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Annual reading challenge 2017-come join us

Week 16 - I read 2 books this week which brings me to 59/104. The books I read were:

Sapphire Ice by Hallee Bridgeman. Christian romance with the usual happy ending but this one was more unrealistic than most. It had not one but three miraculous conversions. I make fun of the type of book but I read them a lot because I usually find them relaxing and helpful lulling me to sleep. This one I just found irritating.

The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood. This was entirely different from what I usually read. It is a story about loss (death of a child), the healing power of friendship, music and unexpected generation-spanning connections. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of this story but did like it.
 
#28/80: The Fifth Witness (Haller #5) by Michael Connelly (4/5) (LA defense attorney)
#29/80: The Gods of Guilt (Haller #6) by Michael Connelly (4/5) (LA defense attorney)
Now I am caught up on these books!

Thanks to the DISers who posted about these choices:

#30/80: The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer (4.5/5) (memoir)
Not for the faint of heart as she shares very intimate details and uses strong language. But I really admired her for her deep love for her sister and her passion for issues.

#31/80: We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (4/5) (contemporary fiction)
Not as good as Language of Flowers but still enjoyable.
 
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#28/80: The Fifth Witness (Haller #5) by Michael Connelly (4/5) (LA defense attorney)
#29/80: The Gods of Guilt (Haller #6) by Michael Connelly (4/5) (LA defense attorney)
Now I am caught up on these books!

Thanks to the DISers who posted about these choices:

#30/80: The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer (4.5/5) (memoir)
Not for the faint of heart as she shares very intimate details and uses strong language. But I really admired her for her deep love for her sister and her passion for issues.

#31/80: We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (4/5) (contemporary fiction)
Not as good as Language of Flowers but still enjoyable.
Really funny, Amy Schumer's book! We read it for book club. And ITA about Language of Flowers and We Never Asked for Wings.

Just finished Miss You - enjoyed it.
 


17/100 - Economism: Bad Economics and the Rise of Inequality by James Kwak

This was brilliant, an economist's look at the Econ 101 lessons that are used, and often misused, to justify a particular set of political and policy positions that serve a certain segment of the population at the expense of the greater good. The book itself isn't partisan and takes on "sacred cows" from both sides of the aisle that use faulty or incomplete economic reasoning as their foundations. It is the kind of book that I think we need more of, and which should get more attention - an author willing to follow the evidence where it leads, rather than setting out to prove a particular point and picking and choosing facts to best serve that end.

18/100 - The Age of Sustainability by Jeffery Sachs

I read this one only because it was the textbook for a course I took on sustainable development, but for a textbook it is surprisingly readable if a bit basic for anyone who has had other classes in development, global politics, or human rights that touch on UN documents and goals. It is oriented around the UN sustainable development definition, and looks at the history, potential, and roadblocks to sustainable development on a global scale.

19/100 - The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years by Greil Marcus

An artistic and literary analysis of The Doors' music through the lens of specific performances and recordings. It was a bit more artsy than I usually read, but I enjoyed some of the cultural parallels Marcus found in the music. Others, particularly those regarding pop art and painting, fell a bit flat for me just because I was unfamiliar with many of the references. But he did present one idea that really resonated with me as a lifelong Doors fan a generation removed from them as a creative force - the idea that The Sixties, as they're "remembered" by those of us fascinated by elements of the culture of the time but too young to have lived it, is a sort of static, idealized concept that can become a trap, derailing the development of a genuine voice and expression of those generations who find their connection by looking backwards rather than by living in the moment or looking forward as the artists of the 60s did.
 
Has anyone here read "What Alice Forgot"? I just started it-#20-and so far it's shaping up to be really good! I was wondering if anyone had read the whole thing and can tell me how it is, because I so don't want to be disappointed. I just finished "The Birthday Girls" and although it started out showing promise, it just let me down.
 


23/40 - Any Time Any Place: HGTV’s Property Brothers meets The Marriage Bargain in this second volume in the Billionaire Builders series, an all-new heart-wrenching and sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.
When she was a teen, Raven Bella Stratton’s father was killed in a horrible car crash. The bigger shock was the discovery of a woman with him—Diana Pierce—and their two fully packed suitcases with airline tickets to Paris. Devastated by her father’s betrayal, Raven went to live with her aunt, never truly overcoming the traumatic event. When she discovers that the mysterious woman had a family with a husband and three boys, Raven vows to leave the memory of her father behind.
Until Dalton Pierce visits one night and suddenly her past challenges her future...
Leaving his life in California behind to run Pierce Construction with his two older brothers, Dalton Pierce has enjoyed returning home and studying his passion of woodworking. But when he visits the local bar with his brothers one evening, he’s immediately drawn to the smart-mouthed, badass, sexy bartender who sets his body on fire. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem as intrigued by him, and his multiple advances are met with rejection. When he offers to restore the bar back to its original glory, he begins to work with her on a daily basis, and falls harder. His plan of seduction slowly weaves a web around them both, until they are caught up in the spell. But Dalton doesn’t know the secret that can either destroy them both...or finally mend two broken hearts.

24/40 - Summer Rental: Sometimes, when you need a change in your life, the tide just happens to pull you in the right direction…
Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Julia--whose caustic wit covers up her wounds--has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life. And Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world…though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina's Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs.
Ty Bazemore is their landlord, though he's hanging on to the rambling old beach house by a thin thread. After an inauspicious first meeting with Ellis, the two find themselves disturbingly attracted to one another, even as Ty is about to lose everything he's ever cared about.
Maryn Shackleford is a stranger, and a woman on the run. Maryn needs just a few things in life: no questions, a good hiding place, and a new identity. Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs?
Mary Kay Andrews' novel is the story of five people questioning everything they ever thought they knew about life. Five people on a journey that will uncover their secrets and point them on the path to forgiveness. Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them.
 
Has anyone here read "What Alice Forgot"? I just started it-#20-and so far it's shaping up to be really good! I was wondering if anyone had read the whole thing and can tell me how it is, because I so don't want to be disappointed. I just finished "The Birthday Girls" and although it started out showing promise, it just let me down.
I liked it. It has been awhile since I read it, but I remember liking it. I like most of her books, the last one being the exception.
 
#15/60

The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

From Goodreads:
A rash of grisly serial murders plagued Seattle until the infamous "Beacon Hill Butcher" was finally hunted down and killed by police chief Edward Shank in 1985. Now, some thirty years later, Shank, retired and widowed, is giving up his large rambling Victorian house to his grandson Matt, whom he helped raise.

Settling back into his childhood home and doing some renovations in the backyard to make the house feel like his own, Matt, a young up-and-coming chef and restaurateur, stumbles upon a locked crate he’s never seen before. Curious, he picks the padlock and makes a discovery so gruesome it will forever haunt him… Faced with this deep dark family secret, Matt must decide whether to keep what he knows buried in the past, go to the police, or take matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile Matt’s girlfriend, Sam, has always suspected that her mother was murdered by the Beacon Hill Butcher—two years after the supposed Butcher was gunned down. As she pursues leads that will prove her right, Sam heads right into the path of Matt’s terrible secret.

I liked this book, kept me interested.
 
Book #10/50: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

From Goodreads:
If anyone had told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real.

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

Book #11/50: The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker

From Goodreads:
For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too.

Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally.

Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance.

Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim…

Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?
 
Week 17- I read 2 books this week which brings me to 61/104. The books I read were:

Forever Beach by Shelley Noble. Woman who grew up in the foster care system is awaiting final paper to complete adoption of a foster child. The birth mother changes her mind and appeals the termination of her rights and gets visitation rights while the appeal is processing. The woman trying to adopt tries to get high priced, power attorney to help her as a pro bono case. The lawyer turns out to be a girl she was good friends with in a group home as children. They team up to rescue the child being adopted.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Book upon which the movie was based. Working class girl becomes caregiver to quadriplegic rich man. He was injured in accident while living highly active successful life. He wants to die. After a botched suicide attempt, he makes deal with family to try finding purpose for living six months. If still wants to die, they will take him to Switzerland where he can legally obtain an assisted suicide. Girl is hired to watch him during the six months and she makes it her goal to convince him to live. She does not succeed.
 
#32/80: Felony Murder Rule (Daley and Fernandez #8) by Sheldon Siegel (4/5) (legal thriller)
Formula that works for me! Difficult case, twists and turns.

#33/80: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan (3.5/5) (historical fiction/WWI in Italy)
I enjoyed learning more about Italy during this time period, but felt that the character (based on a real person.events) read more like fiction.

#34/80: A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline (4.5/5) (historical fiction/Christina's World subject)
This is by the same author as Orphan Train and is based on the woman in Andrew Wyeth's famous painting.
 
5 of 20: Star Wars: Aftermath: Empire's End
Following Star Wars: Aftermath and Star Wars: Life Debt, Chuck Wendig delivers the exhilarating conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy set in the years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.

4 out of 5 starts.
I will admit to concern when reading the first Aftermath novel. I did not appreciate the terse voice and sentence structure used. However, I was pulled in by the plot and host of new characters. I was pleased with Life Debt, and then was completely satisfied with the ending of Wendig's trilogy in Empire's End. Some mysteries remain, to be explained in further material, but the overall story was wrapped up nicely. I will miss Norra and Jas, and Rae Sloane. I hope to hear more about them in other Star Wars stories.

Currently reading: Star Wars: Thrawn (about halfway through).

Yes, it's a Star Wars heavy year for me. I have two more Star Wars novels that came out just today (Rebel Rising and Guardians of the Whills), plus there's a few more coming out this year.
 
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#16/60

Unwind by Neal Shusteman

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

First of a trilogy. I actually liked this one so will probably try the second in the series
 
Almost done with "What Alice forgot". Although I enjoyed it, it was a little tough for us Sophie Kinsella fans. Did anyone here ever read her "Remember Me?" The premise was similar, so I kind of kept chuckling, although it really isn't "chuckle-worthy". My fault! Great book otherwise.
 
#14.5 Two by Two - Nicholas Sparks

At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear...and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding—one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined.




I was crying reading the last few chapters last night.
 
Week 18 - I read two books this week bringing my total to 63/104. The books I read were:

Because of the Rain by Deborah Raney. Christian women's fiction which dealt with some heavy subject matter - rape, unwanted pregnancy, abortion and adoption. Despite the dark topics it did manage to have the usual happy ending.

If I Run by Terrie Blackstock. Christian mystery. This was a different sort of Christian fiction. It did not have a lot of in your face religious content and it did not have a happy ending. In fact it did not have a ending. It is definitely the first book in a planned series. It is a about young woman being framed for a murder who goes on the run. The murder is related to the suicide of her father that she has always believed was a murder in disguise. If the police find her it is clear the goal is to make sure she dies while resisting capture. However, the family of the murder victim do not trust the police and hire an ex-marine with PTSD issues to find the truth. Once he starts investigating, he does not know what to think. While on the run, she solves the disappearance of another young girl but it blows her cover and the book ends with her taking up the run again. I like it enough to put the next book in the series on to my to read list.
 
It's been awhile since I posted. Time to catch up.

20. Chase by James Patterson
This was one of James Patterson's "Bookshots"; short novellas. This one starred Michael Bennett, who is my favorite Patterson character. It was ok.

21. Bullseye by James Patterson
This was another Michael Bennett. Some of the background referred to in Chase above occurred in this book and since I read it out of order it was annoying. this was pretty good though. A little more political than usual and some good action and twists.

22. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
Again. I just cant help visiting Hogwarts every now and then.

23. Mercy by Michael Palmer and Daniel Palmer
This is about Physician assisted suicide. Or is it murder? A young doctor follows a string of clues to see which it is.

24. End of Watch by Stephen King
The last of the Bill Hodges trilogy. It was good but I couldn't quite swallow the premise behind the killer.

25. Hand of Evil by JA Jance
I'm currently on a Jance kick with the Ali Reynolds series getting top attention. This is the third of the series. Ali is starting to get a little more sensible.
From Goodreads: With his hand trapped in the door of a speeding car, a man struggles to remain upright as he's dragged along a deserted stretch of San Juan Road in Phoenix's South Mountain Preserve. It's the perfect place to drive a man to his grave -- literally. Starting with a crime so gruesome even prowling coyotes keep their distance from the remains, a killer begins crisscrossing the Southwest on a spree of grisly murders. A hundred miles away, Ali Reynolds is grieving. The news casting job she once delighted in is gone and so is the philandering husband she loved and thought she knew. When a member of the family who gave Ali a generous scholarship for her education decades earlier suddenly asks her for a meeting, Ali wonders what it can mean. Before she can satisfy her curiosity, though, Ali receives another startling call: a friend's teenage daughter has disappeared. Ali offers to help, but in doing so, she unknowingly begins a quest that will reveal a deadly ring of secrets, at the center of which stand two undiscriminating killers....

26. The Christmas Mystery by James Patterson.
Another Bookshot, this one featuring Luc Moncrief. I had some good action but I wasn't crazy about the character.
From Goodreads: Have yourself a scary little Christmas.

In the heart of the holiday season, priceless paintings have vanished from a Park Avenue murder scene. Now, dashing French detective Luc Moncrief must become a quick study in the art of the steal-before a coldblooded killer paints the town red. Merry Christmas, Detective.

27. Zoo 2 by James Patterson.
I really enjoyed Zoo. This follow up was not nearly as good.

28. Cruel Intent by JA Jance
#4 of the Ali Reynolds series. This was a good installment.
From Goodreads: On a dating site, singleatheart.com, bored housewives can find romance with married men looking for sex without strings. But these "married singles" are flirting with more than just their vows. At the heart of this seemingly innocent service, a vengeful computer hacker is playing games with people's lives...and deaths.

Ex-television journalist Ali Reynolds just wants a break from excitement. In the midst of a remodel, the last thing she expects is a murder investigation that will stop the construction on her home. But when the savagely murdered body of stay-at-home mom Morgan Forester is found, Ali's contractor Bryan is the prime suspect. Bryan swears he has nothing to do with his wife's murder -- but as the investigation progresses Ali seems to be the only resident of Sedona who believes him.

Determined to prove Bryan's innocence, Ali unknowingly lands herself directly in the path of a calculating killer. In a world filled with encrypted computer traps and life-threatening lies, will Ali be able to decode the actions of a ruthless man determined to destroy women -- before he uses his wicked website to find her?


29. Truth or Die by James Patterson
I'd really like to get away from James Patterson but there are just so many of them! This was a stand alone novel and actually pretty interesting.
From Goodreads: New York attorney Trevor Mann's world shatters when he receives a phone call telling him his girlfriend has been shot dead in a mugging. But the circumstances point to something more calculated than a random attack.

Claire was a New York Times journalist and Trevor is convinced she had unearthed a secret so shocking that she was murdered to keep it from coming to light. Chasing Claire's leads, Trevor will risk everything to discover what exactly she was killed for.

It's time to find out the truth, or die.


30. Trial by Fire by JA Jance
#5 of the Ali Reynolds series. Entertaining

31. The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Anderson Brower
This was a factual account of what goes on behind the scenes in the White House. The author interviews countless WH workers about their jobs and experiences during their tenure. Not a tell all book by any means, it is an interesting glimpse into what it takes to run the everyday operations. It covers the time period of the Kennedys through the Obamas.
 
Finished #20-"What Alice Forgot"
Now reading a typical romance-"Willow Brook Road" by Sheryl Woods
 

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