ANNUAL READING GOAL CHALLENGE for 2015!

[PigletsPal2]

Finished book #12 - The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor

This is a historical fiction story about a girl from Ireland traveling to America on the Titanic. I really enjoyed this story even knowing the outcome of that cruise. It helped to connect with people who were on that voyage and what it must have been like, not only for the deceased, but for the people who survived. This story takes place in 2 time periods: one is with Maggie as she journeys to America in 1912 and the other with Grace who is Maggie's great granddaughter.

Inspired by true events, the New York Times bestselling novel The Girl Who Came Home is the poignant story of a group of Irish emigrants aboard RMS Titanic—a seamless blend of fact and fiction that explores the tragedy's impact and its lasting repercussions on survivors and their descendants.
Ireland, 1912. Fourteen members of a small village set sail on RMS Titanic, hoping to find a better life in America. For seventeen-year-old Maggie Murphy, the journey is bittersweet. Though her future lies in an unknown new place, her heart remains in Ireland with Séamus, the sweetheart she left behind. When disaster strikes, Maggie is one of the lucky few passengers in steerage who survives. Waking up alone in a New York hospital, she vows never to speak of the terror and panic of that terrible night ever again.
Chicago, 1982. Adrift after the death of her father, Grace Butler struggles to decide what comes next. When her Great Nana Maggie shares the painful secret she harbored for almost a lifetime about the Titanic, the revelation gives Grace new direction—and leads her and Maggie to unexpected reunions with those they thought lost long ago.

Next book: The Forgotten Girl

I read this during last year's challenge and really enjoyed it as well. I also learned that I've been spelling my name wrong all my life! Did your book have a glossary of Irish terms in the back? I knew that "Colleen" meant a girl or young woman, but I never knew it was spelled "cailin." Oh well, after 68 years, I'm not about to change it!

Queen Colleen aka Queen Cailin

 

[CajunMomof3]

Another question - if anyone receives advanced reader copies of books from publishers or authors, what do you do with them after you read them? They say not for sale. I usually give all my books to people at church but the last 3 I read had some inappropriate content for them. I just put them in the donation bag for a charity pick up but I am wondering if they just throw those out. Any info? TIA.

I always donate them as well. Not sure what they do with them, though now that I think about it....

 

[nemofans]

I donate them to Goodwill or to the public library.

 

[kt_mom]

Finished book 25 the Selection by Kiera Cass - DD really liked this book and wanted me to read it so I did. Its basically a future version of The Bachelor show, which I do not like. It was an easy read and I started the second one because I want to find out what happens and because I like to know what DD is reading especially if its something she is excited about.

I also finished book 26 Leaving Ordinary-Encounter God through Extraordinary Prayer by Donna Gaines - I enjoyed this one but not as much as some of the other studies I've done.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

#5 Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

This was good, but I did not like it has much as Gone Girl. Libby Day was 7 when her mom and two sisters were murdered. Libby's testimony put her 15 year old brother in jail. Twenty-five years later she is trying to figure out if what she thought happened actually did.

If you like thrillers and mysteries, this is good, but I don't think it had that psychological thriller feeling like Gone Girl did.

 

[kmb584]

17/100: The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen. From Goodreads:

It is a boiling hot Boston summer. Adding to the city's woes is a series of shocking crimes, in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized. A sadistic demand that ends in abduction and death.

The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently removed from the city's streets. Police can only assume an acolyte is at large, a maniac basing his attacks on the twisted medical techniques of the madman he so admires. At least that's what Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks. Forced again to confront the killer who scarred her - literally and figuratively - she is determined to finally end Hoyt's awful influence . . . even if it means receiving more resistance from her all-male homicide squad.

But Rizzoli isn't counting on the U.S. government's sudden interest. Or on meeting Special Agent Gabriel Dean, who knows more than he will tell. Most of all, she isn't counting on becoming a target herself, once Hoyt is suddenly free, joining his mysterious blood brother in a vicious vendetta...

 

[CajunMomof3]

11/35
Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain
This is a story about a mother's struggle to make sense of her husband's suicide and her daughter's subsequent mutism. Mix in historical intrigue, a rekindled romantic interest, and an Alzheimer's patient, and you have a book that you don't want to put down.
This book was an easy read with likable characters, but the best part was that I was totally surprised by the ending. I love it when I don't see the plot twist coming...

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I always donate them as well. Not sure what they do with them, though now that I think about it....

I donate or pass to someone interested as well. I used to donate to elderly facility, but they no longer take them. Not sure if they stopped altogether or just didn't like what I was reading.
If its the second it would really hurt.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

#3 Fifty Shades Darker- thankfully I didn't buy this book and someone gave it to me or I would of been annoyed but yet I am reading the next one.

 

[monarchsfan16]

10/30 Sweetie by Kathryn Magendie
From amazon:
Friendship. Courage. Hope.
For shy, stuttering Melissa, the wild mountain girl named Sweetie is a symbol of pride and strength. But to many in their Appalachian town Sweetie is an outcast, a sinister influence, or worse. This poignant and haunting story takes readers deep inside the bittersweet heart of childhood loyalties.

Started slow, but turned out to be an excellent book. 4/5 stars.

11/30 Kingdom Keepers: Disney after Dark
I think most of you know the description of this one. I finally joined the bandwagon and read it. I kind of felt like this was a cross between Disney and Harry Potter. There was something very intriguing and I couldn't put the book down.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#13 The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Saw the movie ages ago and loved it. I enjoyed the book altho it did get a bit tedious at times.

 

[camreesmom]

We just got back from vacation and I actually had time to read!

5/24 Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers
This was the second book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it.

From Amazon:
From the bestselling author of The Comfort of Lies, an engrossing look at the darker side of a marriage—and at how an ordinary family responds to an extraordinary crisis.

Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago, she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, drawn to his fiery passion, but now he’s lashing out at her during his periodic verbal furies. She vacillates between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their kids—which works to keep a fragile peace—until the rainy day when they’re together in the car and Ben’s volatile temper gets the best of him, leaving Maddy in the hospital fighting for her life.

Randy Susan Meyers takes us inside the hearts and minds of her characters, alternating among the perspectives of Maddy, Ben, and their fourteen-year-old daughter. Accidents of Marriage is a provocative and stunning novel that will resonate deeply with women from all walks of life, ultimately revealing the challenges of family, faith, and forgiveness.

6/24 Girls in Trouble by Caroline Leavitt
This came up as recommended on my Goodreads list. It was ok and an easy read. I'm not sure if I'll read more by this author or not.

From Amazon:
Sara is sixteen and pregnant. Her once-devoted boyfriend seems to have disappeared, so she decides her best and only option is an open adoption with George and Eva, a couple desperate for a child. After the birth it's clear Sara has a bond with the child that Eva can't seem to duplicate. When it seems that Sara cannot let go, Eva and George make a drastic decision, with devastating consequences for all of them.

Next up: Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand.

 

[SallySkelington]

Finished book 25 the Selection by Kiera Cass - DD really liked this book and wanted me to read it so I did. Its basically a future version of The Bachelor show, which I do not like. It was an easy read and I started the second one because I want to find out what happens and because I like to know what DD is reading especially if its something she is excited about.

I read this about a year ago, and I liked it but it kinda fell flat after the 2nd book for me. The authors writing was fairly good. I hope your DD likes it though!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Next up: Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand.

Let us know how you like Silver Girl. I really enjoyed it. However, I've learned here how different reading tastes can be.

 

[kt_mom]

I read this about a year ago, and I liked it but it kinda fell flat after the 2nd book for me. The authors writing was fairly good. I hope your DD likes it though!

I finished the second one last night (book 27) The Elite by Kiera Cass and started the third one. I think the second one got a little more interesting towards the end and so now I want to find out what happens in the third one. DD is really enjoying them though and so that's good, I keep hoping she will fall in love with reading. I come from a family of avid readers while DH does not.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #15 - Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner

This is a good thriller that keeps you guessing.

My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn’t.
Nicole Frank shouldn’t have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero.
I’m looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most likely, she doesn’t exist.
Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can’t find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky’s husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn’t trust anything she says.
My husband claims he’ll do anything to save me. Except, most likely, he can’t.
Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman’s lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. . . . In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead.
This is my life. Except, most likely, it’s not. Now watch me crash and burn.

 

[Christine]

6/50: The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

I had low expectations on this book for some reason, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The very short version: A family is torn apart by the suicide of their eldest daughter after she, by all appearances, murders her music teacher. But it's not nearly that simple. This story becomes quite the series of plot twists and surprises. Toward the end, I sort of figure it all out but the author did a nice, believable job with these twists and I ended up really liking the main character and the "real" story. I definitely recommend this one.

 

[zippitydoo]

Book #19 of 50: The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

 

[SallySkelington]

I finished the second one last night (book 27) The Elite by Kiera Cass and started the third one. I think the second one got a little more interesting towards the end and so now I want to find out what happens in the third one. DD is really enjoying them though and so that's good, I keep hoping she will fall in love with reading. I come from a family of avid readers while DH does not.

I hope this kickstarts her reading then! Books are wonderful and can open up worlds that sometimes even the tv and internet can't.

 

[threeboysmom]

Finished book #15 - Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner

This is a good thriller that keeps you guessing.

My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn’t.
Nicole Frank shouldn’t have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero.
I’m looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most likely, she doesn’t exist.
Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can’t find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky’s husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn’t trust anything she says.
My husband claims he’ll do anything to save me. Except, most likely, he can’t.
Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman’s lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. . . . In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead.
This is my life. Except, most likely, it’s not. Now watch me crash and burn.

I just looked this one up on Goodreads to add to my list, and it says it's #3 in a series. Can this be read as a stand alone?