ANNUAL READING GOAL CHALLENGE for 2015!

[willowsnn3]

Finished Her by Harriet Lane

I can sum this up in one word - WHAT???!!!

Seriously, this book quite possibly could be the worst book ending I have EVER come across. EVER. I don't think my mouth has closed yet... and I finished the book 20 minutes ago on my lunch break. REALLY??? Geesh, makes Gone Girl's ending seem like peaches & cream at this point!

In summary, Nina basically stalks another woman, Emma, strategically placing herself in Emma's life and building a friendship with her. Unbeknownst to Emma, Nina is actually someone from her long-ago past that is seeking revenge. The reason? Try to imagine the STUPIDEST, MOST CHILDISH reason that you could possibly ever think of and you might come close!

I'm so disgusted! This book was so good as I was reading. The writing, the tension building as the story progressed, the back & forth between Emma & Nina. I loved the cold calculating nature of Nina (yeah I sometimes like the "bad" characters) and the "motherliness" of Emma. However, the last 2 chapters were PURE CRAP. I'll say it again - absolutely insanely STUPID motive for revenge! And the climax that the author was slowly building towards... "when will Emma finally recognize Nina and what will happen when she does" NEVER HAPPENED!

The book just ended in the middle of a final act of revenge... at least I'm guessing that's what it was.

SERIOUSLY??!! I actually feel compelled to contact the author, lol.

Don't you hate books like that?
Altho you kinda make me want to read it, lol.

 

[monarchsfan16]

17/30 The Children Act by Ian McEwan
From Goodreads: Fiona Maye is a High Court judge in London presiding over cases in family court. She is fiercely intelligent, well respected, and deeply immersed in the nuances of her particular field of law. Often the outcome of a case seems simple from the outside, the course of action to ensure a child's welfare obvious. But the law requires more rigor than mere pragmatism, and Fiona is expert in considering the sensitivities of culture and religion when handing down her verdicts.

But Fiona's professional success belies domestic strife. Her husband, Jack, asks her to consider an open marriage and, after an argument, moves out of their house. His departure leaves her adrift, wondering whether it was not love she had lost so much as a modern form of respectability; whether it was not contempt and ostracism she really fears. She decides to throw herself into her work, especially a complex case involving a seventeen-year-old boy whose parents will not permit a lifesaving blood transfusion because it conflicts with their beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses. But Jack doesn't leave her thoughts, and the pressure to resolve the case—as well as her crumbling marriage—tests Fiona in ways that will keep readers thoroughly enthralled until the last stunning page.

I give it 3 stars. It was good, but not great.

 

[threeboysmom]

Don't you hate books like that?
Altho you kinda make me want to read it, lol.

Haha, don't say I didn't warn you!

But yeah, I know what you mean. When there's drama surrounding a book, I just have to jump in and find out for myself, lol.

I have to admit though, I was VERY tempted to spoil the book in my review here by telling everyone what the motive for revenge was simply to save anyone from being curious and reading it, lol.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #43 - The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

This is probably the first murder story I have ever described as fun. I am sure it sounds weird that I describe it that way, but the surprises entertained me and I couldn't wait for another surprise. I really enjoyed the twists in the plot and wanted to keep reading to find out how it ends AND I like how he ends the book too! I definitely recommend this one.

On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start—he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit—a contrast that once inflamed their passion, but has now become a cliché.
But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying, stinking, cheating spouse. . . .
Back in Boston, Ted and Lily’s twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda's demise. But there are a few things about Lily’s past that she hasn’t shared with Ted, namely her experience in the art and craft of murder, a journey that began in her very precocious youth.
Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive . . . with a shrewd and very determined detective on their tail.

Next book: Bringing Up Bebe

 

[Simba's Mom]

#16/30: Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
From Goodreads: Until recently, Dr. Julia Cates was one of the preeminent child psychiatrists in the country, but a scandal shattered her confidence, ruined her career, and made her a media target. When she gets a desperate call from her estranged sister, Ellie, a police chief in their small western Washington hometown, she jumps at the chance to escape.

In Rain Valley, nothing much ever happens--until a girl emerges from the deep woods and walks into town. She is a victim unlike any Julia has ever seen: a child locked in a world of unimaginable fear and isolation. When word spreads of the "wild child" and the infamous doctor who is treating her, the media descend on Julia and once again her competence is challenged. State and federal authorities want to lock the girl away in an institution until an identification can be made. But to Julia, who has come to doubt her own ability, nothing is more important than saving the girl she now calls Alice. To heal this child, Julia will have to understand that she cannot work alone and must look to others--the people in the town she left long ago, the sister she barely knows, and Dr. Max Cerrasin, a handsome, private man with secrets of his own.

Then a shocking revelation forces Julia to risk everything to discover the truth about Alice. The ordeal that follows will test the limits of Julia's faith, forgiveness, and love, as she struggles to ascertain where Alice ultimately belongs.

In her most ambitious novel to date, Kristin Hannah delivers an incandescent story about the resilience of the human spirit, the triumph of hope, and the mysterious places in the heart where love lies waiting.


Excellent book. 5 stars from me.

Thanks to your review, I went and read "Magic Hour" and I agree-5 stars, one of the best books for me this year. I encourage everyone to post how many stars you gave the book. I know that we're all different, with different tastes, but sometimes it really helps. It certainly did with this one!

 

[Christine]

#16/50 - Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

This book is a compilation of advice column letters written by (at the time) anonymous Dear Sugar. Later, we find that Sugar is Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild. This was pretty interesting and Sugar's advice is very frank, pragmatic and always laced with her own interesting life experiences.

#17/50 - The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens.

Okay, I really enjoyed this one and read it in a day which is unusual for me. The book was actually much better that the below synopsis sounds:

Four lost hikers are about to discover they’re capable of something extraordinary.

Nola has gone up the mountain to commemorate her wedding anniversary, the first since her beloved husband passed. Blonde, stick-thin Bridget is training for a triathalon. Vonn is working out her teenage rebellion at eight thousand feet, driven by family obligation and the urge to escape her mistakes. Still reeling from the tragic accident that robbed him of his best friend, Wolf Truly is the only experienced hiker among them, but he has come to the cliffs on his eighteenth birthday without food or supplies because he plans to take his own life.

When a series of missteps strands this unusual group together in the wilderness, they soon realize that their only defense against the brutality of nature is one another. As one day without rescue spirals dramatically into the next, and misadventure turns to nightmare, these four broken souls begin to form an inextricable bond, pushing themselves and one another further than they ever could have dreamed possible. The three who make it home alive will be forever changed by their harrowing days on the mountain.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Girls, The Mountain Story is a fast-paced, suspenseful adventure and a gorgeous tribute to the resilience of the human spirit. Braving a landscape both unforgivingly harsh and breathtakingly beautiful, Nola, Bridget, Vonn, and Wolf find themselves faced with an impossible question: How much will they sacrifice for a stranger?

 

[camreesmom]

#16/24
Things You Won't Say by Sarah Pekkanen

I give this book 5 stars. I read it in two days. I've loved everything that I've read so far by this author.

From Amazon:
How far would you go to save your family?
Every morning, as her husband Mike straps on his SIG Sauer and pulls on his heavy Magnum boots, Jamie Anderson tenses up. Then comes the call she has always dreaded: There’s been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn’t hurt, but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband’s insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting—but this time Mike has pulled the trigger.

But the shooting does more than just alter Jamie’s world. It’s about to change everything for two other women. Christie Simmons, Mike’s flamboyant ex, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for a second chance with Mike. And Jamie’s younger sister, Lou, must face her own losses to help the big sister who raised her. As the press descends and public cries of police brutality swell, Jamie tries desperately to hold together her family, no matter what it takes.

Next up: The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

 

[monarchsfan16]

18/30
Desire Lines by Christina Baker Kline
From Goodreads: Desire Lines is a taut, penetrating new novel filled with psychological suspense, sensitivity, and emotional complexity by the critically acclaimed author of Sweet Water.
On the night of her high school graduation in 1986, Kathryn Campbell's best friend, Jennifer, vanished without a trace. It's been ten years since then, but Kathryn still feels the conspicuous void in her life - and the nagging, guilty sense that she has failed her friend.
When a divorce sends Kathryn reeling back to the Maine town where she grew up, the young journalist finds herself face-to-face with her past. At twenty-eight, she's been living for far too long on memories and questions; now she needs to take a hard look at her own life at the same time that she is delving into the mystery of what happened to her friend.
As she explores the seemingly random series of events that led up to Jennifer's disappearance, a pattern slowly begins to take shape. All the puzzle pieces are at her fingertips - it's a matter of whether Kathryn can put them together in a way that makes sense. As she faces her own fear and grief, she is finally able to come to terms with the ways in which the loss of her friend has shaped her life and the lives of those who knew her. In the process, Kathryn realizes that if she is ever going to understand the circumstances of Jennifer's disappearance, she is going to have to expose herself to the same risks and dangers. Ultimately, Kathryn's quest to find out the truth becomes a quest to save her own life as she races against time to keep Jennifer's fate from becoming hers.

I gave this 3 of 5 stars. The story line was a real page turner, and I couldn't put the book down. But the writing style was not nearly as good as some of her other books (Orphan Train and even Sweet Water).

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#42 Pale Harvest by Braden Hepner

From back cover:
Working a dying trade in a dead town, dairy farmer Jack finds his life and existence stagnant. When Rebekah moves back to town on the run from her father, her dark history consumes him, and she becomes the only thing that might dredge him up from his crisis of indifference. But death, lust, and betrayal break the peace of his small town and threaten to shelve his dreams. The slow ruin of humanity within his troubled peers, coupled with Rebekah's struggle to escape her own demons, culminates in a tragedy that engulfs Jack's life, his town, and his hope.

Ok, I should have stopped reading this one after the first few chapters, but nooooo, I had to drudge thru it. Never did find out why Rebekah was on the run from her father or what her dark history was....and the thing that irritated me most was the way the characters talked. This is a rural farm area where all the main characters have lived their whole life but every one of them, old and young alike, talked like they were all college professors majoring in English Lit, lol.
Maybe someday I'll learn to not feel like I have to finish every book I start.....

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #44 - Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman

This was recommended by a woman in my book club. An American woman moves to France and writes about the differences between American and French mothers in how they raise their children. I found some of the info interesting and wish I had read this when I was pregnant. There are some things the French do that I don't agree with or thought was crazy, like expecting to lose your baby weight 3 months postpartum. What I did keep thinking is how high are the taxes there when France offers free day care, preschool thru college, & health care.

When American journalist Pamela Druckerman had a baby in Paris, she didn't aspire to become a "French parent." But she noticed that French children slept through the night by two or three months old. They ate braised leeks. They played by themselves while their parents sipped coffee. And yet French kids were still boisterous, curious, and creative. Why? How?
With a notebook stashed in her diaper bag, Druckerman set out to investigate—and wound up sparking a national debate on parenting. Researched over three years and written in her warm, funny voice, Bringing Up Bébé is deeply wise, charmingly told, and destined to become a classic resource for American parents.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Just finished #35 0f 63, "Fearless Fourteen" by Janet Evanovitch. Although she's been recommended to me a lot, it was the first time I read one of her books. And now I know what everyone was talking about-great, funny book with lots of quirky characters. I'll definitely want to read more of Stephanie Plums' escapades. A 4 1/2 star book.

 

[jenny105]

I just finished up Pines. Even though I knew everything that was going to happen because of the show, I enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

Starting Luckiest Girl Alive today. The woman that wrote it, Jessica Knoll, wrote the Bedroom Blog on Cosmo for a time and also had her own blog for awhile. I really enjoyed that so I'm giving her book a shot. From Goodreads:

As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ani has a secret.

There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.

With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Aliveexplores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.

The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free

 

[threeboysmom]

I just finished up Pines. Even though I knew everything that was going to happen because of the show, I enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

Starting Luckiest Girl Alive today. The woman that wrote it, Jessica Knoll, wrote the Bedroom Blog on Cosmo for a time and also had her own blog for awhile. I really enjoyed that so I'm giving her book a shot. From Goodreads:

As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ani has a secret.

There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.

With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Aliveexplores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.

The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free

This book just became available for me yesterday! REALLY looking forward to starting it in the next couple of days once I finish my current book!

 

[Christine]

#18/50: Landline by Rainbow Rowell:

In Landline, Rainbow Rowell once again shares her insightful, funny perspective on love and relationships, this time delving into a marriage floundering in the wake of kids, careers, and the daily grind. Georgie and Neal have been married for fifteen years and have two young girls who Neal cares for while Georgie works as a sitcom writer. When Georgie skips the family trip to her in-laws in Omaha for Christmas and the rest of her family goes without her, she realizes that maybe her marriage is going too. When a line to the past (literally) gives Georgie a chance to re-live an earlier pivotal moment in their relationship, she sees it as an opportunity to figure out if she and Neal should have been together in the first place. Landline is a deeply resonant story about being willing to go all in--at the start or after being together for many years--for the kind of love that makes “everything else just scenery.”

I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was an easy read, kind of "fluffy" and I enjoyed the characters. I had read some very good reviews on this book but it was a little too "fluffy" for the type of reading I like to do. But, hey, sometimes you just need something light!

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #44 - Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

This is the best book I've read this summer. It's a great thriller that keeps you guessing til the very end. The same 5 days are told from 3 different characters giving different points of view to the events happening.

In such a small community as the Falkland Islands, a missing child is unheard of. In such a dangerous landscape it can only be a terrible tragedy, surely...
When another child goes missing, and then a third, it's no longer possible to believe that their deaths were accidental, and the villagers must admit that there is a murderer among them. Even Catrin Quinn, a damaged woman living a reclusive life after the accidental deaths of her own two sons a few years ago, gets involved in the searches and the speculation.
And suddenly, in this wild and beautiful place that generations have called home, no one feels safe and the hysteria begins to rise.
But three islanders--Catrin, her childhood best friend, Rachel, and her ex-lover Callum--are hiding terrible secrets. And they have two things in common: all three of them are grieving, and none of them trust anyone, not even themselves.

 

[threeboysmom]

Finished book #44 - Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

This is the best book I've read this summer. It's a great thriller that keeps you guessing til the very end. The same 5 days are told from 3 different characters giving different points of view to the events happening.

In such a small community as the Falkland Islands, a missing child is unheard of. In such a dangerous landscape it can only be a terrible tragedy, surely...
When another child goes missing, and then a third, it's no longer possible to believe that their deaths were accidental, and the villagers must admit that there is a murderer among them. Even Catrin Quinn, a damaged woman living a reclusive life after the accidental deaths of her own two sons a few years ago, gets involved in the searches and the speculation.
And suddenly, in this wild and beautiful place that generations have called home, no one feels safe and the hysteria begins to rise.
But three islanders--Catrin, her childhood best friend, Rachel, and her ex-lover Callum--are hiding terrible secrets. And they have two things in common: all three of them are grieving, and none of them trust anyone, not even themselves.

I'm looking forward to this one! I've been on hold for it for about a month. Should be available in the next few weeks though!

 

[threeboysmom]

Yay, finished the entire Outlander series which was my goal for 2015!

To be honest, Written in my Heart's Own Blood was not one of my favorites. I found myself skimming at times.... I gave it a 3* on Goodreads. Only other Outlander book that received a low rating from me was The Fiery Cross - blah.

About halfway through The Luckiest Girl Alive and I'm not sure what to think so far, lol.

 

[jenny105]

About halfway through The Luckiest Girl Alive and I'm not sure what to think so far, lol.

I'm up to Chapter 4. I can't make a call until what she did is revealed lol

 

[Christine]

Yay, finished the entire Outlander series which was my goal for 2015!

To be honest, Written in my Heart's Own Blood was not one of my favorites. I found myself skimming at times.... I gave it a 3* on Goodreads. Only other Outlander book that received a low rating from me was The Fiery Cross - blah.

About halfway through The Luckiest Girl Alive and I'm not sure what to think so far, lol.

I felt the exact same way about the last Outlander book. Fairly disappointed. Don't you think that spent a LOT of time in one place? And it seemed that pages and pages and pages were written and it only covered a week or so in time.

 

[camreesmom]

17/24
The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

From Amazon:
In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family. Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality.

This might be my favorite so far this year. I stayed up entirely too late last night finishing this book. I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to read next because it's going to be hard to top this one.