Challenge: 50 Books discussion
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Carol V's List for 2014 Challenge- min 50 books
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January #1-
Deadly Heat Richard Castle Lib Audio Series - 4/5 series
One of my favorite Series and this one did not disappoint
Dresden Files 7-12 book collection ( already read 10 & 11)
#2
Dead Beat Jim Butcher Dresden #7 lib ebook series 4/5 #3
Proven Guilty Jim Butcher Dresden #8 lib ebook series 4/5
#4
Takedown Twenty: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich lib audio series 3/5 fun makes me laugh but annoyingly predictable...
#5
White Night Jim Butcher Dresden #9 lib ebook series 3/5** this series definitely makes more sense when read in order - I already read 10&11 and dont have enough time on this lend to re read but I think they may have made a lot more sense with the others a background.
working thru a few free books on my kindle that i have pickup over the past year.#7
RED TIDE by Peg Brantley ebook (free d/l) 3/5#8
Love & The Goddess byMary Elizabeth Coen ebook (free d/l)3/5
#9
The Beekeeper's Apprentice byLaurie R. King lib ebook series 4/5#10
Inferno byDan Brown lib audio 4/5#11
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood lib audio 2.5/5
#13
Second Watch: A J. P. Beaumont Novel by J.A. Jance lib audio series 5/5#14
The Bones of ParisLaurie R. King lib ebook series 3/5
#15
The Quest by Nelson DeMille lib audio 2/5#16
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini lib ebook 3/5#17
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn lib audio 4/5#18
Sycamore Row by John Grisham lib audio 3/5#19
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon ebook series 4/5#20
The Bat Jo Nesbø lib audio 4/5#21
The Suicide Effect by L.J. Sellers ebook (free d/l)2/5
#22
Double Dare by Rhonda Nelson ebook (free d/l) 3/5#23
The Art of Racing in the Rain byGarth Stein lib audio 4/5#24
The Silence of Trees by Valya Dudycz Lupescu ebook (free d/l) 5/5#25
The Do-Over byKathy Dunnehoff ebook 4/5
#26
Identical by Scott Turow lib audio 4/5#27
The Heist: A Novel by Janet Evanovich lib audio series #1 4/5
#28
The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson lib audio series 3/5#29
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills paperback 4/5
#30
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith lib audio 4/5went on vacation- got some reading done.. caught up on some book downloads i did years ago but never got around to read and picked up some paperbacks in resort swap libraries
#31
Village Books by Craig McLay ebook (free d/l) 3/5#32
The Real by James Cole ebook (free d/l) 2/5#33
American Dreamer by Theresa Weir ebook (free d/l) 2/5#34
A Cutthroat Business by Jenna Bennett ebook (free d/l) 3/5#35
The Hammer of Eden by Ken Follett paperback 3/5#36
The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells ebook (free d/l) 4/5#37
The Little House by Philippa Gregory paperback 4/5#38
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs paperback 3/5#39
Dark Tort Diane Mott Davidson lib audio 3/5#40
Without Fail Lee Child paperback 3/5#41
Harvestby Tess Gerritsen paperback 4/5
#42
Cockroaches by Jo Nesbø lib audio 4/5#43
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson lib audio 3/5
#45
The Fiery Crossby Diana Gabaldon ebook series 3/5#46
The English Girl by author:Daniel Silva|29085] lib audio 4/5
#47
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman lib audio 3/5#48
Four Sisters, All Queens bySherry Jones paperback 4/5
#49
I Am Half Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley lib audio 4/5#50
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher lib ebook series 3.5/5#51
Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge paper back giveaway 4/5
# 53
The House Girl by Tara Conklin lib auddio 2/5#54
The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card lib audio 3/5
#55
Top Secret Twenty-One: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich lib audio series 4/5#56
The Old Blue Line: A Joanna Brady Novella by J.A. Jance lib audio 3/5#57
The Signature of All Things: A Novel by Elizabeth Gilbert ebook 3.5/5
linked ratings link to my reviews View all my reviews
#60
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick pback 1/5 #61
Double Trouble byDeborah Cooke ebook (free d/l ) 4/5#62
Cinder by Marissa Meyer lib audio 4/5
#63
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriartylib ebook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
it seemed kinda whiny and trite to start but as it revealed more indepth elements of the individuals it became more interesting to the point of OMG in a few instances..... the overlay of the snipets of a post event interview kept your interest peaked since there was a constant "who" question hanging over the story....
#64
Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes lib ebookMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this as part of the Big Online Library Read where they had the book available digitally for 2 weeks for check out. Probably would not have considered reading it otherwise- but I think it was story worth a read- not necc unique or mind blowing but still a relevant point.
Not sure of the time frame that this is supposed to represent since there is little to no ref to technology that we all take for granted today and there are mindsets that seem old fashion even for the middle of Nebraska. It revolved around the points that caring what everyone thinks is not as important as living in the here and now. I think it brushed over all the topics it tried to tackle a little too cursorily ( it should have focused on a just few or added another 3-500 page to cover the topics properly) and did not delve into much. but it read quickly since it was in the mind of the teen.
(view spoiler)
#65
Thankless in Death byJ.D. Robblib ebook series 4/5#66
Dangerous Women by George R.R. Martin lib audio My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Enjoyed some of the stories others - I could not find the point of some of the others- and am not sure if the " dangerous women" theme is appropriate. in many cases there is barely a woman as a character - if they are dangerous it is more as to the men reaction to them then the character of the woman itself.
*** after reading more I am disturbed that the concept of a strong woman who knows what she wants or a desperate woman who does what she does to survive or for the sake of loved one is somehow labeled with a moniker of DANGEROUS
How are the authors defining Dangerous? able or likely to cause harm or injury. or with a more evil connotation
Some Desperado- Joe Abercrombie - not sure if she is so much dangerous as desperate - she is capable of taking care of herself but mainly out of necessity. 2/5
My heart is either broken Megan Abbott - mother of a missing child - does she not care, does she deal with sorrow in different ways, is media /societal scrutiny fair,is she evil or dangerous? 2.5/5
Noras Song Cecelia Holland- this one seemed incomplete- if you know the history there might be a dangerous woman but from the story itself it is unclear. 1/5
The hands that are not there Melinda Snodgrass- interestingly told story about a true identity theft supposedly stolen by a temptress--- well told although could have used more but this is a short story 4/5
Bombshells Jim Butcher - my favorite so far. a perfect char dev story for in between the Dresden Files series... makes me want to see more of all 3 characters in upcoming books. Considering Harry's chauvinistic tendencies it was refreshing to see them kicking ass and taking care of themselves and others-- I even had a tear in my eye at the end 5/5
Raisa Stepanova Carrie Vaughn I would this consider this more about strong/dedicated women. I guess if you were a Nazi bomber you might consider them dangerous. They were driven and very competent and not well respected... 3/5
Wrestling Jesus Joe R. Lansdale- the main characters obsession with a woman drives him to wrestle ever 5 years despite his octogenarian age. The woman supposedly has a curse on him but it is all in his mind.- The story is well written and good read, about a Karate Kid type relationship between a boy and old man- but is the woman really dangerous? 4/5
Neighbors Megan Lindholm- a story about an elderly woman and her desire to stay independent despite her children's otherwise attempts. Her friend and neighbor's disappearance after a similar struggle. Her intro to a world where here neighborhood has fallen into disrepair and all residents are scavengers - she and her neighbor find independence and a "better" life.....- not sure where dangerous falls here - a good read though 3.5/5
I Know How to Pick 'em Lawrence Block- while the woman was no innocent the man was the one who was dangerous here although his lack of moral compass might be due to the way his mother raised him 2.5/5
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell byBrandon Sanderson - again more about a strong woman who was a capable bounty hunter - mostly because people did not expect it. She only became dangerous because people tried to cheat her and hurt her family. 4.5/5
"A Queen in Exile" by Sharon Kay Penman- not worth the read 1/5
“The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman a girl who plans a prank is dangerous?? the story was somewhat hard to follow 2/5
“Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” Nancy Kress a world where women's sole purpose is to have children or to nurse. As soon as girls have their menses they are required to bed all the men and not necc in a nice way. They find an old instructional video on ballet and a girl and boy want to learn this beautiful art of dance and what they and their friends do to do this. wanting the ability to decide their own life makes them dangerous 3/5
“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland- left so little an impression that i cannot remember the story
Virgins by Diana Gabaldon probably the reason I picked up the book in the first place since I am an avid reader of the Outlander series but I have to say I could barely see the point of this story. The story was about an early Jamie and Ian. The "dangerous" woman was a strong /smart woman who was fighting the conforms of a patriarchal society where her long absent grandfather decided to dictate her life after her parents die nullifying a betrothal just because he wanted her to marry someone else. The only thing that makes her dangerous is that a few are injured or died in the process.... of course if it was a man who planned this she would be considered Robin Hood 3/5
“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherrilyn Kenyon -- a curse by an angry native american woman forced out of her home continues to decimate all that come to her land centuries after. Ok this woman was dangerous but rightly so. 3/5
“Pronouncing Doom” byS Stirling a post apocalyptic priestess has to sentence a rapist = well written about how the community has to deal with someone that has caused grievous harm to a member and how crime as well as the sentencing impact more than the perpetrator and the victim. but not sure where a Dangerous Women come into play except it is a woman who is designated to pass sentence. 4/5
“Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes - had problems following the story the "women" were definitely dangerous. 1/5
“Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan- 2 sisters and their mother in a care facility-- not sure how anyone is dangerous here; the story was an interesting look at sister relationships, the impact of Alzheimers/memory deficiency and how it wear on family and care givers. 3/5
Lies My Mother Told Me by Caroline Spector - Enjoyable story of strong women "super heroes" and what happens when you mess with them- 4/5
The Princess and the Queen George R.R. Martin- I know this is supposed to be the anchor to the anthology but personally I found it dry as if a reading of a history book. As a caveat this is not a story type that I usually enjoy, but I had higher hopes since I heard good things about the author. This war is sparked by 2 women's struggle for power- a mother who wants her sons to rule despite the succession was originally deigned to his eldest half sister -battles ensure despite the multitude of deaths of loved ones along the way. Of course this type of battle is typical with male power struggles and no dangerous or evil designation are required.... 1/5
#67
A Good Year by Peter Mayle Lib AudioMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
probably more like a 3.5 but not fully a 4. Enjoyable light hearted story without much depth.... almost reads like a movie even though I know the book came before the movie.
Lots of unanswered questions since many plot points introduced were just glossed over-- not sure why they were introduced in the first place.
#68
11/22/63 by Stephen King Lib ebookMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love novels that play upon time travel and what if some major moment of history is changed - how will change the world.
I liked the exploration and research done by both the author and the character in the efforts to change the world with stopping of the assassination of JFK.
There is much discussion on the what if of this particular event. How it might change the results of the Vietnam war and civil rights as well as future assassinations.
Probably the only thing I did not like about the story was the horrific impact of the major change in the timeline. How the "universe"/God/? was tearing the world apart due to this change. I could deal with the fact that the timeline (or the obdurate past as King constantly refers to it) is protecting itself and throws many obstacles to prevent effort to make major changes, but to (view spoiler)I found interesting the difference between stopping an event as it occurs vs. preventing the event (view spoiler) and the moral ramifications of persecuting someone before they have thought of the crime. Does that make the main character a hero or something more sinister.
I enjoyed the positive impact that the character had on the friends he made in the one timeline even though the reset erased any physical impact of his being there.
If partial stars were available I would probably rate it above a 4.5, but because of some of the woo woo stuff I cannot give it a 5.
#69
Beekeeping for Beginners by Laurie R. King lib ebook My rating: 3 of 5 stars
a short story that gave another perspective of the initial relationship between Sherlock and Mary
#70
Remains of Innocence: A Brady Novel of Suspense by J.A. Jance Lib audio seriesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Enjoyable Joanna Brady story. A few interesting twists that made this a bit unique from some of the previous parts of the series. It has 2 unique story line/mysteries which only intertwined because the 2nd death was only discovered when he did not show up at a meeting scheduled to discuss the other. I was even caught by surprise on a few items (in some earlier stories the outcomes were overly predictable) The details were a pleasant addition...
#71
A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King lib ebookMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mary Russell is all grown up .... As she comes of age and attains her inheritance, she investigates a women's temple , that she finds interesting on both an intellectual as well as a suspicious way. I found very interesting the post WWI women's movement and the state that intelligent women who had important roles in the war now had to find something to apply their skills and independence to. As soon as the men came home from war the women were no longer needed and cast aside. I like the historical fiction aspects of these stories- along with the mysteries and deduction. The feminine theological discussion were an added element that kept me interested as well.(view spoiler)The "only" problem I have with the book is the "strange development of Mary and Sherlock relationship - it seems somewhat contrived and out of place(view spoiler)]
#72
The School for Good and Evil bySoman Chainani lib audioMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
An interesting perspective of the origins of fairy tales with the good and evil characters and their integral training. I must say I had major problems with the labels of princesses all being beautiful and good and witches being ugly and evil and that princess had to be saved by their prince, but I think that was some of the underlying point in the story. Especially where the "good" characters were shown vain and spiteful and some "evil" ones to be shown supportive and more caring. I did applaud the point that you have to believe yourself beautiful before anyone else will see you that way. It was listed as a book 1 and it definitely left things in a cliffhanger moment so it might be interesting to see what the followon books show.
#73
Exile byRichard North Patterson pbackMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
an interesting introspective on the Israeli Palestinian relationship. While investigating the defense of a former lover in the assassination of the leader of the enemy of her people- the main character delves deep into the conflict and you come out both feeling sorry for and feeling dirtied by the various aspects.Conspiracies abound i cannot say that there was any surprises even through all the twist and turns. Not a light read - but shed some light in an area I am ashamed to say I really knew nothing.Not this fully enlightened me it shown a candle that has sparked some interest to understand more -- which is the point of such stories. but other than that the actual story that political/historical elements surround was not that well told and fell somewhat flat.
#74
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas lib audioMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
As VM was one of my favorite TV shows this was a great extension of the show and later movie.in someways more realistic than her accomplishing all that she did as a high schooler. all my favorite characters from the show made an appearance. It helps that the book was read by Kristen Bell so the voice and tone was all that was to be expected. She even had the same inflections of intonations of her friends that you could see their expressions as you remember them.
#75
Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher lib ebook seriesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
#76
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham lib audio My rating: 3 of 5 stars
#77
Cold Days by Jim Butcher lib ebook seriesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
#78
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer lib ebook my rating :3 of 5 stars
while i have been better about attempting reviews I did not get to my classic lit books. I attempted Dante's Inferno ( after reading inferno by Dan Brown i was intrigued) but could not get through the first few paragraphs. I also attempted Hugo's Les Miserable but I put it down pretty quick... i am going to try again
#79
The Chase by Janet Evanovich lib audio series my rating 4/5#80
The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory pback my rating 2/5and thats it for 2014- 80 is a worthy accomplishment - i made more of an attempt to think about each story and attempt to review to make me think a bit about the story.
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Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Chase (other topics)The Other Queen (other topics)
Only Time Will Tell (other topics)
Someday, Someday, Maybe (other topics)
Cold Days (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Philippa Gregory (other topics)Janet Evanovich (other topics)
Jeffrey Archer (other topics)
Lauren Graham (other topics)
Jim Butcher (other topics)
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So I will start with my 50 book goal, but will challenge myself to read some more classics ( at least 6) - stuff that I either read or should have read for English lit classes in high school. Also to make more of an effort to write a review to get myself to focus on the story a bit more- kinda like writing the book report to ensure comprehension.....
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