Reading Thread/Goals for 2025

[bobbiwoz]

63/70. An Amish Gift…by Cynthia Keller. A heartwarming story about healing. 4/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

64/70 Starry Night by Debbie Macomber…3.5/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

65/70. “The Way Life Should Be” by Christina Baker Kline. 4.5/5 A good read about life and important things!

 

[willowsnn3]

#34 The Burning by Linda Castillo
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a gruesome murder that reveals a little-known chapter of early Amish history
Kate knows all too well that the Amish prefer to handle their problems without interference from the outside world, and no one will speak about the murdered man. From what she’s able to piece together, Swanz led a deeply troubled life and had recently been excommunicated. But if that’s the case, why are the Amish so reluctant to talk about him?
When her own brother is implicated in the case, Kate finds herself not only at odds with the Amish, the world of which she was once a part, but also the English community and her counterparts in law enforcement. The investigation takes a violent turn when Kate’s life is threatened by a mysterious stranger.
#16 in the Kate Burkholder series.
One of my favorite series.

 

[Simba's Mom]

#52/56-"Being Henry: The Fonz and Beyond" an autobiography of Henry Winkler. As someone who grew up seeing Henry Winkler and "The Fonz" as the same, it was really interesting.

 

[bobbiwoz]

66/70 “Bird in Hand,” by Christina Baker Kline. 3/5. I had enjoyed the last book so much, I downloaded this one, and this one was about 4 people, 2 marriages, 1 lifelong friendship: Everything is about to change!

 

[willowsnn3]

#35 Lost & Found by Brooke Davis
A 7 yr old girl (Millie), 84 yr old woman (Agatha) & 87 yr old man (Karl).
Millie's mom, still grieving over the death of her husband, abandons Millie in a department store & disappears.
Grouchy Agatha, Millie's neighbor, takes on the task of finding Millie's mom & along the way they meet Karl who just escaped from the nursing home his son had sent him too. They are an unlikely trio. From there on out this book just became more unrealistic & well, stupid, lol.
This started out promising but soon just turned into a rambling mess. I managed to finish it but would not recommend.

 

[bobbiwoz]

67/70
“The Road Home” by Richard Paul Evans! 4.5/5..the end of the trilogy…thoroughly enjoyed all three books!

 

[Wood Nymph]

The Thursday Murder Club - by Richard Osman - 3.5/5

I got the idea to read this book from a Dis-er who posted about it. I had also seen about 1/2 hour of the Netflix movie before I fell sound asleep. It's a good thing I slept through the movie because the book had some differences to the ending. I thought that Helen Mirren was perfectly as Elizabeth in the movie. I totally saw her when I read the book.

It's a good story about senior citizens solving crimes. It also runs several different plots and murders. I think I benefitted from being a senior, too, although I don't solve crimes. I think it helped me see why some people did what they did.

 

[OKW8297]

32.Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. Charming novel with a romance between two other characters against the backdrop of several Christmas’ early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. I highly recommend.

 

[melk]

36/30 The Paper Bracelet by Rachael English

A nurse in a home for unwed mothers in the 1970s keeps a box of secrets for decades, until she decides to post a message online to help reunite adopted people with their birth mothers, leading to a journey of success, failure, heartbreak, and joy.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a good story. It was also heartbreaking knowing similar things happened not so long ago.

 

[bobbiwoz]

27. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawton. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It is.historical fiction based on the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife in Maine during the end of the 18th century and her involvement/investigation of a crime. An excellent book.

68/70

I put a hold on this when I read your review. I was unfamiliar with this author, and I loved the book. 4/5

 

[Simba's Mom]

68/70

I put a hold on this when I read your review. I was unfamiliar with this author, and I loved the book. 4/5

So glad to hear! Now that 2 people here have recommended it, I just went to my "libby library" and put a hold on it.

 

[Simba's Mom]

#53/56-"The Dog Ladies", Julie Titterington-A cute cozy mystery about 3 people in a housing complex for the elderly trying to solve a mystery. The only problem for me was there was a big part that included video gaming, which I know nothing about. But this was the first book of a cozy mystery series and I'd enjoy reading another.

 

[MGMmjl]

30/32 - 25 Candles by Iris Baxter

Description:
"When nurse Hannah Mark loses a patient, she returns to her hometown for an escape. Although she hasn't visited since her father's funeral, Greenridge is still the idyllic town she remembers it to be.

Every December, the townsfolk light a candle each night to count down to Christmas. Despite the fire at the orphanage that claimed the lives of all the children years ago, the town has seemingly recovered from the tragedy - or at least buried the ugly reminder.

Until tragedy strikes again. Each lit candle is accompanied by an incident. A shed catches fire, bakeries burn down, people go missing. And Hannah is in the center of it all.

The events are not coincidental. Someone has been orchestrating everything. And they're back to remind the town."

This book was just ok. Kind of got repetitive through the 25 chapters. Meant to be read as an advent-calendar style reading.

 

[MGMmjl]

31/32 - Hidden History of Walt Disney World by Foxx Nolte

Description:
"Author Foxx Nolte gives readers a glimpse behind the curtain of the most magical place on earth. Millions of people a year visit Walt Disney World, but few would consider it to be a place with any real history. But hidden just below the surface, past the blanket of pixie dust, is a story as vivid and bizarre as any. It is a history of corporate politics, urban planning, crazy ambitions, and failed schemes. The Hidden History of Walt Disney World takes you on a journey that stretches from 'Old Florida' to the events that made Walt Disney World what it is today. There's birds made of citrus, horizontal elevators, a ghost town, and tennis ball factories. And that's just the start. Whether you've visited one or one hundred times, your vacation will never be the same again. Yep, the castle is fake. But the stories are not."

I had previously read Foxx Nolte's book about the Haunted Mansion (Boundless Realm) a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I saw that she wrote this book last year. It is not as in-depth as her previous book, but I enjoyed this one as well!

 

[bobbiwoz]

The Thursday Murder Club - by Richard Osman - 3.5/5

I got the idea to read this book from a Dis-er who posted about it. I had also seen about 1/2 hour of the Netflix movie before I fell sound asleep. It's a good thing I slept through the movie because the book had some differences to the ending. I thought that Helen Mirren was perfectly as Elizabeth in the movie. I totally saw her when I read the book.

It's a good story about senior citizens solving crimes. It also runs several different plots and murders. I think I benefitted from being a senior, too, although I don't solve crimes. I think it helped me see why some people did what they did.

Decided to read it after reading your report, and enjoyed it. Lots of twists! 4/5.
69/70