ANNUAL READING GOAL CHALLENGE for 2015!

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#18 Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

From Goodreads:
"A modern classic, Housekeeping is the story of Ruth and her younger sister, Lucille, who grow up haphazardly, first under the care of their competent grandmother, then of two comically bumbling great-aunts, and finally of Sylvie, their eccentric and remote aunt. The family house is in the small Far West town of Fingerbone set on a glacial lake, the same lake where their grandfather died in a spectacular train wreck, and their mother drove off a cliff to her death. It is a town "chastened by an outsized landscape and extravagant weather, and chastened again by an awareness that the whole of human history had occurred elsewhere." Ruth and Lucille's struggle toward adulthood beautifully illuminates the price of loss and survival, and the dangerous and deep undertow of transience"

Well I kinda liked this book but also felt it went "nowhere".
Just a story, no plot. Nominated for a Pulitzer.
Truthfully, most of the writing was long and drawn out and a lot of it just went over my head, lol.

 

[kmb584]

22/100: The Whole Truth (A. Shaw #1) by David Baldacci

So begins David Baldacci's new book--a thriller unlike any he's written before. "Matt" is Mathew Pender, of Pender Associates--a shadowy organization that specializes in managing seemingly impossible situations for its clients. Sometimes, those services extend to managing--and creating--armed conflict. When Matt Pender is asked by his client--the largest defense contractor in the world--to manipulate two nations against each other, a shocking and surprising series of events are set in motion that will possibly bring the world to the brink of World War III.

23/100: Deliver Us From Evil (A. Shaw #2) by David Baldacci

Evan Waller is a monster. He has built a fortune from his willingness to buy and sell anything… and anyone. In search of new opportunities, Waller has just begun a new business venture: one that could lead to millions of deaths all over the globe.

On Waller’s trail is Shaw, the mysterious operative from The Whole Truth, who must prevent Waller from closing his latest deal. Shaw’s one chance to bring him down will come in the most unlikely of places: a serene, bucolic village in Provence.

But Waller’s depravity and ruthlessness go deeper than Shaw knows. And now, there is someone else pursuing Waller in Provence—Reggie Campion, an agent for a secret vigilante group headquartered in a musty old English estate—and she has an agenda of her own.

Hunting the same man, unaware of each other’s mission, Shaw and Reggie will be caught in a deadly duel of nerve and wits. Hitchcockian in its intimate buildup of suspense, and filled with the kind of breathtaking plot turns and remarkable characters that are David Baldacci’s hallmark, Deliver Us From Evil is the most gripping thriller of the year.

24/100: Shadow Spell (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #2)

With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has found true love, and where his childhood friends form a circle that can’t be broken…

A circle that is about to be stretched out of shape—by a long-awaited kiss.

Meara Quinn is Branna’s best friend, a sister in all but blood. Her and Connor’s paths cross almost daily, as Connor takes tourists on hawk walks and Meara guides them on horseback across the lush countryside. She has the eyes of a gypsy and the body of a goddess…things Connor has always taken for granted—until his brush with death propels them into a quick, hot tangle.

Plenty of women have found their way to Connor’s bed, but none to his heart until now. Frustratingly, Meara is okay with just the heat, afraid to lose herself—and their friendship—to something more. But soon, Connor will see the full force and fury of what runs in his blood. And he will need his family and friends around him when his past rolls in like the fog, threatening an end to all he loves…

 

[kt_mom]

I finished book 32 last night - Love you More by Lisa Gardner. This was a new author for me and I really enjoyed it. I plan to start the next one tonight.

From Amazon:
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?

AND HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO . . .
As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper’s mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?

. . . TO SAVE HER?
For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn and no one to trust. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.

 

[Swimnoid]

23. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
I listened to this Rob Lowe autobiography read by Rob Lowe. It was an interesting account of his life so far with a lot of emphasis on his childhood and younger years starting out in the business. It was very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

24. Variant by Robison Wells
This is a YA novel in which the protagonist, Benson, thinks he has won a scholarship to an exclusive private school. Once he gets there he learns it is more like a prison and he and the other students are part of an experiment. It is impossible to escape but that is his goal. This was a very interesting story and continues in another book. It was a fast read with good action.

25. One Good Dog by Susan Wilson
This story follows a man and a pit bull using both points of view; how they came together and changes in each of their lives. I love dogs so this was a great book for me. The story was compelling and kept me reading. Very good for dog lovers.

26. Burn by James Patterson
This is the seventh in the Michael Bennett series. I have read all of this series since it started and Michael Bennet is one of my favorite Patterson characters (next to Alex Cross). This book didn't do it for me though. It was the typical suspense/action novel but I didn't like it as much as the previous installments.

27. Pinned by Alfredo C Martino
This YA novel follows 2 high school wrestlers in their SR year. They are both bound for the state champs in the same weight class. It follows both kids as they go through their preseason and season as it leads up to the state champs match. It went into each wrestlers emotional lives and problems each of them faced outside of wrestling. I enjoyed it.

28. Deadline by Chris Crutcher.
Another YA novel...I picked up a lot of these this week! This one follows a young man (SR in highschool) who learns he has a terminal disease and has one year to live. Instead of going the normal route and seeking conventional treatment he decides to skip that and live his last year to its fullest. He decides not to tell anyone for awhile and since he is 18 he can make that decision. He makes some drastic changes in his life that puzzle people. Definitely a good read but a little unbelievable on the medical side.

29. The Forgotten by David Baldacci
This is the 2nd John Puller novel. John Puller is an Army Special Agent. While on R & R from his last assignment (which was the last book) he learns his aged aunt has died and feels suspicious that it might have been murder. But why would anyone one to murder an old ailing lady? He sticks around to find out and uncovers a hornets nest.

Puller is almost identical to Child's Jack Reacher. Reacher is more resourceful though. If you can get over that Puller is a Reacher knock off the story is pretty good.

30. Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
This is the 5th novel in the Pendergast series.

From Goodreads: Behind the gates of a fabulous Hamptons estate, FBI Special Agent Pendergast comes upon the carnage of a gruesome crime: one that recalls the legendary horrors that befall those who make a Faustian pact with the devil. Surrounded by the choking stench of brimstone, the smoldering remains of art critic Jeremy Grove are found in a locked, barricaded attic next to a hoofprint singed into the floorboards.

I have read all the previous novels in this series. Most of them are pretty good although the first two were the best IMHO. This was an interesting story and pretty short.

Next up are several different genres as I am trying to branch out from my action/suspense rut. I'm getting some good ideas from this thread!

 

[mumloveseeyore]

30 The new rector by rebecca shaw
from Amazon
When Peter Harris arrives in Turnham Malpas as the new rector, he finds the village people welcoming but set in their ways. Yet despite his own weaknesses, and the sadness of his childless wife, he comforts and advises his new parishioners, growing more and more involved with the rural way of life.
Then the whole village is rocked by spiteful trick that goes terribly wrong, and a gruesome murder that points to a killer in its midst. Now, more than ever, Peter's pastoral role is crucial - and yet he is wrestling with his own private hell that may still wreck his own life.

This was an interesting light read, first in a series set in the village. Felt a bit like an episode of a soap.
31 Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln childs, 2nd in the agent Pendergast series , as reviewed above, a great thriller.

32 Cat on a hot tile roof by Anna Nicholas as with her previous book a feel good look at life in rural Mallorca

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Goal 5, just started #6 today: Below Zero by C.J. Box (book 9 in the Joe Pickett series).

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

#8
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K. Rowling

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

14/52


https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/baby-sitters-club-super-special/id785095869?mt=11

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #19 - Whatever Happened To Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

This is book 2 in the YA Janie Johnson series. Honestly, book 1 & 2 should be combined as 1 book. They are such short books with book 1 ending half way through the story. Anyway, these are super quick reads and are better for teens. A teen discovers she was kidnapped 12 years ago & has a family in a different state (that's book 1). This book is about her going back to her birth family.

With the mystery of her kidnapping now unraveled, Janie's story continues, and the nightmare is not over. No one can bring back or relive the 12 years gone by. The Spring family wants justice, but who is really to blame? The Johnsons know that they must abide by the court decisions made, but it's difficult to figure out what's best for everyone.
Janie Johnson or Jenny Spring? Who is she? Certainly there's enough love for everyone, but how can the two separate families live happily ever after?

Next book: Devil In The White City

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I just noticed girl on train is having giveaway on goodreads believe few of you have mentioned wanting to read it

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557272-the-girl-on-the-train

 

[kt_mom]

Finished #32 this weekend, Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner. This is the second in the Tessa Leoni series and I really enjoyed it. I started the third book this weekend.

How do you vanish a family? Ten minutes after walking the elite Back Bay townhouse and investigator Tessa Leoni already doesn’t like what she sees. Signs of an abduction. Clearly the work of professionals. At best, the entire family has been kidnapped. At worst…

How do you disappear a marriage?

The more Tessa learns about the Denbe family, the less she likes their chances. What might have looked like the perfect existence—a powerful CEO, his adoring wife, their angelic child—is not what it appears. Husband, wife, daughter—magazine perfect, but each hiding dark secrets…

How do you erase a life?

Tessa knows more than she’d like to about families riddled with lies. What she doesn’t know is where the Denbes are and if any of them are still breathing. She’ll have to climb over unbending feds and territorial local cops to find out, and if she’s not fast, the Denbes’ chances of survival will quickly become little more than…

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I just noticed girl on train is having giveaway on goodreads believe few of you have mentioned wanting to read it

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557272-the-girl-on-the-train

Sounds like Rear Window, only on a train.

 

[camreesmom]

8/24
Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel

From Goodreads:
Twin boys grow up in the same family, in the same town. Dramatically different, they become bitter enemies, even as children: one good, one bad. One leaves his peaceful hometown, but when all else fails, the prodigal son returns, twenty years later, moving into his parents' lakeside cottage. But the reunion of the brothers, sweet and healing at first, exposes shattering revelations...

This one surprised me mainly because it wasn't as predictable as most of Danielle Steel's books are. It was a quick read and kept me interested throughout.

Next up: Custody by Nancy Thayer

 

[zippitydoo]

Book #24 of 50: Younger by Suzanne Munshower

From Goodreads:
When PR pro Anna Wallingham gets dumped by her last client, she finds herself running out of options in LA, where looks trump experience. Desperate to prove she is still relevant, the fiftysomething accepts a shady job offer from Pierre Barton, secretive billionaire owner of Barton Pharmaceuticals. Isolated in a facility outside London, she agrees to test a new top-secret product guaranteed to make her look thirty years younger. Anna is starting to look on the outside the way she feels on the inside: ageless. But she soon discovers that her predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, leading her to research just who stands to gain—and lose—with this miraculous product. When Pierre drops dead in front of her, she takes off on a dangerous journey across Europe hoping to stay alive long enough to uncover the truth.

With the hard-won knowledge that younger isn’t always better, Anna is determined to escape and reclaim her life before it’s too late.

 

[timsprincess]

I have 3 books to update on.

#18/75
QBQ by John Miller
3/5 stars

We are reading this at work for our business book club. The book is a very quick read and has some good reminders in it. I don't think he found anything revolutionary. He also repeats himself sometimes. The material in one chapter is the same as the next chapter.

From Goodreads
John G. Miller believes that the troubles that plague organizations cannot be solved by pointing fingers and blaming others. Rather, the real solutions are found when each of us recognizes the power of personal accountability. In QBQ! The Question Behind the Question®, Miller explains how negative, ill-focused questions like “Why do we have to go through all this change?” and “Who dropped the ball?” represent a lack of personal accountability. Conversely, when we ask better questions—QBQs—such as “What can I do to contribute?” or “How can I help solve the problem?” our lives and our organizations are transformed.

#19/75
The Call by Michael Grant
3/5 stars

This book is a start of a series. While the book does stand alone somewhat, you know there is more to the story. He only finds one of twelve partners and has not taken down the bad guy yet. OK, enjoyable, but not great

From Goodreads
Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.

And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys' bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal--also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?

#20/75
The Day the Streets Stood Still by JaQuavis Coleman
3/5 stars

This book is one of those harsh reality books that you kind of know what is going to happen to the main character but you want them to make different and better decisions. And the end leaves you with a I think it turned out good, didn't it? Kind of feeling.

From Goodreads
In this gripping and heart-wrenching story, you will meet Sean. He was raised by a hustling, well-connected mother and was taught early about street survival. When his mother is brutally murdered, Sean is thrust into a cold world all alone.
An old friend of his mother takes Sean under his wing and introduces him to a life of drug dealing at its highest level. Sean becomes "King Sean" and rises up the drug game's totem pole. King Sean makes a solid name for himself in the street game. The only weakness he has ever had is a childhood friend and also the love of his life--a beauty named Sunny.
Sunny has a struggle with drugs, and along her road to recovery, Sean falls victim to the vice as well. His life is slowly headed on a downward spiral, and his decline from street fame is filled with murder, lies, backstabbing, and a struggle to survive.
Walk on the journey with Sunny and Sean as they hit rock bottom and steal, lie, and deceive in their struggle with addiction. Someone dies . . . but not until the end is the truth unveiled.

All in all, three good but not great books.

Have a magical day everyone!

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#19 The Wild Truth

A follow up to "Into The Wild" which I have not read.
This one supposedly gives the reasons behind Chris McCandless leaving everything and walking, well, into the wild where 4 months later his body was found.

 

[nemofans]

I tried to read Into The Wild and had to give up b/c it jumped around too much for me to follow. I would have preferred more of a chronological timeline.

 

[willowsnn3]

I tried to read Into The Wild and had to give up b/c it jumped around too much for me to follow. I would have preferred more of a chronological timeline.

Same with The Wild Truth.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #20 - The Voice On The Radio by Caroline B. Cooney

This is book 3 in the YA Janie Johnson series. I wasn't planning on continuing the series, but was the the library and I needed a book for that afternoon. I finished this book w/in 3 hrs. Not much happens as usual and again feels like this book is part of 1 story that has been cut. This series should truly be 1 book that would have a complete story. Instead, it's divided up into 4 short books to, most likely, make more profit. The author prolonged the story with the same boring thoughts of teenagers and only little bits actually happen in each book. I will go ahead & read the final to complete the series since it won't take me long anyway & they left out the answer to the big question "Why did Hannah kidnap Jenny?", but I won't bother with another book from this author.

 

[Christine]

#8/50: Dark Corners by Lili Anolik

This book ended up being pretty good even though it took me awhile to get into it. It kind of reminds me of several other books I've read recently. Young girl attending local private "prep" school is murdered. Her sister sets out to find her killer. In the meantime, the sister finally gets to "know" her sister and the rest of her family. Lots of family secrets exposed, lots of maturing for the sister. Overall, I enjoyed it.