Here it is - the OFFICIAL 2014 READING GOAL CHALLENGE THREAD

[threeboysmom]

I'd like to jump in!
I've given myself a goal of 40 books to read on Goodreads and have already completed the first one: Deadly Heat by Richard Castle. I gave it 3 stars.

I am now working on rereading the Dark Tower series by Stephen King and am currently on The Gunslinger.

Welcome! So glad you could join us!

 

[nemofans]

Finished books
#4 - The Wide Window (book 3) by Lemony Snicket
#5 - The Miserable Mill (book 4) by Lemony Snicket

I will be taking a break from this series as each book is pretty much the same.

Next book: Orphan Train

 

[phorsenuf]

Finished #2 of 75. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. Stayed up until 2am to finish. I read it based on recommendations here and I have to say I was not disappointed.

I think my next book will be off the list of 16 books to read before they are movies.

 

[jenny105]

Finished #2 of 75. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. Stayed up until 2am to finish. I read it based on recommendations here and I have to say I was not disappointed.

I think my next book will be off the list of 16 books to read before they are movies.

I'm reading it now. A little more than halfway through!

 

[wvjules]

Finished #2 of 75. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. Stayed up until 2am to finish. I read it based on recommendations here and I have to say I was not disappointed.

I think my next book will be off the list of 16 books to read before they are movies.

Wait a few months or more then read Losing Hope. It's the same story from Holder's perspective. I like it better than Hopeless, actually. And I really liked Hopeless.

I, too, am going to read one of those books. I have Winter's Tale to start when I finish NOSA2. I'm having a hard time getting into it though. MIght have to take a break from it and read something else first.

 

[zippitydoo]

I take it since this is book three that you are enjoying them? I have the first on my list and wondering how you feel about the series.

Honestly the books weren’t that bad. I also borrowed the books from Amazon Lending Library, I figured if I didn’t like them then no lose for me. Also they have a decent cliffhangers at the end of each book, now I got to know how it ends.

 

[wilma-bride]

Finished books #1 & #2 from the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson.

I have never read any of his books before but my best friend, with whom I share a Kindle account, was reading them and I thought I would give them a go since they were available on my Kindle too.

I definitely enjoyed the first two, there are lots of twists and turns, although I suspect that it's the kind of thing that will get predictable after a while.

I am going to read something else now, having finished the second one last night.

I keep saying I am going to read The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak and, since I saw that the movie comes out in just a few weeks, I think I will give it a go as I always prefer to read the book before watching the film.

 

[Darcy03231]

Just finished #4. The Corpse Reader by Antonio Garrido. From Amazon:

"After his grandfather dies, avid scholar and budding forensic investigator Cí Song begrudgingly gives up his studies to help his family. But when another tragedy strikes, he’s forced to run and also deemed a fugitive. Dishonored, he has no choice but to accept work as a lowly gravedigger, a position that allows him to sharpen his corpse-reading skills. Soon, he can deduce whether a person killed himself—or was murdered.

His prowess earns him notoriety, and Cí receives orders to unearth the perpetrator of a horrific series of mutilations and deaths at the Imperial Court. Cí’s gruesome investigation quickly grows complicated thanks to old loyalties and the presence of an alluring, enigmatic woman. But he remains driven by his passion for truth—especially once the killings threaten to take down the Emperor himself.

Inspired by Song Cí, considered to be the founding father of CSI-style forensic science, this harrowing novel set during the thirteenth-century Tsong Dynasty draws readers into a multilayered, ingenious plot as disturbing as it is fascinating."

It was ok. Some parts of the book were really good and others just dragged. I never warmed up to the main character either. In the author's defense it appears he wrote it in his native language and it was translated into English, so things may have gotten lost in translation.

Overall, I'd give it a 3* rating.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Finished books #1 & #2 from the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson.

I have never read any of his books before but my best friend, with whom I share a Kindle account, was reading them and I thought I would give them a go since they were available on my Kindle too.

I definitely enjoyed the first two, there are lots of twists and turns, although I suspect that it's the kind of thing that will get predictable after a while.

I am going to read something else now, having finished the second one last night.

I keep saying I am going to read The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak and, since I saw that the movie comes out in just a few weeks, I think I will give it a go as I always prefer to read the book before watching the film.

I really like them the last couple I am tirigng of.

 

[Friend of a Mouse]

Book 2/52: Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard. This book is about a boy who finds out he is a clone of Jeffrey Dahmer. He is part of a secret government experiment and his "father" is the one in charge. When his father frees 6 of the serial killer clones ,it is up to Jeff to stop him. I give it a 3/5. The plot was intriguing and I liked how the author referenced real conspiracy theories that have since been declassified (project CHATTER, MKULTRA, etc.), but the writing style was very stream of consciousness and jumpy.

Book 3/52: Independent Study by Joelle Charboneau. This is the second book in The Testing trilogy. Cia has just survived the rigorous testing process, but she finds herself in even greater danger at the university, where not passing a class means more than just a failing grade. I loved the Testing and this book was just as good. I can't wait for the next one. I give it 5/5 stars. If you like dystopian fictin, I highly recommend these books.

Book 4/52: The Customer Rules by Lee Cockerell. This is written by the former EVP of WDW. I read Creating Magic by him last year as did all of our managers at my theme park, and this seemed like a natural follow up. I got a lot of great ideas to implement with my crews in the upcoming season. It's the perfect way to get motivated for the new season.

Currently reading: Cain's Blood by Geoffrey Girard. This is a companion book to Project Cain. It is written for the adult market (Project Cain is written for the teenage market) and is much better. It is one that jumps perspectives although it takes place during the same events of Project Cain. I enjoy seeing some of hte different perspectives and the writing is much easier to follow.

 

[Kimmers127]

Finished book #3 - The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

This is about a high school teacher who has an affair w/one of his students. There are 3 narrators: the teen, the teen's mother, & the teacher's wife. I would describe this book as a car accident that you can't help looking at. You know people will get hurt, but you can't stop reading. It's a quick read too. This author does a decent job of handling this complex issue & the characters.

Seventeen-year-old Morgan Monetti shocks her parents and her community with one simple act: She chooses to stand by the man everyone else believes has exploited herpopular high school teacher TJ Hill. Quietly walking across a crowded courtroom to sit behind TJ, and not beside her parents, she announces herself as the adult she believes herself to be.
But her mother, Dinah, wants justice. Dinah is a fighter, and she believes with all her heart and soul that TJ is a man who took advantage of her daughter. He is a criminal who should be brought to justice, no matter what the cost to his family.
Rain, TJ's wife, is shocked that her handsome, loving, respected husband has been accused of a terrible crime. But has her desperation to start a family closed her eyes to the fault lines in her marriage? And can she face the painful truths about herself and her husband?
Told from the perspectives of these three remarkable women, The Whole Golden World navigates the precarious territory between childhood and adulthood, raising questions about love and manipulation, marriage and motherhood, consent and responsibility. It's a novel both shocking and unforgettable in its power.

Next book: The 3rd Lemony Snicket book

Oh wow this sounds like a must-read!

 

[CourtasanSatine]

3 of 35

The Wench is Dead (Colin Dexter) was my first non electronic trip into the world of Endeavour Morse, who is an inspector during the novels. This one has him working a case of a 1859 murder (he believes one of the men hanged for the crime was actually innocent) while in the hospital of all places. I personally loved it since I'm becoming a fan of British murder mysteries and I also loved the show with him as a young man. My only real gripe was some slightly confusing slang of the time period but nothing a trip to Google could fix. So this is just adding onto a newfound love and then some. But then I was seeing Shaun Evans in my head as Morse while reading it, normal?

4/5

Next up: the first Game of Thrones novel and another Doctor Who tie-in novel for quick and easy fun.

 

[Swimnoid]

Goal = 75

2. Gone by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
The latest of the Michael Bennett series. Michael and his whole brood are in witness protection since a lethal prisoner escaped custody. the FBI calls Michael in to help capture him put a stop to the murderous spree. I liked it. IT was a fast read with some thrilling action and a few surprises.

3. New Year's Eve Murder by Leslie Meier
Another installment of the Lucy Stone series. This one is in about the middle of the series. Lucy and her daughter win a makeover trip to NYC. Of course someone is murdered and Lucy is instrumental in solving the case. This book was more interesting than the last one I read (which was the latest) It was nice to see Lucy in a different setting.

4. Blood Lines by Kathryn Casey
Sarah Armstrong is a Texas Ranger. She is working 2 cases; one is the murder of an important business women which was set up to look like a suicide. In the other a teen pop star is stalked and threatened with death. It was a good book, although somewhat predictable.

Up next... some combination of The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer, Innocence by Dean Koontz and the 5th Horseman by James Patterson. And I am in the #1 spot for 2 books on my holds list...I'm going to be busy reading.

 

[Kimmers127]

Book #4: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

GoodReads Summary:

Deuce’s whole world has changed.

Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

My Thoughts:

This is book 2 of a trilogy. I liked it, it was a fast read and an improvement over the first, I felt. I got more attached to Deuce in this installment. Looking forward to the next book.

Book #5: Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

GoodReads Summary:

Investigating a series of savage murders that disrupt a massive new exhibition at the New York Museum of Natural History, graduate student Margo Green finds a clue in a failed Amazonian expedition.

My Thoughts:

Somewhere, I saw this recommended for fans of Jurassic Park, which I love. Of course, I immediately bought this. I really enjoyed it, and I'm eager to pick up the next book in the series! Really like the concept. Love the character of Pendergast. In reading reviews I discovered that this was made into a movie in 1997, and it's on Netflix! I can't help but check that out!

Up next: I'm not sure... Have to see what I'm in the mood to read tomorrow!

 

[Kimmers127]

Book #4: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

GoodReads Summary:

Deuce’s whole world has changed.

Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

My Thoughts:

This is book 2 of a trilogy. I liked it, it was a fast read and an improvement over the first, I felt. I got more attached to Deuce in this installment. Looking forward to the next book.

Book #5: Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

GoodReads Summary:

Investigating a series of savage murders that disrupt a massive new exhibition at the New York Museum of Natural History, graduate student Margo Green finds a clue in a failed Amazonian expedition.

My Thoughts:

Somewhere, I saw this recommended for fans of Jurassic Park, which I love. Of course, I immediately bought this. I really enjoyed it, and I'm eager to pick up the next book in the series! Really like the concept. Love the character of Pendergast. In reading reviews I discovered that this was made into a movie in 1997, and it's on Netflix! I can't help but check that out!

Up next: I'm not sure... Have to see what I'm in the mood to read tomorrow!

Wow, reading this post I look like a crazy person with all the "!" Sorry, clearly I'm running on too little sleep to post like a normal human being. (!)

 

[wilma-bride]

So, I changed my mind about reading The Book Thief and decided to start The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, after reading a recommendation on the 2013 book challenge thread. I read almost half of it last night before I went to sleep, I am really enjoying it so far.

 

[Valgoof]

I lurked on the 2013 thread, but want to join in this year! I read through the thread and marked 32 books to read.

50 books is my goal.

1/50-All You Could Ask For-written by Mike Greenberg, an ESPN broadcaster. It was pretty good and all of his profits go to cancer research. 3 out of 5 stars

I saw the post about books becoming movies in 2014 and got several e-books from the library. Finished the first one today.

2/50-This is Where I Leave You. Did not like this at all. It is supposed to be funny, but it wasn't. 1 out of 5 stars.

Next up is Labor Day.

 

[wilma-bride]

#2 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

I really liked this book. Alice hits her head and wakes up having forgotten the last ten years of her life. She thinks she is pregnant with her first and in a great marriage when in reality she has three children and getting a divorce. That's the main story, but there are a couple of side stories going on about her grandma and sister.

I have a bunch of options to read next but decided to go with the first Outlander book because it is from the library. I thought I would love them based on reviews, but I am having trouble getting into it. I think I will give it until page 100.

This was one of my top reads of 2013. A really good book.

Book 3/100

From GoodReads:
On an ordinary morning in Fox Harbor, Wisconsin, Meg and Rex Van Dorn's lives are irrevocably changed when a drunk driver slams into Meg's car, killing the couple's six-year-old son, Evan. In a town in which everyone knows everybody else, it's no surprise that Meg and the driver, Cindy Ann Kreisler, were once the best of friends. Now, as Meg recovers from her own injuries, she and Rex find themselves unable to cope with their anger and despair, especially after Cindy Ann returns -- with a mere slap on the wrist -- to the life she lived before the accident: living in a beautiful house, enjoying her own three daughters, all of whom walked away from the accident unharmed.

In their rage and grief, Meg and Rex buy a boat to sail around the world, hoping to put as much distance between themselves and Cindy Ann Kreisler as possible. Adrift in the company of other live-board cruisers, Meg tries to believe that she and Rex have left their bitterness behind. But when she returns to Fox Harbor for her older brother's wedding, she is forced to face the complex ties that bind her to the woman who has wounded her so badly. For, as Meg knows better than anyone, Cindy Ann has secrets and sorrows of her own, dating back to the summer of their friendship.


My Thoughts:
heartbreaking story of love, loss, learning to let go and move on.
Weaving past and present, we get a glimpse of Cindy Ann's teen years that brought her the place she is in today. Meg's grief, as well as Cindy Ann's pain jumps off the page and rips at your heart.

4/5

Four other books from this author look promising, may have to add them to my evergrowing list.

Finished book #3 - The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

This is about a high school teacher who has an affair w/one of his students. There are 3 narrators: the teen, the teen's mother, & the teacher's wife. I would describe this book as a car accident that you can't help looking at. You know people will get hurt, but you can't stop reading. It's a quick read too. This author does a decent job of handling this complex issue & the characters.

Seventeen-year-old Morgan Monetti shocks her parents and her community with one simple act: She chooses to stand by the man everyone else believes has exploited her—popular high school teacher TJ Hill. Quietly walking across a crowded courtroom to sit behind TJ, and not beside her parents, she announces herself as the adult she believes herself to be.
But her mother, Dinah, wants justice. Dinah is a fighter, and she believes with all her heart and soul that TJ is a man who took advantage of her daughter. He is a criminal who should be brought to justice, no matter what the cost to his family.
Rain, TJ's wife, is shocked that her handsome, loving, respected husband has been accused of a terrible crime. But has her desperation to start a family closed her eyes to the fault lines in her marriage? And can she face the painful truths about herself and her husband?
Told from the perspectives of these three remarkable women, The Whole Golden World navigates the precarious territory between childhood and adulthood, raising questions about love and manipulation, marriage and motherhood, consent and responsibility. It's a novel both shocking and unforgettable in its power.

Next book: The 3rd Lemony Snicket book

Both of these books sound fabulous but neither of them are available on Kindle

 

[dismom301930]

Goal = 50

Book #2: The Bride by Julie Garwood
Sometimes I am just in the mood for a light historical romance, and this was one of those times. Garwood is one of those authors I can count on for a light, quick read. This was set in Scotland during the Middle Ages. I liked it enough that I will probably read the second one in the series (The Wedding) the next time I need some light reading (Mind Candy!).

Book #3: My Year with Eleanor by Noelle Hancock
This was reviewed by PPs in this thread and that is why I picked it up. So glad I did. The author had just been fired from her job and was trying to figure out the next steps in her life when she came across a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: "Do one thing every day that scares you." She decided to take this advice literally and for the next year did one thing she feared every day, from the small to the large. I really enjoyed this book and it was a very quick read for me. I was inspired by many of the Eleanor Roosevelt quotes scattered throughout the book - I read many of them aloud to my daughters. I am so glad I read it - thanks for the recommendation!

Up next - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

 

[phorsenuf]

My library finally updated their site to make it more user friendly and easier to find E-books. I reserved Gone Girl last night and this morning had an email it was ready. Downloaded it this morning so I can get it started tonight or tomorrow. Yay!