Shelfari 50 Book Challenge discussion
Paula's 2017 challenge
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Paula
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Jan 01, 2017 09:35PM
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1. Murder in the Mountains - Miles Lancaster
3*s
Jennifer left a company she worked for in Denver to buy a lodge in a small mountain community. It has been successful for her but her last bookings had her scratching her head. She has 6 singles which is unusual for her. They all belong to an historical club and are looking for gold in the mountain close by. When one of them is murdered in his room, she recruits her "friend" Clint to help her solve the case.
It was a short story but had a good plot. The singles weren't fleshed out well enough to really care about them but it was a light, cute read. I'll try another.
2. The Abduction of Mary Rose - Joan Hall Hovey4*s
16 year old Mary Rose Francis is visiting her best friend and realizes it's getting late. She is walking to the bus stop when she is abducted by two men. Twenty eight years later, Naomi is at the hospital where her mother is dying from cancer. After she passes, Naomi's aunt posts an obit in the local paper that turns Naomi's world upside down.
I really thought this was a page turner from page 1 on. I liked the way Hovey constructed the characters and kept them true throughout the book. This was a first time read for me by Hovey but I will be looking for more.
3. Beyond the Ice Limit - Preston/Child
3.5 *s
Glinn and his team have discovered that the meteorite that sank their ship five years ago was really an alien seed that has taken root. Now they need to put together the ultimate team to destroy it before it destroys earth.
This was a big page turner to see how they would save the earth. It was quite fantastic and pretty unrealistic at times but these guys do know how to tell a story. I would rate it 3.5 for entertaining.
4. Dead End in Norvelt - Jack Gantos3*s
Jack is restricted for the summer for playing with his Dad's WWII weapons. He lives in a historic area in Norvelt, Pennsylvania. The elderly lady across the street needs him to help her write obituaries for the original members of the neighborhood as they pass away.
This was a pretty decent read, but I thought the author made the Dad out to be a dunderhead. I liked the historical aspects of the story and the lessons that the boy learned helping out his neighbor but this wasn't an awe inspiring story.
5. The Night Bird - Brian Freeman4*s
Dr. Frankie Stein is an accomplished psychologist who can erase the memories of her patients who have suffered a traumatic experience. After her therapy, they can go on to live normal lives and not fear what bothered them. One of her patients has died when she seemed to freak out while waiting for traffic on a crowded bridge. Detective Frost Easton has found a similar case and now must find what's causing Dr. Stein's patients to kill themselves.
I thought this was a very good psychological thriller. The story left me guessing until the very end. This is a first time author for me and I chose it from the Prime First selection and am glad I did.
6. Blue-Eyed Son - Melissa Tomlinson Romo5*s
Agnes is anxious for her wedding to begin. She and her fiancé have known each other since they were teenagers and are both looking forward to this day. Agnes' father has not arrived and a letter is delivered but the groom reads it instead of giving it to Agnes. Now he has left and she is left wondering what happened. Bernd, her father has disappeared and as Agnes looks into it, has discovered secrets in her father's past. Now she goes on a quest to find his real parents.
Very well written book based on facts from WWII, when children who looked Aryan were taken from their parents to be Germanized and raised as German. Very touching story.
Paula wrote: "5. The Night Bird - Brian Freeman4*s
Dr. Frankie Stein is an accomplished psychologist who can erase the memories of her patients who have suffered a traumatic experience. After her therapy, the..."
Sounds interesting. I loved the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is also about erasing painful memories. Even though I think it's an absolutely terrible idea, the idea is still intriguing to me.
Tessa (FutureAuthor23) wrote: "Paula wrote: "5. The Night Bird - Brian Freeman4*s
Dr. Frankie Stein is an accomplished psychologist who can erase the memories of her patients who have suffered a traumatic experience. After he..."
I'll have to look for the movie Tessa, this book points out the problems with it also.
7.
3*s
Three stories of romance that take place in the Amish community.
The first one is a young woman who is the healer for the community. A single male neighbor has been single to this point and not looking for love when he falls for her.
The 2nd is a young girl running a bed and breakfast. A troubled man comes from a neighboring town looking for work and they fall in love.
The 3rd is a woman and her husband and family who move in with her parents after a tree falls on their house.
Pretty good stories but somewhat preachy.
8. The Twelfth Child - Bette Lee Crosby5*s
Abigail Ann is the twelfth child of William Lannigan. Her twin brother Will is the 11th, but being male, William's attitude is that Will will inherit the farm and Abigail being "just a girl" will learn how to be a good wife. Abigail has a very rough life and especially after her mother dies. When she chooses education over marrying, her father is beside himself.
This was a wonderfully put together coming of age story and one of friendship and love. I loved Abigail Ann and hated for this book to end. The characters are so warm, you actually feel as if you know them.
9. Girl in the Ice - Robert Bryndza
4*s
This is a first time read for me from this author. At first I had trouble liking Erika, she is a bit brash and a bit of a rogue. I decided to give it a little more of a chance because others had liked it so much and I'm glad I did. Once they got her settled down a bit, I enjoyed the story more. A good thriller.
10. All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr3*s
I loved the first part of the book with Marie-Laure and her father and the museum and the tiny city. I thought the book was well written but listening made it more difficult when the time jumped back and forth. I cared about the characters and what happened to them but I felt let down at the end and it seemed to wrap up rather quickly after the story took so long to unfold.
11. The Light Between Oceans - M L Stedman4*s
Tom is a WWI vet who needs time to just have to himself so becomes a lighthouse keeper off the coast of Australia. He meets a perky girl, Isabel and they fall in love. She is happy to move with him to the lighthouse and they are happy. After 3 miscarriages, life is getting hard in isolation. When a baby washes ashore, Isabel thinks it's a gift and wants to raise her.
Beautifully written story of love, loss and hardship. I recommend it.
12. Follow You Home - Mark Edwards4*s
Laura and Daniel are taking a trip around Europe before going back to England and getting married. They get on a train to Romania and meet another young couple. They decide to go to an empty sleeper and get some sleep but when they wake up, their tickets, passports and money have been stolen. They are thrown off the train with their new friend Alina, then the nightmare begins.
This is my first Edwards book and I liked it enough to read more. It was suspenseful and kept you turning pages to see where it was leading.
13. The Boneyard - Jefferson Bass4*s
Dr. Brockton is asked by one of his students to help prove that her sister didn't commit suicide. While in Florida, a dog takes his owner a boy's skull. Then another skull is found and a bone. Dr. Brockton stays to help get to the bottom of the bones, but is unprepared for what they do find.
Very good story loosely based on a boy's school in north Florida. I am going to read up on the history of that school also. This is a new to me author but I am looking forward to more.
14. The Good Lawyer - Thomas Benigno4*s
Nick Manino is a legal aid attorney. He has never lost a case. He has picked up some new cases and thinks they should be a slam dunk.
I thought this first novel was a good start. It is easy to get confused at first with so many characters to keep up with, but it all does come together. Some of these cases are based on Benigno's life and I cringe to think about what he has seen in the early years. I will look forward to the next book.
15. The Silent Girls - Ann Troup3 1/2 *s
Rose and Edie are the sole survivors from their family to take care of their Aunt Dolly's estate after her death. Rose is going on a long awaited cruise with her husband and Edie is newly divorced so the task falls to her. She hasn't seen her aunt in years or been to the old neighborhood and she is not looking forward to having to clear out the old house.
This was a suspenseful read with many twists. Sometimes, it got a bit overwhelming and I lost track of who was who but it wasn't enough to stop me reading. This was more a 3 1/2 stars for me and I will try another book by this author.
16. Max the Mighty - Rodham Philbrick4*s
This book was a favorite read by a middle school student where I'm working. He told me I should read it and the next day he brought it to me.
Maxwell Kane is a giant of a kid who is made fun of and pretty much stays to himself. He takes up for Worm/Rachel one day on the bus so she considers Max her protector. She is called Worm by the kids because she is a lover of books and is always reading.
I very much enjoyed this book and can't wait to tell the student.
17. I See You - Clare Mackintosh4*s
This type of crime could be so real in today's society and technology. The story was riveting at the beginning and very different from other books I've read. I have to admit, it did drag for me in the middle and I had settled on a solid 3 star book. I kept reading because it was different and I had to see how it would end up and am I ever glad I did! It was quite surprising and although I wouldn't rate it as high as I did "I Let You Go" this is a worthy read. Clare Mackintosh is a new "must buy" author for me.
18. The Widow - Fiona Barton3*s
This book is a rather hard one to get through. I listened to it on audio and am glad I did rather than read it.
It starts out with Glenn Elliot having been run over by a bus. His steadfast wife is being interviewed by a reporter. She's being questioned about a child abduction that took place about 4 years ago and her husband was the prime suspect.
It was written well, but some parts are hard to read although it is not graphic.
19. Linda Vaughn, the First Lady of Motorsports - Linda Vaughn 4*s
I very much enjoyed reading about this lovely lady. I had the pleasure of meeting her once a long time ago. The way she is even on first meeting is like an old friend. Very nice person. I liked reading about her life and enjoyed all the pictures.
20. Liquid Lies - Lois Lavrisa2*s
CiCi and Francesca are best friends and go out to celebrate Francesca's 18th birthday. Something happens that they keep secret for 4 years but the secret comes back to haunt them.
The story was good but it was just written in such a juvenile fashion that it wasn't a pleasurable read for me. I found it to be predictable and the characters amateurish. Just not my kind of book.
21. Either Side of Midnight - Tori de Clare4*s
Naomi is kidnapped on her wedding night. I think I have it all figured out but a few pages later I am awestruck.
Good read where you get to know the characters a little at a time and can decide if you like them or despise them. The author does a good job of making you want to hurry and get back to the story even if you can only read in short spurts as I had to do for real life reasons, but I couldn't wait to see how it would turn out.
22. The Good Neighbor - AJ Banner4*s
Sarah and Dr. Johnny MacDonald are living a great life in a nice neighborhood. While Johnny is gone to a conference, the neighbors house burns down along with the parents of a 4 year old daughter Mia. Sarah climbs through her window and saves her. Embers fall on Sarah's house and it is also burned.
Johnny has come back home and they are living in a bungalow in a new neighborhood with new neighbors and their real estate agent. Now Sarah is having second thoughts about Johnny and how well he knows these neighbors.
It was a pretty good read, not the psychological thriller I thought it would be but I liked it.
23. Top-Secret Twenty One - Janet Evanovich4*s
It had been a while since I'd read Stephanie but I got right back into it and loved it. I so enjoy these for the light and humorous stories that they are and love the back and forth between Morelli and Ranger. If she ever settled on one or the other, it would ruin the books for me.
I finished it so quickly that I'm now missing my "friends". : )
24. The Year of Pleasures - Elizabeth Berg3*s
This is a story about a woman coming to terms with the death of her husband. I like the way Berg describes her surroundings and puts you right into the story. For me, there were areas that I liked, and others were a little over the top for me.
25. The Devil's Bones - Jefferson Bass4*s
Dr. Brockton is trying to figure out who murdered a woman and burned her in her car. While investigating, he finds a crematorium who has been mishandling loved ones bodies and not doing their job. His nemesis Garland Hamilton returns in this book to give Brockton a tough time.
26. Aquarium - David Vann3*s
Caitlin and her single mother live together in a small apartment. Her mother has a job that keeps her away longer than the school day so Caitlin has a pass to the Seattle Aquarium everyday after school. One day Caitlin meets an old man there who seems to share her love of fish. One day he asks to meet her mother, and when her mother sees him, she flips out.
I thought the writing was beautiful and the pictures of the fish were incredible. I really didn't care for the mother, and maybe the storyline just wasn't my kind of book.
27. Untended Consequences - Marti Green4*s
Dani works for HIPP or Innocent Prisoners Project. They get letters from convicts on death row all the time to take their case and prove their innocence. As she's reading a letter from George Calhoun, something stirs in her and she feels she needs to take another look. George is to be put to death in 6 weeks but he declares his innocence and says that the daughter he is accused of killing may be alive. Dani chooses her team of two others and sets out to prove his innocence before time is up.
I thought this was a well written book with a good story that keeps you guessing until the very end. Well done, I will look for more books by this author.
28. Hallelujah is Dying - Michael Arches3*s
Flint Harrington has been mining the family mine since he was let go as a policeman for the small town of Hallelujah. When Mayor Joe is found dead in his mine, at first glance it seems to be accidental but on further investigation, it is murder. Although Flint is no longer a policeman, he is asked to help find who killed the Mayor.
This was a pretty good mystery taking place in the Colorado Mountains. I liked the setting of a small town and the mining. There were quite a few characters to keep up with but it was a good start to a new series.
29. Every Fifteen Minutes - Lisa Scottoline4*s
Eric Parrish is Chief Psychologist at a hospital. They have just ranked #2 for the psychology department and everyone is riding high and congratulating Dr. Parrish. He is recently divorced from his wife and has visitation with his daughter Hannah. Now Caitlin has a new boyfriend and things are not going well with his visitation. He decides to go for full custody but things are beginning to go wrong for Eric, very wrong.
This was a very good thriller that I couldn't wait to get back to. I listened to it on audio and it got me going the long way home to keep listening.
30. The Throwaway Children - Dinay Costeloe4*s
Mavis has two daughters, Rita 9 and Rosie 5. Their father was killed in WWII and Mavis is doing all she can to support herself and them. She meets Jimmy Randall and thinks things will get better. Jimmy is a bit abusive and is telling Mavis she must get rid of the girls, they aren't his children. She is pregnant and wants Jimmy to marry her so she gives the girls to her mother and Jimmy marries her. Now he is very abusive and wants Mavis to give up all rights to the girls. Lily, Mavis' mother has an accident and goes to the hospital and Mavis does what Jimmy wants. The girls are sent to an orphanage nearby but when the proprietor sees Lily as a problem, she sends them to Australia to another orphanage she runs.
This is such a touching and at the same time heartbreaking story. I had little sympathy for Mavis but so wanted Lily to have the girls. Very good read.
31. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane - Lisa See5*s
Lisa See does it again, another beautifully written story, this time about a mountain village steeped in tradition and superstitions. Li-Yen is a very intelligent young girl who lives in the village and goes to school. They usually finish that schooling then move on to picking tea leaves and helping their families make a living. Li-Yen's teacher talks her parents into letting her continue her schooling but she will still learn her A-ma's trade of being a healer.
This is a coming of age story and follows Li-Yen to adulthood. See writes her characters with such depth that I am sorry I've finished the book, I want it to continue. There are a lot of details about the tea industry also that I found interesting. This book will stay with me for a while.
32. The Memory House - Bette Lee Crosby5*s
Annie is at a crossroads and decides to get out of town for the weekend. She runs across a bed and breakfast about 6 hours from home. After getting settled in, she spends some time with Ophelia, the almost 90 year old owner, and Annie decides to spend a week. This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship between the two.
I loved this heartfelt book about a widow and her new young friend. Having read some of Crosby's other books which I also loved, it was fun to run across some "old friends". Every time I pick up a book by this author I know that I need to set aside some time because I become totally immersed
33. Final Appeal - Lisa Scottoline3*s
This was kind of a letdown after the last book I read by this author. Grace Rossi is working part-time after her divorce and taking care of her young daughter Maddie. She has a crush on the judge of a large case that she it to help with and one night they have a romantic interlude. The next morning he is dead. They rule it a suicide but she believes it was murder and sets out to find the killer.
It was an ok listen and I will read more by this author.
34. 3096 Days in Captivity - Natasha Kampusch3*s
I was totally disappointed in this book. The fact that Natascha was kidnapped when she was 10 was horrible but she wrote this book as if she were a clinician and sometimes victim. Thank goodness she was not sexually abused but she was beaten and verbally abused. On the other hand, if she asked her abductor for something, he gave it to her. He mostly just wanted a partner, he was a sick person and he had her convinced that he would kill her if she tried to get away but 8 1/2 years is a long time to wait to try.
35. The Coach House - Florence Osmund3*s
Marie lives with her single mother until her death and then lives with some beloved neighbors. When she decides to go to college, her education is paid for. Her mother never discussed who her father was, just that he loved them very much but could not be with them. Marie meets a dashing man after college who sweeps her off her feet. They marry but she catches him in lies and is beginning to wonder about him.
I couldn't get enough reading time for this book until about 3/4 of the way through, then it took a turn that I wasn't expecting. It was still good but went into a couple of thought provoking subjects and then ended abruptly leaving a lot of questions. It was off putting for me and I don't think I'll look for the next book. A shame really because the author really has a gift for putting you into the story and characters.
36. Rocky Mountain Justice - Jeff Noonan4*s
Jerry, his cousin Ray and another friend are taking boxing lessons from the town deputy. Jerry wins the match with his friend but Ike, the coach and deputy wants him to hit him more. Jerry refuses. Ike then beats the heck out of Jerry. When he and Ray get to his aunts house, she is appalled at the damage done to him and wants justice by going to the sheriff in the next town to administer it. Since the sheriff and deputy are both corrupt, it brings terror to the residents involved.
Good storyline that takes place in the 40's and brings to light the corruption that some small towns can face. The teens in the town take it upon themselves to find evidence and bring them to justice. Some editing issues but overall a good read.
37. Richard III and the Princes in the Tower - A J Pollard3*s
This gives the historical debate surrounding Richard III and the princes although the princes are in the book much. Pollard gives what he has found about Richard's life but it is still uncertain whether or not he was responsible for the deaths of the boys or if they survived and lived under different names.
38. Stories - Bette Lee Crosby4*s
Short book about how Bette Lee Crosby got ideas for her stories. It gives a synopsis of each and then how she came up with it. It was interesting for the stories I had read and makes me want to get to the ones I haven't.
39. The Girls - Emma Cline3*s
Evie is crashing at a friends house and comes across his son and his young girlfriend. It brings back memories to Evie when she was trying to fit in in the summer of 1969.
A coming of age story that is based loosely on the Manson family. Entertaining.
40. Two Graves - Preston/Child3 1/2 *s
Pendergast finds Helen only to lose her again in this finale of the Helen trilogy. It is well written as usual and fast paced. There were 2 other sub plots going on that kind of distracted from the main story, or so it seemed to me. It was still enjoyable and would rate 3 1/2 stars if I could.
41. The Silver Baron's Wife - Donna Stein4*s
The story of Baby Doe Tabor from childhood to her death. Elizabeth marries Harvey Doe and her father in law gives them a mine near Central City, Colorado. Elizabeth loves it but Harvey is not too happy about it. He drinks and later is found cheating so she files for divorce and moves to Leadville to find a job. She meets Horace Tabor and after he divorces his wife, they marry. Society shuns them but they are happy.
This is one of my favorite stories. I have other biographies of this couple and their daughter Silver Dollar. I have been to Leadville many times and of course have been to the Matchless mine and to the Tabor Opera House. It's a great historical love story.
This book was entertaining even though the author took some liberties with facts but is still a good read. I particularly loved her descriptions of the Ice Palace in Leadville. This was quite a big thing back then to try and bring people back to Leadville when the silver economy went bad. I've seen pictures and read about it but it was fun to "see" it through the Tabor's eyes.
42. The Aviator's Wife - Melanie Benjamin4*s
This is the story of the Lindbergh's from the point of view of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I listened to this on audio and had a hard time putting it down. I learned more about these people that I had only heard about rarely other than the kidnapping. I am anxious to find out more, now that I have read the book.
I thought it was very well written and look forward to reading more by this author.
43. Death of a Bachelorette - Laura Levine4*s
Jaine is hired to write for a TV reality series. She and Prozac fly to an island paradise to be the new writer passing #2 leaving as she is arriving. The Bachelorettes and Bachelor are staying in a mansion with all the comforts of home. Jaine soon finds herself and Prozac on the 3rd floor in a small room with no A/C or nice accommodations. Her room also comes with a giant water bug.
Tai, the good looking guy who picked her up from the airport asks her to meet his family, she is ecstatic, until she finds he is setting her up for his dad to be his 12th wife!
I always look forward to these books. Levine always writes and entertaining story with a murder or two thrown in and this funny book did not disappoint.
44. The Life We Bury - Allen Eskens5*s
Joe is going to college. He has an assignment to write a biography of a person. Joe has a troubled home life and there is no one in his family to write about so he goes to a nursing home to see if he can find an interesting person. The only person the nursing home has to tell his story is Carl Linstrom. He has been in prison for 30 years for the rape and murder of a 14 year old girl but now is dying of cancer so he's in the nursing home. Joe agrees to talk to him and after a few sessions, Joe believes that Carl is innocent and sets out to prove it.
I listened to this on audio and when the drive between work and home wasn't enough, I would listen while at work. I hated to put it down. I am anxious to read or listen to more of Eskens' books, I've found a new author to enjoy.
45. Little Girl Blue - Randy Schmidt4*s
Such a tragic story of a truly gifted and talented person. I know not a lot was known about anorexia back then but as a parent with a sick child, I would have had her in the hospital. It seems like everyone just left her on her own to do the right thing, but this is an illness. Just a sad ending to a promising life.
I rounded up to 4 stars, but I did think there was a lot about the music and records which did get a bit boring. Toward the end, there was more about Karen and her illness and how everyone handled it.
46. Stillhouse Lake - Rachel Caine4*s
Gina and her kids are on the run when it is discovered by accident (literally) that her husband is a serial killer and a body is found in a garage which Mel has converted for his evil purposes. He is in prison but there are crazy people out there who believe that Gina was in on it and she has changed her identity along with the kids to stay away from them as they wish them harm.
I had some believability issues with some parts of the book but the last 1/3 of the book was very fast paced and exciting. There is a part two coming out in December which I am anxious to read and see how it turns out.
Paula wrote: "29. Every Fifteen Minutes - Lisa Scottoline4*s
Eric Parrish is Chief Psychologist at a hospital. They have just ranked #2 for the psychology department and everyone is riding high and congratula..."
Oh, that sounds interesting! I´m searching good Thrillers, will definitely put this on my list. :)
Shelfari 50 Book Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Into the Water (other topics)The Girl In The Ice (other topics)
An Amish Kitchen: Three Amish Novellas (other topics)
Beyond the Ice Limit (other topics)
The Abduction of Mary Rose (other topics)
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