Here it is - the OFFICIAL 2014 READING GOAL CHALLENGE THREAD

[rigs32]

#33 - I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson.

This is the tell all of a former bachelor winner. I found what she had to say about reality tv production interesting. A guilty pleasure read.

#34 - Think Like a Freak - Steven Levitt

I liked this book less than the other Freakonomics books. I think a biog part of that is I listen to their podcast and much of the content in the book has been covered on the show.

#35 - Vince and Joy by Lisa Jewell

A novel about two people who make poor relationship decisions. I read a few reviews that didn't like the book because they didn't like the characters. I liked it, and them, because they were flawed.

#36, 37, 38 - Babysitter II, III, and IV by R.L.Stine

Three sequels to a teen horror novel from the 80s. These were fast reads. 2 and 3 were pretty predictable. 4 was quite different but I did enjoy it for what it was.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Postmortem
Patricia Cornwell

Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within and someone wants her dead.

I know this is an older book, but it was my first Patricia Cornwell novel and I liked it a lot! Can't wait to read more.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

# 10 TellMe by Lisa Jackson
A reporter Nikki has a childhood friend who she thought was murdered by her mother, but it starts to unravel that maybe it was not her. This is the second book I read with these characters and I enjoyed both.

If anyone is interested 2 of my books are having goodreads giveaways. You should be able to find both contests here.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18478020-three-twigs-for-the-campfire

Also if anyone is interested in any of my books always willing to send kindlen gift copy just PM me.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

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

Book #79 The Victorian Christmas by Anne Selby

Book #80 The Doctor's Sweetheart by LM Montgomery

Book #81 Hallowe'en at Merryvale Alice Hale Burnett

Book #82 Love and Lives of King Louis XVI by Antonia Fraser

 

[wilma-bride]

Book #48 - Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is in Hollywood! It's as if all her life has been leading to this moment. She's hanging out with the stars or at least she will be, when she finally gets to meet movie superstar Sage Seymour, whom husband Luke is now managing.

There's so much to see and do! And getting Minnie through the hurdles for her A-list Hollywood pre-school will require some help.

Becky sets her heart on a new career - she's going to be a celebrity stylist. Red carpet, here she comes! But Becky soon finds it's tough in Tinseltown. Luckily her best friend Suze comes over to keep her company, and together they embark on the Hollywood insider trail. But somehow...things aren't quite working out as they'd hoped.

Then Becky's big chance comes, and it's an opportunity that money can't buy. But will it cost her too much?

As a die-hard 'Shopaholic' fan, I was so excited to read this book. But, unfortunately, I couldn't have been more disappointed. The thing I have always loved about the shopaholic books is that, regardless of how far-fetched the story was, it was always somehow believable. Not any more! The story lurched from the ridiculous to the downright ludicrous. And, with a huge great cliffhanger at the end, I suspect that Sophie Kinsella knows that she may well have lost a few readers with this book. As it is, I will feel compelled to read the next one just because I can't bear to have a story unfinished but I think it's fair to say that Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) has had her day!

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #74 - This Dark Road To Mercy by Wiley Cash

Decent story, quick read. 3/5 stars

After their mother's unexpected death, twelve-year-old Easter and her six-year-old sister Ruby are adjusting to life in foster care when their errant father, Wade, suddenly appears. Since Wade signed away his legal rights, the only way he can get his daughters back is to steal them away in the night.
Brady Weller, the girls' court-appointed guardian, begins looking for Wade, and he quickly turns up unsettling information linking Wade to a recent armored car heist, one with a whopping $14.5 million missing. But Brady Weller isn't the only one hunting the desperate father. Robert Pruitt, a shady and mercurial man nursing a years-old vendetta, is also determined to find Wade and claim his due.
Narrated by a trio of alternating voices, This Dark Road to Mercy is a story about the indelible power of family and the primal desire to outrun a past that refuses to let go.

Next Book: World War Z

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 70 books

Book #51 - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

From Goodreads: Prodigal Summer weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia.

From her outpost in an isolated mountain cabin, Deanna Wolfe, a reclusive wildlife biologist, watches a den of coyotes that have recently migrated into the region. She is caught off-guard by a young hunter who invades her most private spaces and confounds her self-assured, solitary life. On a farm several miles down the mountain, Lusa Maluf Landowski, a bookish city girl turned farmer's wife, finds herself unexpectedly marooned in a strange place where she must declare or lose her attachment to the land that has become her own. And a few more miles down the road, a pair of elderly feuding neighbours tend their respective farms and wrangle about God, pesticides, and the possibilities of a future neither of them expected.

Over the course of one humid summer, these characters find their connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with whom they share a place. Prodigal Summer demonstrates a balance of narrative, drama and ideas that is characteristic of Barbara Kingsolver's finest work.

My review: I absolutely loved this book! I didn't think that I would after reading the synopsis, but I'm so glad I picked this up regardless! The plot lines were woven together beautifully, and the whole thing was a gentle, beautiful read! I loved the characters, and I felt like I was one of them by the end.

Next up: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

The Darkest Minds
Alexandra Bracken

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

What to say about this book......
I loved the beginning but felt it was predictable and boring during the middle. HOWEVER, the ending was...ugh.

I don't know that I will finish the series to be honest. I just don't think this genre is for me.

 

[Pig Pen]

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. (I hit my goal and now have lost track).

FROM AMAZON:

In this tale of a kidnapping gone wrong, Mia, the daughter of a prominent Chicago judge, impulsively decides to go home with a young man she meets in a bar. The one-night stand quickly turns into a nightmare when Mia learns he’s been sent to abduct her for ransom.

Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective and the timeline jumps around between the present, "before" and "after." So trying to keep up with "who" and "when" was challenging until I got used to the writing style.

This book has been compared to Gone Girl. It's engrossing and had a few good twists. Overall I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy that type of genre. I certainly did.

Next up:

I skipped over "All The Light We Cannot See" to read the Good Girl, but have gone back to it. It started out slow but it's picking up through the last few chapters and I think it's going to be a good one.

 

[wilma-bride]

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. (I hit my goal and now have lost track).

Our reading lists from this year must be practically identical - although we have definitely had some differing opinions on the same books

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#70 101 Annoying Things About Other Drivers by Ray Comfort

From back cover: This book will delight and entertain you. It is a collection of funny stories, quotes, riddles, and jokes about the annoying things that happen on the road.
Like #101 Drivers who write books about annoying things other drivers do.

Written by Ray Comfort of the show 'The Way of The Master'

 

[threeboysmom]

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. (I hit my goal and now have lost track).

FROM AMAZON:

In this tale of a kidnapping gone wrong, Mia, the daughter of a prominent Chicago judge, impulsively decides to go home with a young man she meets in a bar. The one-night stand quickly turns into a nightmare when Mia learns he’s been sent to abduct her for ransom.

Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective and the timeline jumps around between the present, "before" and "after." So trying to keep up with "who" and "when" was challenging until I got used to the writing style.

This book has been compared to Gone Girl. It's engrossing and had a few good twists. Overall I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy that type of genre. I certainly did.

Next up:

I skipped over "All The Light We Cannot See" to read the Good Girl, but have gone back to it. It started out slow but it's picking up through the last few chapters and I think it's going to be a good one.

Our reading lists from this year must be practically identical - although we have definitely had some differing opinions on the same books

Haha, are the 3 of us peeking at each other's lists? I just finished this one too (The Good Girl) and really liked it.

 

[threeboysmom]

Book #48 - Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is in Hollywood! It's as if all her life has been leading to this moment. She's hanging out with the stars or at least she will be, when she finally gets to meet movie superstar Sage Seymour, whom husband Luke is now managing.

There's so much to see and do! And getting Minnie through the hurdles for her A-list Hollywood pre-school will require some help.

Becky sets her heart on a new career - she's going to be a celebrity stylist. Red carpet, here she comes! But Becky soon finds it's tough in Tinseltown. Luckily her best friend Suze comes over to keep her company, and together they embark on the Hollywood insider trail. But somehow...things aren't quite working out as they'd hoped.

Then Becky's big chance comes, and it's an opportunity that money can't buy. But will it cost her too much?

As a die-hard 'Shopaholic' fan, I was so excited to read this book. But, unfortunately, I couldn't have been more disappointed. The thing I have always loved about the shopaholic books is that, regardless of how far-fetched the story was, it was always somehow believable. Not any more! The story lurched from the ridiculous to the downright ludicrous. And, with a huge great cliffhanger at the end, I suspect that Sophie Kinsella knows that she may well have lost a few readers with this book. As it is, I will feel compelled to read the next one just because I can't bear to have a story unfinished but I think it's fair to say that Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) has had her day!

Wait, is this a new one out?? I LOVE Becky Bloomwood! Disappointing to hear she's fizzled out after getting married, lol.

 

[threeboysmom]

Don't think I've updated in a while, and I'm a little lost without my siggie... but I think I've made goal by now, lol.

Orphan Train
LOVED!

Big Little Lies
LOVED!

The Good Girl
LOVED!

Sorry, but these books have had summaries posted already in this thread - just adding my albeit BRIEF opinions!

Currently reading: The Girl with All the Gifts

 

[wilma-bride]

Wait, is this a new one out?? I LOVE Becky Bloomwood! Disappointing to hear she's fizzled out after getting married, lol.

Just released in the UK last week, not out in the US yet.

Don't think I've updated in a while, and I'm a little lost without my siggie... but I think I've made goal by now, lol.

Orphan Train
LOVED!

Big Little Lies
LOVED!

The Good Girl
LOVED!

Sorry, but these books have had summaries posted already in this thread - just adding my albeit BRIEF opinions!

Currently reading: The Girl with All the Gifts

Orphan Train - yes! Big Little Lies - yes! The Good Girl - yes except the end).

The Girl With All The Gifts - LOVED!!!

We are definitely all reading the same stuff

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #75 - World War Z by Max Brooks

This is our Oct book for book club. I saw the movie & figured it would be a story similar telling about a family's survival thru the zombie outbreak. It was nothing like that. It was a recount of bits of info from different people around the world. It read like an interview & it switched people constantly. I did not like this style at all. I couldn't connect with any characters & didn't like the choppy info. There were a few parts that were intriguing, but skimmed others due to being so boring. I am a big Walking Dead fan & this book just did not even come close to connecting me with the events or characters like the show does.

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Next book: Deceived

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#71 True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff
from the jacket:
'When LaVaughn was little, the obstacles in her life didn't seem so bad.
But now LaVaughn is 15 and the obstacles aren't going away anymore. Big questions separate her from her friends. Her mother is distracted by a new man. School could slip away from her so easily. And the boy who's a miracle in her life acts just as if he's in love with her. Only he's not in love with her.'

This is the second of three novels about Lavaughn, her family, and her community. YA book. I really cared about the characters, they seemed so real to me, and I really want the best for them. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

 

[dizluvah]

Goal is 100

#90 Isla and the Happily Ever After By Stephanie Perkins
This is the 3rd in the Anna and The French Kiss series. YA romance set in an international high school in Paris with mostly American students
gave it 3 stars....

#91 Aint She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Previous high school popular/mean girl returns home years later down on her luck and has to take her lumps from the former classmates she was less than kind to
3 stars

#92 Big Little Lies By Liane Moriarty
Add me to list of those who loved it!

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 70 books

Book #52 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

From Goodreads: Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

My review: While this book was interesting, it was not one that I would recommend for my kids to read. Topics were a bit too mature, and serious. I liked the style of writing (letter format), but felt that none of the characters were really likeable.

Next up: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#72 Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

Oh, my word. And word. And word. I am a fan of big books cause it usually means I get to read & savor it longer. Not the case here. I have seen references to this book as being similar to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon but without the time travel. So altho the characters and story line were similar it just didn't work for me. Too long and drawn out and the story just didn't 'flow' right for me. I actually finished 3 other books while reading this one, lol.