Reading Challenge/Goals for 2024

[Allison Joy]

Looks like I'm overdue for an update again.

7-9/18 Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay - all re-reads for me

10-11/18 Normal (2 versions) by Magdalena Newman and the "Young Reader's" version of the same book (same title) with Magdalena and her son, Nathanial. These are memoirs about Nathaniel, who was born with the same facial deformity as the main character in the "Wonder" book. I read both, thinking the kids version would be mostly from Nathaniel's POV, but it's still mostly from his mom's POV, just with more insight from Nathaniel himself. I'd recommend only reading one of the two, because the second felt extremely repetitive. Almost exactly the same, really. If anything, the "young reader's" version is more difficult to read, because it's not as linear as the first.

12/18 - Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney-Boylan - A teenager finds his girlfriend dead at the bottom of the stairs of her home, and is quickly questioned by police. But the girlfriend was hiding a secret. Did he know, and was that motivation to kill? I actually got this book for free for finishing the summer reading program at my library. and it's hard cover too!

13/18 - Harry Potter the the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - A 4th time (I think?) re-read. Love this series, and re-read it every couple of years. I think you an predict my next few books.

 

[Kirby]

#55 - Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan
Genre - Literary Fiction
Nora and Theresa Flynn are twenty-one and seventeen when they leave their small village in Ireland and journey to America. Nora is the responsible sister; she's shy and serious and engaged to a man she isn't sure that she loves. Theresa is gregarious; she is thrilled by their new life in Boston and besotted with the fashionable dresses and dance halls on Dudley Street. But when Theresa ends up pregnant, Nora is forced to come up with a plan—a decision with repercussions they are both far too young to understand. Fifty years later, Nora is the matriarch of a big Catholic family with four grown children: John, a successful, if opportunistic, political consultant; Bridget, quietly preparing to have a baby with her girlfriend; Brian, at loose ends after a failed baseball career; and Patrick, Nora's favorite, the beautiful boy who gives her no end of heartache. Estranged from her sister, Theresa is a cloistered nun, living in an abbey in rural Vermont. Until, after decades of silence, a sudden death forces Nora and Theresa to confront the choices they made so long ago.
This is a new to me author. I liked this book enough to want to check out something else that she has written.

 

[bobbiwoz]

37/80 “ Deceived” by Irene Hannon. I thought the first in the series was the best. A chance sighting of a son she thought had died caused Kate to contact a PI. Can former Secret Service Agent Connor Sullivan help her get to the truth?

3.5/5

I am probably not going to make my goal for this year! I’m not even 1/2 way!

 

[Kirby]

56 - Pawn of Prophecy: Book One of the Belgariad by David Eddings.
Genre - Fantasy
Long ago the evil God Torak sought dominion and drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, the men would be safe.
I've been wanting to read one of his books for years and finally decided to. Published in 1982, it's written differently than a lot of fantasy books nowadays. I'm going to continue with the series.

 

[Lumpy1106]

How can you access multiple library's collections through Libby? I thought you could only access the library (s) that you have a library card at. I use Libby regularly for my library, but if there's a way to get books from any others besides from my own library, that would be terrific. Our local library is OK, but not the biggest collection.

I have a second address I can use (parent's house) - you don't need to be a full-time resident. I had to talk to the librarian to confirm my identity remotely, but if you are in the area you can just walk into the library. They were actually pretty helpful in setting it up and they knew I would only be there visiting on occasion.

 

[Lumpy1106]

16/20 - Ann Napolitano, "Hello Beautiful", 5/5. Not really my cup of tea but I recognize good writing - and this is good writing. Characters are very well developed - you could make an argument the main character is one of at least 4 people. It's the story of the lives of a family with 4 daughters. The book switches between the POV of the different characters from chapter to chapter and it's really well done.

 

[OKW8297]

25. A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate this is a nice read about complicated family relationships and growing up. This fulfilled my challenge goal so I guess we shall see how much I end up reading this year!

 

[MGMmjl]

23/32 - The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos

Description:
"Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he's back home, doing the same lawman's job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn't strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck's investigation.

In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now."

I liked this book! It is the first book in a series, and the 2nd book was released a few months ago. I hope to read it soon.

 

[bobbiwoz]

38/80. “The Amish Midwife “ by Mindy Starns Clark. This is a compelling story about a search for identity! I really was interested in the story because Lexie was adopted and really wanted to know her story. She was faced with nothing but doors slamming in her face. It’s a good one! 4/5

 

[melk]

22/30 The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes by Ruth Hogan

Dual narrative by two women covering grief, healing, and the importance of community. While this book covers some heavy topics it also has some lighthearted moments that were laugh out loud funny. I really liked it.

 

[Kirby]

#57 - Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury
Genre - Inspirational
Football season becomes a time of realization that life's most important victories are won off the field. A star running back with much to learn, a younger player with much to give, and a woman with a heart for underprivileged kids - thrown together into a time of self-discovery and a new awareness of the things that matter most.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Happy National Read A Book Day everyone!!

 

[cayennews]

#26 A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter. This was the 3 book in the Grant County series. It was okay, not great. A little confusing in parts. A good story overall.

 

[bobbiwoz]

39/80 “The Amish Nanny” by Mindy Starns Clark.


This is not a typical Amish story, it takes you to Switzerland and you learn somethings about the history of the Anabaptists. Still not as good as the first in the series. 3.5/5

 

[Kirby]

25. A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate this is a nice read about complicated family relationships and growing up. This fulfilled my challenge goal so I guess we shall see how much I end up reading this year!

I've enjoyed reading her books.

39/80 “The Amish Nanny” by Mindy Starns Clark.

It's fun to see someone else enjoying the Amish novels.

#58 - Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre - Literary Fiction
Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, the family drama that ensues will change their lives forever.
Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.
Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there.
And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come rising to the surface.
Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.
I give this a 4/5. I enjoyed reading her book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo also. Malibu Rising is my book club's pick for September. I expect some interesting conversations when we meet in a couple of weeks. I think I'll add another one of her books to my reading list.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Anyone that has followed along with my reading, knows that I like Danielle Steel novels, so I have read 2 more since my last update

22/32 - Resurrection - Danielle Steel
23/32 - Joy - Danielle Steel
24/32 - Darian Earns Her Ears - If you love Disney haven't read any of these "Earns Her Ears" books, you might enjoy them. They are all short memoirs of people's College Program experience at Disney - there are 13 in the series so far.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I read three Agatha Christie books in a row. I think I'll give these books a break for a while.

28/30 - 4:50 from Paddington - A Miss Marple book - I read this book out of order. It was published in the 1950's, well after the introduction of her famous detective. I enjoyed this story.

29/30 - Murder at the Vicarage - this book introduced Miss Marple. It wasn't what I expected but it was a good story.

30/30 - Cards on the Table - a Hercule Poirot Mystery - this story had a very unlikely murder, or at least it was unlikely in my opinion. I didn't really like this story.

That completes my book goal, but I won't stop reading. The Agatha Christie books are usually a lot shorter than more current novels, so it was easy to "rack up the reads".

 

[Beezle2]

47/75 The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. Utterly charming and cozy for a book dealing with the heavy themes of domestic abuse and finding the courage to live an authentic life. I really liked it and am going to give some copies as gifts
48/75 How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Dango Wexler. How many times does a girl gotta die anyway? Very fun, quick paced, and lots of sarcastic humor.

 

[Simba's Mom]

40/52-"The Boy at the Top of the Mountain", John Boyne, historical fiction, very though-provoking story of how a young boy goes to live with Adolf Hitler and how he's taken in by Hitler's ideas. 5 stars

41/52-"The Life She Was Given", Ellen Weisman, a child is sold to the circus by her mother, and her life over the next 20 or so years. 5 stars.

42/52-"Miss Morgan's Book Brigade", Janet Skeslein Charles, historical fiction, based on fact, regarding a woman after WWI, who worked with libraries and bookmobiles in Europe. 3 stars

43/52-"The Last Letter", Rebecca Yarros. A military man, whose best friend dies while they're in Afghanistan, fulfills his friend's promise to take care of the friend's sister. The story was interesting, but some things seemed too far fetched, The ending, however, just blew me away. 3 stars in parts, 5 stars at the end, so four stars overall.

 

[Lumpy1106]

17/20 - Taylor Jenkins Reid, "Maybe in Another Life" - 4/5. On the YA side, but good. I really liked the premise; how does a single decision in your life alter the path of your life? The story is told along two possible paths.