Challenge: 50 Books discussion
2010
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Jan's 50+ in 2010
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Jan
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Dec 23, 2009 12:16PM
Let the Journey Begin ... first book planned for the year will be Stief Larsson's "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Next"
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Okay....so I lied. After I finished "Under the Dome" I wasn't ready for a huge tome, so instead, the first book of 2010 is:The Darkness by Jason Pinter
The other thing I'm feeling I should share is that my husband gave me a Kindle for Christmas...and although I really enjoyed finishing the 1100+ page Stephen King book on something a little less "weighty", I haven't quite decided that I can become a Kindle "freak" -- there is something about the tactile feel of a book in your hands. We'll see -- I think I may, for my own benefit, track what I read on the Kindle as well as what I read on paper...
# 2 The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet's Nest by Stieg LarssonI have to say I have enjoyed these three books so much and his untimely passing means that there won't be more. We can only hope that someone has located some manuscripts that have not been published, and there is more Larsson in our future.
I loved Stief Larsson's first two books and can't wait to read Hornet's Nest. Amazon says it's not available until May. I was wondering where you found your copy. May is sooo far away!
Now I'm giving away secrets. The book was released in Europe (IN ENGLISH) several months ago. I ordered it from a British bookseller -- cost a little more, but after the conversion from pound sterling it was about $22 with shipping -- a little pricey for a paperback, but I couldn't wait.
Jan wrote: "Now I'm giving away secrets. The book was released in Europe (IN ENGLISH) several months ago. I ordered it from a British bookseller -- cost a little more, but after the conversion from pound ste..."Thanks for the info. I may just have to do that myself. ;-)
Sue wrote: "I loved Stief Larsson's first two books and can't wait to read Hornet's Nest. Amazon says it's not available until May. I was wondering where you found your copy. May is sooo far away! "
It's now also available from the Canadia Amazon site.
It's now also available from the Canadia Amazon site.
Peg wrote: "Sue wrote: "I loved Stief Larsson's first two books and can't wait to read Hornet's Nest. Amazon says it's not available until May. I was wondering where you found your copy. May is sooo far away! ..."Thanks Peg!
#3 The Siege by Stephen White#4 Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman
#6Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
# 7 DC Noir by George Pelecanos
This is a collection of Short Stories...not really by Pelecanos (he was the editor). Highly recommended for those of us living in DC -- or those who know the city well...references to specific neighborhoods certainly help place it in context.
#8Julia's Chocolates
by Cathy Lamb
This book would be highly recommended for a more complete understanding of what it is to live with abuse...of any kind. It's not deep literature, but the characters are well developed and a bit quirky...
#9Henry's Sisters
by Cathy Lamb
Another Cathy Lamb...and I must admit this book brought tears more than any book I have ever read in my entire, LONG life. Highly recommended. Four and a half stars.
Isabelle and her sisters Cecilia and Janie are from a clearly dysfunctional family -- a disastrous upbringing -- poverty, abuse, shame and guilt. Each of them has learned to 'cope' in a different way. And then there's Henry -- the only brother, born with Down's syndrome and plagued with many of the struggles common to it. But he's always smiling, he's always pulling the family together, helping, volunteering, and telling everyone that "Jesus Loves You" --as Isabelle often says "Henry is the only sane one..."
#10Maisie Dobbs
by Jacqueline Winspear
Guess I'm hooked -- last year it was Anne Perry's World War I series and now I guess I'll do the post-war stuff with Maisie Dobbs. Good, quick read -- period piece.
#11Birds of a Feature
by Jacqueline Winspear
#12 Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear#13 Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
I'm going to run out of Maisie Dobbs books soon!
# 16 The Fury by Jason Pinter# 17 The Hunters by Jason Pinter
# 19 Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst# 20 The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano
#21 An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
#22 Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear#23 Skin and Bone by Kathryn Fox
#24 Fluke by Christopher Moore
#25 Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron#26 Margarita Nights by Phyllis Smallman
# 27 The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller # 28 Awaiting Your Reply by Dan Chaon
#30 I'll Mature When I'm Dead by Dave Barry#31 The Seven Sisters by Margaret Drabble
#33 Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson
#34 Conspiracy in Cairo by Noel Hynd#35 Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson
#36 Murder in Gramercy Square by Victoria Thompson#37 Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
#38 The Devil Amongst the Lawyers: A Ballad Novel by Sharyn McCrumb
#39 Sizzlin' Sixteen by Janet Evanovich4.5 stars -- not her best, but for those of us who feel like we are part of the Plum family -- and need to know if Stephanie will end up with Ranger or Morelli -- it's always entertaining. These books don't make you think -- they make you laugh til you cry and are the best kind of escapism...
#40 Murder on Washington Square by Victoria ThompsonThese books, too, are escapism. I do enjoy a well-written historial novel. These aren't particularly deep, but the characters are engaging and each one has an interesting plot twise...This is installment number 4, I think....and I'd give it, also, 4.5 stars.
Leaving for vacation tomorrow. Have several new books on the Kindle (so I won't have to drag along a pile of books...) Looking forward to a lot of mindless (or at least enjoyable) reading time.
#41 Murder on Washington Square by Victoria Thompson; #42 The Ocean Inside by Janna McMahan
#43 Heaven and Earth, and
#44 Dance upon the Air
Both by Nora Roberts - first two in the Three Sisters Trilogy
#45 Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson
oops -- just noticed that I listed one of the Thompson books TWICE...so, my total is really 44....not 45...sorry about that.
#45 Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson#46 I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
#47 Star Island by Carl HiaasenLaugh out loud funny -- Chronicles a bad-girl rock stars spiral into use, abuse and mayhem, with all the colorful characters that rock stardom contains -- not a world I generally know much about, but certainly entertaining.
48. The Last Time I was Me by Cathy Lamb; 49. Gone to Green by Judy Christie
50. Goodness, Gracious Green by Judy ChristieThese last two books are part of the Christian Fiction genre, but I have found them engaging and not too "preachy" -- the characters are interesting and the Northern Louisiana landscape very interesting. I'm ready for book # 3 in the series, but it is not to be released until February of next year....so on to something else!
52. Jacqueline Winspear - The Mapping of Love and Death;53. John Sandford - Bad Blood;
54. Kathy Reichs - Spider Bones
56. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett...all 1000 pages.....
This is the first that I've read by him -- I was encouraged to do so by both my spouse and daughter. But I have to say it reminded me of the John Jakes series of many years ago (those of you of a certain age know what I mean) -- characters just seemed to keep popping up in various places and always running into one another. What's with that in terms of reality? I will say that I was engaged in the story itself and I learned a lot about what was going on historically during the time period. Certainly not a complete waste of time, but I would say 3 on a 5-point scale.
57. Brewed, Crude and Tattoes by Sandra Balzo
oops....typed too fast....that's Brewed, Crude and Tattoed....not wonderful....too contrived; I'd give it 2.5 stars...be interested in knowing what others think. I read the first of the Maggy Thorsen books and then looked long and hard for this one and have to say I was disappointed in # 2...Maybe I should stick with the historical fiction...
