Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023--2024 link added

[bobbiwoz]

85/85
I had forgotten that I had the Jim Gaffigan, @Simba’s Mom, I am reading in on Libby, and I began a book that the library had gotten for me. “More than I Imagined “ by John Blake is subtitled “What a Black Man Discovered about the White Mother He Never Knew.” It’s a different kind of book about races and I thought it was good. 4/5

 

[MGMmjl]

35/30 - Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

Description:
"In this family, everyone is keeping secrets--especially the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there. And they don't come much richer than Fred and Sheila Merton. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered the night after an Easter Dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated.

Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their capricious father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of them is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did one of them snap after that dreadful evening? Or was it someone else that night who crept in with the worst of intentions? It must be. After all, if one of your siblings was a psychopath, you'd know.

Wouldn't you?"

This was a decent domestic thriller/mystery.

 

[bobbiwoz]

27/35 Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

Comedian Jim Gaffigan on his lifelong love of eating.

I had read this when it first came out but I was looking for an audiobook to listen to when I’m out walking the dog. This was perfect. I forgot how funny he is and my neighbors probably think I’m nuts because I was often laughing out loud as I walked along.

I agree, it’s so funny! Thanks for mentioning it!
86/85… 4/5
I am a retired math teacher…loved the fact that he included a Venn Diagram!

 

[melk]

Haha glad you liked it!

 

[melk]

29/35 The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner

Tash is welcomed by the other mothers in her son’s new playgroup but when she finds out one of their nannies has been murdered she starts snooping and puts she and her family in danger.

I found this book to have a few too many characters and some loose ends that didn’t get tied up. I was always trying to remember who was who and while there were a couple of twists at the end I didn’t love the book. The author’s first book was better.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Yay-I made my 56 books read!

#52-Unplugged, Gordon Korman, 3 stars. YA humorous, but not nearly as funny as the last I read by this author. A little too unrealistic.

#53-"Cold Cremtorium". Jozsef Debreczeni, 3 stars. Ań eyewitness account from a "resident" of the concentration camps.

#54-"The Hotel Nantucket", Elon Hildebrand, 4 stars. Somewhat predictable, but since it was about one of my favorite vacation places, Nantucket Island, and by one of my favorite authors, the predictability didn't bother me.

#55-"Auschwitz, a Doctor's Eyewitness Account", Miklos Nyilzi, 4 stars. A factual account of a doctor who was interred at Auschwitz, but was forced to help Dr Mengle with autopsies. Interesting.

#56-"The Librarian for Burned Books", Brianna Labuskes, 3 stars. 4 intertwined accounts of women, one of whom was trying to emphasize the significance of supplying the soldiers in WWII with books to read. I think because of the hustle-bustle of the holidays, I had great difficulty keeping everyone's story straight. I have a feeling that if I read this again some day, the rating would be higher.

 

[bobbiwoz]

87/85 3.5/5
Fiction Can be Murder by Becky Clark
First mystery by this author that I have read. Someone was murdered in exactly the way an author wrote about. Only a few people have read the book because it’s pre published. So, there’s a limited number of suspects to consider.

I will read another book by this author.

 

[OKW8297]

18. Humbug by Sarah whelan. A prequel if you will to A Christmas Carol.
an outstanding book.

 

[RangerPooh]

30/30 Donors, Deception, and Death (Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery Book 4) by Sally Bayless
—This is the most recent book in the series.
—Cute series, with likable characters. This book kept me guessing who the culprit was.

31/30 Overturned Ruling and Death (Fleming Investigations Cozy Mysteries Book 13) by Patti Larsen
-Another great book. My one criticism was that it appears my version was missing the very ending. In its place was a few pages of the final book. Which left me wondering what was missing .

32/30 One For The Road, And Death (Fleming Investigations Cozy Mysteries Book 14) by Patti Larsen
—this is the final book on the series
—- I have really enjoyed the main character and all of her friends. The growth of others, and enemies met along the way.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I didn’t make my goal because all this cancer stuff got in the way but I already have lots of books to read for the new year.

28/32 - Deadly Yellowstone Secrets by Kari Trumbo
A naturalist who does bear research deals with a poacher out to kill her. She is helped by a park ranger during a constant game of cat and mouse in snowy weather.

 

[willowsnn3]

#59/50 Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent
All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral.
But one of them was in the coffin.
William, Brian, and Luke: three boys, born a year apart, trained from birth by their wily mother to compete for her attention. They play games, as brothers do… yet even after the Drumms escape into the world beyond their windows, those games—those little cruelties—grow more sinister, more merciless, and more dangerous. And with their lives entwined like the strands of a noose, only two of the brothers will survive.

I muddled thru the first half simply because I wanted to know which brother was in the coffin. Thankfully the second half was better & went quicker.
No likeable characters at all.
I hate to end the year with a just ok book. I do have a short novella that I may or may not finish before midnight tonight tho, lol.

 

[KevM]

End of the month wrap up:

270) Rifqa by Mohammed el-Kurd – Poetry. 4.5/5

271) Love Is an Ex-Country by Randa Jarrar – Memoir. 4/5

272) Water & Salt: Poems by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha – Poetry. 5/5

273) Palestinian Walks: Farays Into a Vanishing Landscape by Raja Shehadeh – Memoir/Travel/Politics. 4.5/5

274) Minor Detail by Adania Shibli – Historical Fiction. 4.25/5

275) The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah – Lierary Fiction. 4.25/5

276) Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, & Mike Merryman-Lotze - Essays/Social Justice/History/ Politics. 4.75/5

277) The Adults by Caroline Hulse – Contemporary. 3.5/5

278) It's Getting Dark by Peter Stamm – Short Stories/Horror. 3/5

279) The Romance of a Christmas Card by Kate Douglas Wiggin – Christmas. 3.25/5

280) One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London – Contemporary/Romance. 4.5/5

281) The Christmas Angel by Abbie Farwell Brown – Christmas. 3/5

282) Three Holidays and a Wedding by Marissa Stapley & Uzma Jalaluddin – Contemporary Romance. 4.25/5

283) The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan – Contemporary. 4.25/5

284) At a Winter's Fire by Bernard Capes – Short Stories/Horror. 3/5

285) Krampus' Tree Farm by Shawn Winchell – Horror. 3.75/5

286) Christmas in Cape May by Claudia Vance – Contemporary/Romance. 4/5

287) The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese – Cotemporary Romance. 4.25/5

288) The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride – Historical Fiction. 4/5

289) Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello – YA Contemporary Romance. 4.25/5

290) A Christmas Memory by Richard Paul Evans – Historical Fiction. 3.5/5

291) This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits by Annie Zaleski – Music. 3/5

292) The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle by Joanne Huist Smith – Memoir. 4/5

293) Just for the Holidays... by Adriana Herrera – Contemporary Romance. 4.25/5

294) Season's Creepings: Tales of Holiday Horror by Ronald Kelly – Short Stories/Horror. 4/5

295) Dead of Winter by Kealan Patrick Burke – Short Stories/Horror. 4.25/5

296) A Fantasy Christmas: Tales from the Hearth edited by Adryanna Monterio - Anthology/Fantasy. 3.25/5

297) Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop: A Novel by Jenny Colgan – Contemporary Romance. 3.5/5

298) The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories edited by Tara Morre – Anthology/Horror. 4/5

299) In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae – Contemporary Romance. 4.25/5

300) The Book of Delights: Essays on the Small Joys We Overlook in Our Busy Lives by Ross Gay – Essays. 5/5

 

[jlud57]

15/20- The Diplomat's Wife- Pam Jenoff- Finding herself pregnant and alone in a strange city, Marta finds comfort with a kind British diplomat, and the two soon marry. But Marta's happiness is threatened when the British government seeks her help to find a Communist spy—an undercover mission that resurrects the past with far-reaching consequences. Another fantastic book by this author, can't wait to continue reading her books. Didn't quite make it to my goal this year, looking forward to next year's challenge and all of your recommendations! Happy New Year!

 

[willowsnn3]

Happy New Year everyone!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/reading-challenge-goals-for-2024.3936786/

 

[RangerPooh]

I’ll delete if not allowed, but I need a new series. Preferably cozy mystery. Even better if it takes place in nature/national park. I’ve read all of the Nevada Barr books multiple times.

Over the last two years I’ve read:
- Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke (29 in series)
- Sam Westin series by Pamela Beason (5 in series)
- Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery series by Sally Bayless (4 in series)
-Fiona Fleming Mysteries by Patti Larson (13 in series??)
- Fleming Investigations series by Patti Larson (14 in series)

I need something for 2024

 

[MGMmjl]

36/30 - Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne and Anthony LeDonne

Description:
"Katherine, an ambitious NYC attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for 48 hours to make sure it doesn't get worse. Unfortunately, she forgot to update her emergency contact so the person they call is her ex-husband, Tom. Unable to be left alone, Katherine reluctantly agrees to travel to Chicago with Tom for the holidays. But thanks to a blizzard, what should have been a quick plane ride turns into an antagonistic overnight misadventure that stirs up old feelings even as Tom prepares to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve."

I snuck in one more book for 2023. This was a cute rom-com book. Definitely had "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" vibes, and the movie was actually mentioned in the book. Happy New Year, everyone!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I’ll delete if not allowed, but I need a new series. Preferably cozy mystery. Even better if it takes place in nature/national park.

Have you read the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box? Joe is a game warden in Wyoming who ends up solving crimes. He is a very personable character. I enjoy the series.

https://www.cjbox.net/about-joe-pickett/

There is a TV show, too, but I won't watch it. I prefer the character in my head instead of the ones on film.

 

[willowsnn3]

I’ll delete if not allowed, but I need a new series. Preferably cozy mystery. Even better if it takes place in nature/national park. I’ve read all of the Nevada Barr books multiple times.

Over the last two years I’ve read:
- Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke (29 in series)
- Sam Westin series by Pamela Beason (5 in series)
- Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery series by Sally Bayless (4 in series)
-Fiona Fleming Mysteries by Patti Larson (13 in series??)
- Fleming Investigations series by Patti Larson (14 in series)

I need something for 2024

Have you read the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross? It is considered as a comedic cozy mystery series. Altho I prefer my mysteries to be more of a thriller/gritty type, I really enjoyed Miss Julia. Lots of laugh out loud parts along with some tearful moments.
I just checked & there are 22 books in the series so I need to go back & read the most recent ones.

 

[Allison Joy]

And my final 2023 reaad.

17/15 - The Hero's Guide to Saving your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
The four "Princes Charming" (Princes in the Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel stories) somehow meet up on a mission to save the Bards of their respective lands, as well as Ella (Cinderella) who have all been captured by a witch. A cute, fun children's book that mashes an encyclopedia's worth of fairy tale characters into one tale.

 

[RangerPooh]

Have you read the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box? Joe is a game warden in Wyoming who ends up solving crimes. He is a very personable character. I enjoy the series.

https://www.cjbox.net/about-joe-pickett/

There is a TV show, too, but I won't watch it. I prefer the character in my head instead of the ones on film.

No I haven’t. Thank you for reminding me about this series. I’ve only watched one episode, so I may have to check it out again.