Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023--2024 link added

[melk]

11/35 The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

This book was very Elin Hilderbrand-ish except it took place on Block Island, not Nantucket. Basic formula of boy meets girl, one is harboring a secret that threatens the relationship, etc. It was an easy read, good for summer.

12/35 Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

In prohibition-era Virginia, Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town. Sent away when just a preteen, she returns at age seventeen to forge her way in the town and with her family. Her journey is a wild ride.

This stands so far as my favorite book of the year. Jeannette Walls is a gifted storyteller who had me hooked from the first page. There are some twists and surprises and is an enjoyable read.

 

[bobbiwoz]

11/35 The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

This book was very Elin Hilderbrand-ish except it took place on Block Island, not Nantucket. Basic formula of boy meets girl, one is harboring a secret that threatens the relationship, etc. It was an easy read, good for summer.

12/35 Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

In prohibition-era Virginia, Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town. Sent away when just a preteen, she returns at age seventeen to forge her way in the town and with her family. Her journey is a wild ride.

This stands so far as my favorite book of the year. Jeannette Walls is a gifted storyteller who had me hooked from the first page. There are some twists and surprises and is an enjoyable read.

I put a hold on Hang the Moon!

 

[melk]

I hope you enjoy it! Not sure if you ever read her memoir, The Glass Castle, but it was excellent.

 

[bobbiwoz]

3/30- Spare by Prince Harry- I thought this book was well written, it was a very interesting read. I do have quite a bit of empathy towards him, especially when it comes to the paparazzi. I wouldn't wish that nightmare on anyone. I hope he finds peace over here with his family.
…

I just finished this book, and I agree and I hope he finds peace here with his family.
4.5/5

54/75

 

[willowsnn3]

53/75
”Growing Up Amish” by Ira Wagler. 4/5

I put a hold on Hang the Moon!

I also just put a hold on Hang the Moon & Growing up Amish.

 

[willowsnn3]

#29/50 Where Are The Children Now? by Mary Higgins Clark/Alafair Burke
From Goodreads:
Of the fifty-six bestsellers the “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark published in her lifetime, Where Are the Children? was her biggest, selling millions of copies and forever transforming the genre of suspense fiction. In that story, a young California mother named Nancy Harmon was convicted of murdering her two children. Though released on a technicality, she was abandoned by her husband and became such a pariah in the media that she was forced to move across the country to Cape Cod, change her identity and appearance, and start a new life. Years later her two children from a second marriage, Mike and Melissa, would go missing, and Nancy yet again became the prime suspect—but this time, Nancy was able to confront the secrets buried in her past and rescue her kids from a dangerous predator.
Now, more than four decades since readers first met Nancy and her children, comes the thrilling sequel to the groundbreaking book that set the stage for future generations of psychological suspense novels. A lawyer turned successful podcaster, Melissa has recently married a man whose first wife died tragically, leaving him and their young daughter, Riley, behind. While Melissa and her brother, Mike, help their mom, Nancy, relocate from Cape Cod to the equally idyllic Hamptons, Melissa’s new stepdaughter goes missing. Drawing on the experience of their own abduction, Melissa and Mike race to find Riley to save her from the trauma they still struggle with—or worse.
Just like the original, Where Are the Children Now? keeps readers guessing and holding their breath until the very last page.
I read the original Where Are The Children? many years ago, so had to grab this one when I saw it at my library.

 

[Allison Joy]

6/15 -- Where the Crawdads Sing. So I actually liked it, mostly. But the ending kind of... didn't work for me? lol I think that's the most I can say without giving stuff away. Also, there were a few POV shifts that were just for a few lines. I seriously thought that the first one was me reading it wrong, but then it kept happening. And while they kind of made sense, it was still a bit jarring, as just when you realized the POV had switched, it switched back again. There were also parts that seemed unrealistic, or at least highly, highly unlikely, even given the time frame. Like... almost the whole first half. *shrugs* I had very mixed feelings about it, as you can probably tell.

(P.S. This counts as "sharing a book you're read with others, right? It's one of the activities for my library's summer reading program.)

 

[OKW8297]

8. The Glorious Guinness Girls by Emily Hourican

 

[sdk1231]

30-36: Continuing the C. J. Box Joe Pickett series. Still good. Some are better than others, of course, but a good readable series.

In Plain Sight
Free Fire
Blood Trail
Below Zero
Nowhere to Run
Cold Wind
Forces of Nature

 

[MGMmjl]

30-36: Continuing the C. J. Box Joe Pickett series. Still good. Some are better than others, of course, but a good readable series.

In Plain Sight
Free Fire
Blood Trail
Below Zero
Nowhere to Run
Cold Wind
Forces of Nature

I've made it through Below Zero so far. I really enjoy the series as well!

Have you watched any of the Joe Pickett TV series on Paramount+? The 2nd season started last week. I think the books are better (as usual), but the TV series is pretty good too.

 

[lovesmurfs]

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, by Margareta Magnusson.

Life-changing -- a different take on decluttering. It's all about cleaning up and decluttering so that you don't leave your **** for your kids to deal with. Joined a Facebook group for it, and there's a Peacock show for it as well.

 

[sdk1231]

I've made it through Below Zero so far. I really enjoy the series as well!

Have you watched any of the Joe Pickett TV series on Paramount+? The 2nd season started last week. I think the books are better (as usual), but the TV series is pretty good too.

I have not watched the TV series! My dad just called me a couple days ago and told me about it. He said Season 1 is available for free on Amazon through June 30. I might give it a watch.

 

[willowsnn3]

#30/50 Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.
Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.
Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.
Kinda creepy, but pretty good.

 

[willowsnn3]

6/15 -- Where the Crawdads Sing. So I actually liked it, mostly. But the ending kind of... didn't work for me?

(P.S. This counts as "sharing a book you're read with others, right? It's one of the activities for my library's summer reading program.)

It absolutely counts as sharing! I didn't care for Where the Crawdads Sing at all.

Have you watched any of the Joe Pickett TV series on Paramount+? The 2nd season started last week. I think the books are better (as usual), but the TV series is pretty good too.

Oh, thanks for the info! I was wondering if there would ever be a 2nd season. I really enjoyed the first season even tho I have not read any of the books.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, by Margareta Magnusson.

Life-changing -- a different take on decluttering. It's all about cleaning up and decluttering so that you don't leave your **** for your kids to deal with. Joined a Facebook group for it, and there's a Peacock show for it as well.

Sounds interesting. I really need to cut some clutter out of my life.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Sounds interesting. I really need to cut some clutter out of my life.

I'm also listening to Tidy the F*ck Up (that's the REAL title -- no points, please) by Messie Condo. It's actually more helpful than I'd expected. No nonsense. She has a new book out Nobody Wants Your Sh*t (again, real title), which I'm willing to use an Audible credit for.

 

[DisneyHardin]

12/26 - Fatty, Fatty Boom Boom by Rabia Chaudry - This was a memoir by a Pakistani woman whose family moved to America when she was young and her lifelong battle with food and her weight. I normally love memoirs, but this one was a slow read. There were lots of references to Pakistani foods/traditions/etc that I didn’t understand and I was too lazy to stop reading and look up, so I probably didn’t get as much out of the book as someone who understands Pakistani culture probably would.

 

[bobbiwoz]

11/35 The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore

This book was very Elin Hilderbrand-ish except it took place on Block Island, not Nantucket. Basic formula of boy meets girl, one is harboring a secret that threatens the relationship, etc. It was an easy read, good for summer.

12/35 Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

In prohibition-era Virginia, Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town. Sent away when just a preteen, she returns at age seventeen to forge her way in the town and with her family. Her journey is a wild ride.

This stands so far as my favorite book of the year. Jeannette Walls is a gifted storyteller who had me hooked from the first page. There are some twists and surprises and is an enjoyable read.

I agree, she’s a very gifted storyteller. I enjoyed the book, Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls.

55/75

 

[DisneyHardin]

13/26 - The Wedding Planner by Danielle Steel - It was a pretty good story - very predictable. The main character is a wedding planner who has sworn off love for herself. It was a quick read - my DH had to have a small procedure at the hospital today, so I read the entire book in the few hours I was sitting around waiting for him.

Yay!! I'm halfway to my reading goal.

 

[melk]

13/35 The Queen’s Secret by Karen Harper

Historical fiction chronicling Queen Elizabeth during the years of World War 2, the relationship with her husband and daughters, also Winston Churchill, and her brother-in-law David, who had abdicated the throne.

While I enjoyed the point of view of the Queen through things like the bombing of London and her involvement in the King’s meetings with Churchill, there were parts of this that seemed completely ludicrous. Supposedly she had some really wild secrets! But who knows, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

 

[RangerPooh]

Continuing the adventures of Fiona Fleming in the Fleming Investigations Cozy Mysteries. I have really come to enjoy both of the Fiona Fleming series, and am looking for something similar when this one is finished.

17/20 Inquiring Minds and Death (Fleming Investigations Cozy Mysteries book 2) by Patti Larsen.

18/20 Finding Zen and Death (Fleming Investigations Cozy Mysteries book 3) by Patti Larsen.