Here it is - the OFFICIAL 2014 READING GOAL CHALLENGE THREAD

#34/40: The Soul Catcher by Alex Kava

This is the third book in the Maggie O'Dell series. while I enjoyed the first two, I struggled to finish this one. Not sure if I was bored with the storyline or just annoyed with the characters.

Next up is The Paris Wife, which I am hoping I will enjoy more!
 
threeboysmom said:
Find some short books!! :lmao:

Orphan Train (which I'm reading now) only has about 275 pages or so. Also, anything by Jojo Moyes is rather short (my new favorite author!) **cough** like Me Before You **cough**

I just started my first Patricia Cornwell book. It's pretty short and is seeming like a quick read. I'm not giving up...I'll just be surprised if I make it!
 
#10
Murder on a Stick
By S. L. Smith
I actually won this book on Goodreads
I liked it, It was a quick enough read.

I would say that the book was better than the tittle, but in many ways worse than the title.
If you are going to title a book Murder on a Sick the Title is only going to work if the book is brilliant.
Minnesotan's and State fair fans might like more than others, Also people who like police investigations.
I'd give it 3.5 stars.
OH the end has a list of all the things that are on a stick at a state fair. THere's a lot.

Just curious if you enter alot of the Goodreads giveaways? I enter quite a few but I havent won anything since Aug. 15th. I know one book I won I didnt write a review for. I just gave it 3 stars. Honestly it was a terrible book that I didnt like at all. Maybe I should have written a review anyway?

And I am on book 17 for the year. Its a historical romance. So I am pretty close to my goal of 24.
 
Book #71 Silent Stars by Jeanne Basinger

Book #72 Evening Stars by Susan Mallery

Book #73 Appetite by Phillip Kazan

Book #74 The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Homburg

Book #75 Doug and Callie by Lisa Smartt

Book #76 I Do, I Do, I Do by Maggie Osbourne

Book #77 Chronicles of Avonlea by LM Montgomery

Book #78 Further Chronicles of Avonlea by LM Montgomery
 

I just finished book #46-"Sweetgrass", by Mary Alice Monroe. It's at least a 4 star, but for those who love Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry, it was a 5.
 
Finished book 28/30 yesterday, The Fifth Wave. I'm sure they're making a movie out of this in the near future. I enjoyed it and have the sequel on my to-read list.
 
Just curious if you enter alot of the Goodreads giveaways? I enter quite a few but I havent won anything since Aug. 15th. I know one book I won I didnt write a review for. I just gave it 3 stars. Honestly it was a terrible book that I didnt like at all. Maybe I should have written a review anyway?

And I am on book 17 for the year. Its a historical romance. So I am pretty close to my goal of 24.

I've won 4. I ussually only enter when I am running my own Giveaways, as I do not think about it when I am not.
3 have been okay to good. One was pretty bad and I did not write a review. I was almost going to reach out to author and let him know that it just wasn't my cup of tea. I decided against that and just did not write a review.

I do tend to round up when winnning a book but only to the next integer.
 
/
#17/30 - 19 kids and counting - one of the Duggar books


I figured since I watch the saw with my DD I should read one of their books. I forgot exactly what the title was but it was the last family book. We will be reading the book the girls wrote next week as my DD wants us to read together.
 
Finished book #70 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This is the first time in I think ever that I will say I liked the movie better than the book.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Next book: Covet
 
Goal 72

#66 The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth

From Goodreads: 'E.D.E.N. Southworth was one of the most popular and prolific writers of the nineteenth century and her Capitola Black, or Black Cap - a cross-dressing, adventure-seeking girl-woman - was so well-loved that the book was serialized three times between 1859 and 1888 and was dramatized in forty different versions. When we first meet sharp and witty Capitola she is living among beggars and street urchins, and dressed as a boy because a boy can get work and be safe, whereas a girl is left to starve for want of "proper" employment. Unknown to her, Capitola has a very rich elderly guardian who finds her at a providential moment and takes her back to his palatial mansion where she finds herself "decomposing above ground for want of having my blood stirred." But not to fear. There are bandits, true-loves, evil men, long-lost mothers, and sweet women friends in Capitola's future - not to mention thunder storms, kidnap attempts, and duels. The pace is fast, the action wonderfully unbelievable. This is escape literature at its nineteenth-century best, with a woman at its center who makes you feel strong, daring, and reckless'

Oh my goodness! I never thought I would refer to a book as 'delightful' but that is just what this one is! The first half was interesting but after that I just couldn't put it down.
 
#34/40: The Soul Catcher by Alex Kava

This is the third book in the Maggie O'Dell series. while I enjoyed the first two, I struggled to finish this one. Not sure if I was bored with the storyline or just annoyed with the characters.

I didn't like The Soul Catcher much either but don't give up!!
The next 2 in the Maggie O'Dell series are much, much better!
 
I didn't like The Soul Catcher much either but don't give up!!
The next 2 in the Maggie O'Dell series are much, much better!

Oh, that's good to know! I did like the first two. Thanks for the advice!
 
Book #54 of 75: Hushabye by Celina Grace
From Goodreads: A missing baby. A murdered girl. A case where everyone has something to hide...

Hushabye (A Kate Redman mystery) is the new novel from crime writer Celina Grace, author of Lost Girls and The House on Fever Street.

On the first day of her new job in the West Country, Detective Sergeant Kate Redman finds herself investigating the kidnapping of Charlie Fullman, the newborn son of a wealthy entrepreneur and his trophy wife. It seems a straightforward case... but as Kate and her fellow officer Mark Olbeck delve deeper, they uncover murky secrets and multiple motives for the crime.

Kate finds the case bringing up painful memories of her own past secrets. As she confronts the truth about herself, her increasing emotional instability threatens both her hard-won career success and the possibility that they will ever find Charlie Fullman alive

Book #55 of 75: Too Close To Home by Tressa Messenger
From Goodreads:When the beautiful blond senior head cheerleader, Melissa Cooley, is found stabbed to death on a teacher’s desk in the local high school this small coastal town nestled on the east coast of North Carolina goes into frenzy. To make matters worse another body of slacker boy, Ronald Marks, is found hanging from the field goal post only a day later. Pamlico County native Detective Carma Jones and her partner Harold Green set out on a search for this ruthless assailant who is causing so much havoc in her peaceful home town. No one is safe and everyone is a suspect. The twists and turns along the way lead them in a direction Carma would never have guessed with deep secrets meant to stay buried. Will she be too late to stop the real murder from killing again?
 
Been on a bit of a reading spree and bolstered my numbers (although I did include a couple of quick reads/novellas).

Book #41 - No Safe House by Linwood Barclay

Seven years ago, Terry Archer and his family experienced a horrific ordeal that nearly cost them their lives. Today, the echoes of that fateful night are still audible. Terry's wife, Cynthia, is living separate from her husband and daughter after her own personal demons threatened to ruin her relationship with them permanently. Their daughter, Grace, is rebelling against her parents' seemingly needless overprotection. Terry is just trying to keep his family together. And the entire town is reeling from the senseless murder of two elderly locals.

But when Grace foolishly follows her delinquent boyfriend into a strange house, the Archers must do more than stay together. They must stay alive. Because now they have all been unwillingly drawn into the shadowy depths of their seemingly idyllic hometown.

For there, they will be reconnected with the man who saved their lives seven years ago, but who still remains a ruthless, unrepentant criminal. They will encounter killers for hire working all sides. And they will learn that there are some things people value much more than money, and will do anything to get it.

Caught in a labyrinth between family loyalty and ultimate betrayal, Terry must find a way to extricate his family from a lethal situation he still doesn't fully comprehend. All he knows is that to live, he may have to do the unthinkable....


I am normally a huge fan of Linwood Barclay - I love his writing style, the twists and turns in his books and the way he builds suspense. When I used to buy 'real books' I would always buy the hardback copy as soon as it was released. However, I have to say, this book was something of a disappointment. It was almost as if it was a last ditch attempt to meet a deadline for a book and the re-hashing of his first book (which is my favourite of his) felt somewhat lazy. Had I not managed to get hold of this as a free download, I would have been extremely disappointed to have paid good money for this. Don't get me wrong, it was perfectly readable and enjoyable but definitely not up to his usual standard.

Book #42 - The Diary of Darcy J Rhone by Emily Giffin
Filled with high school adventures of the beloved Darcy and Rachel from Something Borrowed and Something Blue, it gives readers a window into their lives before college, law school, and Dex.

This was a short read, which really focused on Darcy (mainly) and her high school days. It gives you a bit of an insight into why/how Darcy is the spoiled little madam that she is in the Something Borrowed and Something Blue books. Emily Giffin's writing style is one I really can identify with - it reads well, flows nicely and is realistic. I have a couple more of her books on my 'to read' list, which I am saving for my holiday in 3 weeks (ideal for reading by the pool at Boardwalk Villas :thumbsup2)

Book #43 - Where There's Smoke by Jodi Picoult
Even as a child, Serenity Jones knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts. Now, decades later, she's an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have died. Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts.

When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy. And as she tries to undo the damage - to both her reputation and her show - Serenity finds that pride comes at a high price.


Another short story, the purpose of this e-reader exclusive book is to introduce the readers to Serenity Jones, one of the characters from the book Leaving Time. Serenity is a psychic and, being sceptical of these kind of things, I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy this book. I remain relatively unconvinced, however I have Leaving Time on my 'to read' list too (when it is released) and will give it a chance as I do enjoy a good Jodi Picoult book.

Book #44 - The Broken String by Diane Chamberlain

Some secrets need to be told . . . As a child, Riley always suspected there was a secret her parents and brother protected her from, a secret that ruined the bond between her and her brother and threatened to tear her family apart. Now seventeen years old, Riley is flying out to visit her brother Danny who has been wounded whilst fighting in Iraq. And she's is determined to find out what this secret is. But will uncovering the truth bring her and her brother together again and give her the answers she craves, or will it simply lead to more questions . . .

Hmmm, this was a short story, a very quick read but I think I must have missed something as I don't actually recall what the secret was :confused3 It was an OK book, not up to Diane Chamberlain's usual standard and a little stilted. But it was a freebie and I wanted to read something quick late one night when I was having difficulty sleeping.

Book #45 - Cry Baby by David Jackson

It’s every mother’s nightmare – the abduction of her baby.

That’s how it starts for Erin Vogel when she is attacked and left unconscious in her apartment. When she awakes, it is to find that Georgia, her six-month-old daughter, has been taken.

But Erin is given a chance to get Georgia back. At an unthinkable price.

Like most mothers, she has always said she would do anything for her child. Now the strength of that bond is about to be put to the ultimate test.

And when her actions arouse the interest of a certain Detective Callum Doyle, one thing is inevitable: a confrontation that will be as explosive as it is unforgettable.


Every now and again I read a book that leaves me thinking "What a great story". Normally I am not a fan of books that are told from different perspectives throughout but this was well written, interesting and built the suspension nicely. I got to the point where I couldn't put it down, I just needed to find out what happened next. Eventually, I was up until 2am to get it finished. I will definitely be reading more books by David Jackson.
 
It's been a while. How have you been?

Reading Challenge Goal: 26 Books

July, August, and September Update:
(The titles are linked for jacket synopses and more reviews)

#17 A Clash of Kings - George R.R. Martin
This was not as good as "A Game of Thrones" but it was still pretty great. Martin really takes his time developing a story. The first half of the book was good but I definitely wanted him to get on with the dragons and the white walkers and the battles. Unfortunately, there's not so much of that. All of the grisly warfare was compressed into the last fourth of the book and some of the story arcs that I was looking for were not moved forward much. I do appreciate that it's not a full-on fantasy novel, but it's realistic and he seasons the story with the fantasy elements. Here's hoping for more zombies and fewer prostitutes in "A Storm of Swords."

#18 The Stand - Stephen King
This a fun book to read when African nations are sending their military forces to quarantine entire towns in an effort to contain the Ebola virus. The Stand gets little more philosophical than the other books that I've read by Stephen King. After the super-flu wipes out most of mankind the remnants find themselves stripped off all modern conveniences and back in touch with supernatural influences. The characters question the existence of God and His motives while they are all being pushed toward a showdown between good and evil. Some of them accept that God and the Devil are at work in the world and those people are their willing agents. Others struggle to find a rational explanation for it all. King doesn't offer many answers but he does take you on a pretty wild ride.

#19 Fort Caswell in War and Peace - Ethel Herring, Carolee Williams
I picked this book up while I was on vacation. It is the history of a military base on the North Carolina coast that was in service from the Civil War to WWII and is now a Baptist retreat center. It's pretty interesting stuff to a relatively small group of people.

Also read: Something Under the Bed is Drooling - Bill Watterson
The Calvin and Hobbes comic strip is one of my favorite things ever.

Also also read: Disney Kingdoms: Seekers of the Weird - Brandon Seifert
This was a hard bound "collected edition" of the five comics in the "Seekers of the Weird" comic series published by Marvel. It features an intro by legendary Disney imagineer Rolly Crump and the story centers around his attraction concept "The Museum of the Weird." It was created with input from several current imagineers who also get a few pages at the back to talk about the project. The story isn't terrific but it is an interesting way to get inside a Disney attraction that never made it into a theme park.

I didn't count the comics towards my goal for the year but Goodreads says I'm still on track. I'm currently reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.

Wanna be my book buddy on Goodreads? Here's my Goodreads Profile :goodvibes
 
I think I need to bump up my goal to 35. I'm closing in on 30 quickly! I just finished book 29 The Princess Diaries. Hey, I like the movie, why not read the book? ;) I had no idea just how many books were in that series though!

Next up, the First Lie by Sara Shepard which is a prequel to the lying game series.

Can you tell I like YA? :)
 
Finished book #71 - Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves

I am not that impressed with this book. The writing is amateurish, too basic. The minute by minute description of every second of Claire's daily life was boring. You don't need to explain very little thing you do. Example - "I lift the lid on the pot and inhale the smell of basil and tomatoes. The water in the other pot is just coming to a bubble and I grab the box of pasta out of the cupboard. After giving the marinara a final stir, I turn the heat down to low and replace the lid. The door that leads from the garage opens. "Wipe your feet," I say, without turning around. It rained earlier and the kids have been tracking in mud ever since they got home from school" Then b/c I am sure the suspense of what happens next is killing you... "I cross the kitchen to the cupboard where I keep my colander and after I locate it I set it near the edge of the sink. I need a bowl for the pasta and I finally spot the one I want on a high shelf, but I can't quite reach it even when I am standing on my tiptoes." Isn't it riveting??? I can give you plenty more examples of writing that's so lacking. Anyway, I do understand the difficulties she is having with her husband & do feel sorry for her, but she ends up leading some other guy on just to dump him when her husband starts showing interest in her again. Not the type of character I want to connect to. I give this a 2/5 stars.

What if the life you wanted, and the woman you fell in love with, belonged to someone else?
Chris and Claire Canton's marriage is on life support. Downsized during the recession and out of work for a year, Chris copes by retreating to a dark place where no one can reach him, not even Claire. When he's offered a position that will keep him away from home four nights a week, he dismisses Claire's concern that time apart could be the one thing their fragile union can't weather. Their suburban life may look idyllic on the outside, but Claire has never felt so disconnected from Chris, or so lonely.
Local police officer Daniel Rush used to have it all, but now he goes home to an empty house every night. He pulls Claire over during a routine traffic stop, and they run into each other again at the 4th of July parade. When Claire is hired to do some graphic design work for the police department, her friendship with Daniel grows, and soon they're spending hours together.
Claire loves the way Daniel makes her feel, and the way his face lights up when she walks into the room. Daniel knows that Claire's marital status means their relationship will never be anything other than platonic. But it doesn't take long before Claire and Daniel are in way over their heads, and skating close to the line that Claire has sworn she'll never cross.


Next book: The Paying Guests
 
I think I need to bump up my goal to 35. I'm closing in on 30 quickly! I just finished book 29 The Princess Diaries. Hey, I like the movie, why not read the book? ;) I had no idea just how many books were in that series though!

Next up, the First Lie by Sara Shepard which is a prequel to the lying game series.

Can you tell I like YA? :)

I've updated you! Happy Reading! :)
 
Goal 72

#67 The Lightlings by R.C. Sproul
#68 Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

The Lightlings----Ok, I admit it, this is a child's book. But I'm going to count it just because I know I'll surpass my goal again this year so it can be an 'extra', lol.

From Goodreads: In The Lightlings, Dr. R.C. Sproul weaves an allegorical tale that captures the essence of the biblical story of redemption. A race of tiny beings known as lightlings represent humanity as they pass through all the stages of the biblical drama creation, fall, and redemption. In the end, children will understand why some people fear light more than darkness, but why they need never fear darkness again. Richly detailed illustrations by Justin Gerard will hold children s interest, and discussion questions and Scripture references in the back will help parents guide children into the deeper meaning of the story.
Based on 1John 1:5 this is an amazing book for children, I loved it and it is illustrated beautifully.

Make Lemonade:
From book jacket:
Jolly is seventeen. She can't really spell. She doesn't have much of a job. And she has two little kids from two different, absent fathers. Jolly knows she can't cope with Jilly and Jeremy all by herself. So she posts a notice on the school bullentin board: BABYSITTER NEEDED BAD. No one replies but Verna LaVaughn, who is only 14. How much help can she be?
For a while, Jolly, Jilly, Jeremy, and LaVaughn are an extraordinary family. Then LaVaughn takes the first steps toward building her own future, and Jolly begins the long, slow process of turning the lemons of her life into lemonade.
Written in 66 chapters with text lines that break at natural speaking phrases, this is a startling novel by an extraordinary writer.

This is a YA book. Very moving, funny and sad at the same time. Looking forward to the next in the series.
 
Goal - 70 books

Book #50 - "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham

From Goodreads: The Hours tells the story of three women: Virginia Woolf, beginning to write Mrs. Dalloway as she recuperates in a London suburb with her husband in 1923; Clarissa Vaughan, beloved friend of an acclaimed poet dying from AIDS, who in modern-day New York is planning a party in his honor; and Laura Brown, in a 1949 Los Angeles suburb, who slowly begins to feel the constraints of a perfect family and home. By the end of the novel, these three stories intertwine in remarkable ways, and finally come together in an act of subtle and haunting grace.

My review: I really didn't care for this book, at all! It was ok, but not something that I would recommend to anyone. It was slow and plodding, and really didn't seem like it had anything redeeming about it. I guess if you enjoy reading Virginia Woolfe, then this would be your cup of tea, but it really wasn't for me.

Next up: The Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

I'm crossing my fingers that I get to my goal this year. I just started grad school, and I had forgotten how much time that kind of endeavor takes!
 














Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top