) who had to make a good match even to a man she didn't love. She really had little choice. Her father let her choose a husband among her suitors but she really had no choice if she would marry or not. Vix seems to hate her for that without understanding her position. There was little plotting in the book and even the story's main villain Plotina was pretty dull.

Book #64 Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn

Review: This is a prequel to the series and involves the Four Cornelias, four cousins who each have been affected by the year of Four Emperors, the year when four men took over Rome. When the girls were children, a fortune-teller sees one girl have blood on her hands but it doesn't get revealed which one until the end. As the women grow up, three of the girls are affected by the Year but one was the puppet master the whole time....

I think it was great! The book gives an equal share of attention to the girls and the stories are pretty good. The characters' progression and the plot is engaging.

 

[PigletsPal2]

There are actually 4 total! The next 2 are On the Run and Stranded

I'll definitely be on the look out for the books you mentioned.

Thank you for that info! I'll be checking Amazon for those titles,

Queen Colleen

 

[portia9]

Goal 100

#84 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
#85 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Really enjoying reading these again.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Book #65 Stardust by Carla Stewart

Review: I thought it was pretty good. I am not a fan of inspiration novels as the ones I remember as a kid were too preachy but this one wasn't bad. Basically, two months before Georgia Peyton discovers that her husband O'Dell had left her for another woman (left a note in the sugar bowl, what a jerk) so when he shows up dead in the bayou, she doesn't know what to think! She also discovers that she has inherited an old hotel the Stardust. She has to renovate this place while dealing with difficult family members, a new guy and the fear of polio (set in the 1950s)

 

[nemofans]

Finished books #53-57: Fablehaven (5 book series)

These are YA books & I really enjoyed them. I love being drawn into a fantasy story. The lead characters are brother & sister who discover a fantasy world right under their noses. My 8 yr old DS will be reading these after he finishes the Percy Jackson series. I think he will enjoy these too.

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among the greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. But when the rules get broken, powerful forces are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and maybe even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most...

Next Book: Beautiful Creatures

 

[donac]

For those of you that have read Dan Brown's Inferno, I have a question. Is it necessary to read his other books before reading this one?

No. This one stands alone. It was a great read. It may look long but it is a real page turner.

 

[Ginny Favers]

43/50: The Program by Suzanne Young

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.
Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

I liked this book a lot, but I almost wish it wasn't going the series route. I felt like it could have ended after Book 1 and I would have been satisfied!

 

[keenercam]

I've read a LOT of free Kindle books over the past several weeks. Many of them have a lot of racy parts, so you should probably read some reviews before taking on some of these:

92/150 - Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson

93/150 - Fallen Seal Legacy by Sharon Hamilton

94/150 - Off Course by Sawyer Bennett

95/150 - Beginnings and Ends by Suzanne Brockmann - this is a novella, and was wonderful, if you are familiar with Ms. Brockmann's FBI suspense series

96/150 - Countdown (Eve Duncan) by Iris Johansen - I really liked the Eve Duncan series at the beginning and middle. I felt like I muddled my way through this out of loyalty to the series.

97/150 - Backspin (Myron Bolitar) by Harlan Coben

98/150 - Death Echo (St. Kilda) by Elizabeth Lowell

99/150 - Worth the Effort by Mara Jacobs - This is the 4th book in the "Worth" series and it was just as good as the first 3. Interesting information about SAD (Seasonal Adjustment Disorder).

100/150 - Resisting the Bad Boy by Violet Duke

101/150 - Attracted to Fire by DiAnn Mills

102/150 - The Lies That Save Us by JL Redington. The writing style on this was so awkward. I found that I was skimming it, to get to the conclusion, but didn't really enjoy it.

 

[threeboysmom]

Finished #35 out of 50

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

Bleh. Story about 39 people that were fortunate enough to make it into a lifeboat after their luxury liner sank. The book starts out with the main character, a 22 year old girl named Grace, standing trial for murder. Story then travels back in time as she recounts the days spent on the lifeboat and the ensuing power struggles amongst her companions and what ultimately led up to her being on trial after being rescued.

It was enjoyable while reading, but only because I kept waiting for the storyline to take a twist, for Grace to be someone other than how she was portrayed, for... SOMETHING to happen that was unexpected! But that "something" just never came about, and I was disappointed in the book when finished.

I rated the book 2 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

Next up: Don't Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk

 

[KrazyPete]

Goal - 24 books

Book #19 The Shack by Wm. Paul Young - This is not a bad book. I found the set up to the tragic event in the first few chapters to be the most interesting part. From there, God intervenes to set the main character's life right. It would be nice if God worked that way, if He would take us away to a cabin in a Thomas Kinkade painting and explain all the great mysteries of life to us over the course of a weekend. The remaining chapters take us through short sermons where the author gives us the benefit of his observations on God but he puts them in God's own mouth. Personally, I think he took this a little far. For the most part, you would be a better person if you tried to apply these lessons. Take it as a work of fiction and not as a prophetic Word from God and you may glean something encouraging but it's not the life changing revelation that the book's marketing promises.

Next up - Women by Charles Bukowski - I know, I know! I'm inviting literary whiplash with this transition.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#58 Joyland by Stephen King

Was just ok. Good story but nothing like I expect from Mr. King, lol.

 

[Christine]

Goal 72

#58 Joyland by Stephen King

Was just ok. Good story but nothing like I expect from Mr. King, lol.

Sure wasn't but it was part of his "crime" genre.

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 100 Books
Book #52 - "Shakespeare: The World as Stage" by Bill Bryson

I enjoyed this book. There was not much new information about the Bard, but it was presented very well, and in a very conversational manner! I teach Shakespeare to actors, and a lot of this information was very interesting to me.

Next up: "Prairie Tale" by Melissa Gilbert. I'm excited about this, as I am an avid Little House on the Prairie fan!

 

[zippitydoo]

Book 30 of 45

Out of Darkness(Book 1 of Starborn Saga)

Death doesn't wait for our approval. Death takes us when it is ready. Nineteen-year-old Mora knows this all too well, living in a world where the dead have walked the Earth for the past 60 years.

Mora is on a mission to save her village from the relentless greyskins, and there is only one man that can help her: Jeremiah of Screven. As she travels the wastelands, she discovers a power within herself, a power she believes no other human possesses. That is, until she meets others like her – the ones who call themselves the Starborn.

These super-humans are on a mission also: to destroy the undead greyskins, and take down the greedy Jeremiah. Mora must now choose between the one who can keep her family safe, and those that can show her who she truly is.

 

[keenercam]

103/150 - The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I really enjoyed this book. It was so original and beautifully written. My heart was breaking for the main character through many parts of it. Wonderful!

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #58: Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl

I enjoyed this book (4/5 stars) about Casters (witches) going light or dark. I did like reading through this main character, who is male (Ethan), more than Bella from Twilight. I couldn't stand reading Bella's thoughts & wasn't a fan of the twilight books. This author did a better job keeping Ethan from not being annoying & still got the high school thing across.


Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Next Book: NOS4A2