ANNUAL READING GOAL CHALLENGE for 2015!

[kt_mom]

I finished book #35 last night, Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner. I have really enjoyed this author so far. I think this book has already been reviewed on here (which is why I ended up reading it) so I won't post another description of it. I think this was sort of a spin off series of another one so I'll probably read some other books by her in the future.

For now I've started The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton. I can't remember if I got that book from here or not. I'm only a few pages in but so far I find the main character funny and likeable.

 

[camreesmom]

9/24
Custody by Nancy Thayer

From Goodreads:
Young, brilliant, and engaged to the perfect guy, Kelly Macleod feels ready to begin her new appointment as a Massachusetts judge. With all her dreams coming true, Kelly never envisions what might go wrong...

Then a chance meeting with a man at a cemetery awakens an unexpected passion in Kelly. Agreeing not to reveal their real names to each other, Kelly and the stranger begin an affair. But Kelly's lover is really Randall Madison, a doctor on the brink of divorcing his wife, Anne, a well-known political candidate who will stop at nothing to gain custody of their daughter. In the courtroom, as well as the bedroom, his life will unexpectedly dovetail with Kelly's. And as a secret from Kelly's own past re-emerges, she must make a life-changing decision, as a judge-and as a woman.

A spellbinding novel about betrayal and desire, Custody looks at today's families, children caught between warring parents, and the price men and women pay for love....

I loved this book! I will definitely be reading more by this author. Her style is along the lines of Kristin Hannah or Jodi Piccoult.

Next up: Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay

 

[camreesmom]

I finished book #35 last night, Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner. I have really enjoyed this author so far. I think this book has already been reviewed on here (which is why I ended up reading it) so I won't post another description of it. I think this was sort of a spin off series of another one so I'll probably read some other books by her in the future.

For now I've started The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton. I can't remember if I got that book from here or not. I'm only a few pages in but so far I find the main character funny and likeable.

I read The Last Original Wife last year for the book challenge. I really enjoyed it.

 

[kt_mom]

I read The Last Original Wife last year for the book challenge. I really enjoyed it.

Maybe it was your review I read, I didn't do the challenge last year, but followed along and got lots of great ideas from it.

 

[nemofans]

I read Last Original Wife too sometime last year and liked it too.

 

[zippitydoo]

Book #25 of 50: It Had To Be You by Tamra Baumann

From Goodreads:
Even though Meg Anderson’s rebellion days are over, coming home to Anderson Butte isn’t easy, especially when her impossible-to-please dad is the mayor and her do-gooder siblings run the place. But with another job lost and the gorgeous father of her daughter trying to make contact after disappearing three years ago, a break is definitely in order. Hopefully the little town filled with big, juicy secrets can help.

After being off the grid for years, Josh Granger, a man with his own secrets, wants Meg and his daughter back. But first he has to get past townspeople as protective as a pack of rottweilers. He’s not the man Meg thinks he is, but he can’t tell her why…not yet.

As Meg slowly warms to Josh, it’s clear the old spark is still there. But when his secret is exposed—along with Meg’s own shocking revelation—will it tear their family apart again, or bind them forever?

 

[xlsm]

Finished 11 and 12 of 46.

11. An Uninvited Ghost by E. J. Copperman (book 2 of the Haunted Guesthouse series) - A cozy, kooky little mystery. I read the first in this series last year during the challenge and I really liked the main character, Alison. She and her daughter moved to her old home on the Jersey shore after her divorce, purchased an old house and turned it into a guesthouse. In the first book, we meet the resident ghosts of the house, Maxie (the previous owner) and Paul (a private investigator Maxie had hired). In this, the second book, Alison's business is up and running, and at the urging of Paul, she has gotten her private investigator's license so that she might be able to give Paul a little taste of his previous life. She is also preparing to host a group of senior citizens looking for a haunted house experience. Unexpectedly, she also ends up hosting the cast and crew of Down the Shore (like the show Jersey Shore, basically). Murder and general zaniness ensues. Fun, easy read, and I will continue the series.

12. Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution by Avi - Avi is an author I read as a child (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was my favorite book for a long, long time!), so I was excited to read this one with my boys. We follow the fictional character of Sophia Calderwood and her life during the Revolutionary War, from the time she is 12 to 15. With much risk to herself and her family, Sophia ends up becoming a spy and the reason for the discovery of Benedict Arnold's treasonous acts during the war. This is an AWESOME introduction to historical fiction for younger readers. Sophia is a brave, strong, very relatable girl. She faces things we can only imagine, and still deals with the real and raw emotions of a young girl. Wholeheartedly recommend this one!

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#20 A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller

 

[kmb584]

25/100: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness. From Goodreads:

"Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell."

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #21 - What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

Last book in the series and just as boring as the others. Nothing happens, just Janie going back and forth on what to do. Then ends up doing nothing. Glad to be done with this series. Honestly, even teens would be bored with these books.
Edited to add: I just found out there are 2 more books added to this series! Book 4.5 (only 50 pgs long) and book 5, both in which she finally has the kidnapper in the story. I can't believe how much this story is dragged out.

Still Reading: Devil in the White City

 

[Swimnoid]

31. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen
The latest in the Rizzoli and Isles Series. This one was pretty good. It told the story of the case that R & I are working on but it also gave the victim's point of view in alternate chapters as the crime happened without giving away the mystery.

32. 10th Anniversay by James Patterson
Women's Murder Club Series. This was an ok addition to the series. It followed 2 story lines but I felt like I was trudging through the book.

33. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
This was a YA book about a SR in high school who is a little different but comfortable with who he is. He pulls together a ragtag group of kids into a swim team. The book is not about swimming so much as the stories behind the swimmers and other people in the school along with past occurrences that shape the characters. It was a pretty solid story although written with that breathlessness that many YA novels are written.

 

[kt_mom]

This weekend I finished book #36 The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton. I enjoyed this book it was a nice easy read.

Now I'm reading American Sniper ,the Chris Kyle book. Its just okay. I have a lot of respect for what these men and women sacrifice to serve and protect our country and the dangers they face, as well as the affect that has on them. His up close accounts of the dangers they face everyday in the field really makes you appreciate that.

But I was kind of put off by the overall perception that they were bad a$$es, which they are for sure, but that it gave them license to act however they want to. He had quite a few run ins with the law, mostly for fighting in bars. The overall attitude that it was just who they were and a by product of their training and all kind of disappointed me. While I feel we should hold our military in high regards, I do feel they should be bound by the same laws and common decency as everyone else. If you know that going to bars often results in issues, even if you aren't the one that starts it, then maybe you should stop going or something. It wasn't just him, it sounded like it was all of them. Just an overall attitude about it that bothered me.

Next up I hope to read the new Harlan Coben book.

 

[mumloveseeyore]

33 a discovery of witches by deborah Harkness, as described above, i bought this because it was on offer on amazon but i LOVED it.
34 The chamomile lawn by Mary wesley. Reread of an old favourite
35 Crimes against magic steve mcHugh
36 Born of Hatred Steve Mchugh
The first and second in a dark, gritty urban fantasy series, if you like the dresden files you will probably like the Hellequin chronicles

 

[kt_mom]

33 a discovery of witches by deborah Harkness, as described above, i bought this because it was on offer on amazon but i LOVED it.
34 The chamomile lawn by Mary wesley. Reread of an old favourite
35 Crimes against magic steve mcHugh
36 Born of Hatred Steve Mchugh
The first and second in a dark, gritty urban fantasy series, if you like the dresden files you will probably like the Hellequin chronicles

I loved Discovery of Witches! I read Discovery of Witches just a few months before the second book came out. I really enjoyed both. Then it was a year or so before the third book came out and I had a hard time keeping up with some of the characters. I wish I had reread the second one or something to refresh my memory. But all three were good.

 

[threeboysmom]

FINALLY finished A Breath of Snow and Ashes #6 by Diana Gabaldon. Have to admit, I lost interest here and there and had to skim through certain chapters/descriptions. It finished well and had me excited to move onto the next book in the series!

Have already started Echo in the Bone #7. Been slow progress through this series, but almost to the end!

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

#7 The Golem and he Jinni
I enjoyed this book about a golem and a jinni, in early 1900's New York
Golem starts off lost as master who just brought her to life dies. For much of the book they both stay in their nationalities part of New York.
Some really beautiful writing but was way longer than I feel it needed to be. Also to me I got little bored with repetition of Golem seeming to become more human, but it repeated so many times mainly cause the book was so long(IMO). Enjoyed but would have loved it was shorter, at points skimmed paragraphs cause I couldn't take anymore.

As always anyone who might want to read any of my works, I would be glad to send free Kindle or Nook copies. Message me or like this if you might be interested.

 

[sj&k]

Finished 3/20, Reconstructing Amelia, last night. I enjoyed it for the most part, though since I have an 18 year old daughter it made me slightly concerned that I would not know if things like those that happened in this story were going on in her life. I try to stay up to date on her life as much as she'll let me, and she's fairly open with me, but you just never know anymore with the infinite ways people have of communicating with each other. I would like to update which book I'm starting next, but my Amazon order has been delayed (so much for Prime!) so unless I find something around the house to start reading it may be a day or two before I start on either Me Before You or The Girl on the Train (both ideas I got from this thread.)

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #22 - The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson

My DH really liked this book & recommended it to me. He mostly reads nonfiction books so this was his type of book. Me not so much. We grew up near Chicago so it was interesting to read about the World's Fair and what all come out of it, but I didn't care for the details leading up to the fair. I enjoyed it more after the fair began. The other half of the story about Holmes, the serial killer, held my interest more as I prefer to read fiction, not nonfiction and this story was half of each.

Erik Larson—author of #1 bestseller In the Garden of Beasts—intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

Next book: Garden Spells

 

[jenny105]

I finished the Princess Diaries series and To All The Boys I've Loved Before on our cruise so I'm up to 9 books for the year. Just started Bloodlines by Richelle Mead yesterday.

 

[zippitydoo]

Book #26 of 50: Flirting With Felicity by Gerri Russell

From Goodreads:
Felicity Wright never expected to inherit the hotel where she works as head chef. But now, she’ll do anything to keep the Bancroft Hotel operating—even if that means mixing it up with the late owner’s handsome nephew, Blake Bancroft. He’s here to challenge her unexpected inheritance of the Bancroft Hotel, and there’s no way either of them are walking away without a fight.

When his uncle wills away his family’s oldest property, Blake Bancroft cooks up a plan to get it back. To check out his competition, he’ll need to check in. Too bad his first encounter with Felicity proves to be anything but smooth. As their battle over ownership begins, things begin to heat up between them—and not just in the kitchen. Their attraction may be a recipe for disaster. Yet with the right ingredients, it could turn into a recipe for love…

Book #27 of 50: Writing on the Wall (Survival, #1) by Tracey Ward

From Goodreads:
It's been nearly a decade since the world ended. Since Joss watched her parents die at the hands of a nightmare, a nightmare that stalks her even now, all these years later. That's the problem with the Risen - they refuse to die.

But Joss is a survivor. A loner living in the post-apocalyptic streets of Seattle. It's a world dictated by Risen and the looming threat of the Colonists, a group of fellow survivors living comfortably in their compounds and patrolling the wild, looking to "save" the orphans of the end.

Orphans like Joss.
Like Ryan.

As a member of an all male gang, Ryan is a threat as real as the Risen, a threat Joss avoids at all costs. Then one night their paths cross and Joss makes a choice that goes against all of her instincts. A choice that will threaten everything she has.

Now a new outbreak is imminent and the Colonists are closing in. Joss' solitary, secret world will be blown wide open and the comfortable numbness she's lived in for the last six years will burn away leaving her aching and afraid.

And awake.