Annual Reading Challenge 2019

[TexasBee]

19 / 115 - The Invisible Library - Cogman, Genevieve. This is actually a re-read from a couple of years ago because I want to read the rest of the series and had forgotten what happened. It's sort of an alternate world with touches of steam punk fantasy series. I gave it 3 stars the first time I read it but would say it's more of a 3.5 stars for me now.

 

[virge]

7/50 The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
“If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life? It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness sneak out to hear their fortunes.The prophecies inform their next five decades.”
LOVED this book. The story of Simon, the youngest brother, touched me in a way few books have, and had me scouring my library’s digital collection for fiction & nonfiction books about the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

 

[bobbiwoz]

12/75. The Teacher’s Bride by Kathleen Fuller
I like to read some Amish based stories. I never read anything by this author, but I enjoyed the book. Easy reading.

 

[Tiggerish]

I have gotten very behind in my posting but not in my reading, so here is the quick catching up.

Mulberry Bay by Melissa Hill

Cupcakes & Conspiracies by Katherine Hayton

Starlight Dunes by Vickie McKeehan

Memories of Healing by Melissa Storm & Kay P. Dawson

Unrelenting: Love and Resistance in Pre-War Germany by Marion Kummerow

Jammed by Deany Ray

The Road Beyond Ruin by Gemma Liviero

The only two of substance were Unrelenting and The Road Beyond Ruin and the The Road Beyond Ruin is the only one I would recommend.

10-16 of 104

 

[mini22]

6/30 A Fine Romance by Candice Bergen

 

[Tiggerish]

Waiting Season by Melanie Lageschulte. This is the fourth book in a series. I had read the others so I was familiar with the storyline. It is christian fiction without the romantic happy ending and is set in rural, small town Iowa.

17 of 104

 

[design_mom]

8/24 - My Not-So-Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella. This is the author of the Confessions of a Shopaholic series (which I have not read) and it was available for instant download on my Kindle through our library so I gave it a try. Honestly, it took me a while to get into this one and I almost gave up on it, but it ended up being a decent story in the end.

 

[Simba's Mom]

8/24 - My Not-So-Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella. This is the author of the Confessions of a Shopaholic series (which I have not read) and it was available for instant download on my Kindle through our library so I gave it a try. Honestly, it took me a while to get into this one and I almost gave up on it, but it ended up being a decent story in the end.

Some of her books are really funny, think "I Love Lucy" style. I especially loved "The Undomestic Goddess" best. Unfortunately, many of her books aren't nearly as funny as that one. I think I read "My Not-So-Perfect Life" and it wasn't up to her best works.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Some of her books are really funny, think "I Love Lucy" style. I especially loved "The Undomestic Goddess" best. Unfortunately, many of her books aren't nearly as funny as that one. I think I read "My Not-So-Perfect Life" and it wasn't up to her best works.

I agree!

 

[TexasBee]

20 / 115 - Fight and Flight - Meyer, Scott. Continuing his Magic 2.0 series, which I like for something light. In this book the wizards create dragons, which escape and have to be dealt with. Cute enough, 3 stars.

21 / 115 - Vox - Dalcher, Christina. Oh, I really disliked this book. I intensely disliked the main character - she embodies everything that the rest of the country hates about East Coast intellectuals. The actual story concept was sort of interesting, just not handled well, and the twists toward the end were good so I gave it 2 stars but I wouldn't read anything else in this world or by this author.

22 / 115- Out of Spite, Out of Mind - Meyer, Scott. I didn't like this book as much as Fight and Flight. In this book Things Go Wrong. However, it sets up for the next book in the series, which looks interesting, so it had to be read. 3 stars because there are some good lines in it. You can tell Meyer is influenced by Douglas Adams.

 

[Swimnoid]

14. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Story of two sisters trying to survive in France during the occupation. Excellent!

15. The Maze by Catherine Coulter
2nd in the Sherlock/Savage series. Typical thriller. Interesting enough.

16. One Second After by William Forstchen
What happens when there is a Electromagnetic Pulse detonated over the USA? Very scary and all too possible look at what could happen. Very good

17. Flying Changes by Sara Gruen
Sequel to her book, Riding Lessons, continuing the story of Annemarie and those close to her. Lots of drama in this book. Annemarie just needs to shut up and listen. The teenage daughter needs a slap. Interesting but irritating.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Update time-
#4-Blue-Danielle Steele-4/5
#5-The Book Club-Mary Alice Monroe-4/5
#6-"The Last Year os the War"-Susan Meissner-I was fortunate enough to get an advanced reader copy, GREAT historical fiction about 2 girls who meet at an internment camp in the US during WWII-5/5
#7-"The Book of Essie"-3/5, interesting subject but very slow

 

[bobbiwoz]

13/75. An Amish Family Reunion by Mary Ellis

 

[scrhsa]

# 6 of 15
Watchers Dean Koontz
From a top secret government laboratory come two genetically altered life forms. . .
One is a magnificent dog of astonishing intelligence.
The other, a hybrid monster of a brutally violent nature.
Both are on the loose…

This was a challenge within a challenge for me. Re-read the first book I read from a favorite author. I first read it in 1988 and this is the first time I've read it since. I don't think I have ever read a Dean Koontz that I didn't like. I think this is one of his best.

 

[Disney_Alli]

7) The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Technically this was the audiobook but apparently those count and I’ve fallen behind on reading real books. I watched the tv series based on this series and loved it so I downloaded the audiobook after the waiting list from the library was months long for the digital copy. I really loved the book and for the most part the tv series follows it very closely. If they make season 2 I expect they’ll follow the second book and I’d love to watch it.

 

[tzeitel]

3.5/24 Hollywood Eve by Lili Anolik
.5 because I was could not finish it. The author is so in love with her subject (Eve Babitz) that she cannot see Eve is pretentious and not interesting at all - she had the potential and opportunities but wasted them. Considered "cool" and a feminist by the author because she slept with tons of people (some famous) - the men interviewed all make fun of her but the author sees it as friendly teasing.

4/24 And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts
First read this for a writing assignment in college - I could not stop reading it then and it was the same now! It is about the AIDS epidemic from the beginning until 1988. Reads like fiction, breaks your heart when you remember it is all true.

 

[tzeitel]

# 6 of 15
Watchers Dean Koontz
From a top secret government laboratory come two genetically altered life forms. . .
One is a magnificent dog of astonishing intelligence.
The other, a hybrid monster of a brutally violent nature.
Both are on the loose…

This was a challenge within a challenge for me. Re-read the first book I read from a favorite author. I first read it in 1988 and this is the first time I've read it since. I don't think I have ever read a Dean Koontz that I didn't like. I think this is one of his best.

Loved Watchers too. My favorite of his is Lightning.

 

[Tiggerish]

Anyway You Want It by Lucy Quinn. This is part of a series and if you have not read the first book it will not make much sense. I got it for free and had read the first one but it was not worth the effort, even for free.

18 of 104

 

[CallieMar]

17/50 Emma by Jane Austen - I downloaded a lot of free classics onto my Kindle and decided to read this while waiting for my holds to come through. I've stopped and started a few times, because I was distracted by a new book I'd been waiting for, but I enjoyed it.

18/50 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer - I really liked this!

 

[Disney_Alli]

18/50 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer - I really liked this!

Did you watch the movie on Netflix? It’s great! I want to read the book now