Here it is - the OFFICIAL 2014 READING GOAL CHALLENGE THREAD

[Pig Pen]

#5 of 25.

From Amazon: Six years have passed since Jake Sanders watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd. So when Jake comes across Todd’s obituary, he can’t keep himself away from the funeral. There he gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife he’s hoping for....

But she is not Natalie.

Soon Jake’s search for the woman who broke his heart puts his very life at risk, as he uncovers the secrets and lies that love can hide....

I think this was my first Coben book. Generally I liked it. There were lots of twists and turns - some I figured out, some were surprises. I used to read this genre a lot but after awhile they all seemed the same.

I would recommend it.

Next up - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

 

[mumloveseeyore]

book 27/150house of hades by rick riordan
the latest in the percy jackson series. i really enjoyed this.
book 28/150 wedding cake, big mistake by Nancy Naigle
unashamed fluff read, romance set in small us town.
book 29/150 it's kind of a funny story by ned vizzini
from amazon review
In the story Craig has found his life becoming too much for him, feeling immense pressure from all angles such as his family, friends and teachers. He cannot cope to the point that he considers committing suicide. Instead however he admits himself into the psychiatric ward of his hospital. While there he meets a number of charming and troubled characters and tries to find his way back from the depths of depression. Never an easy task!
What I enjoyed most about this book was how the author not only dealt with the despair of mental illness in such a way that it isn't trivialised or melodramatic, but also managed to inject some humour into the story. Craig is such good representation of what it's like to be a teenager today and you may find some of his predicaments familiar and amusing. Craig's fellow patients in the hospital are also hilarious and will change you ideas of what people with mental illness are really like.
Finally I must point out that the story feels very authentic throughout, which is largely because the author himself has been there and experienced the highs and lows of life and depression. So I urge you to give this book a go. Especially if you are suffering from mental illness, read and know that you are not alone and it can get better!
I was recommended this by my daughter and i found it well written about teenage mental health issues.

 

[DisneyWalle]

#25 - Midnight Champagne by A. Manette Ansay

from Amazon:
April Liesgang and Caleb Shannon have known each other for just three short months, so their Valentine's Day wedding at a chapel near the shores of Lake Michigan has both families in an uproar. As the festivities unfold (and the cash bar opens), everyone has an opinion and a lively prediction about April and Caleb's union, each the reflection of a different marital experience.
Meanwhile, at the nearby Hideaway Lodge, a domestic quarrel ends in tragedy. As April and Caleb's life together begins, death parts another man and woman in angry violence—and as the two stories gradually intersect, their juxtaposition explores the tangled roots of vulnerability and desire.
By the time the last polka has been danced and the bouquet tossed, Midnight Champagne has cast an extraordinary spell. From the novel's opening epigraph from Chekhov—"If you fear loneliness, then marriage is not for you"—to its final moments in the honeymoon suite, A. Manette Ansay weaves tenderness and fury, passion and wonder into a startling tapestry of love in all its paradox and power.


Great book. It was a little slow to get started but after the first 40 pages it picked up. Glad I stuck with it. (It does contain some bad language)

Next book: 29 by Adena Halpern

 

[DisneyWalle]

#26 - 29 by Adena Halpern

from Amazon:
What if you closed your eyes, blew out the candles, and your wish came true?
Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart seventy-five-year-old who feels she has more in common with her twenty-nine-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, than her fifty-five-year-old daughter, Barbara. Ellie’s done everything she can to stay young, and the last thing she wants is to celebrate another birthday. So when she finds herself confronted with a cake full of candles, Ellie wishes more than anything that she could be twenty-nine again, just for one day. But who expects a wish like that to come true?
29 is the story of three generations of women and how one magical day shakes up everything they know about each other. While Ellie finds that the life of a twenty-something is not as carefree as she expected, the sheer joy of being young again prompts her to consider living her life all over. Does she dare stay young for more than this day, even if it means leaving everyone she loves behind?

Wonderful book! I got so wrapped up in these characters that I couldn't put the book down. Read it in one sitting.

Next book: Nocturnal by Scott Sigler

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#14 Please Don't Tell by Elizabeth Adler

Typical romantic thriller. Was just ok, the characters were kinda wishy washy and I had the bad guy figured out long before the ending.

 

[Cynth]

#5 Along came a spider by James Patterson
I was pretty disapointed by this book. I didn't like the characters neither the writing style.

#6 Bossypants by Tina Fey
I really enjoyed reading this one. It's funny and entertaining. I love Tina Fey and all her work so it was no surprise that I liked her book.

Next book: Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson

 

[threeboysmom]

FINALLY got my copy of The Rosie Project! Took a few chapters to get into it but now I am thoroughly enjoying this one!!

Need to look up that Koontz novel. It wasnt scary, was it?

 

[CallieMar]

9/50 - The Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

I love Nora Roberts trilogies, especially the ones set in Ireland, so this is right up my alley. Really liked this although I admit I'm more looking forward to the last book with Branna and Fin!

 

[CourtasanSatine]

Most recent: Naked Heat by Richard Castle

Yes it may be a tie in novel for the show but its still a fun read. I've had fun picking out all the references to the show and its characters and already have a few more of the tie in books on hold at the library.

But anyone have suggestions for mysteries in that same spirit (heavy on banter and flirting)?

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

#4 broken Prey John Sanford
Really exciting thriller. Part of the Lucas Davenport series. A homicide from Minneapolis. This is the first book of this series going to read more.


Three Twigs for the Campfire ends next Sunday

Written for You giveaway ends today
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18086777-written-for-you

Also, I would be willing to send couple of kindle gift copy's to anyone interested in reading any of my works just let me know.

 

[xlsm]

Need to look up that Koontz novel. It wasnt scary, was it?

If you mean the one I read, From the Corner of His Eye, no, it is not scary. At least not like horror novel scary. This isn't a horror novel. There is a "bad guy" who does some awful things, but the book itself is not scary.

I will say, this book had one of the most shocking moments I've ever read, right near the beginning. It's just going right along, tralalala...and then BAM. Every idea I had about what I was getting into with this book changed.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

#7 The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS! I enjoyed this book and learned a lot, but it was a slow read for me. The first half drags, but the second half went much faster when they are actually finding the stolen art. I even got teary eyed when an American Jewish soldier found something - don't want to give it away. If you want to learn about the Monuments Men and their mission to keep European monuments and art safe, then this is an interesting book. I still haven't seen the movie, but I think it is loosely based on the book.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Goal: 100 books this year, plus the Bible in its entirety.

I'm really slacking in my reading this year! As soon as maintenance is finished on the search function on this board, I'm going to check where I was this time last year. I have a feeling I'm WAY behind!

#10 - Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch by Nancy Atherton. At first glance, unassuming Mrs. Amelia Thistle is a disappointment to the curious villagers of Finch. Only Lori Shepherd isn't fooled by the new arrival's bland persona. She promptly discovers that Amelia is in fact a world-famous artist, traveling incognito.

Amelia has unearthed a fragment of a family diary hinting that Mistress Meg, the Mad Witch of Finch, might be one of her ancestors, and she's come to discover the truth. With Aunt Dimity's otherworldly help, Lori dodges nosy neighbors and Amelia's frantic fans to solve the mystery of Mistress Meg -- and Amelia.

I enjoyed this little bit of "fluff" after my last book, a 700+page murder mystery. The Aunt Dimity series is fun and easy to read.

Queen Colleen

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #21 - Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

This is a sci fi book similar to the likes of Jurassic Park. It had me hooked & I couldn't stop reading it til I got to the end. The Epilogue at the end pulls you right into book 2 which I started today. It takes place in the Museum of Natural History where murders start happening. Talks of a failed expedition and a curse that was brought back as well as a beast that may reside in the museum. This story will creep you out!

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?

Next book: Reliquary (book 2)

 

[DisneyWalle]

#27 - Level 26: Dark Origins by Anthony Zuiker

from Amazon:
Law enforcement personnel categorize murderers on a scale of twenty-five levels of evil-from the naïve opportunists starting out at Level 1 to the organized, premeditated torture murderers who inhabit Level 25.
But to an elite unnamed investigations group assigned to hunt down the world's most dangerous killers, headed by Steve Dark, a new category of killer is being defined....


Great book. Couldn't put it down - kept reading til the end. The chapters were short so I caught myself saying, "Just one more chapter". Already looking for the next one in the series.

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 70 books

Book #7 "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" by Agatha Christie

From Goodreads: The heiress of Styles has been murdered, dying in agony from strychnine slipped into her coffee. And there are plenty who would gain from her death: the financially strapped stepson, the gold digging younger husband, and an embittered daughter-in-law. Agatha Christie's eccentric and hugely popular detective, Hercule Poirot, was introduced to the world in this book, which launched her career as the most famous and best loved of all mystery writers.

My review: I LOVE anything by Agatha Christie! This is the first book that introduces Hercule Poirot, and he is my favorite of her characters! The thing that I love most about her mysteries is that I can never figure it out! No matter how many times I read her books, I just can't figure them out! Makes for enjoyable reading!

Next up: "A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599" by James Shapiro

 

[Kathi OD]

#9 finished...Still Life With Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen.

A quick and enjoyable read. I gave it 4 stars.

Next on the list is "Room." I'm only on page 11, but the baby talk is starting to get to me. I understand that the child is in an unusual situation, but 5 year olds who have an appropriate model (as this one does in both the mother and television shows) just doesn't talk like that. Hope I can stick it out.

 

[StephMK]

#26 - 29 by Adena Halpern

from Amazon:
What if you closed your eyes, blew out the candles, and your wish came true?
Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart seventy-five-year-old who feels she has more in common with her twenty-nine-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, than her fifty-five-year-old daughter, Barbara. Ellie’s done everything she can to stay young, and the last thing she wants is to celebrate another birthday. So when she finds herself confronted with a cake full of candles, Ellie wishes more than anything that she could be twenty-nine again, just for one day. But who expects a wish like that to come true?
29 is the story of three generations of women and how one magical day shakes up everything they know about each other. While Ellie finds that the life of a twenty-something is not as carefree as she expected, the sheer joy of being young again prompts her to consider living her life all over. Does she dare stay young for more than this day, even if it means leaving everyone she loves behind?

Wonderful book! I got so wrapped up in these characters that I couldn't put the book down. Read it in one sitting.

Next book: Nocturnal by Scott Sigler

I have not heard of her but just put this and her other books on my to read list. Have you read any of her other ones? This sounds really cute, thanks for posting!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Infected
Scott Sigler

Across America a mysterious disease is turning ordinary people into raving, paranoid murderers who inflict brutal horrors on strangers, themselves, and even their own families.

Working under the government’s shroud of secrecy, CIA operative Dew Phillips crisscrosses the country trying in vain to capture a live victim. With only decomposing corpses for clues, CDC epidemiologist Margaret Montoya races to analyze the science behind this deadly contagion. She discovers that these killers all have one thing in common – they’ve been contaminated by a bioengineered parasite, shaped by a complexity far beyond the limits of known science.

Meanwhile Perry Dawsey – a hulking former football star now resigned to life as a cubicle-bound desk jockey – awakens one morning to find several mysterious welts growing on his body. Soon Perry finds himself acting and thinking strangely, hearing voices . . . he is infected.

The fate of the human race may well depend on the bloody war Perry must wage with his own body, because the parasites want something from him, something that goes beyond mere murder.

Wow.

Maybe it's because I am not used to the genre, but wow.

I have a lot of different feelings about this book. It had a few humorous parts, sad parts, scary parts, disgusting parts...

The beginning of the book was creepy and intriguing enough to catch me, but something happens about 20% through that REALLY kept me on the hook. I was actually pretty creeped out.

I definitely think I will continue the series. So far it's one of the standouts from my list.

(I can't remember who reviewed it on the thread earlier, but thank you! I would have never found this book on my own. That's why I love this thread!)

 

[tinkerbellfan6880]

Have read 10 books for my goal of 100 books so far. I am reading four books right now.

The Ghoul Next Door (Ghost Hunter Mystery, #8) by Victoria Laurie

The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch

Mirror Mirror by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas, and R.C. Ryan

Cinder by Marissa Meyer