Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023

[luvmarypoppins]

1/32 - If Only in My Dreams by Michelle Dykman
Returning POW suffering from ptsd is reunited with his high school love interest. The ptsd episodes were heartbreaking. After much struggle there is a Christmas HEA for this couple.

2/32 - Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson.
Spin off from another cozy mystery series which I didn’t read. Older sister in laws with a strained past unite to solve a murder in their bridge club. Lots of suspects and lots of Peg’s poodles. The details of playing bridge bored me and I didn’t figure out the suspect to the end. It was ok.

3/32 - The Inn at Cranberry Cove by June Foster
Young unemployed accountant inherits her aunts B&B in Washington state. There is a legend of hidden gems at the Inn. Part time gardener and local cranberry company executive is attracted to his new boss at the Inn. He is also dealing with a deceased wife and son and horrible cousin.
Many dangerous events take place when unknown persons hunt for the gems.
Good ending.

4/32 - Deer Eyes by Sherri Stewart
Law student flees from former law school friend to Maine as he begins to stalk her. She is befriended by the local single school principal. Many strange stalking incidents take place. When the police finally believe the evidence the couple are both in danger. Good ending.

5/32 - A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall
Many characters in this book from 2 different Amish communities. One is super strict. Brother helps pregnant sister get medical help. They are befriended by another less strict Amish family. Lots of drama. Decisions being made by family members affecting their futures. Good epilogue and HEA with a Christmas setting.

 

[Nora03]

I haven’t posted yet this year. I had guessed I’d read ten books last year and I read 53. Surprised myself! Got lots of good suggestions on this thread. So far I’ve read four books this year, so I’ll say 48 for the year. Just finished The Address today, I enjoyed it. As mentioned previously it is set in The Dakota in NYC. I loved that as I was a tourist looking up at The Dakota listening to the tour guide a few years ago. I’m not a good poster. I should be listing and reviewing my reads as I appreciate others doing that.

 

[bobbiwoz]

#6/50 The Hidden One by Linda Castillo
The discovery of an Amish bishop's remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret.
Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.

This is #14 in the Kate Burkholder series which I love. Now to wait probably another year for the next installment, lol.

I really enjoyed this book. I had checked my notes and found I had read one by Linda Castillo in the past and I liked it. 4.5/5

6/75

 

[bobbiwoz]

Loved it(and all her others) as well!

I’ve thought about it some more, niggles of doubt about it being believable now. Still it was intense.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

3/20 The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. I read this one in one day. A psychological thriller. I guessed the ending fairly early on, but still good.

 

[willowsnn3]

I haven’t posted yet this year. I had guessed I’d read ten books last year and I read 53. Surprised myself! Got lots of good suggestions on this thread. So far I’ve read four books this year, so I’ll say 48 for the year. Just finished The Address today, I enjoyed it. As mentioned previously it is set in The Dakota in NYC. I loved that as I was a tourist looking up at The Dakota listening to the tour guide a few years ago. I’m not a good poster. I should be listing and reviewing my reads as I appreciate others doing that.

Glad you're here! I get so many recommendations from this group to add to my ever growing TBR list.

 

[willowsnn3]

I really enjoyed this book. I had checked my notes and found I had read one by Linda Castillo in the past and I liked it. 4.5/5

6/75

Castillo is one of the authors I continually check for new releases. I love the Kate Burkholder series.

 

[willowsnn3]

3/20 The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. I read this one in one day. A psychological thriller. I guessed the ending fairly early on, but still good.

I have this one on my list but I am really trying to stop reading so much psychological thrillers. Sometimes they mess with my mind, lol.
But I do love a good violent crime mystery tho. Go figure, lol.

 

[mrs. magoo]

4/30 - Bound for Gold by William Martin - I love this author. I discovered him like 30 years ago when I picked up Cape Cod on a whim. I love his characters and it is basically like having 2 stories in one. He is the OG for the parallel storyline in my opinion. This book was very good about the gold rush and trying to find the missing journals which could be a key to finding hidden gold today. 4/5

 

[KevM]

WOW! I'm super impressed. I enjoyed your January book list - varied and interesting. I like what you've done, reading different genres and dipping into memoirs, short stories, and even poetry. A nice reminder for me to try to add some variation to my own reading this year. I've never tried an audiobook, but that could be interesting. As for War and Peace, I don't know if I'll ever be up for the challenge. You rated it 3.75, so you didn't love it. In the end, did you feel it was worth your effort? I feel like I could re-read the entire Harry Potter series or all of Jane Austen in the time that it would take me to read War and Peace.

On a side note - I hope your TV catch up includes the new HBO series The Last of Us, starring the fabulous Pedro Pascal!

Yeah, I read multiple books at a time, generally have at least 3 going at any point, so a variety of genres helps with that.

I did ultimately thing War & Peace was worth it, but I have also been meaning to read it for years.

I will eventually watch The Last of Us once the first season is done. There are very few shows I watch on a weekly basis.

 

[mrs. magoo]

5/30 - The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd - This was a free listen on audible. I have seen it for over a year but decided to give it a go. It was a very good story about Eliza Lucas Pickney. She was responsible for the Indigo trade in South Carolina. It was her idea to grow it and learn how to extract the dye. The book is a bit disneyfied in the relationship between her and her enslaved people but overall it was a very interesting book. It once again reminds how terrible I would have been as a women in any other time period. I could never hold my tongue and act as women had to in past times. I am sure that I would have been imprisoned or committed to an institution. (4/5 for me)

 

[bobbiwoz]

3/26

"Vacationland" by Meg Mitchell Moore. I really liked it 4/5 stars.

From the Library's website:

Summary:

"As sophisticated and delicious as lobster bisque." — Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Lifeguards and The Jetsetters Louisa has come to her parents' house in Maine this summer with all three of her kids, a barely-written book, and a trunkful of resentment. Left behind in Brooklyn is her husband, who has promised that after this final round of fundraising at his startup he will once again pick up his share of the household responsibilities. Louisa is hoping that the crisp breeze off Penobscot Bay will blow away the irritation she is feeling with her life choices and replace it with enthusiasm for both her family and her work. But all isn't well in Maine. Louisa's father, a retired judge and pillar of the community, is suffering from Alzheimer's. Louisa's mother is alternately pretending everything is fine and not pretending at all. And one of Louisa's children happens upon a very confusing and heartfelt letter referring to something Louisa doesn't think her father could possibly have done. Louisa's not the only one searching for something in Maine this summer. Kristie took the Greyhound bus from Pennsylvania with one small suitcase, $761, and a lot of baggage. She's got a past she's trying to outrun, a secret she's trying to unpack, and a new boyfriend who's so impossibly kind she can't figure out what she did to deserve him. But she can't keep her various lives from colliding forever. As June turns to July turns to August, secrets will be unearthed, betrayals will come to light, and both Louisa and Kristie will ask themselves what they are owed and what they owe others. A delicious summer read and an exploration of family, responsibility, ambition and loss, Vacationland is Meg Mitchell Moore at her best.

I enjoyed this book tremendously! Thank for mentioning and the synopsis!

7/75
4.5/5

 

[jlud57]

1/20 The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris-
The true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who spent two and a half years at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II being the Tatowierer, his survival and a love story. This was such a great book.

2/20 Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris-
This book tells what happens to one of the characters from The Tattooist of Auschwitz. When the war is over and Auschwitz concentration camp is liberated, freedom is not granted to Cilka. She is charged as a collaborator and sent to a Siberian prison camp where she will face new challenges. I like this book, but reading it right after the Tattooist I found it a bit harder read (subject wise). It was a good story and had a nice ending.

3/20 Spare by Prince Harry-
It is what it is, a book about him and his life. I found it interesting and actually felt bad for him. It was well written and I found it a fast read.

 

[DisneyHardin]

4/26 - Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard - 3/5 stars - it started very slow and took me a long time to really get going on it, but it did get better and I read the second half of the book all in one day.

Summary from my local library webpage:
The New York Times bestselling author of Labor Day and After Her returns with a poignant story about the true meaning--and the true price--of friendship. Drinking cost Helen her marriage and custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet taking portraits of school children and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. He's drifting away from her, fast. When she meets Ava and Swift Havilland, the vulnerable Helen is instantly enchanted. Wealthy, connected philanthropists, they have their own charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, edgy art, and dazzling parties.Then Helen meets Elliott, a kind, quiet accountant who offers loyalty and love with none of her newfound friends' fireworks. To Swift and Ava, he's boring. But even worse than that, he's unimpressed by them. As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillands' influence--running errands, doing random chores, questioning her relationship with Elliott--Ava and Swift hold out the most seductive gift: their influence and help to regain custody of her son. But the debt Helen owes them is about to come due. Ollie witnesses an accident involving Swift, his grown son, and the daughter of the Havillands' housekeeper. With her young son's future in the balance, Helen must choose between the truth and the friends who have given her everything"-- Provided by publisher.

 

[MGMmjl]

3/30 - The Professor by Robert Bailey

Description:
"Law professor Thomas Jackson McMurtrie literally wrote the book on evidence in the state of Alabama. But when a power-hungry colleague uses a recent run-in between McMurtrie and headstrong student Rick Drake to end his career, he is left unsure what to do next.

Meanwhile, a devastating trucking accident in Henshaw, Alabama, leaves a young family dead. Drake, now a fledgling lawyer, takes the case against the freight carrier and soon begins to uncover the truth behind the tragedy that is buried in a tangled web of arson, bribery, and greed. On the eve of the trial and with his case unraveling in the midst of a dangerous cover-up that threatens to silence his star witnesses, Drake realizes that only his estranged mentor, Professor McMurtrie, can help him now.

With everything to lose and only justice to gain, will McMurtrie and Drake overcome bad blood to defeat a ruthless adversary? Can the Professor turn back the clock and recover all that he’s lost?"

I really enjoyed this book! It is the first in a 4-book series, and I look forward to reading more.

 

[bobbiwoz]

2/30 - Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock

Description:
"As the Pulses that caused the outage are finally coming to an end, thirteen-year-old Beth Branning witnesses a murder. Threatened by the killer, she keeps the matter to herself. But her silence could cost her life.

Meanwhile, as Deni’s ex-fiancé returns to Crockett with a newfound faith and the influence to get things done, Deni is torn between the man who can fulfill all her dreams and Mark Green, the man who inhabits them.

As the world slowly emerges from the crisis, the Brannings face their toughest crisis yet. Will God require more of them than they’ve already given? How will they keep their faith if he doesn’t answer their prayers?"

This is book #4 (and the final book) of Blackstock's Restoration series. I really enjoyed all of the books, and this was another great one. It was sad but also inspiring. I will probably look for more of her books.

I just finished “Cape Refuge” by Terri Blackstock and enjoyed it enough to look into more of her books! This says Book one under the title! Thanks for mentioning her!

8/75

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

1) Rum Diaries by Hunter S. Thompson
Love both Fear and Loathing books and was excited to read this. It was okay but did not live up to my expectations.
2) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Did not like as much as Circe, but enjoyed the book. I really do like the way author writes.

 

[willowsnn3]

#09/50 Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
From Goodreads:
Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison. But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent--which has more than doubled--and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed.

 

[sdk1231]

#5 Another Kind of Eden by James Lee Burke
Crime/mystery - another of the Holland Family books, which can be read as a stand alone. Summary: Set in Colorado in the 1960's, aspiring writer working on a ranch encounters some bad guys. Exceptional prose as is typical for author. Story pacing was great, lots of action, but ultimately the plot wasn't believable. Also, the Colorado setting didn't come to life the way his Louisiana/Montana settings do. A weaker James Lee Burke effort. 3 stars.

#6 The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe.
Historical Fiction - This one came out of left field. I only read it because it was FREE on Kindle and is about the TITANIC. Free and Titanic? I'm in. It's about Madeleine Force Astor, the teenaged second wife of John Jacob Astor IV, their courtship, marriage and voyage on the Titanic. I expected this book to be silly fluff romance fraught w/historical inaccuracies. While there was a good bit of romance fluff, the historical and Titanic facts seemed well-researched and without any glaring inaccuracies. All in all it was decently written and a fairly enjoyable quick read. If you like historical fiction based on real people or enjoy books having to do with the Gilded Age or the Titanic, you might find this interesting. My rating: a 2.5 star bumped to 3 because it was free on Kindle and is about the Titanic.

 

[Simba's Mom]

#7-The Whittiers, by Danielle Steele, 3 stars. This was so typical of the Danielle Steele style of book regarding what happens. Although it was somewhat enjoyable, there was just no surprise or tension in it.