Reading Challenge/Goals for 2024

[Kirby]

#38 - The Women by Kristin Hannah
Genre - General Fiction
It would be the journey of a lifetime . . .
'Women can be heroes, too'. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances "Frankie" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.
This is my book club pick to read this month. This is a good book. I was a kid/teenager during the Vietnam war so it wasn't on my radar back then. The only thing I remember is the POW bracelets. Of course there is MASH and other shows/movies I've seen but this made that time very real to me. All I'm going to say, to keep from going on a tirade, is I'm glad that I read this book. Kristin Hannah did a good job.

 

[willowsnn3]

#26/50 Don't Turn Around by Henry Dolan
The police call him Merkury. He’s a killer who seems to choose his victims at random. He leaves no evidence behind, and no witnesses. Except for one. But what did she really see? When Kate Summerlin was eleven years old, she climbed out her bedroom window on a spring night, looking for a taste of freedom in the small college town where she was living with her parents. But what she found as she wandered in the woods near her house was something the body of a beautiful young woman, the first of Merkury’s victims. And before she could come to grips with what she was seeing, she heard a voice behind her—the killer’s voice— “Don’t turn around.” Now, at the age of twenty-nine, Kate is a successful true crime writer, but she has never told anyone the truth about what happened on that long-ago night. When Merkury claims yet another victim—a college student named Bryan Cayhill—Kate finds herself drawn back to the town where everything started. She sets out to make sense of this latest crime, but the deeper she gets into the story, the more she comes to realize that it’s far from over. Her search for the truth about Merkury is leading her down into a dark labyrinth, and if she hopes to escape, she’ll have to meet him once again—this time face to face.

#27/50 The Three Mrs Wrights by Linda Keir
Lark has good things a career as a board-game designer and a whirlwind romance with handsome investor, Trip.
Jessica has always been cautious, but she can’t resist Jonathan.
Holly has settled into a comfortable life with Jack, her husband of nearly twenty years.
Lark, Jessica, and Holly are three strangers with so much in common it hurts. Their one and only is one and the same.

I enjoyed both of these.

 

[Needsanap]

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Really liked.

Murder Uncorked by Maddie Day
This was ok.

Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castellano
Really liked.

The Lincoln by David Baldacci
Really liked.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Really liked.

Split Second by David Baldacci
Really liked.

Hour Game by David Baldacci
Really liked.

That’s 39/25 for me.

 

[cayennews]

#16 - Welcome to Jubilee by Rachel Hanna

I picked this one up at the library over the weekend. I had never read this author before. Easy, lite read.

 

[melk]

13/30 Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

This reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel. It definitely held my attention and there was some humor in it but I found the ending/explanation to be a little hard to follow. I think a true mystery lover would enjoy it more than I did.

 

[Wood Nymph]

21/30 - The Librarian of Burned Books - by Brianna Labuskes - 3/5

The book followed three main characters and jumped between several periods of time. It was an interesting story that has some parallels to some of our current political situations.

from internet review - Berlin 1933. Following the success of her debut novel, American writer Althea James receives an invitation from Joseph Goebbels himself to participate in a culture exchange program in Germany. For a girl from a small town in Maine, 1933 Berlin seems to be sparklingly cosmopolitan, blossoming in the midst of a great change with the charismatic new chancellor at the helm. Then Althea meets a beautiful woman who promises to show her the real Berlin, and soon she's drawn into a group of resisters who make her question everything she knows about her hosts--and herself. Paris 1936. She may have escaped Berlin for Paris, but Hannah Brecht discovers the City of Light is no refuge from the anti-Semitism and Nazi sympathizers she thought she left behind. Heartbroken and tormented by the role she played in the betrayal that destroyed her family, Hannah throws herself into her work at the German Library of Burned Books. Through the quiet power of books, she believes she can help counter the tide of fascism she sees rising across Europe and atone for her mistakes. But when a dear friend decides actions will speak louder than words, Hannah must decide what stories she is willing to live--or die--for. New York 1944. Since her husband Edward was killed fighting the Nazis, Vivian Childs has been waging her own war: preventing a powerful senator's attempts to censor the Armed Service Editions, portable paperbacks that are shipped by the millions to soldiers overseas. Viv knows just how much they mean to the men through the letters she receives--including the last one she got from Edward. She also knows the only way to win this battle is to counter the senator's propaganda with a story of her own--at the heart of which lies the reclusive and mysterious woman tending the American Library of Nazi-Banned Books in Brooklyn. As Viv unknowingly brings her censorship fight crashing into the secrets of the recent past, the fates of these three women will converge, changing all of them forever.

 

[Christine]

#38 - The Women by Kristin Hannah
Genre - General Fiction
It would be the journey of a lifetime . . .
'Women can be heroes, too'. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances "Frankie" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.
This is my book club pick to read this month. This is a good book. I was a kid/teenager during the Vietnam war so it wasn't on my radar back then. The only thing I remember is the POW bracelets. Of course there is MASH and other shows/movies I've seen but this made that time very real to me. All I'm going to say, to keep from going on a tirade, is I'm glad that I read this book. Kristin Hannah did a good job.

I *loved* this book. Had been in my Libby queue for quite some time and finished it last week. It seemed very authentic to me. And I also enjoyed the look back times at Coronado Island--one of my favorite places to go.

 

[Simba's Mom]

3 more read-

#27-"The Summer Book Club", Susan Mallery, 3 stars. I used to love her books, but this was just so immature. The women were supposed to be adults, but generally acted like teenagers in their relationships.

#28-"Released:Conversations on the Eve of Freedom", Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, 2 stars. Why did she write this one? I was interested in her story, but this book didn't tell me anything, I felt it just promoted her upcoming book. Such a disappointment.

#29-"The Warsaw Sisters", Amanda Barrett, 4.5 stars. Fascinating historical fiction of two sisters in WWII, who watched the deterioration of the treatment of Jews by the Germans (they were Catholic) in Warsaw.

 

[melk]

14/30 The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Sequel to The Last Mrs. Parrish, picking up where the last one left off. Jackson Parrish is in prison but is soon released and he’s anxious to divorce his current wife, Amber, and win back his first wife, Daphne.

I actually liked this sequel better than the first book! I found the first book to be very dark and unsettling so I was unsure I would even read this one. But this was a very twisty psychological thriller that didn’t rely on the darkness of the first book.

 

[Lumpy1106]

11/20 - Hugh Howey, The Shell Collector (4/5)
12/20 - Andy Weir, Artemis (2/5) - This story just had so many plot holes - and that's saying something given I've already accepted the premise that this is a book about a woman who runs a black market of good coming from the Earth to the Moon. Lots of Goodreads reviewers were critical that she is portrayed as being promiscuous, and that's valid, but what I could not get past is how everyone just gave her unfettered access to just about everything. HELLO! She makes a living by illegally dealing in the black market! why is she given access to anything? That's just a start - it gets worse from there
Almost finished this one but I might as well list it;
13/20 - Maria Amparo Escandon, LA Weather (1/5) - I HATED (!) this book! This is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, and the LA County Public Library made it available to everyone so everyone could read it and I guess discuss it? Not sure how, and can only speculate why they picked this turd. It's a story about a family where the (older) parents are on the outs - the Dad is distant and won't really talk to the Mom, they decide to get a divorce, she cheats on him - so do ALL of their grown kids (they all get divorced from their respective spouses). The book starts with a near drowning of the couple's grand kids, who fall in a pool that is not maintained because of the drought, because global warming. Who is watching the kids?!? It's really a platform for all the liberal talking points - global warming, immigration, global warming, transgender rights, global warming, oh, and global warming. No exaggeration, you can't go 2 pages without the guilt trip.

 

[cayennews]

#17 - All Tucked Inn by Rachel Hanna

Second book in the Jubilee series. Lighthearted book. Quick, easy read.

 

[bobbiwoz]

25/80. A Young Adult book “The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon
My Houston son called and asked me about “The Monty Hall Problem,” and told me about this book that has a reference to the problem. I was a Math Teacher, and it’s not unusual for us to discuss math problems. I hadn’t read this book, so I was curious and took it out.

Mathematical genius Christopher Boone is 15 and may have Asperger syndrome, a form of autism in which those who have it are often unable to interpret social or emotional cues from the people around them; in the second chapter, Christopher tells readers that he cannot read facial expressions, and in the sixth chapter he explains that, because of his literal, nonironic approach to the world, he cannot tell jokes. Disliking metaphor, Christopher does not willingly read any form of literature apart from detective novels. One night, he discovers his neighbour’s poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wrongly blamed for the killing, he decides to imitate one of his literary heroes, Sherlock Holmes, and investigate the murder using similar deductive logic, and to write about it as he does so. (The title of Haddon’s book is taken from an 1893 Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle called “The Adventure of Silver Blaze.”) During his investigation, he also uncovers facts about the reasons for his parents’ separation and, believing himself to be in danger from the killer, runs away to London.

Quirky book….3.5/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

26/80 The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

12/30 The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

A four-year old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.

Excellent story, heartbreaking at times, that spans decades and really develops the characters and shows how this one crime had such repercussions on everyone involved.

I enjoyed it a lot! 4/5

 

[Kirby]

#39 - House of Flame and Shadow: Book 3 of the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas
Genre - Paranormal Romance
A WORLD IN DARKNESS.
A BURNING SPARK.
A BLAZE OF STARS.
Bryce Quinlan is stranded in a strange new world. She's going to need all her wits about her to get home again and return to everything she loves. But that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.
Meanwhile, Hunt Athalar is back in the Asteri's dungeons. Stripped of his freedom and the happiness he'd fought so hard for, he's without a clue as to Bryce's fate. Hunt is desperate to help his mate, but until he can escape the Asteri's chains, his hands are quite literally tied.
In this breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Midgard is brought to the brink of collapse, and the fate of the world rests on the hope of rebellion. But the fight for survival, freedom, and love may cost everything Bryce and Hunt have.
I loved this book just as much as the other two in the series.

 

[Wood Nymph]

22/30 - The Heavens May Fall - by Allen Eskens - vol 3 in the Max Rupert series - 4/5

Another good story from this author. I'm enjoying his books.

from library website- "FEATURING THREE CHARACTERS FROM THE BESTSELLING BOOK-CLUB FAVORITE THE LIFE WE BURY, THIS NOVEL EXPLORES A RIVETING MURDER CASE TOLD FROM TWO OPPOSING PERSPECTIVES. Detective Max Rupert and attorney Boady Sanden's friendship is being pushed to the breaking point. Max is convinced that Jennavieve Pruitt was killed by her husband, Ben. Boady is equally convinced that Ben, his client, is innocent. As the case unfolds, the two are forced to confront their own personal demons. Max is still struggling with the death of his wife four years earlier, and the Pruitt case stirs up old memories. Boady hasn't taken on a defense case since the death of an innocent client, a man Boady believes he could have saved but didn't. Now he is back in court, with student Lila Nash at his side, and he's determined to redeem himself for having failed in the past. Vividly told from two opposing perspectives, the truth about the stunning death of Jennavieve Pruitt remains a mystery until the very end"--"Two friends take opposite sides of a murder investigation and trial, each convinced that he is right"--

 

[bobbiwoz]

27/80 I wanted something short and sweet, so, “Yesterday Once More” by Debbie Macomber filled the bill.
I think it is wildly unlikely to ever happen. A woman finds future mother in law just too much, so she calls off the wedding at 5 days before. Three years later she realized she did something that needed amends, so she moved back to the hometown where she tries to apologize. Man refuses, but the Mother in law realizes she was too interfering and accepts. They do marry…eventually all is good. My, My! It was written in the 1980’s!
OK, a happy ending..3/5

 

[Needsanap]

The 24th Hour James Patterson
Liked this latest one in the series.

The Fix by David Baldacci
Kinda ok.

The Fallen by David Baldacci
Kinda ok. Probably gonna stay away from this series.

Plum Lucky by Jane Evanovich
Always like Stephanie Plumb


43/25

 

[cayennews]

#18 - A Justified Murder by Jude Deveraux

This book was very hard to follow. Way too many characters, too many side plots and just overall confusing. I still have questions and I read the whole book. Do not recommend.

 

[OKW8297]

15. The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner. An easy read but not one likeable character in the bunch. Unrealistic coincidences and family secrets. I’ld give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

 

[MGMmjl]

16/32 - A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci

Description:
"FBI Agent Atlee Pine's life was never the same after her twin sister Mercy was kidnapped--and likely killed--thirty years ago. After a lifetime of torturous uncertainty, Atlee's unresolved anger finally gets the better of her on the job, and she finds she has to deal with the demons of her past if she wants to remain with the FBI.

Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum head back to Atlee's rural hometown in Georgia to see what they can uncover about the traumatic night Mercy was taken and Pine was almost killed. But soon after Atlee begins her investigation, a local woman is found ritualistically murdered, her face covered with a wedding veil--and the first killing is quickly followed by a second bizarre murder.

Atlee is determined to continue her search for answers, but now she must also set her sights on finding a potential serial killer before another victim is claimed. But in a small town full of secrets--some of which could answer the questions that have plagued Atlee her entire life--digging deeper into the past could be more dangerous than she realizes . . ."

This is the second book in the Atlee Pine series. I read the first book earlier this year, and, while it wasn't my favorite, decided to read book #2. I'm glad I did. I really liked this one!