Reading Challenge/Goals for 2024

[willowsnn3]

#23 - Kisscut by Karen Slaughter

This was the second book in the series. I enjoyed hearing more about the same characters and the new issues they encountered.

Karin Slaughter is probably my favorite author. Love the Grant County series, each one is better than the one before. Then when you finish those, most of the characters move on over to the Will Trent series, lol.

 

[willowsnn3]

#31/50 Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff
Jane Charlotte has been arrested for murder.
She tells police that she is a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil; her division is called the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons—"Bad Monkeys" for short.
This confession earns Jane a trip to the jail's psychiatric wing, where a doctor attempts to determine whether she is lying, crazy—or playing a different game altogether
Started out interesting enough but just got more mediocre as the pages turned.
#32/50 Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.
Now, 11 years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find....
Wow. Kept me guessing right til the end. Very good.

 

[cayennews]

Karin Slaughter is probably my favorite author. Love the Grant County series, each one is better than the one before. Then when you finish those, most of the characters move on over to the Will Trent series, lol.

Oh, I didn't know that! Thanks for telling me. Something to look forward to. I'm waiting for the 3rd book in the Grant County series to come in at the library. I am starting Cop Town tonight.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Happy National Book Lovers Day to all readers!

 

[RangerPooh]

Increasing reading goal to 35

25/35 Black Bear Alibi: A Rockfish Island Mystery. J. C. Fuller (book 1)

26/35 The Push: A Rockfish Island Mystery. J. C. Fuller (book 2)

 

[Simba's Mom]

Update time!

#34/52-"The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", Taylor Jenkins Reid, 3 stars-A movie star and her life romances, with an interesting twist at the end. Not a big fan, but it was OK.

#35/52-"Never Too Late", Danielle Steel, 4 stars-My 25th Danielle Steel book, and this was so typical. It came with its holes and fraying, but it was so very comfortable to read. No surprises.

#36/52-"The Hiding Place", Lonnie Hill DuPont and others, 4 stars-Historical fiction about a place that was a place where various Jews were hidden during WWII. Although it got off to a slow start, the ending tied it all together.

 

[OKW8297]

22. The Fifth Avenue Apartment by Pamela Kelly. Unrealistic but harmless romance

 

[Kirby]

#32/50 Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

I'm adding this to my book list!

#47 - A Women's Place by Barbara Delinsky. Genre - General Fiction
Claire Raphael has a happy family life and a successful career. Then, out of the blue, her husband files for divorce on the grounds that she has neglected the children and is having an affair. Neither are true and Claire faces a battle to prove that a working mother is not an unfit mother.
#48 - Seek Me With All Your Heart; Book 1 of Land of Canaan series by Beth Wiseman
Genre - Inspirational
Emily Detweiler's family abruptly moved to Colorado after tragedy struck in Ohio. But Emily can't get far enough to escape what happened there.
David Stoltzfus is not happy when his family relocates from Pennsylvania to Colorado. Nevermind that they haven't told him why. David struggles not only with this unwelcome move, but also with the fear that a health condition could keep him from living his life in full.
Emily and David each struggle with a past that follows them, testing their faith and resolve. Then they make a shocking discovering that draws them together and allows them to see past their own worries. Will they step onto the path God has chosen for them?

#49 - An Unexpected Amish Proposal; Book 1 in the Surprised by Love series by Rachel J. Good
Genre - Inspirational
When an organic farm causes rents to skyrocket at the Valley Green Farmer’s Market, Fern Blauch’s family baked goods stand is driven to the edge of eviction. . . . Until a mysterious temporary reprieve. Fern is confused when she discovers the benefactor is barbecued chicken stand owner—and her longtime crush—Gideon Hartzler. She’s grateful, but pridefully tells him she intends to pay him back. If only she can find a new place to sell her wares . . .
To stay competitive, and help as many others as he can, Gideon expands his stand to provide full meals—including dessert. That’s where Fern comes in. As the two work long hours, side-by-side, business booms—and so does their attraction. Still, the demands of caring for aging parents and struggling relatives cause them to hide any feelings beyond friendship. But as new challenges emerge and Gideon and Fern turn more deeply to their faith, and to each other, will love find a place at their table?
I read book 4 earlier this year and decided to go back and start at the beginning of the series.

 

[bobbiwoz]

35/80 “The Wish” by Nicholas Sparks 4.5/5

1996 was the year that changed everything for Maggie Dawes. Sent away at sixteen to live with an aunt she barely knew in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina's Outer Banks, she could think only of the friends and family she left behind . . . until she met Bryce Trickett, one of the few teenagers on the island. Handsome, genuine, and newly admitted to West Point, Bryce showed her how much there was to love about the wind-swept beach town--and introduced her to photography, a passion that would define the rest of her life.

By 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer. She splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations around the world. But this year she is unexpectedly grounded over Christmas, struggling to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis. Increasingly dependent on a young assistant, she finds herself becoming close to him.

As they count down the last days of the season together, she begins to tell him the story of another Christmas, decades earlier--and the love that set her on a course she never could have imagined.

 

[willowsnn3]

33/50 The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay
A man desperately tries to track down his father--who was taken into witness protection years ago--before his enemies can get to him.
Barclay is hit or miss with me. This one was pretty good.

 

[Kirby]

#50 - Of Windmills & War by Diane Moody
Genre - Historical. This is book one in the War series.
The rumblings of war in distant countries mattered little to Danny McClain. Growing up in Chicago, his world revolved around after-school jobs, a rescued beagle, his pen pal in Holland, and the Cubs' chance to go to the World Series. Then, in December of 1941, during his first year at Northwestern University, news of the attack on Pearl Harbor hit much too close to home. After a series of unexpected events over the next couple of years, Danny found himself in the co-pilot seat of a B-17, stationed with the 390th Bomb Group in Framlingham, England.
Anya Versteeg had been just a teenager when Hitler's troops invaded her homeland of Holland in May of 1940. Forced to grow up much too fast, the feisty preacher's daughter eagerly immersed herself in the Dutch Resistance and its many efforts to thwart the enemy. Certain that God had turned His back on Holland, she closed her heart and did whatever she had to do to save her country before it was too late.
By 1945, the people of Occupied Holland were starving. Cut off from the outside world in retaliation for their failed attempt to oust the Germans invaders, the Dutch had no food, no electricity, no fuel, and little hope of surviving. Thousands were dying every day. Then, just days before the war ended, help came to The Netherlands like manna from heaven.
Operation Chowhound held special meaning for Lieutenant Danny McClain. Somewhere below in the battered land of tulips and windmills was the girl who needed rescuing--after rescuing so many others. And he would move heaven and earth to find her.
I mostly enjoyed reading this book. I may read the next book in the series, haven't quite decided yet.

 

[MGMmjl]

21/32 - The Final Reckoning by Robert Bailey

Description:
"Cold-blooded killer JimBone Wheeler blames Tom McMurtrie for putting him on death row. He once vowed that he’d bring 'a reckoning' on Tom and everyone the southern lawyer holds dear. When Wheeler escapes from prison, he aims to fulfill his promise. Victim by victim, he’s getting closer to his ultimate target. But for Tom, who’s dying of cancer, the role of savior and protector is a struggle that is becoming more desperate by the hour.

As the body count mounts, Tom, his partner, Rick Drake, and his best friend, Bocephus Haynes, brace for a confrontation like nothing they have ever faced before. This battle will be waged not in a courthouse but on the streets and fields of north Alabama. With all those he loves at risk, Tom must save his family, his friends, and his legacy from a killer whose hunger for retribution knows no bounds.

Now, as time ticks down and fate and vengeance close in, who will survive Wheeler’s final reckoning?

This is the 4th and final book in the McMurtrie and Drake legal thriller series. I enjoyed all of the books! I have read 2 of Bailey's series, and there is one other series he has written that I plan to read at some point.

 

[bobbiwoz]

36/80
“Trapped” by Irene Hannon
A desperate sister teams up with a private fo find her missing sister before the trail goes cold. Second in a series of 3
3.5/5

 

[Wood Nymph]

26/30 - Murder in Mesopotamia: a Hercule Poirot Mystery - by Agatha Christie

Another good mystery story. I haven't gotten tired of them yet.

Suspicious events at a Middle Eastern archaeological excavation site intrigue the great Poirot as he investigates Murder in Mesopotamia.

 

[OKW8297]

23. Eruption by Michael Crighton and James Patterson. Thriller about a volcanoes on Hawaii with an added twist. Not my usual read but it was good. The ending was a little much but overall I enjoyed it. Two books away from my goal!

 

[Kirby]

#51 - The Spy Coast: Book 1 of the Martini Club series by Tess Gerritsen
Genre - Thriller
Maggie Bird is many things. A chicken farmer. A good neighbour. A seemingly average retiree living in the seaside town of Purity. She's also a darned good rifle shot. And she never talks about her past.
But when an unidentified body is left on Maggie's driveway, she knows it's a calling card from old times. It's been fifteen years since the failed mission that ended her career as a spy, and cost her far more than her job.
Step forward the 'Martini Club' - Maggie's silver-haired book group (to anyone who asks), and a cohort of former spies behind closed doors. With the help of her old friends - and always one step ahead of the persistent local cop - Maggie might still be able to save the life she's built.
IT'S THE PERFECT PLACE TO RETIRE . . . UNTIL THEY FIND YOU.
I enjoyed this book especially the group of retired spies. Looking forward to the next book in the series which comes out March, 2025.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I finally made more of a dent reading mostly kindle freebie novellas

11/25 - The Cafe Rose by Anita Higman. Unemployed girl searching for her life path meets wealthy businessman at local cafe. Their relationship develops into a hea. Strange dialogue. It was ok.

12/25 - Lemon Tarts and Fiery Darts by Amber Crewes. Cozy mystery novella finds bakery owner Meghan and her boyfriend Jack solving the murder of a local town employee.
I usually don’t read series in order so in this book Megan and Jack aren’t married. In another book I reviewed before they were married and having a baby.
Just curious if anyone skips around with longer series?

13/25 - Little Isaac’s Amish Nanny by Naomi Troyer. Hope becomes a nanny for Joseph’s younger brother Isaac. Joseph sees that his girlfriend Beth doesn’t want the responsibility of raising Isaac after they plan to marry. Hea with Joseph and nanny Hope. Cute kid.

14/25 - Leah’s Amish Dilemma by Sadie Weaver. Leah is courting Jacob but finds herself being attracted to Isaac. Her friend Rachel gives her advice to communicate her feelings. Leah and Jacob work on their relationship and have a hea.

15/25 - The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn. Very good book. (Not a novella) There were so many secrets being kept by mom Marin and her adult children Slade and Reed. The family dynamic is tense. Everyone finally shares their secrets. There is healing and love finds a way for all to heal.

16/25 - Pies and Pandemonium by Sue Hollowell. Baker Tilly and friend Florence enter the local pie contest. Tilly helps solve the murder of a local businessman at the festival. Her parents are visiting and her mom joins the sleuthing too. Sweet unkie is there again too. Another series book I read out of order. The mom made it a fun read.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

17/25 - Yummy Pies and Someone Dies by Amber Crewes. Forgot this one. Meghan is expecting her first baby with detective husband Jack. In the hospital she encounters nurse who is murdered. She sleuths and solves the murder. Surprise ending. Fun novella.

 

[MGMmjl]

22/32 - Whispering Winds of Appalachia by John Ellington

Description:
"Nestled between the smoky, rolling peaks of Southern Appalachia lies the town of Brevard, North Carolina. When Chris Avery’s family moves to Brevard in the early 1970s, Chris quickly becomes immersed in a world untouched by the mire of life outside the mountains.

As a young boy, Chris meets the son of the struggling dairy farmer next door, Walker Davis, and Walker’s best friend, Brook Palmer. The three of them become inseparable, bonded to each other as they are to the vibrant world in which their lives unfold. They spend the formative years of their childhood wandering in the woods chasing waterfalls and brook trout. However, they soon find out that life isn’t always so simple.

What once seemed like Heaven is hopelessly ripped apart at the seams when one of the characters commits an irrevocable mistake that challenges friendship, love, and Chris’s understanding of even himself. Grasping at straws of a fractured past, Chris is forced to pit his conscience against the people he loves, all while listening to the subtle, haunting voices laced in the wind."

I thought this book was nicely written, and I was emotionally involved with each of the main characters. It was very good for a self-published, debut novel!

 

[melk]

21/30 Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig

Coming of age story about a young Montana boy being raised by his grandmother. In the summer of 1951 he gets sent to stay with relatives he has never met while his grandmother has surgery. His journey on a greyhound bus and the cast of characters he meets gives him an education that will last a lifetime.

Loved this book, excellent story, great characters and very amusing.