Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023--2024 link added

[DisneyHardin]

14/26 - I'm Glad My Mom Died - Jennette McCurdy - This was a really good read. I am too old to have watched iCarly, so I didn't know who Jennette McCurdy was, but heard lots about this book, so I got it from the Library. I LOVE memoirs, and this one was really well written.

 

[Wood Nymph]

14/30 - Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

This was another good mystery with plenty of twists. It is the second book in the Hercule Poirot series. I needed a lightweight paperback book to read during our recent vacation, and this fit the bill.

 

[DisneyHardin]

15/26 - The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader - 4/5 stars.

A sweet story of 2 ladies who met in college and became lifelong best friends. When one of the friends passes away, lots of secrets come out.

 

[melk]

14/35 Horse by Geraldine Brooks

A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history; from these strands the author braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession and injustice across American history.

I loved, loved, loved this book. From the title and the cover I never would have given it a second glance but someone highly recommended it to me so I picked it up and was hooked. I know I said Hang the Moon was my favorite book so far this year but Horse just took over. Fantastic writing, great characters, some true elements from history, this book had it all.

 

[bobbiwoz]

56/75 It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover


4.5/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

57/75
“It Begins With Us“ is the sequel to “It Ends With Us.” Also 4.5/5

 

[DisneyHardin]

16/26 - The Beach Trap by Ali Brady - This was a VERY predictable chicklit/beach read kind of book, but is was super cute. I read the whole thing in one day.

From the Library Website:
"Two best friends torn apart by a life-altering secret. They have one summer to set the record straight. When twelve-year-olds Kat Steiner and Blake O'Neill meet at Camp Chickawah, they have an instant connection. But everything falls apart when they learn they're not just best friends-they're also half-sisters. Confused and betrayed, their friendship instantly crumbles. Fifteen years later when their father dies suddenly, Kat and Blake discover he's left them a joint inheritance: the family beach house in Destin, Florida. The two sisters are instantly at odds. Blake, who has recently been demoted from regular nanny to dog nanny, wants to sell the house, while social media influencer Kat is desperate to keep the place where she had so many happy childhood memories. Kat and Blake reluctantly join forces to renovate the dilapidated house with the understanding that Kat will try to buy Blake out at the end of the summer. The women clash as Blake's renovation plans conflict with Kat's creative vision, and each sister finds herself drawn into a summer romance. As the weeks pass, the two women realize the most difficult project they face this summer will be coming to grips with their shared past, and learning how to become sisters"-- Provided by publisher.

 

[Wood Nymph]

51 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
LOVED THIS! A reported is asked to tell the story of a famous actress and her 7 husbands and learns about herself and her life along the way. 5/5

I decided to read this book based on your review.


15/30 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5/5

I loved this book, too. I could not put it down, which is my favorite kind of book. This book had a great story and really likeable characters and I just enjoyed reading it. I would like to read more books by this author.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I decided to read this book based on your review.


15/30 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5/5

I loved this book, too. I could not put it down, which is my favorite kind of book. This book had a great story and really likeable characters and I just enjoyed reading it. I would like to read more books by this author.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid is REALLY good too.

 

[mgarbowski]

14 of 24 - Nostromo by Joseph Conrad

This is my fourth read of Nostromo. I won't lie, it is a slow read, but it also is very rewarding. It think it has rewarded multiple reads more than any other book I tend to come back to again and again. Conrad understands human nature and conveys it so well. Set in a fictional South American country beset by corruption and multiple revolutions, the titular character is the most honorable man in the coastal town of Sulaco. Yet when Nostromo is charged with securing a shipment of silver from a nearby mine during the latest upheaval, circumstances conspire to make it hard for him to fulfill his mission and easy for him to take it for himself, leading to the his most famous line "I must get rich very slowly."

* It's mentioned in the author's preface so not a spoiler.

 

[Wood Nymph]

16/30 - Shadows Reel - by C.J. Box

Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett’s job has many times put his wife and daughters in harm’s way. Now the tables turn as his wife discovers something that puts the Pickett family in a killer’s crosshairs in this thrilling new novel in the bestselling series.

This was a typical Joe Pickett story with a couple of interesting story lines. I really enjoyed it.

 

[Allison Joy]

7/15 -- Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally is about to turn 16, which means she will soon have her operation to become "pretty" and move to New Pretty Town, where everyone has fun and parties every day. Scheduled to turn pretty on the same day, her friend, Shay, runs away before their operation day. Now, Tally starts to realize there might be more to turning "pretty" than she initially thought.

 

[DisneyHardin]

17/26 - The Five-Star Weekend - Elin Hildebrand. I LOVE Elin Hildebrand books and this one was just as good as usual.

From the Library Website: Hollis Shaw's life seems picture-perfect. She's the star of the popular food blog, Hungry with Hollis, and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, Matthew leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis's perfect life-her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline-grow deeper. When Hollis hears about something called the "Five-Star Weekend"-a woman invites her best friend from her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and mid-life-Hollis decides to host her own "Five-Star Weekend" on Nantucket. But her weekend won't be the Hallmark movie one might expect. Hollis's childhood friend, Tatum, invites Hollis's first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with Dru-Ann, Hollis's best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann's career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client's mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis' friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! She runs into an old "friend," Electra, a troublemaker who had ousted Brooke from the Wellesley mom friend group where Brooke and Hollis met years before. And then there's Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis on her blog. Gigi carries an unusual grace and, as it happens, has many secrets. It will be a weekend like no other.

 

[evilmommie]

17/24 - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

18/24 - The 620 Man by David Balducci

 

[willowsnn3]

#31/50 The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

 

[Wood Nymph]

17/30 -Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls-4.5/5

Someone on this thread recommended this book and I found it on the Lucky Day shelf of a nearby library. I really enjoyed this book. It takes place during the Prohibition era. The protagonist is a strong female character who has to deal with a lot. It was a very good story.

I read the author’s bestseller, “The Glass Castle” several years ago and I think I liked this story a little more.

 

[KevM]

My June reads:

92) Gender Queer: a Memoir by Maia Kobabe Memoir/Graphic Novel. 4.75/5

93) The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta – YA Contemporary. 4.5/5

94) De Profundis by Oscar Wilde – Classic/Letter/Memoir. 4/5

95) We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film by Tre’vell Anderson – Film Criticism/History. 4.5/5

96) The Kingdom of Sand by Andrew Holleran – Literary Fiction. 3.25/5

97) Real Queer America by Samantha Leigh Allen – Essays/Travel/Memoir. 4/5

98) The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe, Yohanca Delgado, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Sheree Thomas, Danny Lore, & Eve Ewing – Sci-Fi/Short Stories. 4.25/5

99) They Never Learn by Layne Fargo – Thriller/Mystery. 3.75/5

100) Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son by Lori Duron – Memoir. 3/5

101) Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown – Classic. 3/5

102) Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters – Historical Fiction. 4/5

103) Queer Country by Shana Goldin-Perschbacher – Music/History. 4.25/5

104) Fat Girls Hiking: An Inclusive Guide to Getting Outdoors at Any Size Or Ability by Summer Michaud-Skog – Nature. 4.25/5

105) Borealis by Aisha Sabatini Sloan – Essays/Nature. 4.5/5

106) Not Your Sidekick by C. B. Lee – YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi. 4/5

107) It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror by Joe Vallese – Film Criticism. 4.25/5

108) Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices edited by Swapna Krishna & Jenn Northington – Fantasy/Anthology. 3.75/5

109) Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution: An Oral History edited by Liam Warfield, Walter Crasshole, & Yony Leyser – Music/History. 4.25/5

110) Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone by James Baldwin – Classic/Literary Fiction. 4.5/5

111) Running by Lindsey A. Freeman – Essays. 4.5/5

112) Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H – Memoir. 4.5/5

113) Build Yourself a Boat by Camonghne Felix – Poetry. 4/5

 

[OKW8297]

9. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab. Difficult to desc without giving a lot away but this is an excellent book.

 

[Caseheidi]

So, I joined the challenge for this year, and my life went crazy and I have not been back since. In January my Mom passed away, and this combined with a new job, I did very little reading for a while. Let me see if I can remember all the books I have read thus far, and see if I can be better on updating this challages.

1) Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli
I enjoyed this book. It had lots of stories, but focused in on how she felt about herself and her struggles with weight. As someone who has some similar struggles, it was good to read.

2) No Matter the Distance by Cindy Baldwin
The author is actually a friend of mine, and this is her fourth book. It is a young readers level, and written in prose. Cindy has CF and her main title is a young girl with CF. This is a big deal in the CF community. She has also won awards and recognition for her books. I really enjoyed the book, even if prose is not my favorite format to read in. If you have a young reader (5-8 grade?) or enjoy that level, I would recommend you give her a try.

3) Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson Series #11) by Patricia Briggs
4) Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson Series #12) by Patricia Briggs
5) Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson Series #13) by Patricia Briggs
These were all re-reads for me. I love Patricia Briggs and this series. If you enjoy Urban Fantasy, the I would recommend.

6) Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (Stephanie Plum Series #29) by Janet Evanovich
I have read this whole series, and keep thinking I am going to stop. The stories are predictable and a light read. They are fun, and only one comes out each year, so who knows if I will continue or not.

7) Faithless in Death (In Death Series #52) by J.D. Robb
8) Forgotten in Death (In Death Series #53) by J.D. Robb
9) Abandoned in Death (In Death Series #54) by J.D. Robb
10) Desperation in Death (In Death Series #55) by J.D. Robb
These were all re-reads of one of my favorite series. This was all because a new one came out...

11) Encore in Death (In Death Series #56) by J.D. Robb

It was a glittering event full of A-listers, hosted by Eliza Lane and Brant Fitzhugh, a celebrity couple who’d conquered both Hollywood and Broadway. And now Eve Dallas has made her entrance—but not as a guest. After raising a toast, Fitzhugh fell to the floor and died, with physical symptoms pointing to cyanide, and the police have crashed the party.

From all accounts, he wasn’t the kind of star who made enemies. Everyone loved him—even his ex-wife. And since the champagne cocktail that killed him was originally intended for Eliza, it’s possible she was the real target, with a recently fired assistant, a bitter rival, and an obsessed fan in the picture. With so many attendees, staff, and servers, Eve has her work cut out determining who committed murder in the middle of the crowd—and what was their motivation. As one who’s not fond of the spotlight herself, she dreads the media circus surrounding a case like this. All she wants is to figure out who’s truly innocent, and who’s only acting that way…

As always, I enjoy a good Eve Dallas story. I will always recommend this series.

12) Magic Tides (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years Book 1) by Ilona Andrews
13) Magic Claims (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
I enjoyed this continuation of the Kate Daniels series. Kate, Curran and Conlan (their son) have moved to the shore. While they plan to keep a low profile, that soon ends when Conlan befriends a boy and discovers he has a missing brother. Kate can't let a boy remain missing, and sets out to find him, while Curran prepares to protect their new home and son in what he is sure will be the backlash of Kates actions.

14) Publish and Perish (The LInnet Ellery Series book 3) by Phillipa Bornikova
I discovered we had this book and it was the third of a series I read years ago (husband buys a lot of books, and cannot keep track of which platform they should be on, so the first two were on another platform). It is a fun book, but the book leaves you hanging, and there is currently no fourth. And the book was published in 2018?

15) Backpacking through Bedlam (InCryptid Book #12) by Seanan McGuire
Fun continuation of the InCryptid books. Kind of fills in some answers from several of the previous stories.

16) Dead Spots (Scarlett Bernard Book 1) by Melissa F. Olson
17) Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard Book 2) by Melissa F. Olson
18) Hunter's Trail (Scarlett Bernard Book 3) by Melissa F. Olson

19) Midnight Curse (Disrupted Magic Book 1) by Melissa F. Olson
20) Blood Gamble (Disrupted Magic Book 2) by Melissa F. Olson
21) Shadow Hunt (Disrupted Magic Book 3) by Melissa F. Olson

22) Boundary Crossed (Boundary Magic Book 1) by Melissa F. Olson
23) Boundary Lines (Boundary Magic Book 2) by Melissa F. Olson
23) Boundary Born (Boundary Magic Book 3) by Melissa F. Olson
24) Boundary Broken (Boundary Magic Book 4) by Melissa F. Olson
25) Boundary Haunted (Boundary Magic Book 5) by Melissa F. Olson

26) Companion Pieces: Stories from the Old World and Beyond by Melissa F. Olson
So I came across a few of these books by Olson, and enjoyed the world, so continued to purchase the rest and read them. The Scarlett Bernard books and Disrupted Magic all follow Scarlett, who is a Null) in the L.A. area, which is the only town where the Vampires, Ware Wolfs and Witches work together for peace. As a Null, Scarlett turns all these species into Human when they are around her, and she works as their clean up person. She is also hired for odd jobs here and there. In the first book (starts in Disrupted Magic) she meets a cop, and starts working with him, as he the head Vampire makes him a deal he cannot ignore.

The Boundary Magic Books revolve around Mac, who is a Boundary Witch who just discovers her powers. She is a war vet who is has a niece who is a null. This is discovered when when she is kidnapped, changing Mac's life.

If you decide to give these books a try, look up the order for reading. They bounce back and forth, and refer to things in previous books (including the short stories in the Companion Pieces).

This is all I can remember for now. I think I have read a few more, but not sure if they were this year or last. I will try to be better moving forward.

Happy reading friends!

 

[bobbiwoz]

“Then She was Gone” by Lisa Jewell. Not something I would usually read, and parts, I just skipped over, but all in all, a very good book. 4/5

58/75