Annual Reading Challenge--2020

[Simba's Mom]

33/80 Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand
So many of the stereotypes of that time are presented in the characters, but it was a quick read, and I enjoyed it.

Glad you enjoyed it! I LOVED that book-found myself humming the title to every chapter. And since I lived in Massachusetts and remembered Chapaquidick well, it was great!

 

[willowsnn3]

#23 R is for Richochet by Sue Grafton
Reba Lafferty was a daughter of privilege, the only child of an adoring father. Nord Lafferty was already in his fifties when Reba was born, and he could deny her nothing. Over the years, he quietly settled her many scrapes with the law, but he wasn't there for her when she was convicted of embezzlement and sent to the California Institution for Women. Now, at thirty-two, she is about to be paroled, having served twenty-two months of a four-year sentence. Nord Lafferty wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers." "It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: babysit Reba until she settles in, make sure she follows all the rules of her parole. Maybe all of a week's work. Nothing untoward - the woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good." But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than twenty-four hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round.

18th in the alphabet series by Sue Grafton. Good but not as good as the prior ones.

 

[OKW8297]

30. The Restaurant by Pamela Kelley Another book in her Nantucket series. It was an easy read, not my favorite but fine for a rainy day on a holiday weekend.

 

[SaintsManiac]

19/30--Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Just ok. Going in the donation pile.

 

[bobbiwoz]

34/80 Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman
Very happy with this book.

 

[monarchsfan16]

31: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I loved this book. 5/5

 

[jen7233]

#6/20: The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy. Memoir about teaching on Daufuskie Island, SC in1969/1970, and tackling the belief systems and inequality that still existed post segregation in the school district overseeing the fictitious Yamacraw Island (Daufuskie) and the belief systems that impacted the individuals and the communities of the time, and can also see author's own evolution in beliefs. If reading, warning the content is blatant, and written in 1972 and keep in mind the background and perspective of author.

 

[BonnieF]

20/50
Camino Winds, John Grisham. Really enjoyed this book, as well as the first in the series, Camino Island. It's a good escape book that goes in many different directions. Definitely recommend!

 

[JayMass]

13/30--Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. Loved this book. Not as good as the Shining for obvious, iconic reasons but this update to young Danny rings very true. Despite Danny having an alcoholic father, adult Dan has become one himself. After traveling around the country doing odd jobs including working in hospice, he ends up in NH and joins AA. Meanwhile, a young girl in town has The Shining and there is a band of Shining Stealing travelers who are out to get her because she is so powerful. I thought it was a really well-thought out and executed conclusion to the Torrance family saga!

Now I'm about a 1/3 of the way through Middlesex and might try to jump back to King with the Gunslinger series.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

#6 Sharp Objects Gillian Flynn
This book was okay. It's disturbing enough and twisted but to me it felt so fake and borderline absurd. I guessed the ending halfway through though, so it's no great thriller. It was just okay.

If anyone is interested in reading any of my works. I would gladly send a kindle gift versions of any of them: “Written for You”, “Three Twigs for the Campfire”, “Cemetery Girl” or “Reigning”.
You can see them all reviewed at Goodreads (Click on link to view books). If you find any intriguing please PM me here and I can send out. I also have a couple of print copies that I could send out.

 

[tiggrbaby]

20/50
Camino Winds, John Grisham. Really enjoyed this book, as well as the first in the series, Camino Island. It's a good escape book that goes in many different directions. Definitely recommend!

I'm looking forward to this one! It is loosely based upon the island we live on most of the year.

 

[bobbiwoz]

35/80 Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman

I really like these books, two more to go, and I’ve read them all, that is so far. I hope the series continues!

 

[melk]

18/25 A Mother’s Confession by Kelly Rimmer

Both Olivia and her mother-in-law are keeping secrets about Olivia’s dead husband, David. They are both in mourning and the book takes you back from the beginning to see how things unfolded in their relationships with David.

This was quite a book. It’s heartbreaking and there is a twist at the end that I did not see coming until it was right on top of me. Then of course I had to go back and think about how certain things in the book played out and it all made sense. Warning however that it deals with the theme of domestic violence and can be difficult to read at times, knowing these scenarios do exist.

 

[willowsnn3]

#24 The Boy From The Woods by Harlan Coben
The man known as Wilde is a mystery to everyone, including himself. Decades ago, he was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. After the police concluded an exhaustive hunt for the child's family, which was never found, he was turned over to the foster system.
Now, thirty years later, Wilde still doesn't know where he comes from, and he's back living in the woods on the outskirts of town, content to be an outcast, comfortable only outdoors, preferably alone, and with few deep connections to other people.
When a local girl goes missing, famous TV lawyer Hester Crimstein--with whom Wilde shares a tragic connection--asks him to use his unique skills to help find her. Meanwhile, a group of ex-military security experts arrive in town, and when another teen disappears, the case's impact expands far beyond the borders of the peaceful suburb. Wilde must return to the community where he has never fit in, and where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it's too late.

This one started out good but got rather boring by the middle. Trudged thru to find out the ending.

 

[willowsnn3]

#25 Introducing Gertrude, Gumshoe
Gertrude has been called a lot of things: a hoarder, an odd duck, and a crazy cat lady—but she's never been called a gumshoe. Until now. When her neighbor goes missing, she can't help but get involved, no matter how many people ask her not to.

I enjoyed this one. A light, fun read for in between more serious books. Looks like there are a few more "Gertrude" books so I will read those when I need a good laugh.

 

[bobbiwoz]

36/80. Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman

Another enjoyable book in the series! Deals with an agency that helps troubled youth.

 

[mini22]

22/35 Ladies Who Punch by Ramin Setoodeh

 

[OKW8297]

31. The Seekers by John Jakes Third book in this historical fiction series. Excellent.

 

[Colleen27]

#42 - 44/156 - A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Completed my re-read of the Outlander series, which left me wishing I could go to the library to pick up the Lord John books. I really hope book 9 comes out before too terribly much longer!

#45 - The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

I heard a lot of good things about this one when it was new, but tried a couple of times to get into it and just didn't stick with it. And the beginning was rather slow. The hopping around in both time and space makes it take a while to get well and truly invested in the characters, but once the story gets going it is beautifully imaginative and almost fairy-tale like. The settings, more than the characters, really come to life, and the unusual style of the storytelling itself is quite effective in developing all of the many threads that come together in the end, even if it does make it take a bit longer to really get into the story.

 

[KevM]

It’s the end of the month, so time for my round up of the books I’ve read this month. I read 3 books, bringing my total for the year to 23. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and with that in mind, the 3 books I read were:


21) The Color of Hope: People of Color Mental Health Narratives edited by Rasheedah Phillips and Vanessa Hazzard. Non-Fiction/Mental Health. A collection of short essays, poems, & interviews from Black, Latanx, & Asian communities. Phillips and Hazzard are both from Philly and the majority of the collection is from the surrounding area. 4/5. TW: Abuse, self-harm, suicide.

22) Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness by Suzy Favor Hamilton. Memoir/Mental Health. 3 time Olympic middle distance runner to high-end Vegas escort to finally bring diagnosed as Bipolar and becoming a mental health advocate this is her story. 3.5/5. TW: Earing disorder, suicide

23) Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. Memoir/Mental Health. The first half interesting medical mystery and the second half is her story of recovery. 4.25/5

Since these books are dealing specifically with mental health, I’ve tried to add trigger warnings I could think of, but this is a first attempt at that for me, so I would suggest that if you’re interested in any of these books to do a search to make sure there isn’t something I missed.