Here it is - the OFFICIAL 2014 READING GOAL CHALLENGE THREAD

[wilma-bride]

My reading has taken a bit of a hit recently, due in part to the fact that I lost my Kindle (left it on the plane coming home from NYC)

I have borrowed my son's Kindle to keep me going until I can afford a replacement.

So, I have finally finished a book that I have been reading for several weeks.....

Book #24 - You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz

I know you, don't I?' Five words - that's all it takes to plunge Mike Wingate and his family into mortal danger. Mike doesn't recognise the crippled stranger who approaches him at a party . . . but the stranger seems to know all about him.

What has Mike done? Do they have the wrong man? Overnight, the threats become attacks, and Mike, his wife, and their young daughter learn they aren't safe anywhere -especially not their own home.

He doesn't know who they are. He doesn't know what they want. But there's no time to figure it out - because his enemies have killed before, and he's next.

This was one of those books where the build up was much better than the story, if that makes sense. The first few chapters, where Mike's family are being terrorised by killers, was interesting but as soon as the author revealed the reason why they were being pursued, I kind of lost interest. I might give another of his books a try as I quite liked his writing style, just didn't truly enjoy this book.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 100 books this year.

#26 - Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake

#27 - Mrs .Jeffries Rocks the Boat

#28 - Mrs. Jeffries Weeds the Plot

The household staff of Inspector Gerald Witherspoon join forces to help him solve three murders and to maintain his reputation as the most brilliant detective on tne British Poilce Force.

Queen Colleen

 

[nemofans]

I am way behind on posting my reviews b/c my internet has sucked lately.

Finished Books # 39 - 41:

James Potter and the Curse of the Gate Keeper

James Potter and the Vault of Destinies

James Potter and the Morrigan Web

I did enjoy these, but they definitely made me appreciate the Harry Potter series even more. These were like reading a knock off (which they pretty much are).



Finished book # 42 - City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

This is the final book in the Mortal Instruments series & it's a long one! I did like how the author brought the characters from the prequels & this series together. I did like the prequels more too.


Finished book # 43 - The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

This was my book club's book for June. I liked this book a lot. Very interesting story about a girl who has a grandmother that survived the Holocaust. A man befriends the girl & tells her he was a nazi. She struggles with the decision of what to do.

Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day’s breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother’s death. When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage’s grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can’t.
Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shame*ful secret and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well. With the integrity of the closest friend she’s ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she’s made about her life and her family.


Finished book # 44 - Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell

This is a quick summer read, but I didn't really care for the story. It starts out as a romantic story & turns into a paranormal story.

At forty-six, Sadie Fuller's life isn't exactly romantic. A divorced, overweight, somewhat sexually frustrated mother of an eleven-year-old, she lives in the suburbs, shops the big box stores, makes small talk with her small-minded neighbors, and generally leads a quiet life. But while her daughter is at school, or when Sadie is up late at night, she writes erotic fiction under the name KT Briggs.
Then, during a routine shopping trip, Sadie runs into someone familiar...too familiar, in fact. She encounters an incredibly handsome man exactly like the one in her imagination--and her latest novel. Is Aidan Hathaway really one of her characters? And if so, what is he doing in Target? As Sadie tries to negotiate this strange new world, her eyes begin to open to romantic possibilities in places she never dreamed of looking...places where Happily Ever After might not be so far-fetched after all.


Finished book # 45 - Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany

This is another quick summer read about a woman who deals with a father with a mental illness. Her father leaves when she is 10 & I could relate to her suffering in a way b/c my dad left when I was 10 & I didn't see him again. I would recommend this book.

When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life.
Twenty years later, Eden runs a successful catering company and dreams of opening a restaurant. Since childhood, she has heard from her father only rarely, just enough to know that he’s been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness. But lately there has been no word at all. After a series of failed romantic relationships and a health scare from her mother, Eden decides it’s time to find her father, to forgive him at last, and move forward with her own life. Her search takes her to a downtown Seattle homeless shelter, and to Jack Baker, its handsome and charming director. Jack convinces Eden to volunteer her skills as a professional chef with the shelter. In return, he helps her in her quest.
As the connection between Eden and Jack grows stronger, and their investigation brings them closer to David, Eden must come to terms with her true emotions, the secrets her mother has kept from her, and the painful question of whether her father, after all these years, even wants to be found. The result is an emotionally rich and honest novel about making peace with the past—and embracing the future.

Next book: Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

 

[jenny105]

Hold up there are James Potter books? Fan fic?

 

[Colleen27]

#43/52 - City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Yes, I read YA. A lot of it, actually, because my daughter is a bookworm and wants someone to talk to about her books. And I really enjoyed the whole Mortal Instruments series. The conclusion was engrossing and fast-paced, wrapping up the storylines we wanted to see wrapped up but leaving other characters' stories open for future stories that I look forward to reading.

#44 - Bootstrapper by Mardi Jo Link

An amusing and relate-able memoir of a woman's struggle to hold on to her farm and provide stability to her children in the wake of a divorce. This was a "notable Michigan" book selection at my library and I'm glad I picked it up. The author's struggles and slightly off the beaten path ideas on parenting and simple living resonated with me and the tone of the book was very upbeat, hopeful, and funny.

#45 - The Winds of Winter (Game of Thrones #5) by George RR Martin

Ugh! I enjoyed the book, though not as much as the earlier stories in the series. I hated the ending, though. It felt very much like a non-ending - lots of cliffhangers and storylines with no conclusion or even a pause in the action, which combined with no projected release date for the next installment made it a less than satisfying read. The storytelling was still enjoyable, the character-hopping a little harder to follow, and the action well-paced but the lack of a logical conclusion/break point makes me wish I waited on this one until the next became available.

 

[Colleen27]

I've been trying to get through A Game of Thrones but it is SLOW going for me. I'm finding it incredibly boring because so far it's everything I have already seen on the show(and I JUST binge watched it last month so it's still pretty fresh).

I'm going to start something else and maybe catch up on my goal.

I'm not giving up on GoT, but I'm not going to focus on only that anymore.

I had the same problem with the first book and part of the second. By the middle of the second, though, the story is different enough that it caught my interest and wouldn't let go so I read through the rest of the series at a somewhat faster pace. Those books aren't quick reading by any standard, though, and I did find that I had to change gears from time to time while reading them.

 

[tiggrbaby]

#15/40: In Good Faith by Scott Pratt

From Amazon:
A family of four is slaughtered in rural Tennessee.

Two weeks later, a retired high school principal and his wife are brutally slain.

Two Satan-worshipping teens stand accused.

It’s up to prosecutor Joe Dillard to convict them. A former defense attorney who spent way too much time defending people he knew were guilty, Joe is determined to win this case to atone for his past. But an evil young woman named Natasha is responsible for the slayings and Joe knows it. Natasha is walking around free because the two boys who have been arrested are too terrified to implicate her. Now Joe must risk everything -- including his family's safety and his own life -- to bring an evil murderer to justice.


Second in a series about a lawyer in Tennessee. I found this one to be a bit more graphic than the first one. Some of the storylines did not seem as realistic. I will still try the next one in the series, but not just now.

3.5/5

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Monument 14
Emmy Laybourne

(This book has been summarized a few times over the last few pages so I won't add that here.)

I enjoyed this book a lot. Being a YA book, I thought it would be a little immature for my tastes but there are some very mature tones here. As a mother I can't help but picture my kids in that situation. Honestly, I sometimes teared up thinking about that.

Good short read though. Can't wait to start #2!

 

[nemofans]

James Potter series is fan fic. You can find them online & download them for free. There are 4 out now w/a 5th coming.

 

[Kinziepoohsmom]

#18 Mr Mercedes by Stephen King If you like King, you will like this book
Its a good summertime read.

 

[Glynis]

I just got back from a 2 week vacation which did wonders for my book count. Hooray!!!

Goal - 70 books

Book #24 - Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

From Goodreads: A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.

It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

My review: I enjoyed this mystery! It was fun to see Austen's characters in a new way. I loved the resolution of the mystery, and the allusion to other characters from other Austen books. Highly recommend.

Book #25 -Quilt or Innocence by Elizabeth Spann Craig

From Goodreads: As the newest member of the Village Quilters Guild, Beatrice has a lot of gossip to catch up on—especially with the Patchwork Cottage quilt shop about to close. It seems that Judith, the landlord everyone loves to hate, wants to raise the rent, despite being a quilter herself…

But when Judith is found dead, the harmless gossip becomes an intricate patchwork of mischievous motives. And it’s up to Beatrice’s expert eye to decipher the pattern and catch the killer, before her life gets sewn up for good.

My review: a typical cozy mystery! I enjoyed it a lot, but probably won't continue with the series. Predictable, but still enjoyable.

Book #26 - The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand

From Goodreads: The Parisian sorcerer of artisan chocolate, handsome Frenchman Sylvain Marquis, and the American empress of chocolate bars, Cade Corey, play a decadent game of seduction and subterfuge that causes them both to melt with desire.

My review: Another fun summer read. Again, very predictable, but I enjoyed the descriptions of the chocolate, and the insight into the business. I would recommend it.

Book #27 - On Strike For Christmas by Sheila Roberts

From Goodreads: At Christmastime, it seems as though a woman’s work is never done. Trimming the tree, mailing the cards, schlepping to the mall, the endless wrapping—bah humbug! So this year, Joy and Laura and the rest of their knitting group decide to go on strike. If their husbands and families want a nice holiday—filled with parties, decorations, and presents—well, they’ll just have to do it themselves. The boycott soon takes on a life of its own when a reporter picks up the story and more women join in. But as Christmas Day approaches, Joy, Laura, and their husbands confront larger issues in their marriages and discover that a little holiday magic is exactly what they need to come together.

My review: I really enjoyed this book. Put into words how I feel about my own Christmas holidays. I was able to laugh at my plight, and fantasize about what I would like to do. I recommend this for light reading!

Book #28 - Bikini Season by Sheila Roberts

From Goodreads: rin Merritt has returned to her scenic hometown of Heart Lake to plan her wedding, but when she repeatedly runs into her childhood crush, she wonders if she's engaged to the wrong man. To make matters worse, all the stress is making her eat, and now she can't fit into her wedding dress.

Erin enlists the help of her cooking club--Angela, Megan and Kizzy--and the Teeny Bikini Diet Club is born. The women make a pact to get slim enough to wear their bikinis to the lake by summertime, a pact that changes their lives forever.

My review: Another fun "beach read". Very light and entertaining with no particular substance. Still the characters were fun, and I enjoyed reading this book.

Next up: Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

 

[wilma-bride]

Book #25 - Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

Sometimes, one small mistake can have life-altering consequences...

As a veteran social worker, Ellen Moore has seen it all - the vilest acts one person can commit against another. The only thing that gets her through the workday is knowing her job helps children. That, and her family: her husband, Adam, and three beautiful kids, twins Leah and Lucas, and eleven-month-old Avery. But with a blink of an eye - with one small mistake - Ellen is suddenly at the mercy of the system she works for. Avery is ripped from her clutches, and her whole world begins crashing down around her.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but good-for-nothing father since her mother left them. When her father decides to pack their belongings and move to a new state, Jenny thinks she might be on the road to a better life. But soon she finds herself on her own, forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. Evading police and the social system, Jenny finds refuge with a kind-hearted waitress. The last thing she needs is a social worker, but when Ellen and Jenny's lives collide unexpectedly, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

I love Heather Gudenkauf's books, she has such a way of making the readers fall in love with the characters. And that's exactly what happened with this book. From start to finish, I was completely enthralled. This really was a great read.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Been gone due to moving and not having the internet so here it goes...

#48 Young Victoria Alison Plowdon

#49 Longbourn by Jo Baker

#50 Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

#51 Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros

#52 The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

#53 The New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

#54 Betsy Ross and the Making of America by Marla R Miller

#55 Cordelia Knott: Pioneering Business Woman by Christiane Salts

#56 Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

#57 Aunt Jo's Scrapbag by Louisa May Alcott

#58 All God's Creatures by Carolyn McSparren

 

[K and K's Mommy]

For those of you who have read Unbroken, Louis Zamperini died yesterday. I am so sad. I know he lived a long life, but I wanted him to see his movie.

 

[portia9]

#64 The Europeans by Henry James. I like Henry James a lot and this was a short, beautifully written book.

 

[threeboysmom]

For those of you who have read Unbroken, Louis Zamperini died yesterday. I am so sad. I know he lived a long life, but I wanted him to see his movie.

Noooooooo I'm currently reading the book now. So sad.

 

[amberg93]

Just finished #8 Emma by Jane Austen.

I decided to read it since I've been watching Emma Approved (the modern day vlog adaption on Youtube). So I'm glad that I read it. It's a classic, so of course it was great. Miss Bate's long rambles could sometimes be a bit much to get through, but still enjoyable none the less.

Tomorrow I head off for a cruise and I'm bringing four books with me. I'm bringing City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare with me as well as Panic by Lauren Oliver. I'm not sure I'm going to get through them all but I'm definitely going to try.

 

[dizluvah]

I haven’t posted since April….guess that is part of the reason I’ve had so much time to read….I have been following along on the thread and most of the books I read are suggestions from the thread. So many thanks to those who thoughtfully review and post regularly.

Last time I posted I was on book 33, I just finished book 60 today.
I read all the Percy Jackson books, I absolutely loved the first and liked the rest. I went on a Sarah Dessen kick after learning of her from this thread. I read six of the Aurora Teagarden Series by Charlaine Harris, reread last three books of Sookie Stackhouse series and her new Midnight Crossroad book. I read some Robyn Carr, C.H. Admirand, Susan Mallery, Donna Kaufmann.

Book 59, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
I LOVED this book and am so glad someone posted about on the thread. It is a YA book and very well done. I highly recommend if the YA genre is your thing.

Book 60, The Lying Game by Sara Shepherd
I am not a Pretty Little Liars fan, I have seen the show a few times and never read any of the books but figured since this was a new series if I started at the beginning maybe I’d get hooked. I may continue when the next one comes out but I was shocked at how it just ends, no resolution…I realize it is a series but author doesn’t even try to make it a stand alone novel…it is like a To Be Continued at the end of an hour show…I hate that!

 

[Simba's Mom]

So I finished "Reconstructing Amelia" and all I can say is "Wow!" Five stars, and a BIG thanks to whoever here recommended it. Right now I'm on #33/60 (I think it is) "Miss Julia Meets Her Match". I need some real light fluff reading after that last one. It's not the end of the year yet, but I think "Reconstructing Amelia" might be one of the best.

 

[Momof3dogs]

22. Eleanor & Park----Rainbow Rowell

From GoodReads: Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
***At first, I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book. But I pushed myself to the end and when I closed the book, I realized how much I loved it.

23/50
Sycamore Row----John Grisham
Listened to this in the car while on vacation. It's your typical Grisham so I won't bother with a goodreads description. It made the long car ride go quite quickly and was a very good book

24/50
Top Secret Twenty One---Janet Evanovich
I love her books. They are quick reads that keep your interest. It's true that her last few books in this series have been very similar but they are still fun. They are set in New Jersey and we just happened to be there visiting the hubby's family. It was fun to drive around and see all the places she talks about!

25/50
If I Stay----Gayle Forman
I'm sure this has been reviewed here a time or two so I won't get into it. You all should read this, especially before the movie comes out!

26/50
Where she Went-----Gayle Forman
The follow up to If I Stay...also a must read. Both books could probably be done within a few days. (It took me 4 days total, and that's with a wedding, rehearsal dinner, and sightseeing!)

27/50
All Fall Down-----Jennifer Weiner
From Goodreads: Allison Weiss has a great job...a handsome husband...an adorable daughter...and a secret.

Allison Weiss is a typical working mother, trying to balance a business, aging parents, a demanding daughter, and a marriage. But when the website she develops takes off, she finds herself challenged to the point of being completely overwhelmed. Her husband’s becoming distant, her daughter’s acting spoiled, her father is dealing with early Alzheimer’s, and her mother’s barely dealing at all. As she struggles to hold her home and work life together, and meet all of the needs of the people around her, Allison finds that the painkillers she was prescribed for a back injury help her deal with more than just physical discomfort—they help her feel calm and get her through her increasingly hectic days. Sure, she worries a bit that the bottles seem to empty a bit faster each week, but it’s not like she’s some Hollywood starlet partying all night, or a homeless person who’s lost everything. It’s not as if she has an actual problem.

However, when Allison’s use gets to the point that she can no longer control—or hide—it, she ends up in a world she never thought she’d experience outside of a movie theater: rehab. Amid the teenage heroin addicts, the alcoholic grandmothers, the barely-trained “recovery coaches,” and the counselors who seem to believe that one mode of recovery fits all, Allison struggles to get her life back on track, even as she’s convincing herself that she’s not as bad off as the women around her.

*****I'm not a huge fan of this author. I find her to be rather dry. That being said, I really enjoyed this book. It took a few days to read, but I felt myself drawn to the book enough to keep reading.

Sorry this is so long...I read a lot over the last week while on vacation. I'm looking forward to read through what I've missed on here to pick up a few ideas. Happy Reading!