2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Me either. I already have a folder started on my Kindle of books I want to read next year. Besides the normal goal I also have a personal goal to read some books that are "outside the box" for me.

Looking forward to it

 

[Swimnoid]

#100 NOS4A2 by Joe Hill--wow! Joe Hill is even sicker than his dad! I liked it but not my favorite of the year.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#79 Fragile by Lisa Unger

 

[Buckalew11]

What an impressive thread! 100 books?! That's just crazy!

I think I'll do this next year and set my goal for 6.

Has anyone read Elizabeth Gilbert's new book The Signature of All Things? I've heard it is great. 500 pages so that might count for 2 if I can do it!

Great thread!

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 100 books this year

#s 85, 86, and 87 down and done.

#85 - Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock. A businessman has been murdered--and it could be because he cheated his stockholders. The housekeeper's interest is piqued and when it comes to catching killers, the smart money is on Mrs. Jeffries.

#86 - Mrs Jeffries on the Ball. A festive Jubilee celebration turns into a fatal affair and Mrs. Jeffries must find the guilty party.

#87 - Mrs Jeffries on the Trail. Why was Annie Shields out selling flowers so late on a foggy night? And more important, who killed her while she was doing it? It's up to Mrs. Jeffries to sniff out the clues.

These three are the most recent of Emily Brightwell's Mrs. Jeffries series. While they are murder mysteries, there's not a lot of blood and guts, and it's very interesting to watch her characters develop and grow.

Queen Colleen

 

[Swimnoid]

101. The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson

A series featuring Goldy, a caterer who always finds some kind of trouble revolving around the events she caters. This one had a good plot but it dragged in places. There was a really nice surprise at the end! AND she includes recipes!

102. Home from the Vinyl Cafe: A Year of Stories by Stuart McLean

Narrated by "Dave" the book follows a year in the life of Dave and his family and funny predicaments they find themselves dealing with. Delightful!

 

[zippitydoo]

Book 44 of 45

Adam by Ted Dekker

 

[StephMK]

Book #80 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Alice is twenty-nine. She adores sleep, chocolate, and her ramshackle new house. She's newly engaged to the wonderful Nick and is pregnant with her first baby.

There's just one problem. All of that was ten years ago . . .

Alice has slipped in a step-aerobics class, hit her head and lost a decade. Now she's a grown-up, bossy mother of three in the middle of a nasty divorce and her beloved sister Elisabeth isn't speaking to her. This is her life but not as she knows it. Clearly Alice has made some terrible mistakes. Just how much can happen in a decade? Can she ever get back to the woman she used to be?

I absolutely loved this book. Having read The Husband's Secret and been somewhat disappointed, I was in two minds as to whether to give another of Liane Moriarty's books a go. I am so glad I did. This book was everything The Husband's Secret wasn't. I loved the characters and the relationships between them, particularly between Alice and her sister Elisabeth. This book made me smile and it made me cry - what more could you want from a book! Highly recommended

That sounds good! I have Husband's Secret on hold at the library but this one isn't in e-book format there.

I'm very far behind in updating but I hit my goal of 52!! We'll see where I end up at the end of the year. I honestly can't believe I read so many books!

Congrats!!! That's my goal too and excited that it's within sight!


#46 - Finding Lucas - Samantha Stroh Bailey - Amazon recommendation. It was a little slow in parts but overall, it held my attention & I enjoyed it. Girl has BF issues & decides to find her HS BF she hasn't seen in 10 years. She has quirky friends & family and works with a girl who is set on wrecking her life. Funny in parts and an easy, light read.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Yay! Real close now. #74/75=Sea Glass Island by Sherryl Woods. What can I say in review? I'm always a sucker for a Sherryl Woods book, and this was no exception. For my 75th, I just started Burn Down the Ground. So far it's different from what I usually read-a memoir about a girl who was brought up in rural Texas by Deaf parents. For some reason, maybe it's the writing style, it's reminding me of Water for Elephants.

 

[CaliBear]

26. Gods of Gothan by Lindsey Faye
27. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

I didn't like either of these books, and I have no idea why I read another Dan Brown book.

If I'm lucky I'll make 30 books this year, 10 less than goal. I had an extra busy year so I should be able to read more next year, but I'm lowering my goal from 40 to 30 in 2014 anyway.

 

[jenny105]

Whoever starts the 2014 thread make sure to post the link here!

 

[keenercam]

140/150 -- First Position by Prescott Lane - Sweet romantic story. I'll read more by this author.

141/150 -- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins -- re-read in anticipation of the movie. Even better the second time.

142/150 -- Gone Country by Lorelei James -- This was part of a series and I hadn't read the earlier books. It was fine as a stand-alone, but I probably would have enjoyed it more if I knew the background of some of the secondary characters and the context of the story line.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #79: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Finished book #80: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

This is the prequel series to the Mortal Instruments series & I have to say I an really enjoying this series more! I think the main reason is b/c even though the main character (Tessa) is still a teenage girl in this series, she is more mature and proper b/c it is during victorian times. Her voice is not like the whiny teenagers of today (Bella from Twilight for ex). She sounds more adult. I also like that some of the characters are the same between the 2 series due to being immortal which does explain references made in the Mortal Instruments series.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Next book: Clockwork Princess (book 3)

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#80 Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

One of the best books I've read all year.
From the jacket: "A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it".
One man's story of worldly success, the other of complete poverty, brought together through the vision and perserverence of a Godly woman.
Beautiful book. Get out the tissues.

 

[3smithboys]

Goal - 50

#51- Champion by Marie Lu - the last of the Legend series - I recommend the series!!! If you liked the Hunger Games and Divergent series, you should like this series too...

#52 - Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - this book was told in 2 voices and was was a bit confusing at first...but once I got into it was great. It's about a girl who decides to kill herself, but before she does, she sends cassette tapes to the 13 people who she "blames" for the reasons that she wants to kill herself. She wants them to know that their actions, no matter how small they might seem to them... and they might not even remember them... have consequences... it was very interesting to me, especially since I teach MS...

I just started reading...I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak... He wrote The Book Thief. I am liking it so far...

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I made it! 2013 Book Challenge is COMPLETE!

#25 of 25
Help For the Haunted
John Searles

John Searles’s Help for the Haunted is an unforgettable story of a most unusual family, their deep secrets, their harrowing tragedy, and ultimately, a daughter’s discovery of a dark and unexpected mystery.

Sylvie Mason’s parents have an unusual occupation—helping “haunted souls” find peace. After receiving a strange phone call one winter’s night, they leave the house and are later murdered in an old church in a horrifying act of violence.

A year later, Sylvie is living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened to their parents. Now, the inquisitive teenager pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night—and to the truth about her family’s past and the secrets that have haunted them for years.

Capturing the vivid eeriness of Stephen King’s works with the compelling quirkiness of John Irving’s beloved novels, Help for the Haunted is that rare story that brings to life a richly imagined and wholly original world.

I am kind of torn on this one. I knew this book would have gone in one of two directions and I wish it would have gone the other way, but it kept me engaged and I enjoyed it.

It wasn't at all what I expected. It was creepy and did tie up the mysteries, but the ending was.....somewhat surprising.




Okay...Are we doing the whole what top three are? This thread or another?

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #81- Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

This is the final book in the Mortal Instruments prequel series. I really liked this series. There were twists I didn't see coming unlike the Mortal Instruments series. Also, it explained things that happened in the other series. This series made me love the Shadowhunter world & want to be in it. It also made me love Magnus Bane's character even more.

Next book: Doctor Sleep

 

[WowLookAtThat]

#96 Innocence Undone by Kat Martin

Review: I could never say no to a romance novel.

#97 Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

#98 Brava Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

 

[portia9]

#127 The Houseguest by Elizabeth Adams

#128 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

#129 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Now have a pile from the library.

 

[KrazyPete]

Goal - 28 books

Book #29 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling - This book came out 15 years ago and I never succumbed to the hype. Having read it now, I'm not entirely sure it's good enough to justify all of the attention that it got but it was really good. It's certainly a kids book. It was a fun, light read. I'll probably read the second book the next time I feel like giving my brain a rest.

Next up - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - OK, now for something a little bit heavier... physically heavier... 973 pages to be exact.