Reading challenge 2021

[melk]

37/35 Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

When their mother suddenly goes missing the four adult Delaney children wonder whether their father could be to blame.

I loved this book. I didn’t expect much because I didn’t care for her last two books. But this is a great character driven book with some mystery and twists built in that didn’t disappoint right up to the last chapter. One of my favorite books of the year.

 

[bobbiwoz]

#51/60 Dwelling Places by Vinita Hampton Wright
Mack and Jodie have no idea how much their lives are going to change when they decide to give up farming. Mack is hospitalized with depression, Jodie finds herself tempted by the affections of another man, and their teenage children begin looking for answers outside the family—Kenzie turns to fundamentalist Christianity, and Taylor starts cavorting with Goths.
Told in the unforgettable voices of each family member, this powerful story of family life reveals the stubborn resilience of love and how sometimes the very thing we're looking for has been waiting at home all along.

I enjoyed this one. A little long in places but overall, a good read.

I enjoyed this one too! I placed a hold on it after I read what you said!

69/90

 

[threeboysmom]

37/35 Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

When their mother suddenly goes missing the four adult Delaney children wonder whether their father could be to blame.

I loved this book. I didn’t expect much because I didn’t care for her last two books. But this is a great character driven book with some mystery and twists built in that didn’t disappoint right up to the last chapter. One of my favorite books of the year.

Currently reading this one now! About halfway through.

 

[jen7233]

37/35 Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

When their mother suddenly goes missing the four adult Delaney children wonder whether their father could be to blame.

I loved this book. I didn’t expect much because I didn’t care for her last two books. But this is a great character driven book with some mystery and twists built in that didn’t disappoint right up to the last chapter. One of my favorite books of the year.

I really like it also. Much better than Nine Perfect Strangers.

 

[willowsnn3]

#53/60 The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper
One House. Three Families. Countless Secrets.

From her downstairs apartment in suburban London, Emma has often overheard the everyday life of the seemingly perfect family upstairs–Steph, Paul and teenage daughter Freya–but has never got to know them. Until one day, she hears something that seizes her attention: Freya has vanished and the police are questioning Steph and Paul about their life. Do either of you have any enemies? Anyone who might want to harm or threaten you?

The effects of Freya’s disappearance ripple outward, affecting not just her parents, but everyone who lives in the building, including Emma and local driving instructor Chris, who was the last person to see the teenager before she went missing.

 

[OKW8297]

70. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This is about British code breakers in WW II. Outstanding. One of the best I’ve read this year.

 

[mrs. magoo]

70. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This is about British code breakers in WW II. Outstanding. One of the best I’ve read this year.

After reading this I went on to read The Huntress and The Alice Code. I loved the Huntress. I am so so on the Alice Code.

 

[OKW8297]

After reading this I went on to read The Huntress and The Alice Code. I loved the Huntress. I am so so on the Alice Code.

Good to know! Thank you!

 

[willowsnn3]

#54/60 Silverview by John Le Carre'
Julian Lawndsley has renounced his high-flying job in the City for a simpler life running a bookshop in a small English seaside town. But only a couple of months into his new career, Julian's evening is disrupted by a visitor. Edward, a Polish immigrant, living in Silverview, the big house on the edge of town, seems to know a lot about Julian's family and is rather too interested in the inner workings of his modest new enterprise.
When a letter turns up at the door of a spy chief in London warning him of a dangerous leak, the investigations lead him to this quiet town by the sea . . .

To be honest y'all, for the most part, I did not know what was going on in this book. Read some reviews on Goodreads & a lot of people felt the same so I don't feel so bad, lol.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Happiness is a Choice You Make - John Leland

...weaves together the stories and wisdom of six New Yorkers who number among the “oldest old”― those eighty-five and up...collection of lessons that emphasizes, above all, the extraordinary influence we wield over the quality of our lives. With humility, heart, and wit, Leland has crafted a sophisticated and necessary reflection on how to “live better”―informed by those who have mastered the art. - Amazon​

- I liked this and got a lot out of it!

Hocus Pocus & The All New Sequel
- I'm a big Hocus Pocus fan, so I really enjoyed this! Highly recommend to fellow lovers of the movie.

33

Read, enjoyed and also think I learned some things from “Happiness is a Choice you Make” by John Leland.

70/90

 

[PollyannaMom]

Ten things every child with autism wishes you knew, by Ellen Notbohm and The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida - both good books if you're interested in learning more about autism. The first is an expansion on an earlier blog post into a book, and the second is a very short Q&A style book written by a teen.

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - still re-reading the series (out of order) in between library books

36/21

 

[willowsnn3]

#55/60 Such A Quiet Place by Megan Miranda
Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back.

Pretty good. I enjoyed it. Kept me guessing 'who dun it' til the end.

 

[Simba's Mom]

37/35 Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

When their mother suddenly goes missing the four adult Delaney children wonder whether their father could be to blame.

I loved this book. I didn’t expect much because I didn’t care for her last two books. But this is a great character driven book with some mystery and twists built in that didn’t disappoint right up to the last chapter. One of my favorite books of the year.

Good to know you liked it. I have it on hold-they expect it to be about another 10 weeks, but now I'll continue waiting.

 

[Christine]

37/35 Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

When their mother suddenly goes missing the four adult Delaney children wonder whether their father could be to blame.

I loved this book. I didn’t expect much because I didn’t care for her last two books. But this is a great character driven book with some mystery and twists built in that didn’t disappoint right up to the last chapter. One of my favorite books of the year.

I agree; I enjoyed it. Didn't expect much either as it was a freebie for Amazon Prime members. Those aren't usually the best books.

 

[Christine]

Good to know you liked it. I have it on hold-they expect it to be about another 10 weeks, but now I'll continue waiting.

If you're an Amazon Prime member, it was free to download (at least a few weeks ago).

 

[melk]

If you're an Amazon Prime member, it was free to download (at least a few weeks ago).

Oh man, I had no idea. I bought it off Amazon to bring on vacation.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Got some more in the last few weeks-
47. "Finding Ashley", Danielle Steel, 3 stars OK, but kind of predictable

48. "Changing Fortune Cookies", P. Workman, 1 star. Why do I keep reading cozy mysteries? Many years ago, I enjoyed them, but for some reason, maybe my age-I don't know, I just don't enjoy them anymore so why do I ever read them?

49. "The Forgotten Home Child", Genevieve Graham, fascinating book about orphan children that were adopted from Britain to Canada. Interesting motivations.

50. Red Sky Over Hawaii, Sara Ackerman 3 stars-I was interested in this book because supposedly it focused on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the ensuing aftermath. Unfortunately, it really didn't focus enough on the events it said it would. It had pretty good potential, and what it did reveal was very interesting, but unfortunately, it was more of a romance, not what I'd expected and hoped for.

 

[mgarbowski]

Book 20 of 24 The 7th Victim (Karen Vail Series, Book 1) by Alan Jacobson

This is only my second 1-star rating on Goodreads. The reviews there are interesting in that the book has a solid, if unspectacular 3.63 rating with more 4s and 5s than 1-3 ratings. But the 1 ratings all point to the same flaws I saw. It is overloaded with coincidences and contradictions. It also has a fair number of clichés common to the serial killer profiler genre. But the biggest issue for me is that the protagonist is often incompetent and even dishonest. It is good to let the main character have flaws. She should not have so many as to appear incapable of doing her job or even living in society. But our profiler Karen Vail 1) allows her violent, loser ex-husband get the drop on her and knock her out during a routine visit to discuss their child 2) wakes up to have him claim he raped her while unconscious, 3) dismisses this without any forensic or medical examination or sharing it with anyone, 4) in her next encounter she injures him so badly that local police arrest and book her for domestic violence despite her FBI credentials and the ex-husband's history, 5) as a result she is suspended from the serial killer task force, but 6) she takes a copy of the case file to her home, where 7) the killer breaks in and steals it, and 8) she shares the information about the burglary with her 2 closest colleagues but nobody else on the task force (and they go along with this!), so that 9) when another imprisoned serial killer claims to have received a letter from the currently active killer the task force wastes a lot of time determining whether it is a fake even while the best evidence of authenticity is an indirect but clear reference to the fact he has a copy of the case files. There also is a scene near the end where she makes multiple mistakes of basic competence that I won't discuss because they would be spoilerish (though nobody should care because nobody should read this book). And this is only a brief summary of the book's flaws that go in the category of "stupid, incompetent protagonist." There are dozens of others. I honestly don't know how this author makes a living, or people give this 5-star reviews. I try to allow for differences in taste. This book is just bad.

 

[OKW8297]

71. The Fault Between Us by Bette Lee Crosby. Disappointed there wasn’t more about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

 

[luvmarypoppins]

71. The Fault Between Us by Bette Lee Crosby. Disappointed there wasn’t more about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

Wow that surprising that there wasn’t more about the actual earthquake. I went to a few of her facebook live events for this book. It seems she did a lot of research for the book such as a map with actual street names from the time period of the event. I think she mentioned people living in tents etc. I know she kept emphasizing Templeton also.