Annual reading challenge 2017-come join us

I haven't been getting updates for this thread so I have been forgetting to put my reviews on here. I have 10 books to add here & I hope to get them done this week. I don't understand why I don't get alerts when there's new posts.

Same for me!

#9 Tricky Twenty Two by Janet Evanovich

I saw this and said why not. I am pretty sure this is catered for woman especially looking through the reviews for this book and other ones in the series. It seemed almost every review I read was from woman. Even though I am not the intended market, I liked this book. I have not read any other in the series and the ending just went completely overboard but I had fun. And to me, having fun is one of the most important things when reading. I love humorous writers and Ms Evanovich is really quite funny. Some of the jokes were predictable and sometimes things were obviously set up for a laugh, but at least the joke was funny. Even if they were set up, the humor was on target. I even enjoyed the battle for attention from the 2 suitors which was one of the parts definitely not directed to me.
Overall I am glad to have found a new humorous writer, and will without doubt try another form this series.

(If anyone is interested, I would gladly send kindle gift versions of any of my works, Written for You, Cemetery Girl, Three Twigs for the Campfire, or Reigning. You can see them all reviewed click here Goodreads. If you are interested just PM here or there or like post.)

My DH loves these books as well! I started the series from the beginning. It is a real formula, but the laughs are worth it. Other books that make me laugh are the Carl Hiaasen novels and the few Dave Barry novels.
 
#39/80: The One Man by Andrew Gross (3/5) (historical fiction/ WWII/Holocaust)
I kind of dragged through this book. It jumps around a bit between time periods and locations.

#40/80: The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (4/5) (historical fiction/England WWI)
Stand alone book by the author of the Maisie Dobbs series. Was slow to start, but I grew to love the characters. Also enjoyed the information from the author after the story.
 
#19/60

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
The Pevensie siblings travel back to Narnia to help a prince denied his rightful throne as he gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world. Prince Caspian is the fourth book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been drawing readers of all ages into a magical land where animals talk and trees walk for over sixty years.

Love C. S. Lewis! While I have seen all the Narnia movies, I haven't read all the books. This was number 4 in the series and looking forward to the next.
 
Same for me!

My DH loves these books as well! I started the series from the beginning. It is a real formula, but the laughs are worth it. Other books that make me laugh are the Carl Hiaasen novels and the few Dave Barry novels.

Thanks, I will check them out, and I will read another from Janet E.


(If anyone is interested, I would gladly send kindle gift versions of any of my works, Written for You, Cemetery Girl, Three Twigs for the Campfire, or Reigning. You can see them all reviewed click here Goodreads. If you are interested just PM here or there or like post.)
 


Dave Barry cracks me up! I just finished a book he wrote on travel and there's a funny chapter on WDW
 
Week 22- I read six books this week which brings me to 78/104. The books I read were:

The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman. Non-fiction. This is a true story of WWII. In 1939 the German’s invade Poland. The keeper of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan Zabinski and his wife, Antonina, survive the bombing of the city only to watch the Nazi’s loot the zoo of its best animals and then sport shoot the remaining animals. They use the empty zoo as part of the underground and were responsible for saving over 300 people from extermination.


The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan. A thirty-something, single woman librarian is downsized out of her library job. When the her library closes, she salvages cartons of books to go with the hundreds of books she already owns. She buys an old bread van, refits it with shelves to become a mobile bookstore. And, she relocates from the English city of Birmingham to a small village in Scotland. Once there, she finds adventure, a new sense of self and a place that feels like she is finally at home.


The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Anderson Brower. Non-fiction. Stories from the people who are the help (cooks, butlers, florists, plumbers, electricians, etc) inside the White House. It was an interesting glimpse into what it is like to take care of the first family that covered the presidencies from Kennedy through Obama.


This Bitter Treasure by S.W. Hubbard. Murder mystery. Audrey owes Palmyrton Estate Sales. She gets called to a mansion to start cataloging its contents for an estate sale. The owner hasn’t died yet but the family is anxious to have everything ready to go as soon as the matriarch dies. Then she is murdered and Audrey is drawn into solving her murder.

Happily Ever After by Jenn Faulk. Christian romantic fiction. Childhood friends are re-united in the missionary field in Africa. They overcome their misunderstandings from their past and marry for the happily ever after ending.


Un Authored Letters by Tara C. Allred. Psychological suspense. Things from a woman’s traumatic youth threatens to destroy her hard won sanity and the normal family life she has established. It was an intriguing look at metal illness and the strains it places on the family as well as the individual with the illness.
 


What was the title of this one?

"Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need".
I forgot to mention that I started :Everyone Brave Is Forgiven", which had great reviews, but for me, that took will go down in my mind as the only book that I got about 1/3 into, kept waiting for it to improve, then finally gave up and quit.
 
"Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need".
I forgot to mention that I started :Everyone Brave Is Forgiven", which had great reviews, but for me, that took will go down in my mind as the only book that I got about 1/3 into, kept waiting for it to improve, then finally gave up and quit.

Bummer! My library does not have that one.

I think I read that one and I remember it as being profoundly sad.
 
#19.5 - Start of Us / Thrill of it - Lauren Blakely

Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it's the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love...Love isn't patient, love isn't kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that's how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I've never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I'm being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don't regret.


The Start of us is a prequel novella to the Thrill of It. I am counting this as ONE book read. There is also a third book Every Second with You which I have not read yet. Since I have other books that I need to read first.
 
32/40: The Forbidden Garden
33/40: Life's a beach
34/40: Summer with my sisters
35/40: The blue ribbon jalapeno society jubilee
 
My last few books have been so "Blah!" that I'd like any good recommendations. I like fiction, not fantasy, suspense, mystery (except cozies). I used to love romance, especially Debbie Macomber, and still do. But I just finished "The Next Always" by Nora Roberts, one of my favorite authors, and it was "blah". Oh, yes-#25/60
 
My last few books have been so "Blah!" that I'd like any good recommendations. I like fiction, not fantasy, suspense, mystery (except cozies). I used to love romance, especially Debbie Macomber, and still do. But I just finished "The Next Always" by Nora Roberts, one of my favorite authors, and it was "blah". Oh, yes-#25/60

One of my favorite series is the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. The first book is titled Still Life. It takes place in a remote village in Canada. The characters are very quirky.

I have not yet started it, but a friend recommended a series that takes place in England around WWII; the first one is Mr. Churchill's Secretary.
 
Book #12/50: Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

From Goodreads:
Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.

Book #13/50: The Last Mile by David Baldacci

From Goodreads:
Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution--for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier--when he's granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime.

Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars's case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men's families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth.

The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars--guilty or not--a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?

But when a member of Decker's team disappears, it becomes clear that something much larger--and more sinister--than just one convicted criminal's life hangs in the balance. Decker will need all of his extraordinary brainpower to stop an innocent man from being executed.
 
#20/60

Legend by Marie Lu

From Goodreads:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.


This YA got rave reviews on Goodreads and was pretty good altho the characters seemed a little unbelievable and it seemed like the author only had a few more words allotted by the time the last chapter came because everything just happened so fast with not much explanation how.

There are 2 more to the series but don't think I will bother with them.
 
Finished book #20/70 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I enjoyed this book. I loved the 1980's references, solving puzzles, and video gaming. 4 stars

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.


Finished book #21/70 - The Devil You Know by Mike Carey

This is book 1 in the Felix Castor series. I lied this enough that I read the whole series. There's a lot of repeating in the rest of the books that was annoying. 4 stars

Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. It may seem like a good ghost buster can charge what he likes and enjoy a hell of a lifestyle--but there's a risk: Sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him. While trying to back out of this ill-conceived career, Castor accepts a seemingly simple ghost-hunting case at a museum in the shadowy heart of London - just to pay the bills, you understand. But what should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show, with demons and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. That's OK: Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off...

Finished book #22/70 - Vicious Circle (Felix Castor #2) by Mike Carey 3.5 stars
Finished book #23/70 - Dead Men's Boots (Felix Castor #3) by Mike Carey 3.5 stars
Finished book #24/70 - Thicker Than Water (Felix Castor #4) by Mike Carey 3.5 stars
Finished book #25/70 - The Naming Of The Beasts (Felix Castor #5) by Mike Carey 3.5 stars

Finished book #26/70 - A Twist In Time by Julie McElwain

This is book 2 in the Kendra Donovan series. I enjoy the mystery somewhat, but really just trying to find out if she gets back to present day time. 3.5 stars

Former FBI agent Kendra Donovan’s attempts to return to the twenty-first century have failed, leaving her stuck at Aldridge Castle in 1815. And her problems have just begun: in London, the Duke of Aldridge’s nephew Alec—Kendra’s confidante and lover—has come under suspicion for murdering his former mistress, Lady Dover, who was found viciously stabbed with a stiletto, her face carved up in a bizarre and brutal way.
Lady Dover had plenty of secrets, and her past wasn’t quite what she’d made it out to be. Nor is it entirely in the past—which becomes frighteningly clear when a crime lord emerges from London’s seamy underbelly to threaten Alec. Joining forces with Bow Street Runner Sam Kelly, Kendra must navigate the treacherous nineteenth century while she picks through the strands of Lady Dover’s life.
As the noose tightens around Alec’s neck, Kendra will do anything to save him, including following every twist and turn through London’s glittering ballrooms, where deception is the norm—and any attempt to uncover the truth will get someone killed.


Finished book #27/70 - Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

I found this story unbelievable and weird. 1.5 stars

In 2003, sixteen-year-old Rebecca Winter disappeared.
She'd been enjoying her teenage summer break: working at a fast-food restaurant, crushing on an older boy and shoplifting with her best friend. Mysteriously ominous things began to happen—blood in the bed, periods of blackouts, a feeling of being watched—though Bec remained oblivious of what was to come.
Eleven years later she is replaced.
A young woman, desperate after being arrested, claims to be the decade-missing Bec.
Soon the imposter is living Bec's life. Sleeping in her bed. Hugging her mother and father. Learning her best friends' names. Playing with her twin brothers.
But Bec's welcoming family and enthusiastic friends are not quite as they seem. As the imposter dodges the detective investigating her case, she begins to delve into the life of the real Bec Winter—and soon realizes that whoever took Bec is still at large, and that she is in imminent danger.


Finished book #28/70 - A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt

This is the 1st book in a series, but I am not interested in reading more. It's slow moving and not that interesting. 1.5 stars

In 1907 New York, a psychiatrist must prove her patient's innocence...or risk being implicated in a shocking murder
As one of the first women practicing in an advanced new field of psychology, Dr. Genevieve Summerford is used to forging her own path. But when one of her patients is arrested for murder-a murder Genevieve fears she may have unwittingly provoked-she is forced to seek help from an old acquaintance.
Desperate to clear her patient's name and relieve her own guilty conscience, Genevieve finds herself breaking all the rules she's tried so hard to live by. In her search for answers, Genevieve uncovers an astonishing secret that, should she reveal it, could spell disaster for those she cares about most. But if she lets her discovery remain hidden, she will almost certainly condemn her patient to the electric chair.
 
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Finished book #29/70 - Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson

This is another story I found totally unbelievable. A woman with high anxiety and panic attacks from a terrifying event from her past wouldn't just make a quick decision to move to another continent, stay after finding out the woman next door was murdered, & sleep with a stranger. 1 star

Growing up, Kate Priddy was always a bit neurotic, experiencing momentary bouts of anxiety that exploded into full-blown panic attacks after an ex-boyfriend kidnapped her and nearly ended her life. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston, suggests the two temporarily swap apartments, Kate, an art student in London, agrees, hoping that time away in a new place will help her overcome the recent wreckage of her life.
Soon after her arrival at Corbin’s grand apartment on Beacon Hill, Kate makes a shocking discovery: his next-door neighbor, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers, and many questions of her own—curiosity that intensifies when she meets Alan Cherney, a handsome, quiet tenant who lives across the courtyard, in the apartment facing Audrey’s. Alan saw Corbin surreptitiously come and go from Audrey’s place, yet he’s denied knowing her. Then, Kate runs into a tearful man claiming to be the dead woman’s old boyfriend, who insists Corbin did the deed the night that he left for London.
When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves--until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment and accidentally learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? What about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jet-lagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself, so how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met?


Finished book #30/70 - Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I really like books by Backman and this one didn't disappoint. 4.5 stars

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.
Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.


Finished book #31/70 - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This is a small YA book, but an emotionally powerful one. A definite must read and be prepared to cry. 4.5 stars

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.
But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…
This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.
 
#10 In the Name of the Family Sarah Dunant

Renaissance Italy and the Borgia family wrapped into a compelling novel. I knew very little about either before I started reading this book and have become much more knowledgeable from the book and the constant trips to Wikipedia I made.

Rodrigo Borgia who became Pope Alexander VI, even though he had numerous illegitimate kids.
He and the whole Borgia family and associates is covered as are there many marriages, murder plots, power plays, corruption, romances, wars and more murders.
Jumping between Wikipedia and the book really helped me and actually made me feel like I was actually learning some history as I enjoying the book.

Finished book #20/70 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I enjoyed this book. I loved the 1980's references, solving puzzles, and video gaming. 4 stars

Any fan of the80's would love it. Mentions so much. Loved the book, even if it is pretty much just fluff

(If anyone is interested, I would gladly send kindle gift versions of any of my works, Written for You, Cemetery Girl, Three Twigs for the Campfire, or Reigning. You can see them all reviewed click here Goodreads. If you are interested just PM here or there or like post.)
 
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Week 23 - I read three books this week bringing me to 81/104. The books I read this week were:

Murder in the Winter by Steve Demaree. This is book 2 in the Dekker Cozy Mystery Series, a Christian mystery series featuring two semi-retired police detectives in a town too small for the police department to need a homicide division. When there is a suspicious death, the two retired policemen get activated to handle it. This series has a very unique style and the two detectives have quirky personalities. I can only read on of these books without taking a break from the series. Plus, I have not been reading them in order but that does not seem to be a problem.

Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need by Dave Barry. This book was mentioned by Simba's Mom and I saw it on the library shelf and grabbed it. The book is a collection of essays centered on travel related topics. If you appreciate Dave Barry's sense of humor it is a quick, fun read.

The Underdogs by Melissa Fay Greene. This was non-fiction. According the book jacket, she was ". . . felled by a neuromuscular disorder. . . rejected by every service dog agency as "too disabled". A nurse gets her a dog from a shelter and gets Karen to train him to be her service animal. That leads to Karen establishing 4 Paws for Ability a service dog agency where no applicant is considered "too disabled". Interspaced between stories of specific dogs and the person that dog was paired is an enormous amount of factional information about studies and research into why and how dogs are suited to be assistance animals. It was a hard read because of the switching back and forth between the human interest stories and the hard push arguments about scientific justification for service animals.
 

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