Reading Challenge/Goals for 2024

[cayennews]

Let me know how you feel about book 6.

I just finished the book last night. I am very sad about how it ended. It was heart wrenching.

 

[cayennews]

#31 Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter. Final book in the Grant County series. Heart wrenching end to the series.

 

[willowsnn3]

I just finished the book last night. I am very sad about how it ended. It was heart wrenching.

Same here. Was so mad at the author for a long time.

 

[cayennews]

Same here. Was so mad at the author for a long time.

I'm not sure if you've ever visited her website, but she posted a letter there about the ending of this book, as well as a bonus prequel chapter.

 

[cayennews]

What is the name of the book? I also had couple of those lately

It is called Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter. It is the 6th book in a 6 book series.

 

[Kirby]

#67 - Alex Cross Must Die; Book 31 in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson
Genre - Thriller
TWO KILLERS. TWO MOTIVES. A DEADLY RACE AGAINST TIME.
When an American Airlines plane explodes in the sky, detectives Alex Cross and John Sampson are first on the scene. They don't hear the gunfire. At first.
It soon becomes clear that the plane was taken down by a rare, stolen machine gun. The list of people who could operate the weapon is short. And time runs even shorter.
But this isn't the only case the pair must solve. They're also tracking a serial killer who's ambushing young men in what the media are calling the 'Dead Hours' murders.
With two killers and two different motives, Cross and Sampson are in a deadly race against time . . .
Having just read Book 30 in the series that mostly dealt with John Sampson, there were times I would get confused on who "I" was, was it Alex or John? But I figured it out each time and enjoyed another book in the series. Also, a new series called Cross is airing on Amazon Prime on November 14th.

 

[Wood Nymph]

31/30 - The Associate - by John Grisham - 4/5

This was another good book that kept me intrigued. A young lawyer is blackmailed to commit a crime. The story was inspired by a real-life event, which made it relatable, even though it was published in 2009.

 

[MGMmjl]

27/32 - The Official Walt Disney Quote Book Compiled by the Staff of The Walt Disney Archives

Description:
"Walt Disney once said, 'There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and at the bottom of the Spanish Main. . . .' Never has this been truer than within these pages.

This collection of quotations from the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company ranges from the well-known to the obscure, but all are assured to entertain, enlighten, and inspire. His words have been gleaned from publications, productions, and interviews over the breadth of his amazing career. Some are simple nuggets of homespun wisdom, while others are statements of knowledge gained while he crafted the enchanting films, televisions shows, and unparalleled experiences that are so beloved by audiences the world over.

The Official Walt Disney Quote Book has been compiled for anyone eager to learn more about a man who had such an incredible, positive impact on his own time and on the future yet to be―Walt Disney, the Showman of the World."

I have read this book off and on throughout the year when I had a chance and wasn't reading anything else. I enjoy having a collection of many of Walt's quotes in one book.

 

[Lumpy1106]

19/20 "Too Late", Coleen Hoover 5/5
This is a good book, but you do get the impression that she felt like she was being labelled as a "YA" author, so purposely went hard on this one. College age woman gets stuck in an abusive relationship with a drug dealer. She falls for the undercover cop who is trying to bust the boyfriend. Emphasis here is on the abusive relationship. Overall, I liked it - but definitely not for YA.

 

[cayennews]

#32 Blue Ridge Breakdown by Rachel Hanna. Very lighthearted easy to read story. Part of the Jubilee series.

 

[Wood Nymph]

32/30 - Dumb Witness, a Hercule Poirot mystery - Agatha Christie

I really enjoyed this mystery. The dog adds an element of fun to the story.

 

[Simba's Mom]

#44/52-"The Woman with a Purple Heart", Diane Hanes. 5 stars. Interesting read about the events surrounding the bombing of Pearl Harbour. Based on fact.

#45/52-"Summers at the Saint". Mary Kay Andrews, 4 stars. The running of a summer, seaside hotel.

#46/52-"Swan Song", Elin Hildebrand, 4 stars. A mysterious family moves on to Nantucket Island and charms everyone, but they have big secrets.

#47/52-"Gone with a Whisker", Laurie Cass, 4 stars. Enjoyable cozy mystery about a bookmobile driver and her pet cat.

#48/52-"Only the Brave", Danielle Steel, 4 stars. A historical fiction book from Danielle Steel (!). Surprisingly good.

 

[bobbiwoz]

45/80. “Shelterwood” by Lisa Wingate! 4/5
Such a tragic story of children in the early time of Statehood of OK.

 

[MGMmjl]

28/32 - Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg

Description:
"A catastrophic wildfire scorches the Santa Monica Mountains, exposing the charred remains of a woman who disappeared years ago. The investigation is assigned to Eve Ronin, the youngest homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a position that forces her to prove herself again and again. This time, though, she has much more to prove.

Bones don’t lie, and these have a horrific story to tell. Eve tirelessly digs into the past, unearthing dark secrets that reveal nothing about the case is as it seems. With almost no one she can trust, her relentless pursuit of justice for the forgotten dead could put Eve’s own life in peril."

This is book #2 in the Eve Ronan series. I really liked it!

 

[Beezle2]

48/75 The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the premise but liked the supporting characters more than the main protagonist. But books, magic, doors to other places, still would recommend.
49/75 Slewfoot by BROM. Loved it. What a perfect spooky season read.
50/75 The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. I love all the books set in this world and I think I have read the trilogies out of order but they work as stand alone sets also.
51/75 The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. Another Loved it from me!
52/75 The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch. The third book in the Locke Lamora series. I liked it better than the second book in the series and still think the first book is the best. But I did like this one.
53/75 The Frugal Wizards Handbook by Brandon Sanderson. Just some light fun in a parallel dimension
54/75 The Shadow of The Gods by John Gwynne. Swords, violence, lost gods, heros, villains, quests. Pretty awesome if that is up your alley.
55/75 The Hunger of The Gods by John Gwynne. More of the same, lol..I am liking it

 

[sdk1231]

Just FYI - I read pretty much all of my books on a Kindle and get library books through Libby. If you put your Kindle in Airplane mode you can keep reading them as long as you want. Libby is great - all you need is an address and you can access multiple library's collections. The other thing I do is if I find a book that interests me but it is not available, I reserve it. Once it comes available, I'll check it out if I am close to the end of the book I am reading or I'll pass it on to the next person while holding my place in the queue if I am not close to finishing my current read.

I never knew this. I'm so glad you wrote this! I just googled the "how to" and it looks easy enough. I kind of feel like an idiot for not knowing this, but super glad I know it now! Thanks!

 

[sdk1231]

It's been so long since I checked in that I can't remember where I left off. Also don't want to bore you all with typing out every title that can easily be googled. Simply put, I've spent a good part of this year obsessing over Bernard Cornwell. I've read the following:

The Richard Sharpe Series - Richard Sharpe is a rifleman in the Napoleonic Wars. About 24 books. Loved this series. Started this series after seeing it recommended as something comparable to Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander series.

The Last Kingdom Series - Vikings. 13 books. I'd phoned my brother to recommend the Sharpe books. He told me that one of his wife's fave series was the Last Kingdom by the same author. My sister-in-law then texted, encouraging me to read the Last Kingdom. I thought "Vikings? Ugh." but I gave it a shot. I was sucked in immediately. Loved the series and it's not a time period I'm generally interested in. I've been told that there's a Netflix TV show based on the series.

The Warlord Chronicles - King Arthur. 3 books. I'm a big fan of the King Arthur legend, and I'm highly critical of Arthur tales as a result. This one though.... very unique. A nifty take on the Arthurian legend. I liked it.

Starbuck Chronicles - Civil War. Series of 4. I'm on book 3. Entertaining, but not as good as the prior 3 series.

 

[willowsnn3]

#41/50 Mind Games by Nora Roberts
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.
Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.
The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse―because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them―and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…
This was good altho a little long & drawn out.
#42/50 Forest of Lost Souls by Dean Koontz
Raised in the wilderness by her late great-uncle, Vida is a young woman with an almost preternatural affinity for nature, especially for the wolves that also call the forested mountains home. Formed by hard experience, by love and loss, and by the prophecies of a fortune teller, Vida just wants peace. If only nearby Kettleton County didn’t cast such a dark shadow.
It’s where Jose Nochelobo, the love of Vida’s life and a cherished local hero, died in a tragic accident. That’s the official story, but Vida has reasons to doubt it. The truth can’t be contained for long. Nor can the hungry men of power in Kettleton who want something too: that Vida, like Jose, disappear forever. One by one they come for her, prepared to do anything to see their plans through to their evil end. Vida is no less prepared for them.
Vida, the forest, and its formidable wonders are waiting. She will not rest until goodness and order have been restored.
Koontz has always been a hit or miss with me. This one was more of a miss.

 

[willowsnn3]

45/80. “Shelterwood” by Lisa Wingate! 4/5
Such a tragic story of children in the early time of Statehood of OK.

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My library system says 62 out of 137 copies available but when I tried to put it on hold gave me this message:

Hold was not successfully placed Problem: All available copies are temporarily unavailable at your pickup library. Placing this hold could result in longer wait times.

Weird but I will try again another time.

 

[cayennews]

#33 True Blend by Joanne Demaio. First time reading this author. I liked the premise of the book, but it was way too drawn out. At one point I was skipping over paragraphs.