Reading Challenge/Goals for 2023--2024 link added

[Disney_Alli]

1/125 - The Upside Down Christmas - Kate Forster

Marlo is a living her best life in sunny Sydney and avoiding thinking about her past at all costs. Avoiding thinking about the quaint village life she left behind in Britain. Avoiding thinking about that fateful Christmas Day.

When Marlo is unceremoniously ghosted by her part-time lover, she decides she’ll need to avoid the whole Christmas season. That is actually pretty easy in this country, because it’s so hot and so far away from anything that means Christmas to her. But Marlo’s flatmate Alex is determined to lift her out of her grinch slump and convince her that Christmas Down Under may be unfamiliar, but exactly what she needs to start her life on a new course. Alex, with his calm order and terrible Dad jokes. Alex, with his sparkling Christmas cocktails, his chiseled jaw and washboard abs. Alex, who’s going to turn Marlo’s Christmas wish list upside down.

I enjoyed this quite a lot actually. It was mostly light and fun but dealt with some heavier themes too. 4/5

2/125 - Rookie Move - Riley Hart & Neve Wilder

Falling for a teammate who also happens to be your brother's best friend? Total rookie move.
McRAE: I’ve had a crush on my brother’s best friend since the moment I laid eyes on him four years ago. Warner Ramsey is 225 pounds of pure hotness, a media darling, and one of the best NFL quarterbacks in the league. Hell, he’s the reason I figured out I’m solidly bi. It was easy to keep my crush under control when I was in college. Now, we play for the same team, and every time he talks smack, I want to shut him up. With my mouth. But I’ve got other things I should be focusing on, like dominating my rookie year with the Denver Rush and finally stepping out of my brother’s shadow. Besides, Ramsey’s straight.

RAMSEY: I’ve never tapped into my bisexuality—never told anyone except my best friend that I’m bi. All I want is to play football and not draw media attention like my dad, who got ousted from the league. Garrett McRae is my biggest temptation. He’s gotten under my skin for years. I’m supposed to be looking out for him, not thinking about getting him naked.

Okay sounds like a typical sports MM romance and It was but also I really loved it. 4/5

Both my completed reads so far have been audiobooks and I really need to up my reading time for my ebooks and physical books.

 

[jlud57]

Thanks for doing this again. I'm in for 20

 

[Allison Joy]

I think I had a goal of 20 last year, and didn't reach it. So I'm going to step down to 15 this year.

 

[Darcy03231]

2/50 - Betrayal in Death-JD Robb.

I really like this one. It's part of a romantic/mystery/police series set in the near future (roughly 2050's). From the Barnes and Noble summary:

"It's spring in the year 2059 when Eve Dallas arrives at the scene of a horrific murder. A young maid working in the upscale Roarke Palace Hotel has been brutally beaten, raped, and garroted. It doesn't take long for Eve and her colleagues to identify the killer, who rented the room in his own name and made no attempt to cover his tracks: He's Sylvester Yost, a professional hit man with a resume that covers nearly 50 years and dozens of murders. But finding Yost is another matter. That task becomes even more urgent when a second murder victim is found bearing Yost's trademark handiwork. This time it's a man who works for a publishing company that, like the hotel, is owned by Roarke.

When comparing the two murders, the only common denominator Eve can find, other than the killer, is Roarke. Fearing he is the killer's ultimate target, she steps up her investigation, which brings a couple of proprietary FBI agents down on her case. As usual, Roarke manages to provide some assistance to Eve, even while he's managing his empire and trying to coordinate a billion-dollar auction at his hotel. Also as usual, this collaboration ignites plenty of sparks between the two of them, some of them romantic, others not. Adding fuel to the fire is Roarke's unexpected house guest, a master thief and con artist who knows Roarke from the days when they were young lads running a few savvy cons of their own. Eve is far from pleased at this reminder of Roarke's colorful past, but she has little time to worry about it as she races against the clock and the persistently interfering feds, hoping to stop Yost before he kills again. "

I've read some of the others and liked them too. I just started the next one in the series. I find them to be an easy, entertaining read.

 

[drwitz]

I'm in again. This time let's try 65. Thanks @willowsnn3 for stepping forward to host once again. You've done an amazing job!

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!).

 

[#1hoosierfan]

1/20 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Narrated, in part, by an octopus in an aquarium. I really enjoyed it.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Would love to join though I failed miserably this chain is big reason I read as much as I do. I will go for 12.

 

[bobbiwoz]

1/75 A Dog Named Boo by Lisa J. Edwards
Its a book that will tug at your heart. It’s how a dog who was considered a failure proved many wrong and helped so many people. It’s not about one dog, it’s about a family made up of dogs and people. It’s sad of course at times. I only give it a 3.5/5 rating because I think it got bogged down with the initials of so many grants, organizations, many of which are no longer around.

 

[melk]

1/35 Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

In 1931 Ellis Reed is a struggling reporter who snaps a photo of two children on a farmhouse porch with a sign “2 children for sale.” The picture is not meant for publication but when it leads to his big break it leads to more devastating consequences than he ever could have imagined.

Starting the year with a book I thoroughly enjoyed. The book was inspired by an actual newspaper photograph, which is unbelievable in itself, but it took turns that were unexpected. Even the title is not really what it seems to be. There is a subplot of romance between Ellis and a woman who works at the paper which rounds out the story.

 

[mrs. magoo]

1/30 - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - this is why I love this thread because so many people talked about this book. I loved the book and the characters. I get why some people say that it was the 1950's/60's and women did not act like Elizabeth Zott but I loved her and really all the main characters. I actually cried multiple times when reading the book. Thank you for the recommendation. I would give it 4.5 out 5. (On audible)

2/30 - Fly Away by Kristin Hannah - I picked this up from a little free library. I enjoyed it. It was a good story about relationships and how they can be harmed easily. I felt for Marah as my mother died of cancer when I was young. I also had younger siblings. I had no idea it was a series on Netflix might have to check it out. It is not my usual genre but I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars out of 5. (physical book)

Just started a new one - The Address by Fiona Davis this morning (on audible) and will begin my new physical book this evening - Bound for Gold by William Martin (he has been one of my favorite authors so hoping for good things)

* Edited to correct the name of the book.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I'll join for 150. I'm an avid audiobook "reader."

February
22. A Question of Identity - Susan Hill (audio)
23. Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings - Lydia Sherrer (audio)
24. Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Revelations - Lydia Sherrer (audio)
25. Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Allies - Lydia Sherrer (audio)
26. Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Legends - Lydia Sherrer (audio)
27. Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Betrayal - Lydia Sherrer (audio)
28. Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Identity - Lydia Sherrer (audio)

January
1. The Littlest Library - Poppy Alexander (audio)
2. Home Sweet Christmas - Susan Mallery (audio)
3. Little Bookshop of Murder - Maggie Blackburn (audio)
4. Once Upon a Seaside Murder - Maggie Blackburn (audio)
5. Nightwork - Nora Roberts (audio)
6. Sunsets, Sabbatical and Scandal - Tonya Kappes (audio)
7. Tents, Trails, and Turmoil - Tonya Kappes (audio)
8. Kickbacks, Kayaks, and Kidnapping - Tonya Kappes (audio)
9. The Kill Artist - Daniel Silva (audio)
10. The English Assassin - Daniel Silva (audio)
11. Grounds for Murder - Tara Lush (audio)
12. Cold Brew Corpse - Tara Lush (audio)
13. Live and Let Grind - Tara Lush (audio)
14. The Paris Apartment - Lucy Foley (audio)
15. The Rewind - Allison Winn Scotch (audio)
16. The Various Haunts of Men - Susan Hill (audio)
17. The Risk of Darkness - Susan Hill (audio)
18. The Vows of Silence - Susan Hill (audio)
19. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling (audio - Stephen Fry)
20. The Shadows in the Street - Susan Hill (audio)
21. The Betrayal of Trust - Susan Hill (audio)

 

[lovesmurfs]

1/20 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Narrated, in part, by an octopus in an aquarium. I really enjoyed it.

I read this last year and gifted it to several people. Wonderful.

 

[MGMmjl]

1/30 - Hell and Back by Craig Johnson

Description:
"What if you woke up lying in the middle of the street in the infamous town of Fort Pratt, Montana, where thirty young Native boys perished in a tragic 1896 boarding-school fire? What if every person you encountered in that endless night was dead? What if you were covered in blood and missing a bullet from the gun holstered on your hip? What if there was something out there in the yellowed skies, along with the deceased and the smell of ash and dust, something the Northern Cheyenne refer to as the Éveohtsé-heómėse, the Wandering Without, the Taker of Souls? What if the only way you know who you are is because your name is printed in the leather sweatband of your cowboy hat, and what if it says your name is Walt Longmire . . . but you don’t remember him?

In Hell and Back, the eighteenth installment of the Longmire series, author Craig Johnson takes the beloved sheriff to the very limits of his sanity to do battle with the most dangerous adversary he’s ever faced: himself."

I started out the year like I usually do, reading the newest novel in the Longmire series. I first encountered Longmire on the A&E (and later Netflix) TV series, and then learned there were books and started reading them. This novel was... different. While many of the Longmire novels have a bit of mysticism in them, this one was almost entirely mystical. But I still really enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to the next installment, as always. I highly recommend the series, especially if you are a fan of the TV series. But if you decide to read a Longmire novel, don't start with this one, or you will be thoroughly lost. I would always recommend reading them in order, but most of the other ones could stand-alone in a sense. Not this one, lol.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I'll join for 150. I'm an avid audiobook "reader."

January
1. The Littlest Library - Poppy Alexander (audio)
2. Home Sweet Christmas - Susan Mallery (audio)
3. Little Bookshop of Murder - Maggie Blackburn (audio)
4. Once Upon a Seaside Murder - Maggie Blackburn (audio)
5. Nightwork - Nora Roberts (audio)
6. Sunsets, Sabbatical and Scandal - Tonya Kappes (audio)
7. Tents, Trails, and Turmoil - Tonya Kappes (audio) - in process

I love Tonya’s books. She is so much fun to listen to live! I actually won one of her books during one of her live sessions and my grandpup was featured once in her newsletter for tail waggin Tuesday. I like her mail carrier series and now the campground series.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I love Tonya’s books. She is so much fun to listen to live! I actually won one of her books during one of her live sessions and my grandpup was featured once in her newsletter for tail waggin Tuesday. I like her mail carrier series and now the campground series.

How neat! Haven't read the mail carrier series -- I listen to the campground series when I see a newer release.

 

[Shellsbutt]

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.

 

[willowsnn3]

I'll join for 150. I'm an avid audiobook "reader."

January
1. The Littlest Library - Poppy Alexander (audio)
2. Home Sweet Christmas - Susan Mallery (audio)
3. Little Bookshop of Murder - Maggie Blackburn (audio)
4. Once Upon a Seaside Murder - Maggie Blackburn (audio)
5. Nightwork - Nora Roberts (audio)
6. Sunsets, Sabbatical and Scandal - Tonya Kappes (audio)
7. Tents, Trails, and Turmoil - Tonya Kappes (audio) - in process

Welcome. Adding you to our list.

 

[willowsnn3]

#02/50 Survival/Island #2
#03/50 Escape/Island #3 both by Gordon Korman
Book #1 Shipwreck was my last book of the year for 2022. It was in a 'free books' box at my library so I picked it up. Altho it is a children's book (preteen maybe?), I liked it so much I had to request these two that made up the trilogy.
These books are amazing! Could have read them all non stop if I had the time. Would have been easy to do since all three would have totaled maybe 400 pages at the most.
Would absolutely watch a movie based on them. No sex/violence great family fare.
Would definetly recommend.

 

[tiggrbaby]

#02/50 Survival/Island #2
#03/50 Escape/Island #3 both by Gordon Korman
Book #1 Shipwreck was my last book of the year for 2022. It was in a 'free books' box at my library so I picked it up. Altho it is a children's book (preteen maybe?), I liked it so much I had to request these two that made up the trilogy.
These books are amazing! Could have read them all non stop if I had the time. Would have been easy to do since all three would have totaled maybe 400 pages at the most.
Would absolutely watch a movie based on them. No sex/violence great family fare.
Would definetly recommend.

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.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Book 1 of the year finished.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarity - I really enjoyed the book. It was a little slow to start, but once I got going, it picked up.