ANNUAL READING GOAL CHALLENGE for 2015!

[nemofans]

Finished book #65 - Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout

This is a teen murder mystery/romance novel. The story is okay. Mean girl loses memory & becomes nice while trying to remember what happened to her and her best friend.

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.
Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.
But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night aren't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

 

[jenny105]

I'm way under my goal. Only 22 books read out of 45.

 

[willowsnn3]

#56 Night Woman by Nancy Price

This was pretty good. Started out kinda iffy, but soon became a page turner for me.

From the author's website:

NIGHT WOMAN
The world thinks Randal Eliot writes during his manic phases, but his wife Mary creates his famous books and supports their family. When Randal dies, no one will believe she is the genius. She marries a younger man, Paul, a Randal Eliot scholar. Paul cannot bear to believe Mary is the genius—she will destroy his life work and Randal Eliot’s reputation. He has killed before. He must kill again.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Hard to believe we're already into the last quarter of our reading year! How is everyone doing so far? On track?

I've surpassed my goal by far a couple months ago... but I'm too lazy to up it, lol.

So far I've read 51 of 65 books, so I'm only very slightly behind. A short book would catch me up. I just finished Tony Danza's book (I already forgot the title, but I THINK it's called "I'd like to apologize to every teacher I've ever had). It was OK, but as a former teacher myself, I was looking for more talk of the interaction in the classroom. Whenever he talked about the crew and cameras that were following him, I found it distracting.

 

[monarchsfan16]

Finally finished 21/30, so I'm slightly behind, but considering how quickly I'm getting through my current book, maybe I stand a chance at catching up.

#21/30 was The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
From Goodreads: Harold Fry is convinced that he must deliver a letter to an old friend in order to save her, meeting various characters along the way and reminiscing about the events of his past and people he has known, as he tries to find peace and acceptance.

Recently retired, sweet, emotionally numb Harold Fry is jolted out of his passivity by a letter from Queenie Hennessy, an old friend, who he hasn't heard from in twenty years. She has written to say she is in hospice and wanted to say goodbye. Leaving his tense, bitter wife Maureen to her chores, Harold intends a quick walk to the corner mailbox to post his reply but instead, inspired by a chance encounter, he becomes convinced he must deliver his message in person to Queenie--who is 600 miles away--because as long as he keeps walking, Harold believes that Queenie will not die.

So without hiking boots, rain gear, map or cell phone, one of the most endearing characters in current fiction begins his unlikely pilgrimage across the English countryside. Along the way, strangers stir up memories--flashbacks, often painful, from when his marriage was filled with promise and then not, of his inadequacy as a father, and of his shortcomings as a husband.

Ironically, his wife Maureen, shocked by her husband's sudden absence, begins to long for his presence. Is it possible for Harold and Maureen to bridge the distance between them? And will Queenie be alive to see Harold arrive at her door?


I gave it 4 stars. It was a bit slow at times, but overall very well written. Not at all what I was expecting either. It took me 2 months to read it, but I think that's mostly just that I made a poor choice in picking a "deep" book right as the school year was starting (I work in a school). My current book (How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz) seems to be a much better choice for this time of year.

 

[Carstairs38]

Heather, I'll be very curious to know what you think of How to Start a Fire. I've enjoyed her Spellman Files series, but I am hesitant to get and read this one for some reason.

Here are my additions for the week.

107/120
The Mystery of the Whispering Witch by Kathryn Kenny (Trixie Belden #32) – 2
Trixie’s friend Fay Franklin arrives in the middle of the night with a request for help. She and her mother live in the old haunted Lisgard Mansion, and her mother has broken her hip. When Trixie and Honey agree to spend the night with Fay, they discover just how haunted the mansion is. But that’s nothing compared to Fay’s confession the next day. What is going on?

What is going on is a book that is too dark for the tone of the series. While I normally enjoy a book haunted house story, this one just doesn’t work for me. Many fans don’t enjoy this one, although some count it as a favorite for that very reason. The mystery itself is decent and the characters are enjoyable, but this continues to be one I hardly ever reread.

108/120
Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints by P. J. Brackston (Brothers Grimm Mysteries #1) – 3
A now adult Gretel of Hansel and Gretel fame is now working as a detective. Her latest case takes her to Nuremberg when she is hired to find two paints for Albrecht Durer the Much, Much Younger. These paintings of frogs, done by his ancestor Albrecht Durer the Younger, have much sentimental value. Can she crack the case?

The mystery started out slowly, and there were some things thrown in that never really added to the plot or sub-plots. Things did come to a logical and mostly satisfying conclusion, leaving one thing open. The characters are okay, although I had a hard time really getting to like very many of them. Do note that is mystery is aimed at adults, not the middle grade audience the title and cover might suggest.

109/120
Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon (Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries #1) – 4
Savannah Webb has returned home for her father’s funeral and to sell the family glass shop to longtime family friend Hugh. But then Hugh dies from a heart attack. Since that was her father’s cause of death, Savannah begins to question the coincidence. A cryptic clue and a warning note from her father lead her to further suspect that there is a killer on the loose. But can she figure out what is happening?

I liked stained glass, so I was glad to discover this promising series debut. Savannah and her new friends grew on my as the book progressed, and I’m interested in seeing how they grow in the future. The pacing of the plot could have been a little better since I did feel some of the stained glass class scenes slowed it down, but it did come together for a logical and fun climax.


110/120
The Black Ice by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #2) – 4
When narcotics officer Cal Moore is found dead in a motel room on Christmas night, it looks like a suicide. After all, the cop had been missing for a week already. However, a few things make LAPD detective Harry Bosch think that there might be more to the case, especially when he sees it tying into a couple of unsolved murders he is trying to clear. Can he get to the bottom of it while fighting higher ups who just want it to go away?

I intended to get back to Harry sooner than this, but I’m glad I made it back. The book does drag a little at times and have a few obvious plot points, but there are also some remarkable twists that surprised me along the way. Harry is a great character, and I really do like him. The rest of the cast was interesting as well.

I think it might be time to up my goal again.

 

[Christine]

#31/50: After You, JoJo Moyes: For those of you who are JoJo Moyes fans, you will know that After You is the sequel to Me Before You. As the title suggests, this book is about the main character, Louisa Clark, and we enter Louisa's life about 1-2 years after the events in the first novel. In a nutshell, Louisa is struggling to move on but doesn't seem to be doing to well. A series of fairly big events happens in the book to sort of get her on her path forward. The author ended the book in such a way that there could be a third book; however, it's also okay if it ends just as it did.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #66 - A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

I am not sure what to say about this one. This story is similar to The Exorcist and other possession stories, except I am still not sure whether the girl was truly possessed or faking or schizophrenic . I didn't really like the back & forth between the past & present either. The father was crazy for sure though & that family was taken advantage of by the priest & the tv show people. All I can say is Meh.

The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.
To her parents’ despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts’ plight. With John, Marjorie’s father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.
Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface—and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.

 

[willowsnn3]

# 57 Sleeping with the Enemy by Nancy Price

Can I just say the movie was a whole lot better than the book.....
I loved the movie but there were quite a few changes made for the better I think.

I finally got the second of the Wayward Pines books from the library. I don't even know if I want to read it tho. The first one was just ok and the tv show wasn't that great to me either. Undecided.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

#19
The Girl in the Woods
David Jack Bell

When Diana Greene leaves her hometown for a new life, she thinks she has left the past behind: her sister's disappearance, her mother's illness, and the visions Diana used to see...a clearing in the woods...a moonlit night...and human bones buried in the ground. And her past remains dormant until the day a mysterious woman appears on Diana's doorstep, promising Diana something she can't resist. "If you help me find my missing daughter, I'll tell you what happened to your sister." Soon Diana is digging into the past, uncovering secrets the town has long since buried, secrets that the powerful wish would stay hidden. But when another girl disappears and the visions return to Diana with a vengeance, she knows she is on the brink of solving more than just a few missing person's cases. She is on the brink of discovering the dark and violent covenant that the town itself was founded upon.

I liked this book and wanted to love it, but I wanted MORE. I wanted a deeper, more descriptive writing style. The story was really strong but the writing let it down a little I think.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Just finished book #52-"How to Bake a Perfect Life" by Barbara O'Neal. Great book! At least a 4 1/2 star.

 

[willowsnn3]

#58/72

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

From Goodreads:
"It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night.

Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler.

Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice.

Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor."

This one was pretty good.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #67 - The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

This is a Chief Inspector Gamache novel. I have read a few of these & do enjoy them. I haven't enough interest to read them all though. Sad story and interesting to know some parts of the story actually happened in the past.

Hardly a day goes by when nine year old Laurent Lepage doesn't cry wolf. From alien invasions, to walking trees, to winged beasts in the woods, to dinosaurs spotted in the village of Three Pines, his tales are so extraordinary no one can possibly believe him. Including Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, who now live in the little Quebec village.
But when the boy disappears, the villagers are faced with the possibility that one of his tall tales might have been true.
And so begins a frantic search for the boy and the truth. What they uncover deep in the forest sets off a sequence of events that leads to murder, leads to an old crime, leads to an old betrayal. Leads right to the door of an old poet.
And now it is now, writes Ruth Zardo. And the dark thing is here.
A monster once visited Three Pines. And put down deep roots. And now, Ruth knows, it is back.
Armand Gamache, the former head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec, must face the possibility that, in not believing the boy, he himself played a terrible part in what happens next.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Book #80 Fables 17-20 by Bill Willingham

Book #81 The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner

Book #83 Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford (yes, that Mommie Dearest)

Book #84 The Good Neighbor by AJ Banner

Book #85 The Lover's Path by Kris Waldherr

Book #86 Birth of the Venus by Sarah Dunant

Book #87 Rapture's Rage by Bobbi Smith

Book #88 Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini

Book #89 Fairest 1-5 by Bill Willingham

Book #90 Blood Will Tell by Kyra Cornelius Kramer

Book #91 The Wild Swans by Anne Avery

Book #92 The End of Reason by Ravi Zacherias

Book #93 Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor

 

[zippitydoo]

Book #47 of 50: Forever(An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #5) by Chanda Hahn

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Fork-Tongue Charmers (The Luck Uglies #2) by Paul Durham

This is second book of Luck Uglies series. I actually won the first book on Goodreads. After I read gave it to my niece, she actually bought second book and asked me if I wanted to read. I felt bad saying no so I read. It was actually more enjoyable than the first, less predictable with more twists. I would give it 4+ stars a little higher than I think I rated Luck Uglies. Overall author does good job in the book developing town and people of Downing.

If anyone is interested in reading any of my works gladly send kindle or nook gift copies (Cemetery Girl, Three Twigs for the Campfire, Written for You or Reigning).

 

[Simba's Mom]

Just finished "The Twelve Step Plan" by Erin Brady. I always really enjoy her books. My only problem is that this is the third book of hers I've read and she always seems to follow the same idea, so it's getting TOO predictable. But for a first time read it's very fun.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #68 - The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne

I didn't really care for this book. The premise sounds creepy and interesting, but the story falls flat. The parents are messed up and have messed their kids up with all the stupid decisions they keep making.

A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcroft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.
But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity--that she, in fact, is Lydia--their world comes crashing down once again.
As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, they are forced to confront what really happened on that fateful day.

 

[nemofans]

I am not sure where I am in my challenge. On here, I have that I have read 68 books, but on Goodreads, it says I read 78 books. I do think I forgot to review a few books on here, but 10? I have to figure out which ones I didn't review on here so I can see how many there are that I missed.

 

[Christine]

#32/50: We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffinbaugh: This book was written by the same author who wrote The Language of Flowers, which I *really* liked. This one was okay. It's the story of Letty Espinosa, who is living in a very poor area in a suburb of San Francisco. She lives with her parents and two children. Letty's parents decide to go back to their native Mexico and abruptly leave Letty with her two children. Letty has led a fairly irresponsible life as her parents have enabled her by doing everything for her children. They believe Letty can step up to her responsibilities. Long story short, after a rocky few weeks, Letty does step up and turns her life around.

I enjoyed all of the characters in this book but it didn't seemed to be as fleshed out and complete as this author's first novel. Still, it was enjoyable enough.