Annual Reading Challenge 2019

[tazdev3225]

#5 Written in Mine Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon. NO! I don’t want to be done already! Absolutely loved it.

I know how you feel. I am on my 2nd reading of all the books in the series. My husband thinks I may be obsessed but there is so much in the books that can be overlooked. Diana Gabaldon does have a new book in the series coming out sometime this year or next. She is still working on it according to her website.

 

[Kirby]

14/50 - First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies by Kate Anderson Brower.
One of the most underestimated—and demanding—positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of the White House residence. Now, as she did in her smash #1 bestseller The Residence, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower draws on a wide array of untapped, candid sources—from residence staff and social secretaries to friends and political advisers to the former first ladies themselves—to tell the stories of the ten remarkable women who have defined the role since 1960.

Brower offers new insights into this privileged group of women. The stories she shares range from the heartwarming to the shocking and tragic, exploring everything from their friendships with other first ladies to their public and private relationships with their husbands. She also presents a new portrait of one of the most-watched first ladies of all time, Hillary Clinton.

Candid and illuminating, this first group biography of the modern first ladies provides a compelling glimpse at life upstairs and downstairs at the world’s most powerful address.

I enjoyed reading this book.

 

[mini22]

17/30- Considering Kate by Nora Roberts

 

[Disney_Alli]

16/50 - Semper Fi: The Corps Book I W. E. B. Griffin

This is an absolute favorite series of mine that I originally borrowed and then stole from my dad and re-read all 10 books almost once a year. Love it

 

[bobbiwoz]

30/75. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
A story about racism. I think it’s a good book.

 

[willowsnn3]

#26/50
A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo
When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first, it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside—burned alive—Kate suspects murder. Who would want a well-liked, hardworking young Amish man dead?
Kate delves into the investigation only to find herself stonewalled by the community to which she once belonged. Is their silence a result of the Amish tenet of separation? Or is this peaceful and deeply religious community conspiring to hide a truth no one wants to talk about? Kate doubles down only to discover a plethora of secrets and a chilling series of crimes that shatters everything she thought she knew about her Amish roots—and herself.
As Kate wades through a sea of suspects, she’s confronted by her own violent past and an unthinkable possibility.

Book 10 in the Kate Burkholder series. Good as always, love this series.

 

[mini22]

18/30-Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

 

[OKW8297]

180 Seconds by Jessica Park very good story about social media, trust, personal growth and surviving foster care. Very poignant. 8th book out of my goal of 12

 

[CallieMar]

Wow I have gotten so much reading done in the last couple of months, and that's with 2 weeks on vacation where I didn't have time to pick up a book once (except for a few times on the plane). Reading on my lunch break has really helped bump up my count...and it feels like a more satisfying way to spend my break than scrolling through social media.

21/50 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - So sad to see how Koreans were treated in Japan during wartime.

22/50 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers #1) - I tend to like watching my space operas rather than read them, but this was very engaging and a fun read.

23/50 Born In Death by J.D Robb (In Death #23)

24/50 The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory

25/50 Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #24)

26/50 Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir by Eddie Huang - I've never even watched the show, but I liked this.

27/50 White Hot by Ilona Andrews (Hidden Legacy #2)

28/50 Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas (Ravenels #5) - Ahhhh, Weston is officially one of my top 3 Kleypas heroes now. This book made me happy.

29/50 Creation in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #25)

30/50 To All the Boys I've Ever Loved Before by Jenny Han - I still need to watch the Netflix movie. This was so cute!

31/50 Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter #3)

32/50 Eternity in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #25.5)

33/50 Wildfire by Ilona Andrews (Hidden Legacy #3) - I really enjoyed the ending to this arc and I'm glad the series is continuing, this time with the sister as the main character!

34/50 Strangers in Death J.D. Robb (In Death #26)

35/50 Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews (Hidden Legacy #3.5)

36/50 P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

37/50 Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter #4)

38/50 Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

39/50 Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #27)

40/50 Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter #5)

41/50 The Savior by J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood #17)

42/50 Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

43/50 At the Pleasure of the President by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake (Perfect Gentlement #5) ugh this is such a trashy series lol but I was really looking forward to the final couple getting their HEA.

44/50 A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life by James Bowen - my grandma was telling us about Bob...she doesn't own a computer and just recently learned how to watch YouTube videos on TV. How have I never heard of this adorable little guy!

45/50 Promises in Death (In Death #28)

 

[OKW8297]

#9 of 12 The Old Neighborhood : A Novel by Avery Corman

 

[virge]

21/50 Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens This was our book club selection a few months ago. I had it on hold at the library since December, but wasn’t able to get it until this month. I wouldn’t have chosen it on my own, but it was a nice read.

 

[Disney_Alli]

17/50: Call to Arms: The Corps Book II W. E. B. Griffin

This is the book that carries us into WWII proper (then they backtrack to D-Day to start Book III but they do that a lot in all W.E.B. Griffin's series) and we pick up one new series character that will be around through about book 6 or so. I do wish some of the series characters from the earlier books didn't get dumped as new characters get added - even a line or two to wrap up their stories would be appreciated! This character will eventually be injured in a crash landing on Guadalcanal and will only be mentioned a few times after despite his best friend and father both being central characters to the stories going forward. Oh well - I still enjoy them!

 

[OKW8297]

10/12 The Wedding Date by Zara Stoneley

Very cute, light fluffy fun.

 

[willowsnn3]

#27/50
The Fallen by David Baldacci
Amos Decker and his FBI colleague Alex Jamison are in Baronville visiting Alex's sister and her family. It's a bleak place: a former mill and mining town with a crumbling economy and rampant opioid addiction. Decker has only been there a few hours when he stumbles on a horrific double murder scene.

Then the next killing hits sickeningly close to home. And with the lives of people he cares about suddenly hanging in the balance, Decker begins to realize that the recent string of deaths may be only one small piece of a much larger scheme--with consequences that will reach far beyond Baronville.

Decker, with his singular talents, may be the only one who can crack this bizarre case. Only this time--when one mistake could cost him everything--Decker finds that his previously infallible memory may not be so trustworthy after all...

This in #4 in the Memory Man series. Good, but not as good as the first 3.

 

[tiggrbaby]

#27/50
The Fallen by David Baldacci
Amos Decker and his FBI colleague Alex Jamison are in Baronville visiting Alex's sister and her family. It's a bleak place: a former mill and mining town with a crumbling economy and rampant opioid addiction. Decker has only been there a few hours when he stumbles on a horrific double murder scene.

Then the next killing hits sickeningly close to home. And with the lives of people he cares about suddenly hanging in the balance, Decker begins to realize that the recent string of deaths may be only one small piece of a much larger scheme--with consequences that will reach far beyond Baronville.

Decker, with his singular talents, may be the only one who can crack this bizarre case. Only this time--when one mistake could cost him everything--Decker finds that his previously infallible memory may not be so trustworthy after all...

This in #4 in the Memory Man series. Good, but not as good as the first 3.

Agreed! #5 is on my library queue - hope it's better!

 

[Kirby]

15/50 - Imhotep by Jerry Dubs. Genre - Historical/Time Travel/Science Fiction

"Imhotep" is the first book in a four-novel series about the ancient Egyptian architect.
Stumbling in the dark of an unfinished tomb beneath the sands of Saqqara, American tourist Tim Hope unknowingly passes through a time portal that leads to ancient Egypt — a time before the Sphinx, before the great pyramids of Giza, and long before the loss of his beloved Addy.
When he discovers that two other Americans preceded him through the time portal, Tim immerses himself in the ancient world to search for them. As he becomes more comfortable with the simpler, more immediate land, he finds himself irresistibly attracted to the delicate Meryt, a wbt-priestess for the god Re.
Learning that a seven-year famine has led to a plot to overthrow King Djoser, Tim discovers that his fate, the lives of the two Americans and the future of Egypt rest in the hands of the legendary Imhotep, master architect of the Step Pyramid, renowned physician and intimate adviser to King Djoser.
Downloaded by more than 100,000 readers, “Imhotep" is the first book in an acclaimed four-book series about the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep. The second book in the series is "The Buried Pyramid." The third book is "The Forest of Myrrh." The fourth book is "The Field of Reeds."

This was my book club's pick for May.

 

[low-key]

Im reading Where Crawddads Sing by Delia Owens, I am really enjoying every page

 

[Tiggerish]

We Were Mothers by Katie Sise. A soap opera type book about a neighborhood full of mothers/daughters/wives that all interconnect in some way and they ALL have secrets.

The Murder Pit by Jeff Shelby. Mystery set in a small town in Minnesota in the winter. A blended family has just moved into the area and into an old vintage house when they find a body in the coal cellar. It was somewhat of a commercial for homeschooling and not that good.

Sweet Hollow Women by Holly Tierney-Bedord. Alternating voices of the women in five generations of one southern family between the years of 1949 and 2015. The majority of the woman are the working class poor and it was confusing with the different voices.

Stratagem by Robin Carroll. Murder mystery Ex-husband is set up for the murder of his former wife. It was interesting.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn. I had already read and liked her Alice Network so when I heard about this book I knew I should read it. I had to wait six weeks to get this book from the library but it was so worth it. This was an amazing book. It takes place after WWII with flashbacks to things that happened in the war. It features three nazi hunters, an English former journalist, an American former GI and a former Russian woman pilot, who have joined forces to locate a woman known as the Huntress.

42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 of 104

 

[Simba's Mom]

The Huntress by Kate Quinn. I had already read and liked her Alice Network so when I heard about this book I knew I should read it. I had to wait six weeks to get this book from the library but it was so worth it. This was an amazing book. It takes place after WWII with flashbacks to things that happened in the war. It features three nazi hunters, an English former journalist, an American former GI and a former Russian woman pilot, who have joined forces to locate a woman known as the Huntress.

42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 of 104

So glad to hear, since I'm on the waiting list for that one also.

 

[Disney_Alli]

The Huntress by Kate Quinn. I had already read and liked her Alice Network so when I heard about this book I knew I should read it. I had to wait six weeks to get this book from the library but it was so worth it. This was an amazing book. It takes place after WWII with flashbacks to things that happened in the war. It features three nazi hunters, an English former journalist, an American former GI and a former Russian woman pilot, who have joined forces to locate a woman known as the Huntress.

I just picked this one up at Costco and started it today - I’m excited to hear you loved it!

18/50 Shelter in Place - Nora Roberts
I picked this one up based on the name alone (Nora’s name I mean) because for some reason they decided to put absolutely no plot summary on the book at all! In the end I really enjoyed it though the subject matter - a mass shooting at a shopping mall - made it a very emotional read for me in places. It was also a quick read - I picked it up at Costco Friday and was 2/3rds done by the end of the 3 hour drive to the ranch. I finished it Saturday morning after my husband accidentally left a 4am alarm on and woke me up.