Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023--2024 link added

[Wood Nymph]

24/30 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling - a re-read for me

25/30 - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/ a Hercule Piorot Mystery - by Agatha Christie - 5/5
I thought that this was a very good mystery.

from internet - One of Agatha Christie's most famous novels, featuring her beloved detective Hercule Poirot--and her most surprising twist. The story that made Agatha Christie famous ends with one of her most dramatic twists. The villagers of King's Abbot are shocked when a wealthy local widow commits suicide and the very next day her fiancé, Roger Ackroyd, is stabbed to death. Dr. James Sheppard, the local physician, discovers the body of his friend and narrates the ensuing hunt for the killer. All the guests and staff at Ackroyd's country house seem to have solid alibis--except for his missing stepson. But as the authorities home in on their most obvious suspect, the recently retired detective Hercule Poirot unexpectedly turns up and joins the fray. Dr. Sheppard gamely assists the legendary Poirot as he untangles one of the most fiendish mysteries in Christie's extensive oeuvre.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Happy National Read A Book Day to all the readers here!!
Celebrate today with a good book!

 

[Caseheidi]

39/52 Arcane Rising by Nicole R. Taylor
After her secretive father dies, Elspeth Quarrie embarks on a quest across the world to discover her unknown Scottish heritage.
Landing in Edinburgh, she doesn’t count on her first day being full of creepy graveyards, several attempted abductions, and nightmarish creatures hiding behind human faces.
When fate catches up with her, a mysterious stranger by the name of Raurich ‘Rory’ Mackenzie is there to help — only Elspeth does the saving, blasting their attacker with magic she didn’t know she had. Then, as shock sets in, Rory reveals she’s a Druid — an elemental supernatural being with the power to distort the very fabric of nature.
Desperate for answers, Elspeth follows Rory into an exciting hidden world where myth is reality and dreams are within reach…but not everything is as magical as it seems.
The Druids are being hunted by the Chimera, a dark sect of Fae warriors who desire power above all else.
And Elspeth may have just blown their cover.

This book was either Free or less then $1 on my nook. It was okay. Obviously the first in a series, but not sure if I will pick up the next one.

40/52 A Legacy Witch: Spellcasters Spy Academy by Ashley McLeo
A murderer in our midst. A mysterious connection to the past. An enemy I can’t stop crushing on.

I’ve dreamed of attending Spellcasters Spy Academy for as long as I can remember. But as it turns out, it’s not the academic utopia I imagined.

This place is dangerous as hell. And I don’t mean the classes.

They say the students in the Culling year, my year, are cursed. Someone is picking us off. Or maybe something.

Between challenging courses, my irritating crush, and the enigmatic curse, I have my hands full, but there’s no way I’m giving up on my dream.

I’m here to stay. That is, as long as I’m not the murderer’s next victim.
This book was another free book on Nook, and the first of a series. Not interested in the next book currently, but would pick it up if I couldn't find something else to read.

41/52 Oracle: A Dragon Urban Fantasy (Dragon Oracle Book 1) by Jada Fisher
I hate fire. It nearly destroyed me. Now, my only chance at survival is a fire-breathing, shape-shifting dragon.

An urban fantasy adventure full of mystical creatures and sassy heroines.

Davie is a normal girl trying to live a normal life. Except that she can see the future and has visions that make her seem crazy. When she meets a man who immediately seems too perfect to be real, her quest for a normal life quickly ends. She soon learns the world is full of mythical creatures including shapeshifting dragons, dwarves, and mystical oracles. Can Davie adapt to the new world that has dropped her into the middle of a mythical war that could tear the world apart?

Oracle is the first book in the Dragon Oracle series. If you like magical adventures with quirky characters, mythical creatures, and shapeshifting dragons, be ready to be transported to a magical realm that could be in your own town.

And another free book as the start of a series. This one left you hanging in the middle of the story. Not interested in continuing this series.

42/52 Moon Called (Mercedes Thompson Series Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
Moon Called is the novel that introduced Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson to the world and launched a #1 bestselling phenomenon...

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.

But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance.

But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her...

This was a reread for me. It is the first book of my favorite series. If you are a fan of Urban Fiction, I highly recommend Patricia Briggs.

43/52 Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
Anna never knew werewolves existed until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’d learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anna is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country is about to recognize her value as a pack member—and as his mate.

This book was also a reread. It is a companion series to Mercy Thompson, and was the next story in line to Moon Called in the timeline.

 

[OKW8297]

14. Jurassic Park by Micha Crichton. Truthfully, I’ve never watched the movies all the way through. But I loved Andromeda Strain so I gave this a go. It was outstanding! A change of pace for me and so well written!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Update time! Almost finished 5 more books-

#36-"Quarantine! How I survived the Diamond Princess Corona Virus", Gay Courter. 4 stars. The experiences of a couple who were quarantined on the Diamond Princess at the beginning of the Corona Virus. This was not the writings of a random passenger who said "Hey, I got a great experience here to write a book about." She's had a lot of workings/dealings with media. And I learned later that her husband produced a commentary for CNN about it. My son used to work on Princess, and throughout the book, I kept saying to myself "Glad he left!" For me, it was closer to a 5 star, but for someone with no personal experience, maybe 4 stone caars. But I strongly recommend it.

#37-"The 5 star Weekend", Elin Hildebrand. 5 stars. A new widow decides to have a weekend inviting her best friend from each decade of her life. What she doesn't know is that one of the women had been her husband's mistress. Elin Hildebrand didn't disappoint-great book.

#38-"All the Broken Places", John Boyne. 3 1/2 stars. I found out as I was reading this that it was a sequel to another of his books, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and I really should have read that first. Also, it alternated between 2 different times in her life, and although I usually like that style, it migh have been easier if each alternating Chapter had been noted with the date. But I do plan to read he "prequel" book soon.

#39-Fogged Inn, Barbara Ross, 4 stars. Set in Maine, which I love. However, the couples changed partners, got married/divorced so much, I'd recommend making a list of who's with whom.

#40-"The Unteachables", Gordon Korman, still reading, so no review yet. I read a lot of WWII-concentration camps, French underground, code breakers-so it's nice sometimes to read a light comedy. And this was it! A student at a new school accidentally ends up in the "unteachables" class of 8th graders, who'll be having the same teacher all day (self-contained). That teacher? In his last year before retirement, he hopes-that is, unless the administration can quietly get him to quit before the school year's out. It's hysterical so far. I taught for over 25 years, only 2 in 8th grade-and I always said "there's a special place in heaven for an 8th grade teacher." This book is so real, I'm laughing continuously.

 

[melk]

20/35 Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

Historical fiction set during the Ming Dynasty in China. It follows the life of Tan Yunxian as her doctor grandmother teaches her the pillars of Chinese medicine and in particular women’s illnesses. It follows her friendships, arranged marriage, and life as a doctor and how these things shape who she becomes.

Excellent book, so many fascinating details about the time period and just a really well written story about a woman who actually existed and practiced her medicine at a time when, according to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman.” I’ve enjoyed Lisa See’s books before but I think this one is my favorite.

 

[Caseheidi]

44/52 Payback in Death (#57 In Death Series) by J.D. Robb
Lt. Eve Dallas is back and this time she's investigating the death of one of her own

When a retired police officer is found dead in his home, Lt. Eve Dallas and the team are called to the scene to investigate. The victim is Martin Greenleaf, former Captain of Internal Affairs. At first glance it looks like suicide but Eve thinks there could be more to this carefully laid scene than meets the eye.

Captain Greenleaf put a lot of cops away during his forty-seven years in Internal Affairs. Did the weight of the job finally prove too much for him? Or could this be a case of payback in death.....

If you are a J.D. Robb fan, then you know what to expect. I always enjoy these books, and can't wait for the next.

45/52 Sleep No More ( #17 October Daye Series) by Seanan McGuire
October is very happy with her life as the second daughter of her pureblood parents, Amandine and Simon Torquill. Born to be the changeling handmaid to her beloved sister August, she spends her days working in her family’s tower, serving as August’s companion, and waiting for the day when her sister sets up a household of her own. Everything is right in October’s Faerie. Everything is perfect.

Everything is a lie.

October has been pulled from her own reality and thrown into a twisted reinterpretation of Faerie where nothing is as it should be and everything has been distorted to support Titania’s ideals. Bound by the Summer Queen’s magic and thrust into a world turned upside down, October has no way of knowing who she can trust, where she can turn, or even who she really is. As strangers who claim to know her begin to appear and the edges of Titania’s paradise begin to unravel, Toby will have to decide whether she can risk everything she knows based on only their stories of another world.

But first she’ll have to survive this one, as Titania demonstrates why she needed to be banished in the first place—and this time, much more than Toby’s own life is at stake.

The author is so good! This was a twist I wasn't expecting, and just couldn't put the book down. The whole series is great, but this might be my favorite thus far.

46/52 The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst
A marriage in name only...

To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner Alexa Maria McKenzie casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend’s older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart.

Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he offers Alexa a bold proposition.

A marriage in name only with certain rules: Avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn’t be that hard to follow, right?

Except fate has a way of upsetting the best-laid plans...
This was a fun, light read. It had been years since I read a basic romance, but for my insomnia nights, they can be good!

 

[MGMmjl]

22/30 - Cold Wind by C. J. Box

Description:
"When Earl Alden is found dead, dangling from a wind turbine, it's his wife, Missy, who is arrested. Unfortunately for Joe Pickett, Missy is his mother-in- law, a woman he dislikes heartily, and now he doesn't know what to do-especially when the early signs point to her being guilty as sin.

But then things happen to make Joe wonder: Is Earl's death what it appears to be? Is Missy being set up? He has the county DA and sheriff on one side, his wife on the other, his estranged friend Nate on a lethal mission of his own, and some powerful interests breathing down his neck. Whichever way this goes . . . it's not going to be good."

This is the 11th novel in the Joe Pickett series. I continue to enjoy this series greatly, and look forward to reading the next entry.

 

[melk]

21/35 Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Story about the quick rise to fame of a fictitious 1970’s rock band and their infamous breakup.

I liked the interview style of the book, it made for a quick read. But I came away with just an “okay” feeling about the whole thing. It could be just because I’m missing my last book so much (Lady Tan’s Circle of Women) that anything else really wasn’t going to stand up.

 

[willowsnn3]

Well, y'all, I've been back from Disney a week & have been playing catch up at work & trying to rest up in between, lol.
There were 7 adults, 2 two year olds & 1 eight month old. We spent a lot of time in the kids areas, seeing shows & rider swap so the two single moms could do some of the rides the kids couldn't get on. Lots of pool time at the resort (Pop). Did all 4 parks plus the Halloween party at MK (early entry at 4).
My oldest daughter who had planned the trip paid for everyone's party ticket. Her You Tube channel has finally started paying off & she wanted to do something for everyone.
We had dinner at Ohana, brunch at Chef Mickey, late lunch at Roundup Rodeo & as always dinner at Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom. Pecos Bill on party night & the Mexican quickservice at Epcot.
Stopped at Buccee's on the way down & back also.

 

[willowsnn3]

#42/50 Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine
Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids. But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was. But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it’s poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it’s so easy for them to hide…
This is book 3 in the Stillhouse Lake series & the best so far. I'm already half way thru book 4.

 

[Christine]

21/35 Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Story about the quick rise to fame of a fictitious 1970’s rock band and their infamous breakup.

I liked the interview style of the book, it made for a quick read. But I came away with just an “okay” feeling about the whole thing. It could be just because I’m missing my last book so much (Lady Tan’s Circle of Women) that anything else really wasn’t going to stand up.

Late to commenting on this one. I also loved Lady Tan's Circle of Women. I enjoy all of Lisa See's novels. I tried to read Daisy Jones awhile ago and just couldn't quite get into it. But in my boredom over the last few weeks, I watched Daisy Jones and The Six on Amazon Prime Video and I *loved* it. I think a lot of it had to do with the actors (thought they were all pretty good) and some of the background music (it was all "my time") and just watching the whole late-70s vibe. I definitely am mourning the end of that series.

 

[Simba's Mom]

#41-"The Boy In the Striped Pajamas", John Boyle. 4 1/2 Stars. I found out about half way through reading "All the Broken Places" that that book was a sequel to this one. Please, please-read them in the correct order, which is not the way I read them. Had I read them in the correct order, they could have both been 5 star reads as I would have had a better understanding of the characters' motivations.

Oh, and I did finish #40-"The Unteachables" by Gordon Kormam, 4 stars. Very enjoyable, light read about a Self-Contained class of 8th graders.

 

[mgarbowski]

19 of 24 - Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America by Bill Geist

20 of 24 - The Black ice (Harry Bosch #2) by Michael Connelly

I didn't love the Ozarks book. Geist is a retired CBS roving news correspondent who's beat was cute quirky Americana stories. It's a subject I love but the TV version of it always ends up kind of predictable and saccharine. The book is the same. I hoped for some more history mixed in with his remembrances but there was very little and what is there is shallow: "a number of workers died during construction [of the Bagnell Dam]..."
Oh, really? A number? Wow.

I'm going to enjoy working through the Bosch series.

 

[willowsnn3]

#43/50 Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine
In spite of a harrowing past still haunting her, Gwen Proctor is trying to move forward. Until a new assignment gives her purpose: the cold-case disappearance of a young man in Tennessee. Three years missing, no clues.
Gwen’s investigation unearths new suspects…and victims. As she follows each sinister lead, the implications of the mystery grow more disturbing. Because the closer Gwen gets, the closer she is to a threat that looms back home.
Book 4 in the Stillhouse lake series. Good, fast paced. 2 more to go in the series.

 

[willowsnn3]

#41-"The Boy In the Striped Pajamas", John Boyle. 4 1/2 Stars. I found out about half way through reading "All the Broken Places" that that book was a sequel to this one. Please, please-read them in the correct order, which is not the way I read them. Had I read them in the correct order, they could have both been 5 star reads as I would have had a better understanding of the characters' motivations.

I saw the movie of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" & it was very good but unsettling so I knew I would never read the book. I also found out after starting reading "All the Broken Places" that it was a sequel. I thought it was a very good book.

 

[Wood Nymph]

26/30 - The Big Four - A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie

I needed a thin, lightweight paperback book for our trip to WDW and this was perfect. It was a good story, too.

 

[OKW8297]

15. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
excellent book about a woman who fights in Iraq in 2005 and her family.
i actually reached my goal,for the year, I didn’t think I would have much time to read but I gave up some time consuming, stressful things a couple of months ago. On to the next book!

 

[MGMmjl]

23/30 - The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Description:
"Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated."

I really liked this book. It was made into a miniseries on Apple TV+ earlier this year. If we had Apple TV+, that would be a show I would consider watching.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

21/32 - Explosive Trail by Terri Reed
Crazed bomber is trying to destroy Olympic National Park. K9 officer and FBI officer search for him as they are reunited and wonder if they have a second chance before their divorce. Enjoyed the explosive sniffing dog too.

22/32 - A Not So Persistent Suitor by Sandra Melville Hart
Late 1800’s In Cincinnati. A kindergarten teacher and newspaper reporter face many obstacles as they build their careers and find love. Interesting descriptions of landmarks too.

23/32 - The Amish Spinster’s Dilemma by Jocelyn McClay
Older widower and his older unmarried neighbor find love after overcoming many misunderstandings and communication issues. Cute granddaughter seems like a matchmaker and finding ways to get into trouble at times. Cute story.

24/32 - Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar Dillard
Memoir by older sister of the tv show.
She describes being raised in the IBLP cult. Her father had many rules they were forced to follow. She doesn’t go into detail of her abuse from her brother. She exposes all the lies her narcissistic father told her and her siblings and how he cheated them out of money they should have earned from the show. It was raw, honest with her truth and sad at times.