Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023--2024 link added

[willowsnn3]

I was a special ed teacher and had those books in my classroom library. They were very popular. I agree with your review.
There were other trilogies by that author. I think one was about mountain climbing teens.

Yes, in the back of the books some of the author‘s other work was mentioned. One trilogy was “Everest” which is probably the mountain climbing one.

 

[RUDisney]

1/25 - Gironimo's Story of His Life by Gironimo

Interesting story. It's a first hand account, authorized by the POTUS, of Gironimo and his dealings with the US Government through battles, his perspective on fighting the soldiers, things that were promised to the Native Americans, and how he lived out the rest of his life.

 

[drwitz]

Hey friends,

So the reading journey for 2023 begins. Here are a few predictions: 1) I will finish my Stephen King re-read this year, 2) I will read some great new and old fiction from other writers; 3) I'll read a smattering of non-fiction books from all sorts of sources; and 4) I'll you all about all of them. (lol)

1. End of Watch by Stephen King

Always interesting to start your year with a book about endings... Anyway... This book is the conclusion to the Kermit ("Bill") Hodges trilogy. I read the other two (The Mercedes Killer and Finders Keepers) towards the end of last year and reported on them in last year's thread. I really can't say too much about this one without lots of spoilers for the first two books other than to say there are many more supernatural elements in this book. Our antagonist in the first novel in the series (Brady Hartsfield) make a reappearance, and it is up to our heroes (Bill, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson) to find a way to stop his plans. A really wonderful conclusion to the series (although some characters will reappear in other stories and novels), this was a fun way to start the year.

2. Horse by Geraldine Brooks

This was a superb novel of historical fiction. The novel tells the true story of Lexington, an important American racehorse, and imagines how his evolution and growth was a part of the story of the antebellum South. The author takes a true reference to a black handler or trainer in an existing portrait of Lexington and turns this character (Jarret) into one of her main characters in our journey through time. With sequences set in the 1850s, the 1950s, and 2019, the novel jumps back and forth between characters and perspectives, but the throughput story is easy to follow and moving. The understanding and added dimension of bias and prejudice echoed through time adds a very relevant and important aspect to the story. A real winner of a novel!

3. Cirque Du Soleil: The Spark - Igniting the Creative Fire that Lives Within Us All by Lyn Heward and John U. Bacon

This is a short book which exposes the reader to the creative processes in use at Cirque Du Soleil. This fictionalized story tells of a sports agent who is disillusioned with his job and finds his way into a connection with Cirque. Invited to visit the corporate headquarters, he learns how creativity, drive, deadlines, and heart combine to form the magic that is Cirque. He applies these lessons to his own life and career, and shows how we all have the capacity to find magic in our lives. A quick read, but I have a passion for Cirque so it was enjoyable.

Looking forward to our journey together this year! Look for more Stephen King reviews from me as I head into the last several years of his writings (hey, I am finally in the 2010s!).

4. Hearts in Suspension by Stephen King with essays by college classmates and friends

I thought I owned all of the King books published and readily available, but I missed this one when it was released. During this re-read of all of my King books, I found mention of this one, and it is really interesting. This collection includes an introduction by King's first college writing professor, a non-fiction remembrance by King of his time in college, a reprinting of "Hearts in Atlantis" about going to college in the late 60s, some reprrintings of King's Garbage Truck (his column in the college newspaper) and a collection of non-fiction essays by some of King's contemporaries at the University of Maine Oronow. All in all, the book contextualizes King's novella which is at the center of this work and provides a fascinating glimpse into both the young adult King was and what it must have been like to go to college at this very fraught national time of awakening. As someone who has studied the 60s (having been born in 1969), this collection was a wonderful way to gain insight into the time.

5. Charlie the Choo-Choo by Stephen King (writing as Beryl Evans)

This "children's" book (?) is directly taken from King's Dark Tower series. Many times in the series, King refers to Charlie and his story. The story tells of the friendship between a steam locomotive and his conductor. While the surface story may be perfectly fine for children (and the illustrations do a dine job of conveying the story), adults will notice that not all is what it seems. A fun treat for those of us who remember Charlie from the world of the ka-tet (and his cousin Blaine).

6. Six Scary Stories selected and introduced by Stephen King

Another one I initially missed, this is a short collection of short stories written by authors other than King. When King's Bazaar of Bad Dreams was released in England, the publisher offered a contest to find the best short story from a British author with King being the final judge. He did select a winner, but the six finalists were so good he decided to publish them all. The stories are really great and have the same special sauce that I often find in King's work - creepy but fun to read!

 

[sdk1231]

1/30- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon- starting the year off with an odd book, and I did pick it for the title anyway, so no surprise there. This book is told from the point of view of an autistic 15 year old boy. He is trying to solve the mystery of who killed the neighbor's dog. This was interesting but once was enough for me.

2/30- The Guncle by Steven Rowley- I really enjoyed this one. Gay uncle looks after his young niece and nephew for the summer after their mom dies. I really enjoyed this one, heartwarming story. Set in Palm Springs and I've wanted to visit for a long time, maybe this will be the year.

My daughter's high school did The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as a play last spring. It was interesting (and a little odd).

 

[sdk1231]

Reporting in on my first books of the year:
Just finished P.D. James "The Murder Room" and "The Lighthouse". These two books conclude my re-read of the P. D. James Adam Dalgliesh detective series. P. D. James mysteries are always solid, a reliably entertaining series with elegant writing. I'd recently finished all of the Golden Age mystery series including Agatha Christie, Josephine Tey, Dorothy L. Sayers, and while I prefer those golden oldies, I also enjoy more modern mysteries. P. D. James' Dalgliesh series is quite good.

With that - I think I've had my fill of mysteries for the moment, so I'm moving on to "Fairy Tale" by Stephen King. Having read everything by Stephen King and having been at one time his "number one fan", including visiting his home in Bangor, Maine, owning several signed first editions, and seeing he and his son Owen in person at a book talk a few years ago, I must reluctantly admit that I haven't enjoyed his newer stuff all that much - dating back to the Bill Hodges trilogy. The last SK book I really liked was "Joyland", a Hard Case Crime novel with an edge of supernatural. Still, even weaker King efforts complete with outdated cultural references and less-than-spectacular endings are better than most other books. The man can write. So, "Fairy Tale", here I come. Hope you're better than "Billy Summers" (King's last novel, and a book I found awful).

 

[Shellsbutt]

My daughter's high school did The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as a play last spring. It was interesting (and a little odd).

Yes, I had heard of this book being adapted into a play. I will admit that I bought it based on the title alone, lol. I don't mind odd books as long as they're well written.

 

[Shellsbutt]

Reporting in on my first books of the year:
Just finished P.D. James "The Murder Room" and "The Lighthouse". These two books conclude my re-read of the P. D. James Adam Dalgliesh detective series. P. D. James mysteries are always solid, a reliably entertaining series with elegant writing. I'd recently finished all of the Golden Age mystery series including Agatha Christie, Josephine Tey, Dorothy L. Sayers, and while I prefer those golden oldies, I also enjoy more modern mysteries. P. D. James' Dalgliesh series is quite good.

With that - I think I've had my fill of mysteries for the moment, so I'm moving on to "Fairy Tale" by Stephen King. Having read everything by Stephen King and having been at one time his "number one fan", including visiting his home in Bangor, Maine, owning several signed first editions, and seeing he and his son Owen in person at a book talk a few years ago, I must reluctantly admit that I haven't enjoyed his newer stuff all that much - dating back to the Bill Hodges trilogy. The last SK book I really liked was "Joyland", a Hard Case Crime novel with an edge of supernatural. Still, even weaker King efforts complete with outdated cultural references and less-than-spectacular endings are better than most other books. The man can write. So, "Fairy Tale", here I come. Hope you're better than "Billy Summers", his last novel, and a book I found awful.

That is so cool that you've met Stephen King, I would love to visit Maine as well. I'm going back to his books now, I read them mostly in high school-Carrie, Cujo, Christine, Pet Semetary. I thought I would give them another try now that I'm 30 years older. Now I'm scared to ask what you thought of Mr. Mercedes, that's the book I just checked out from the library.

 

[sdk1231]

That is so cool that you've met Stephen King, I would love to visit Maine as well. I'm going back to his books now, I read them mostly in high school-Carrie, Cujo, Christine, Pet Semetary. I thought I would give them another try now that I'm 30 years older. Now I'm scared to ask what you thought of Mr. Mercedes, that's the book I just checked out from the library.

Enjoy your reading! Mr. Mercedes is the first book in the Bill Hodges trilogy, and it's around that time that I began to feel less impressed by King's work. Maybe even a little earlier.... sometime around "The Cell" or "Duma Key". I particularly disliked the Bill Hodges trilogy for a few different reasons, but don't want to give you any spoilers. I will say that there is a character in that series that I particularly dislike. But I'm just one opinion. Many people love the series (and the character that I dislike). Hope you enjoy! Will be interested in your opinion.

 

[evilmommie]

1/25: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley Pretty much The Guest List set in Paris.
I had to read this as it was selected by my book club. Wasn’t a fan of The Guest List. I feel like Foley knocks off other classic writers. Oh well…I will say I was entertained at times and kept turning the pages! 2.5 out of 5 ️’s.

2/25: The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
After reading and loving The Accidental Tourist years and years ago, I’d always wanted to read something else by Tyler. I picked this book up from a library sale for a quarter. You don’t read her books big drama, you go to Tyler for vivid characters and the way she shows you people. This novel is about a mismatched marriage and it’s consequences that span three generations. 3.5 out of 5️’s.

 

[drwitz]

Enjoy your reading! Mr. Mercedes is the first book in the Bill Hodges trilogy, and it's around that time that I began to feel less impressed by King's work. Maybe even a little earlier.... sometime around "The Cell" or "Duma Key". I particularly disliked the Bill Hodges trilogy for a few different reasons, but don't want to give you any spoilers. I will say that there is a character in that series that I particularly dislike. But I'm just one opinion. Many people love the series (and the character that I dislike). Hope you enjoy! Will be interested in your opinion.

And I love the trilogy, so to each their own... I think the character you are referring to is one I especially like (lol).

 

[sdk1231]

And I love the trilogy, so to each their own... I think the character you are referring to is one I especially like (lol).

Exactly! I know that a lot of people love the trilogy and that character. Glad you did too. Fyi - I'm about 1/4 of the way in on "Fairy Tale" and it's really good so far.

 

[DisneyHardin]

2/26

“Have I Told You This Already” by Lauren Graham.

I am a huge Gilmore Girls and Parenthood fan, so I love Lauren Graham. This one wasn’t quite as good as her other memoirs, but I guess you start to run out of funny anecdotes to tell after several books. I liked it though and it was a very quick read.

 

[willowsnn3]

#04/50 In Her Tracks by Robert Dugoni
This is #8 in the Tracy Crosswhite series. Love these but there is too much wait time before next installments, lol. But the author does have other series (haven't read) & some stand alone (have read & enjoyed) so guessing he stays busy...

 

[OKW8297]

1. Haunted Providence by Rory Raven. A quick read about ghost stories in RI

 

[bobbiwoz]

…

#83/90: The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton (3/5) (historical fiction)

Nanee is an American heiress living in Paris when WWII breaks out. She joins the resistance and delivers information to help those in hiding.

This is based on a real American heiress named Mary Jayne Gold.

I was interested in this book when you reported because it was based on a real person’s activities in WWII.
2/75. I gave it 3.5/5 rating.

 

[Darcy03231]

3/50 Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb. From Barnes & Noble:

"Dante had been courting his victim in cyberspace for weeks before meeting her in person. A few sips of wine and a few hours later, she was dead. The murder weapon: a rare, usually undetectable date-rape drug with a street value of a quarter million dollars.

Detective Eve Dallas is playing and replaying the clues in her mind. The candlelight, the music, the rose petals strewn across the bed—a seduction meant for his benefit, not hers. He hadn’t intended to kill her. But now that he had, he is left with only two choices: to either hole up in fear and guilt. Or start hunting again…"

Another good, quick read. I like the series and the characters and will definitely read more.

4/50 The Devil's Code by John Sanford. From Barnes & Noble:

"When Kidd—artist, computer whiz, and professional criminal—learns of a colleague’s murder, he doesn’t buy the official story: that a jittery security guard caught the hacker raiding the files of a high-tech Texas corporation. It’s not what his friend was looking for that got him killed. It’s what he already knew. For Kidd and LuEllen, infiltrating the firm is the first move. Discovering the secrets of its devious entrepreneur is the next. But it’s more than a secret—it’s a conspiracy. And it’s landed Kidd and LuEllen in the cross-hairs of an unknown assassin hellbent on conning the life out of the ultimate con artists…"

This was a super fast read, I couldn't put it down. Although the book is about 20 years old I thought it stood the test of time. I'm off to look for more in this series.

5/50 Dark of the Moon by John Sanford. From Barnes & Noble:

"Virgil Flowers, introduced in bestseller Sandford’s Prey series, gets a chance to shine...The thrice-divorced, affable member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), who reports to Prey series hero Lucas Davenport, operates pretty much on his own..”*

He’s been doing the hard stuff for three years, but he’s never seen anything like this. In the small rural town of Bluestem, an old man is bound in his basement, doused with gasoline and set on fire. Three weeks before, a doctor and his wife were murdered. Three homicides in Bluestem in just as many weeks is unheard of. It’s also no coincidence. And it’s far from over..."

I really liked this one and will be looking for more by this author. I'm pretty sure I read some of the Prey series years ago.

I've been buying a lot of books at second hand/thrift stores since they're usually only a $1 or $2. Lately I've noticed that anything that has been published within the last couple of years has been $8-$12. Is this something that's happening in my area only? Most of what I'm picking up is older, which I don't mind as I like a good story, but I used to be able to get fairly new stuff for a couple of dollars.

 

[sdk1231]

3/50 Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb. From Barnes & Noble:

"Dante had been courting his victim in cyberspace for weeks before meeting her in person. A few sips of wine and a few hours later, she was dead. The murder weapon: a rare, usually undetectable date-rape drug with a street value of a quarter million dollars.

Detective Eve Dallas is playing and replaying the clues in her mind. The candlelight, the music, the rose petals strewn across the bed—a seduction meant for his benefit, not hers. He hadn’t intended to kill her. But now that he had, he is left with only two choices: to either hole up in fear and guilt. Or start hunting again…"

Another good, quick read. I like the series and the characters and will definitely read more.

4/50 The Devil's Code by John Sanford. From Barnes & Noble:

"When Kidd—artist, computer whiz, and professional criminal—learns of a colleague’s murder, he doesn’t buy the official story: that a jittery security guard caught the hacker raiding the files of a high-tech Texas corporation. It’s not what his friend was looking for that got him killed. It’s what he already knew. For Kidd and LuEllen, infiltrating the firm is the first move. Discovering the secrets of its devious entrepreneur is the next. But it’s more than a secret—it’s a conspiracy. And it’s landed Kidd and LuEllen in the cross-hairs of an unknown assassin hellbent on conning the life out of the ultimate con artists…"

This was a super fast read, I couldn't put it down. Although the book is about 20 years old I thought it stood the test of time. I'm off to look for more in this series.

5/50 Dark of the Moon by John Sanford. From Barnes & Noble:

"Virgil Flowers, introduced in bestseller Sandford’s Prey series, gets a chance to shine...The thrice-divorced, affable member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), who reports to Prey series hero Lucas Davenport, operates pretty much on his own..”*

He’s been doing the hard stuff for three years, but he’s never seen anything like this. In the small rural town of Bluestem, an old man is bound in his basement, doused with gasoline and set on fire. Three weeks before, a doctor and his wife were murdered. Three homicides in Bluestem in just as many weeks is unheard of. It’s also no coincidence. And it’s far from over..."

I really liked this one and will be looking for more by this author. I'm pretty sure I read some of the Prey series years ago.

I've been buying a lot of books at second hand/thrift stores since they're usually only a $1 or $2. Lately I've noticed that anything that has been published within the last couple of years has been $8-$12. Is this something that's happening in my area only? Most of what I'm picking up is older, which I don't mind as I like a good story, but I used to be able to get fairly new stuff for a couple of dollars.

I agree with you - I've read all of the John Sandford books including the Lucas Davenport Prey Series, the Kidd books and the Virgil Flowers series. As you noted, they're interesting, because all of the main characters cross over into the other series. The Flowers books often have an element of humor that I enjoy - still tough cop fiction, but they don't seem to be as "hardcore" as the Prey series. I have not read any J. D. Robb. Might have to check out that series.

 

[Shellsbutt]

3/50 Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb. From Barnes & Noble:

"Dante had been courting his victim in cyberspace for weeks before meeting her in person. A few sips of wine and a few hours later, she was dead. The murder weapon: a rare, usually undetectable date-rape drug with a street value of a quarter million dollars.

Detective Eve Dallas is playing and replaying the clues in her mind. The candlelight, the music, the rose petals strewn across the bed—a seduction meant for his benefit, not hers. He hadn’t intended to kill her. But now that he had, he is left with only two choices: to either hole up in fear and guilt. Or start hunting again…"

Another good, quick read. I like the series and the characters and will definitely read more.

4/50 The Devil's Code by John Sanford. From Barnes & Noble:

"When Kidd—artist, computer whiz, and professional criminal—learns of a colleague’s murder, he doesn’t buy the official story: that a jittery security guard caught the hacker raiding the files of a high-tech Texas corporation. It’s not what his friend was looking for that got him killed. It’s what he already knew. For Kidd and LuEllen, infiltrating the firm is the first move. Discovering the secrets of its devious entrepreneur is the next. But it’s more than a secret—it’s a conspiracy. And it’s landed Kidd and LuEllen in the cross-hairs of an unknown assassin hellbent on conning the life out of the ultimate con artists…"

This was a super fast read, I couldn't put it down. Although the book is about 20 years old I thought it stood the test of time. I'm off to look for more in this series.

5/50 Dark of the Moon by John Sanford. From Barnes & Noble:

"Virgil Flowers, introduced in bestseller Sandford’s Prey series, gets a chance to shine...The thrice-divorced, affable member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), who reports to Prey series hero Lucas Davenport, operates pretty much on his own..”*

He’s been doing the hard stuff for three years, but he’s never seen anything like this. In the small rural town of Bluestem, an old man is bound in his basement, doused with gasoline and set on fire. Three weeks before, a doctor and his wife were murdered. Three homicides in Bluestem in just as many weeks is unheard of. It’s also no coincidence. And it’s far from over..."

I really liked this one and will be looking for more by this author. I'm pretty sure I read some of the Prey series years ago.

I've been buying a lot of books at second hand/thrift stores since they're usually only a $1 or $2. Lately I've noticed that anything that has been published within the last couple of years has been $8-$12. Is this something that's happening in my area only? Most of what I'm picking up is older, which I don't mind as I like a good story, but I used to be able to get fairly new stuff for a couple of dollars.

Sorry, forgot how to quote small section of post- Have you tried local library branches for book sales? In my county there are quite a few that offer donated books through Friends of the Library for a few dollars. I've been able to stock my bookshelves with about 50 of them over the last year. I'm talking hard cover 2021 books for $3. It's been fun to search for them, just gotta remember what I already own!

 

[Darcy03231]

Thanks for the suggestion. I live in a pretty rural area so we only have one small library. They do run a sale once a year and I try to get to it as I have gotten some good deals there. I do get on the waiting lists for new things that I want to read, but sometimes I'm so far down the list it can take years.

During the good weather I do pretty well at yard sales and flea markets. It's just in the winter I'm limited to the thrift/second hand stores. Some of them are still reasonable, but others have gotten really high.

 

[melk]

2/35 Excuse Me While I Disappear by Laurie Notaro

“A laugh out loud spin on the realities, perks, opportunities, and inevitable courses of midlife.”

I happened to pick this up at the library on a whim and I will say, it is pretty funny. The author does use some crass language at times but her observations on life in your fifties was spot on. I was in hysterics more than once.