Here it is - the OFFICIAL 2014 READING GOAL CHALLENGE THREAD

[Kathi OD]

Just finished #3 out of 30.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

I'm not a big fan of Stephen King, but I did read The Shining back in my college days and loved it, so I could not pass up the opportunity to read the sequel to it.

I swear that Stephen King doesn't know how to end his books. It's almost like he thinks to himself, "OK, I've written long enough. The end."

I'm not a big Stephen King fan either. I did read and enjoy 11/22/63...and I totally hate books that end with me having questions about what happened next. I guess Stephen King fits in with a long list of authors who are guilty.


So it's early February, and I've finished book #3 ~ Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand. Chick-lit, beach, easy-read at its best. Something to transport me to summer during these cold & snowy days.

Next up, Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver.

 

[Darcy03231]

Finished #14 - The Sorceress of Belmair by Beatrice Small. From Amazon:

"Magic coursing through his blood, Dillon, son of the Domina of Hetar, follows his path to the forgotten world of Belmair. Summoned to marry the king's daughter and inherit the throne, Dillon discovers Belmair is beautiful, enigmatic and seductive—as is his strong-willed new queen. What's more, Hetar's brightest star may hold the key to his people's lost heritage—and his heart.

Cinnia, sorceress of Belmair, expected to claim her rightful place as ruler, not as the wife of a stranger from a faraway land. But the enchantment that seals their marriage of power and greatness does more than soothe her wounded pride. It allows her to use her magical gifts to uncover a passion she never dared to dream of…and the darkest secret of a mystical land."

Typical Beatrice Small romance novel. It was an easy read and I enjoyed it, even though it was predictable.

3.5/5

 

[lovegrumpy]

#2 Patricia Cornwell Body of Evidence
A reclusive author, Beryl Madison finds no safe haven from months of menacing phone calls—or the tormented feeling that her every move is being watched. When the writer is found slain in her own home, Kay Scarpetta pieces together the intricate forensic evidence—while unwittingly edging closer to a killer waiting in the shadows.

#3 Patricia Cornwell All that Remains

In Richmond, Virginia, young lovers are dying. So far, four couples in the area have disappeared, only to be found months later as mutilated corpses. When the daughter of the president's newest drug czar vanishes along with her boyfriend, Dr. Kay Scarpetta knows time is short. Following a macabre trail of evidence that ties the present homicides to a grisly crime in the past, Kay must draw upon her own personal resources to track down a murderer who is as skilled at eliminating clues as Kay is at finding them....

Love these books

 

[CaliBear]

Finished book #11 - The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker

I really enjoyed the characters & the plot in this story. It is a long one though, almost 500 pages, & had some slow parts that could have been cut. It is a blend of historical fiction & mythical fantasy which worked well. I give it 4/5 stars.

In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York.
Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899.
Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask, and released in New York City, though still not entirely free
Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. Marvelous and compulsively readable, Helene Wecker's debut novel The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.

I've been wanting to read this one for months. Thanks for the review.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

Small change of plans: thanks to a happy accident at the library I'm in the middle of Making Masterpiece by Rebecca Eaton. Its basically an inside look at the Masterpiece series and I'm loving the behind the scenes bits on shows like Downton Abbey and Sherlock.

 

[CaliBear]

Small change of plans: thanks to a happy accident at the library I'm in the middle of Making Masterpiece by Rebecca Eaton. Its basically an inside look at the Masterpiece series and I'm loving the behind the scenes bits on shows like Downton Abbey and Sherlock.

That sounds really good.

 

[mumloveseeyore]

book 16/150Death at wentwater court by carola dunn
from amazon
No stranger to sprawling country estates, well-heeled Daisy Dalrymple is breaking new ground at Wentwater Court to cover a story for Town & Country magazine. But her interview gives way to interrogation when suave Lord Stephen Astwick meets a chilly end on the tranquil skating pond.

With evidence that his death was anything but accidental, Daisy joins forces with Scotland Yard so the culprit can't slip through their fingers like the unfortunate Astwick slipped through the ice ...
this is the first in the Daisy dalrymple cosy mysteries, this a fun great read

book 17/150sweet tea and secretsby nancy naigle

this is the first in a series set in the small town of adams grove easy chick lit, similar sort of thing to Debbie macomber this was an ok read.

 

[Simba's Mom]

book 17/150sweet tea and secretsby nancy naigle

this is the first in a series set in the small town of adams grove easy chick lit, similar sort of thing to Debbie macomber this was an ok read.

Sounds like my kinda book!

I just finished "Lousiana Longshot". It was OK, a cozy mystery, but not really my taste. The heroine was a trained assassin and spent too much time looking down her nose at the small town she was "stuck" in. At the end, she admitted to kind of liking the women there, but not enough early on.

 

[wilma-bride]

Goal 72

#9 If You Find My by Emily Murdoch


If You Find Me: "A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency."
Now this was a great book!! Finished it in one day & would recommend it.

I have this on my list to read, just bumped it up to 'next' on your recommendation

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #12 - There's Cake in my Future by Kim Gruenenfelder

This has been reviewed on here a few times so I won't repeat the details. It is a very quick read (1 day!) b/c I couldn't put it down. I wanted to find out what happened w/2 out of the 3 women. The 3rd (Nicole) I couldn't stand reading her chapters & skimmed alot. I just found her annoying! Anyway, I usually don't read Chick Lit much, but it was entertaining enough.

After listening to her closest friends’ latest travails in love, parenting, and careers, superstitious bride-to-be Nicole (Nic) believes she has the perfect recipe for everyone’s happiness: a bridal shower “cake pull” in which each ribboned silver charm planted in her cake will bring its recipient the magical assistance she needs to change her destiny. Melissa (Mel), still ringless after dating the same man for six years, deserves the engagement ring charm. The red hot chili pepper would be perfect for Seema, who is in love with her best male friend Scott, but can’t seem to make their relationship more than platonic. And recently laid off journalist Nic wants the shovel, which symbolizes hard work, to help her get her career back on track. Nic does everything she can to control who gets which silver keepsake – as well as the future it represents. But when the charmed cake is mysteriously shifted from the place settings Nic arranged around it, no one gets the charm she chose for them. And when the other party guests’ fortunes begin coming true, Mel, Seema, and Nic can’t help but wonder…. Is the cake trying to tell them something?

 

[NEDisneyFans]

Life is very full right now, with my wife on short term disability and needing a lot of help/support . . . I want to change my goal for the year from 105 down to 55. I haven't been able to read more than a chapter of anything this year!

Thanks,

Ali

 

[CourtasanSatine]

That sounds really good.

It really does pick up steam when I started spotting some of the shows I've loved get mentioned.

 

[Dahly]

I am behind in posting my books/reviews - so going to play catch up.

10/100
The Story Sisters
by Alice Hoffman

From GoodReads
The Story Sisters, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.

What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks.

At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, The Story Sisters sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as "a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled" (The Chicago Tribune).

My thoughts: A little old..the girls invent their own language, excluding everyone around them, but also exclude each other (two against one) as they age. Their mother seems to have no control over them at all.
I don't think the story is as grand or deep as the goodreads description led me to believe, but overall, an interesting read. Not sure I would try anything by the same author.

3/5

 

[Dahly]

11/100

The October List
by Jeffery Deaver

From GoodReads:
Gabriela waits desperately for news of her abducted daughter.
At last, the door opens.
But it's not the negotiators. It's not the FBI.
It's the kidnapper.
And he has a gun.

How did it come to this?

Two days ago, Gabriela's life was normal. Then, out of the blue, she gets word that her six-year-old daughter has been taken. She's given an ultimatum: pay half a million dollars and find a mysterious document known as the "October List" within 30 hours, or she'll never see her child again.

A mind-bending novel with twists and turns that unfold from its dramatic climax back to its surprising beginning, THE OCTOBER LIST is Jeffery Deaver at his masterful, inventive best.

My FAVORITE book so far this year. At first I was utterly confused, as the book began with what seems to be the middle of a story. I actually had to turn back a page to see if I missed anything. But once I got the flow of the book, it all made sense.
The story is told BACKWORDS! the first chapter is the last chapter, and the last chapter is first chapter. The twists are great and really kept me guessing. The last few chapters (which are technically the few first chapters!!) are a little rushed, but had me saying..holy batman!

If you like mysteries, give this one a try!

5/5 - Quick, but very good, read, finished it in a couple of hours.

 

[Dahly]

12/100

Fly Away (Firefly Lane #2)
by Kristin Hannah

From GoodReads:
Tully Hart has always been larger than life, a woman fueled by big dreams and driven by memories of a painful past. She thinks she can overcome anything until her best friend, Kate Ryan, dies. Tully tries to fulfill her deathbed promise to Kate--to be there for Kate’s children--but Tully knows nothing about family or motherhood or taking care of people.

Sixteen-year-old Marah Ryan is devastated by her mother’s death. Her father, Johnny, strives to hold the family together, but even with his best efforts, Marah becomes unreachable in her grief. Nothing and no one seems to matter to her . . . until she falls in love with a young man who makes her smile again and leads her into his dangerous, shadowy world.

Dorothy Hart--the woman who once called herself Cloud--is at the center of Tully’s tragic past. She repeatedly abandoned her daughter, Tully, as a child, but now she comes back, drawn to her daughter’s side at a time when Tully is most alone. At long last, Dorothy must face her darkest fear: Only by revealing the ugly secrets of her past can she hope to become the mother her daughter needs.

A single, tragic choice and a middle-of-the-night phone call will bring these women together and set them on a poignant, powerful journey of redemption. Each has lost her way, and they will need one another--and maybe a miracle--to transform their lives.

An emotionally complex, heart-wrenching novel about love, motherhood, loss, and new beginnings, Fly Away reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness.

Didn't realize it was a continuation of a previous book, but easy to pick up the new plot. without knowing the full backstory.
Somewhat cliched story of best friends growing up and growing apart. Throw in death, a bitter husband, a rebellious daughter and cute twin sons, and you have this book. didn't overwhelm me in the way a couple of others by this same author has, but it was something to pass the time.

2/5

 

[StephMK]

I have not been able to read as much so far but did manage to finish two books.

1) When Good Friends Go Bad - Nominated as a "Top Ten Beach Read" Red Magazine
All through school, tomboy Jen, snobby Georgina, hippy Meg and gentle Rowan were inseparable. But when a childish prank turned bad their friendship was torn apart. Twelve years later Rowan organised a reunion dinner and all did not go well. Rowan never appeared; Georgina's shocking secret was revealed; Meg behaved outrageously; and Jen finally decided it was time to move on. And that's just what she did for the following ten years ...

Until now, when in the midst of her divorce Jen receives a desperate call from Meg. On a personal mission to track down Rowan, Meg manages to convince
Georgina and Jen to put aside their differences and help her. But none of them even begin to imagine the extent to which their loyalties will be tested as
their past finally catches up with them.

It was ok, I'd give it 2.5 out of 5.

2) My Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty - it took me awhile to get into this since the story keeps bouncing from character to character. However, the last half tied everything together and made it worth it. I liked the ethical questions that came up as a result of some of the decisions.

 

[tiggrbaby]

#6/40 The Barkeep by William Lashner

From Amazon:
Justin Chase is the perfect barkeep, tending bar as he lives his life, in a state of Zen serenity. At least until Birdie Grackle, a yellow-haired, foul-mouthed alcoholic from Texas, walks into his bar, orders a Mojito, and makes a startling confession.

Six years ago Justin's life was ripped apart when he discovered his mother's bludgeoned corpse in the foyer of the family home. Now Justin's father is serving a life sentence and Justin, after a stint in the asylum, drowns his emotions in a pool of inner peace. But when Birdie Grackle claims to be the hit man who murdered Justin's mother for the money, Justin is hurled back to the emotions, back to the past, and, most frighteningly of all, back to the father he has tried to leave behind.

Who hired Birdie Grackle to kill Justin's mother? As Justin pieces together the truth, a merciless killing machine begins stalking the barkeep, leaving a trail of dead in his wake. Someone wants to bury the truth, and maybe Justin, too. As the terror closes in, Justin had better find some answers and find them fast, because the stakes have been raised, his life is on the line, and murder is so not Zen.

I give it 3/5. The storyline was interesting, but there was too much narrative going into what the characters were thinking. I guess I prefer more action and dialog.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#10 Ghost Writer by Rene Gutteridge

Having fallen away from faith, editor Jonathan Harper is startled one day to receive a story that tells secrets from his past. Who is the writer?
When a manila envelope arrives on his desk, no different than the dozens already stacked high, Jonathan thinks little of it. But as he begins to read the opening pages of the manuscript, he discovers it bears an eerie similarity to his own childhood----too similar to pass off as mere fiction.

Was just ok to me....

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 100 books this year, plus the Bible in its entirety.

#7 - Found Guilty at Five by Ann Purser. Purser is one of my favorite mystery writers so I was SO disappointed in this book. The story was confusing, convoluted and disjointed and the sub-plots, none of which was very interesting or compelling, just didn't come together. The character development was non-existent and I just couldn't care about them. All in all, a waste of time, but I'm one who can't put a book down until it's finished, good or bad. Fortunately, the good books I've read far outweigh the bad.

#8 - My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock. This was an excellent antidote to the Purser book. Hancock has been laid off from her job as a celebrity blogger and has taken as a personal challenge from Eleanor Roosevelt's writings to do one thing that scares her every day. Many of Hancock's fears are common to many of us, such as speaking before a crowd, but some of her responses are unique, such as doing a five-minute stand-up comedy routine at a New York comedy club. Her most ambitious challenge is to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and her journaling of that feat highlights her courage.

I've always been an admirer of Eleanor Roosevelt, and Hancock's interpretation of some of her writings is thought-provoking and sometimes even inspirational.

Queen Colleen

 

[saratogagirl12]

So far:

#2 - Ender's Game - I liked the book; however, it seemed weird that there were pages of build up and then a wrap up of years within a matter of pages.

#3 - Divergent - I am in love with Four! Not so much with Tris. I did enjoy the book very much.

#4 - Mockingjay - Awful. I'm not even sure I will see the movie. Very sad as I enjoyed the other two books. I cannot believe how disappointing this whole book was from start to finish.

#4 - The Fault In Our Stars - Enjoyed.