Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023--2024 link added

[bobbiwoz]

38/75
Continuing light Amish stories
“Amish Brides” by Jennifer Beckstrand, Molly Jebber and Amy Lillard.
Three short stories of Amish weddings .

 

[bobbiwoz]

39/75
Final Amish story..last in Honeybee Sisters. ”Like a Bee to Honey” by Jennifer Beckstrand. 3.5/5

 

[RangerPooh]

11/12 Runways and High Heels and Murder (Fiona Fleming Cozy Mysteries Book 9) by Patti Larsen.

12/12 Plaid and Fore! and Murder (Fiona Fleming Cozy Mysteries Book 10) by Patti Larsen.

NEW GOAL
13/20 Whips and Spurs and Murder (Fiona Fleming Cozy Mysteries Book 11) by Patti Larsen.

14/20 Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Murder (Fiona Fleming Cozy Mysteries Book 12) by Patti Larsen.

 

[mgarbowski]

10 of 24 - Corkscrew (Nameless Season 2 #5) Dean Koontz
11 of 24 - Zero In (Nameless Season 2 #6) Dean Koontz

12 of 24 - The Last Graduate (Scholomance #2) Naomi Novik
13 of 24 - The Golden Enclaves (Scholomance #3) Naomi Novik

Finished two series, and in both cases when I was one book away I very much wanted to complete them and so I just did. The Koontz series comprises 12 mini-novels available on Kindle and free to read if you have regular Prime (ie you don't need Prime reading). I liked the earlier books better when the stories were more self contained though they hinted at a broader mystery and setting. The full story behind the mysterious protagonist ends up overlapping a lot with the basic story of Koontz's Jane Hawk series and it's a bit overdone between the two of them.

On the other hand I adored the Scholomance series. Fan a short description of the first book I suggest looking at my brief review earlier in this thread. I don't want to further describe these books because the series reveals additional information and background in a very rewarding fashion and I think it is best not to know too much. I was oh so slightly disappointed by the ending, though I can't really place my finger on why. But I thoroughly the full series regardless, and recommend them unreservedly.

Well ahead of pace to hit my 24 book goal this year.

 

[melk]

10/35 Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

A couple live in their dream house that turns out to be at the edge of a cliff where many people have gone to end their lives. The husband however, seems to have a knack for talking these suicidal people away from the edge…until he doesn’t. One woman’s death raises questions that threatens their marriage.

I‘ve read all of Sally Hepworth’s books and this was not my favorite. I didn’t dislike it but I thought some things were glaringly obvious, but apparently not to the characters in the book.

 

[Lumpy1106]

5/20 James Luceno, "Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel" 4/5
6/20 Emily St. John Mandel, "Sea of Tranquility" 4/5

Both were OK. Advice for both books; Get a piece of paper and take notes on who the characters are. There are a lot in both books and they jump around a lot. In the case of Sea of Tranquility, the characters jump between different timelines and jump between the earth and moon.

 

[bobbiwoz]

These were read on vacation, just recorded today.
40/75
First book that I read on last vacation. “Buried in a Good Book” by Tamara Berry. It’s a By the Book Mystery, and 2.5/5 IMO.
41/75
An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette. Also a first in a series and I will read more from her. 3.5/5
42/75
“An Amish Table“ three short stories, one by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller and Vannetta Chapman.3/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

I finished two more that I began on the cruise
43/75
“Death with all the trimmings”..another Key West Murder Mystery by Lucy Burdette. This is a pretty good series. I’ve been to Key West and recognize sites and flavors of that town. I will probably bring another in the series on a vacation again. 3.5/5

44/75
I wanted something more serious so I used Libby to download a book while I was on the ship‘s internet, and that wasn’t easy. I finally managed to download “A Spool of Blue Thread“ by Anne Tyler. I enjoyed the story of the Whitshank family that’s told in Anne Tyler’s style Which I think is quirky. 4/5
From the review of the book on Libby

 

[bobbiwoz]

Book #22 - The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, recommended by @Wood Nymph. I'd previously read the well-known Woman in White, but hadn't read the Moonstone. So glad it was recommended. An excellent book! 4.5/5

And interestingly enough, this title is soon to be released in the Chiltern book series, a series of beautiful editions of classic books. I collect this series and happily pre-ordered The Moonstone on Amazon.

I’m looking forward to this read!

 

[OKW8297]

6. The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict based on the lives of the Mitford sisters and their stories in the years leading up to WWII. An outstanding book by one of my favorite authors.

 

[MGMmjl]

13/30 - Midnight Shadows by Carol J. Post

Description:
"With a relentless stalker after her, Melissa Langston flees Georgia for her small Florida hometown. Despite changing her name, she soon finds anonymous notes on her doorstep and a menacing figure lurking in the shadows. She's sure her stalker has tracked her down, but the police think she's overreacting. The only one who believes she's in danger is the former cop who broke her heart years ago. Melissa is afraid to get too close to ex-fiancé Chris Jamison, who is back in town to settle family business. Because the more she turns to the handsome man she's never forgotten, the more her stalker wants Chris gone--permanently."

Another title I borrowed online from my library. It was a decent romantic suspense story.

 

[sdk1231]

25-29: Continuing the C. J. Box Joe Pickett series. I'm loving this series.

Savage Run
Winterkill
Trophy Hunt
Out of Range

 

[aboveH20]

36/75
Light reading for a cruise. ” Sweet as Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand.”
The series is about three Amish sisters who are raised by an unconventional aunt because their parents were killed in an auto accident when they were young. Their mother had stipulated in her will that they would be raised by her sister rather than her parents. So her sister came back to the Amish Community in Wisconsin. The sisters are grown now, and each sister has a book about her courtship. This first book is about Lily. I found it enjoyable. 3.5/5

Please go on another cruise. I sighed every time you began a post with “light reading for a cruise”.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

13/32 - The Quilt That Knew by Patrick Craig
Older former Amish lady is asked to help solve the cold case murder of a girl found in a quilt. Gritty and hard subjects at times. Not the usual sweet story.

14/32 - Clara’s Mourning by J. Willis Sanders
Amish widow contemplates 3 prospects of a future husband. Her bishop, her non Amish kind and attractive neighbor and a former beau in another state. There are 3 books in the series. I have the 2nd one in my tbr pile and the final one comes out in July. Great so far.

15/32 - The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
Amazing and heart breaking. The horrors of WWll and desperate mothers trying to save their children. Showed the depth of a mother’s love.

16/32 - The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Great read from a new to me author. 3 young girls bond and form a friendship that lasts through the years. They share hopes, secrets, drama, heartbreak and hope for the future.

 

[bobbiwoz]

45/75
@aboveH20 , Thank you for making me smile. We came back from our cruise with a whopping cold/infection whatever, and are now on our second antibiotic treatment! We are 99 days away from the DVC Member Cruise, certainly enough time to get better.

So, I wanted something easy to read, so I began a Debbie Macomber series. Dakota Born was pretty good. 3.5/5

 

[drwitz]

Catching up to where I should be this time of year!

15. Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us by Evan Mandery

Admittedly I've worked at several elite colleges, so I am probably the target audience here, and also particularly biased. That said, I find this non-fiction book by turns fascinating and enlightening, and then frustrating and inaccurate. The author does a good job of arguing his main point - that elite colleges reinforce wealth and privilege rather than serving as an equalizer for all. If you have a kid in college, work at a college, or have any interest in colleges, it's worth a read.

16. The Outsider by Stephen King

Imagine a murder of a young boy, and tons of witnesses that place the local little league coach as the doer. But the same coach has an unshakable alibi miles away. He couldn't do it, yet all evidence (fingerprints, DNA) says he did. How to resolve the unresolvable? King introduces us to a mysterious outsider who can take on anyone's appearance, and it is up to a group of local cops, a lawyer, and our friend Holly Gibney (from the Mr. Mercedes series - who makes her first appearance halfway through the novel) to find a solution to this problem, and risk their lives in the process. A page turner to be sure!!

17. Fright or Flight edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent

This collection of short stories by a number of authors brings together some classics with a few more modern reads. The subject is horror in the air; what happens between take off and landing when your life is in the hands of the captain and their crew, and you give faith to the laws of physics that your flying tube will make it home safely! A wonderful collection of stories by authors as diverse as Roald Dahl, Ray Bradbury, Dan Simmons, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this is a quick and worthwhile read. The standout stories for me were Joe Hill's "You Are Released" and King's "The Turbulence Expert". Fun reading while on a plane too!

18. Elevation by Stephen King

This is a short novel (almost a novella) but well worth the read. King tells the story of a man who is losing touch with gravity, and also tells a beautiful human story of love, misunderstanding, prejudice and ultimately triumph. This one brings me to tears every time I read it. And no "horror" in this for anyone who wants to try King's beautiful prose.

19. The Institute by Stephen King

A return to classic King, this one spins a story about a young boy kidnapped by a secret group of quasi-governmental agents who are running a secret institute whose nefarious purposes aren't quite clear. Also involved is a former policeman who winds up interesting with the story in a very unexpected way. Definitely in the tradition of Firestarter, this is a wonderful page turner whose denouement keeps you guessing.

And as we are now at the end of the Pandemic, I am at the end of the King books I have read before. I have all of the ones that were released during the pandemic ahead of me, and I am excited to tackle them all. Only 5 more (maybe 6 if you count a Chizmar book inspired by King) before the re-read is complete...

In the home stretch now folks!! Only a few more to go and I will have finished the King readthrough. I finally got to some new ones (to me) that had been published during the pandemic. My commitment to the process was to save the new books until the end once I started the re-read, and I have been looking forward to this for (literally) years.

20. Gwendy's Magic Feather by Richard Chizmar

Ok so maybe this isn't really a Stephen King novel but it is the second part of a trilogy which started with a King/Chizmar collaboration (and ends with another collaboration). Chizmar tackles the second part of the story alone (but with King's vision evident), and this one is really good. It continues the story of Gwendy and her button box allowing us to see what becomes of her in her adult years. I thought it had a good flow, lots of connections, and now that I am currently reading the third in the series, lots of foreshadowing!

21. If It Bleeds by Stephen King

Another collection of 4 novellas by King (see, for example, Different Seasons or Four Past Midnight), this collection features a mix of stories, one starring Holly Gibney. Of the four, I liked "If It Bleeds" the best, followed by "Mr. Harrigan's Phone". Least enjoyed was "The Life of Chuck" but all four (including "Rat") were worth the read. "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" is a beautiful exploration of friendship, and Gibney's stories and character is always enjoyable to read.

22. Later by Stephen King.

This is a short paperback in the Hard Case Crime series featuring many authors. King has previously contributed Joyland and The Colorado Kid in this series. In Later we meet a young man named Jamie who can see dead people (and can force them to tell him the truth to any question he asks). Unfortunately, evil forces are at play, and the truths that Jamie unleashes come with a cost. A beautiful coming-of-age story and well-worth the read.

23. Billy Summers by Stephen King

This one surprised me. It starts as a tale of a sniper who is murderer for hire. Billy has a rule; he only kills bad people. This is Billy's last murder for hire, and the story begins by setting up the case and exploring his process of preparing for the attack. But this novel is so much more than just this simple(ish) story. We go on to what happens after the incident, and follow Billy as he journeys past it (to say more would be to spoil what comes). As far from a typical King novel as you can get, this story is really more of a crime novel with a revenge plot, and spins in so many unexpected ways. There is even a passing The Shining reference for those who are constant readers (talk about a throwback to the past).

I'm almost at the end of the King readthrough (although I have some non-fiction books about King yet to come). Suggestions for what's next?

 

[bobbiwoz]

46/75
Dakota Home by Debbie Macomber, book 2 in the series. Pretty good, 3.5/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

47/75
Read the last in the series, Forever Dakota and thought it ended the trilogy nicely 4/5.

I hope to be able to get outside tomorrow. Feeling sick is getting me down. My meds say to stay out of sun, though.

 

[Simba's Mom]

47/75
Read the last in the series, Forever Dakota and thought it ended the trilogy nicely 4/5.

I hope to be able to get outside tomorrow. Feeling sick is getting me down. My meds say to stay out of sun, though.

Can these books be read independently, or do you think that I'd really need to read them all and in order? I like a Debbie Macomber book sometimes. The book I'm reading now involves too much thinking and sadness (WWII).

 

[Simba's Mom]

A few new ones:

#22. The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson, 3 stars.
On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London's Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum of Natural History. Home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world, the Tring museum was full of rare bird specimens whose gorgeous feathers were worth staggering amounts of money to the men who shared Edwin's obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Once inside the museum, the champion fly-tier grabbed hundreds of bird skins--some collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Darwin's, Alfred Russel Wallace, who'd risked everything to gather them--and escaped into the darkness.

Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide told him about the heist. He was soon consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? Had Edwin paid the price for his crime? What became of the missing skins? In his search for answers, Johnson was catapulted into a years-long, worldwide investigation. The gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless pursuit of justice, The Feather Thief is also a fascinating exploration of obsession, and man's destructive instinct to harvest the beauty of nature.

#23 Steamed Open by Barbara Ross, 4 stars.
It’s summertime in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and the clamming is easy—or it was until a mysterious new neighbor blocks access to the beach, cutting off the Snowden Family Clambake’s supply. Julia Snowden is just one of many townspeople angered by Bartholomew Frick’s decision. But which one of them was angry enough to kill?

Beachcombers, lighthouse buffs, and clammers are outraged after Frick puts up a gate in front of his newly inherited mansion. When Julia urges him to reconsider, she’s the last to see him alive—except the person who stabs him in the neck with a clam rake. As she pores through a long list of suspects, Julia meets disgruntled employees, rival heirs, and a pair of tourists determined to visit every lighthouse in America. They all have secrets, and Julia will have to work fast to expose the guilty party—or see this season’s clam harvest dry up for good.
Obviously this is a cozy mystery. Sometimes I like to relax with a cozy mystery. The fact that this is on the New England seashore makes it more enjoyable for me.

#24 The Unofficial Guide to WDW 2023 by Bob Sehlinger, 4 stars.
I don't think this needs a description.
Right after the pandemic, this can be a hard one, what with things having closed and maybe reopened or maybe not. And although I'm reading it in the middle of 2023, the facts of what is and is not open is really of mid-2022. Besides that, I think it really gives so much information!