READ 100+ BOOKS IN 2017 discussion
March challenge
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
4/9, 20 books
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.
2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Read a book with water on the cover--Tonight in the Rivers of Pittsburgh--Brian Lee Weakland--finished 3/25/17.
5. Reads a book with pictures--Dark Shadows by Doreen Gronin--finished 3/18/17.
6. Read a book with a one-word title.
7. Read a book published before 1950.
8. Read a book you bought on a trip--Unmasked Secrets by Brenna Zinn--finished 3/18/17.
9. Your choice--Mastered by Her Captor--Opal Carew--finished 3/5/17 .
Bonus:
Duke of Secrets--Gaelen Foley--finished 3/6/17
The Mouse and the Motorcycle--Beverly Cleary--finished 3/8/17
Captivated: Stiles 1--Before--Katherine King--finished 3/9/17
Passion's Last Promise--Christie Adams--finished 3/14/17
Communication Skills--Minxie Wells--finished 3/16/17
Raise the Jolly Roger--Tracy Kincaid--finished 3/19/17
Pretty Dirty Secrets--Jeana C. Mann--finished 3/19/17
Beauty and the Highlander--Hildie McQueen--finished 3/22/17
My Life as a Cartoonist--Janet Tashjian--finished 3/22/17
Naughtiness is Contagious--C. R. Lemon--finished 3/25/17
Alien Mail Order Bride: Alyssa--Meg Cooper--finished 3/25/17
The Knaveheart Curse--Adele Griffin--finished 3/28/17
Requiem for the American Dream by Noam Chomsky--finished 3/28/17
Seven Letters from Paris--Samantha Verant--finished 3/29/17
No Getting Over You by Cerise DeLand--finished 3/31/17
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce--finished 3/31/17
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Read a book with water on the cover.
5. Reads a book with pictures.
6. Read a book with a one-word title.
7. Read a book published before 1950.
"In Dubious Battle" by John Steinbeck - 1st published in 1938
8. Read a book you bought on a trip.
9. Your choice.
"Friday Night Lights" by H.G. Bissinger
March ChallengeBegins: 01March17 / Ends: 31March17
5 / 9 completed
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.
✔ 2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland - Chestnut Street ✔ – 18Mar17
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
✔ 4. Read a book with water on the cover -
✔ – 23Mar17✔ 5. Reads a book with pictures - María, Daughter of Immigrants ✔ – 22Mar17
✔ 6. Read a book with a one-word title. - Voyager ✔ – 18Mar17
7. Read a book published before 1950.
8. Read a book you bought on a trip.
✔ 9. Your choice - A Fierce Radiance ✔ – 12March17
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Read a book with water on the cover.
5. Reads a book with pictures.
6. Read a book with a one-word title.
7. Read a book published before 1950.
"In Dubious Battle" by John Steinbeck - Published in 1938
"Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey - Published in 1943
8. Read a book you bought on a trip.
9. Your choice.
"Friday Night Lights" by H.G. Bissinger
I was exploring the used book sale at our library and came across "Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey which was published in 1943. Growing up this was one of the many books I read by Robert McCloskey."Homer Price lives two miles out of Centerburg, where Route 56 meets 56A, but most of his friends and relatives live in town. They include Aunt Aggy and Uncle Ulysses, the Sheriff and the boys, Miss Terwilliger, Miss Naomi Enders, great-great-great granddaughter of Ezekiel Enders who founded Centerburg and who owned the precious formula for making Cough Syrup and Elixer of Life Compound. While Centerburg is not exactly nosey, precious little happens that the good citizens do not know.
In six preposterous tales, Robert McCloskey takes a good look at the face of mid-western America with humorous and affectionate eyes. No matter how old or young the reader, the strange skullduggery of the Sensational Scent, the extravagant affair of the Doughnuts, the breathtaking suspense of "Mystery Yarn", the doleful defeat of The Super-Duper, the puzzling problem of Michael Murphy's musical Mousetrap, and the Great Pageant of One Hundred and Fifty Years of Centerburg Progress Week, will reduce him to helpless laughter."
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Read a book with water on the cover.
5. Reads a book with pictures.
6. Read a book with a one-word title.
"The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz.
7. Read a book published before 1950.
"In Dubious Battle" by John Steinbeck - Published in 1938
"Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey - Published in 1943
8. Read a book you bought on a trip.
9. Your choice.
"Friday Night Lights" by H.G. Bissinger
Now reading "The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz."From the author of the "New York Times" bestselling Spellman Files series, Lisa Lutz s latest blistering thriller is about a woman who creates and sheds new identities as she crisscrosses the country to escape her past: you ll want to buckle up for the ride! "In case you were wondering, I didn t do it. I didn t have anything to do with Frank s death. I don t have an alibi, so you ll have to take my word for it..." Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It s not the first time. She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy and dangerous alliance is born. It s "almost" impossible to live off the grid today, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret can she outrun her past? With heart-stopping escapes and devious deceptions, "The Passenger" is an amazing psychological thriller about defining yourself while you pursue your path to survival. One thing is certain: the ride will leave you breathless."
The Vicious Vet – M.C. Beaton – 3***
Book two in the popular Agatha Raisin cozy mystery series. I was not a fan of the first Agatha Raisin book, but she’s growing on me. One of the review blurbs calls Agatha “a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball, with a tad of pit bull tossed in” (St Petersburg Times). I’m beginning to see that combination here, and I’m starting to appreciate the humor in Agatha’s character.
LINK to my review
-Kiera Cass 3-1-17This companion to the Selection series was well written and entertaining. I really liked seeing some additional stories and some different points-of-view of certain aspects of the original novels. It added quite a bit more depth to several of the series' characters.
-Joanne Limburg 3-4-17This was a well written biographical novel about Princess Anne, the niece of Charles II of England. It starts when she is 10 years old and continues well into her adulthood. I learned a great deal about the time period and was astounded at the amount of personal tragedy she endured throughout her life. She did eventually wear the crown (8 March 1702 – 1 May 1707) and was succeeded by her cousin George I. She was the last Stuart monarch.
-Nancy Moser 3-5-17This was a well written historical romance novel with well drawn characters, and I don't know that I've ever run across such a villainous real life character than Elizabeth's father. I had never known much about Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and I certainly learned a great deal about her while reading this novel; for instance, only strangers used her real name: family and friends called her "Ba" (coming from "Baby"). I really loved this book and wish that Nancy Moser would write more Ladies of History novels.
-Jane Austen 3-10-17This was a well written novel with well drawn characters as are all of Jane Austen's novels that I've read. In some ways, Austen is making fun of Gothic romance novels in this novel, which is apparently the first one she wrote although the last one published. Her writing is less mature in this novel than in her later ones; however, it is still a great novel.
-Louisa May Alcott 3-11-17This was a well written 19th century romance novel. I really enjoyed this sweet story, which I have read a few times before, even though the characters are rather one-dimensional, which is typical for the Gothic romances of that time period, in order to showcase whether they are heroes or villains in the story.
Station Eleven – Emily St John Mandel – 4****
The snow falling on Toronto gives the city a peaceful look, but the hysteria caused by a spreading plague that kills within days cannot be stopped. Dystopian or postapocalyptic novels are really not my thing, but I found this novel quite interesting. Mandel moves back and forth in time, and from character to character, keeping the reader off balance.
LINK to my review
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Read a book with water on the cover.
**"The Fireman" by Joe Hill
5. Reads a book with pictures.
6. Read a book with a one-word title.
"The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz.
7. Read a book published before 1950.
"In Dubious Battle" by John Steinbeck - Published in 1938
"Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey - Published in 1943
8. Read a book you bought on a trip.
9. Your choice.
"Friday Night Lights" by H.G. Bissinger
**OK, a bit of a stretch . . . There are trees burning on the cover so I figured if there's fire there must be water, right?
Now reading "The Fireman" by Joe Hill."In a world overtaken by a deadly and dramatic new virus, Harper is determined to live long enough to deliver her baby. But when all it takes is a spark to start a deadly blaze, she's going to need some help from the mysterious fireman."
A Fierce Radiance – Lauren Belfer – 2.5**
Well this sounded much more interesting than it wound up being. I definitely enjoyed some aspects of the novel. I like reading medical histories, and the race to develop a procedure to mass produce penicillin was an important effort in World War II. But, Belfer included a romantic subplot, as well as broken family ties, a murder, and other elements. There is just too much going on between the covers of this book, and I never got caught up in the story.
LINK to my review
The Dog Stars – Peter Heller – 3***
I am not a great fan of post-apocalyptic novels. And yet, here I am reading another one. Heller’s writing is both poetic and spare, with short sentences that come at the reader like staccato gun fire. This gives the novel a feeling of impending danger, of uncertainty and fear. I wanted to rush through it, and yet, I wanted to take my time to understand what was happening and how these characters were dealing with this different world.
LINK to my review
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Read a book with water on the cover.
**"The Fireman" by Joe Hill
5. Reads a book with pictures.
6. Read a book with a one-word title.
"The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz.
7. Read a book published before 1950.
"In Dubious Battle" by John Steinbeck - Published in 1938
"Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey - Published in 1943
8. Read a book you bought on a trip.
9. Your choice.
"Friday Night Lights" by H.G. Bissinger
"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
**OK, a bit of a stretch . . . There are trees burning on the cover so I figured if there's fire there must be water, right?
Traveling right now so we're listening to the audio book "A Walking in the Woods" by Bill Bryson."The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in)."
Lots of humor while listening and at the same time a history of the U.S., the National Park Service and learning about nature and it's surroundings.
Voyager – Diana Gabaldon – 3***
Book three in the popular Outlander series. This isn’t great literature, but the series is fun to read. This installment delves more deeply into the supernatural, which I thought detracted from the central story.
LINK to my review
Chestnut Street – Maeve Binchy – 3.5***
Binchy does a great job of giving us a picture of a neighborhood in this collection of short stories. Characters come in contact with one another, interact, leave, and return. Binchy’s characters seem like real people; I recognize many of them though I live in Wisconsin and this is set in Dublin.
LINK to my review
Mod
2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Re..."
Works for me.
Mod
"The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking te..."
I loved this book. I enjoyed the movie also even though Redford and Nolti were too old to play the characters.
Mod
-Stephenie Meyer 3-15-17This was an intriguing, thought-provoking, well-written fantasy novel. Having already watched the movies, I knew the characters and plots and liked them, but what you get a better feel for in the books are the moral and ethical dilemmas as well as some religious questions that aren't portrayed in the movies. Also, I love how much of a klutz Bella is; Edward's declaration about her is simply awesome: “You’re not a magnet for accidents — that’s not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you.”
-Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner 3-17-17It took me a little bit to get into this story, but that might have been because it's so much slower-paced than the book I'd finished reading right before starting this one, since after I got into it, I enjoyed it a great deal. In any case, this was a well-written and entertaining Amish novel with interesting characters, most of which were well drawn. I found the plot to be reasonably unique for its genre, and it made for a sweet story. I will likely read more of the series at some point.
-Sandra Byrd 3-19-17This was a highly intriguing and entertaining historical novel with many Gothic overtones; however, unlike most Gothic romances typical in the 19th century, this novel had a great deal more mystery because several of its characters are full rather than flat, so it made it harder to tell who some of the villains were in the story, which in turn made the story more interesting and suspenseful. In any case, it was a well written novel that I thoroughly enjoyed, and it has earned a place on my favorites' list.
Maria, Daughter of Immigrants – Maria Antonietta Berrizobal – 3.5***
I really enjoyed and was captivated by Maria’s personal journey as she outlines it in the book. But a little more than half-way through the book, it seemed to become more of a history of the politics of the city than Maria’s autobiography. I still found this interesting, because I’m from San Antonio, but I think it detracted from the central story of her own life.
LINK to my review
-Tamera Alexander 3-22-17This was the first of the Belle Meade series, which are meant to be read alongside the author's Belmont series. Anyhow, as was the case with the first two books of her Belmont series, I really loved this historical novel. It was a complex, sweet story, and I enjoyed the characters. I look forward to reading more of this series, and I can honestly say that Tamera Alexander has become one of my favorite authors of historical fiction.
The Bat – Jo Nesbø – 4****
Book #1 in the Inspector Harry Hole series. Nesbø writes a tight, fast-paced thriller with plenty of clues, several red herrings, a flawed but likeable lead detective, and an interesting setting. I’ll definitely read more of this series.
LINK to my review
Mod
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry – Fredrik Backman – 4****
I was charmed by Elsa and her crazy grandmother, as well as by the cast of “not-quite-normal” characters who inhabit the apartment building Elsa calls home. There is plenty of action, some significant danger and distress, and enough humor to ease the tension. If the scenario is not believable, well who cares. I wanted a happily-ever-after ending, and for the most part that what’s I got.
LINK to my review
Irish Girls About Town – Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, et al – 3.5***
This is a collection of short stories written by Irish female authors. While the stories vary considerably, they are all about love in its many disguises. A few of the stories feature more mature women, but most deal with younger women and the men they love, or hope to love, or love to hate. On the whole, it’s an enjoyable anthology.
LINK to my review
Bookmarked For Death – Lorna Barrett – 3***
This is a typical cozy mystery scenario, with an amateur sleuth who cannot keep out of the investigation. The plot stretches credulity, but I like the many references to mystery authors sprinkled throughout.
LINK to my review
Mod
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry
– Fredrik Backman – 4****
I was charmed by Elsa and her crazy grandmother, ..."
I want to read this book. I loved his other books A MAN CALLED OVE and BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE. I have it on my shelves but until I get to it. My house rivals a small town library.
Mod
Bookmarked For Death
– Lorna Barrett – 3***
This is a typical cozy mystery scenario, with an amateur sleuth who cannot keep out of the investigation. T..."
I like her books.
-Marta Perry 3-24-17This was a well written and interesting Amish romance novel with one plot set in current day and the other set during the 1950s when the Amish didn't yet have their own schools and were being legally forced to send their children to public high schools or face imprisonment. The characters were well drawn, and I was interested by the history of their struggle with the government over differing views on education. I liked seeing how Judith gained understanding of her own family's issues through reading about Mattie's historical struggles.This novel has earned a place on my favorites' list, and I look forward to finishing the series.
-Anne Bishop 3-27-17This is the second book in Anne Bishop's Ephemera series, which is a rather dark fantasy series with a lot of sexual innuendo and one brief non-graphic sexual encounter. Like the first novel in the series, Sebastian, it was also quite suspenseful in its own way. Anyhow, I enjoyed learning more about the world of Ephemera and getting to know several of the characters better. While not everyone would enjoy this book, I truly did, and I plan to track down the last two books in the series eventually.
-Julie Klassen 3-28-17This was a well-written and enjoyable historical novel with well drawn characters. The more I got into this story, the more I liked it and the more I became convinced that I'd either read this exact book several years ago before I started keeping track of my reading or one very similar in plot to it, but either way, I really loved this novel, which has earned its place on my favorites' list.
-Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner 3-31-17This is the second novel of the series: The Men of Lancaster County by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner. It was a fairly well-written Amish novel with interesting characters, most of which were well drawn. I found the plot to be reasonably unique for its genre, but I liked the first book of the series, The Amish Groom, a lot better. I will likely finish the series at some point.
Four to Score – Janet Evanovich – 3.5***
The earlier books in the series are very entertaining, but I lost interest after about book twelve. I re-read this one because it’s fast, enjoyable and fits a challenge.
LINK to my review
READ 100+ BOOKS IN 2017
Books mentioned in this topic
Four to Score (other topics)The Painter's Daughter (other topics)
The Amish Blacksmith (other topics)
Sebastian (other topics)
Belladonna (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Mindy Starns Clark (other topics)Susan Meissner (other topics)
1. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with X.
2. Since St. Patrick's Day is coming, read a book set in Ireland.
3. Since spring is coming, read a book with a season in the title.
4. Read a book with water on the cover.
5. Reads a book with pictures.
6. Read a book with a one-word title.
7. Read a book published before 1950.
8. Read a book you bought on a trip.
9. Your choice.