Challenge: 50 Books discussion

1. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
2. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
3. Black Swan Green: A Novel by David Mitchell
4. Fine Just the Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3 by Annie Proulx
5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
6. The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
7. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
8. Ireland: A Novel by Frank Delaney
9. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
10. Devil in Winter (Wallflowers, #3) by Lisa Kleypas
11. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
12. The 19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff
13. Poison Study (Study, Book 1) by Maria Snyder
14. What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn
15. Disquiet by Julia Leigh
16. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
17. Company of Liars by Karen Maitland
18. The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham
19. The Garden of Evil by David Hewson
20. The Black Tower by Louis Bayard
21. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
22. The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
23. Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein

Solid start. Welcome

Fantastic job so far!

Hey Kristine I see we're on the same number of books so far this year, so I naturally say your doing excellently! I'm yet to start Company of Liars but my husband has nabbed that for his pile for the time being (which is just wrong, especially as it's a freshy) What has been your favourite book so far this year?

and welcome to your 5th decade...mine so far has been
AWESOME!

Thanks for the welcome everyone! I am looking forward to reading everyone else's lists too!

Cam: wrote: "Hey Kristine I see we're on the same number of books so far this year, so I naturally say your doing excellently! I'm yet to start Company of Liars but my husband has nabbed that for his pile for t..."

Cam, Hopefully your hubby will read it fast. It is my favorite so far. I think my top five list of the year at this point is:

1) Company of Liars
2) People of the Book
3) The Forgotten Garden
4) Ireland: A Novel
5) The Black Tower

My to-read list keeps growing from being on Goodreads! Too many books and too little time...

I know the feeling my list is exactly the same. The Book 'A Reliable Wife' looks good Kristine it's going into my next couple of reads pile along with Company Of Liars (if I can get it back!)

Cam: wrote: "I know the feeling my list is exactly the same. The Book 'A Reliable Wife' looks good Kristine it's going into my next couple of reads pile along with Company Of Liars (if I can get it back!)"

I just checked A Reliable Wife out from the library last week! Our reading tastes are so similar it is scary!

Very Scary!

Halfway there!
24. The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox (4 Stars)
25. Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford (4 Stars)

Yay for 1/2 way!

26. The Little Book By Selden Edwards (4 Stars)

27. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (3 Stars)

(I guess I just don't enjoy short stories as much as I do novels.)

28. The Shadow Year: A Novel by Jeffrey Ford (5 Stars)

Laugh-out-loud funny and creepy too!

29. The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan (4 Stars)

30. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (4 Stars)

I had to know what everyone was talking about!

Kristine wrote: "30. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (4 Stars)

I had to know what everyone was talking about!"

Thank goodness for the explanation, & the photo or else I'd be thinking I had the wrong Kristine!

Yeah - it isn't really my kind of book, but I have two people from work (one a married man of 35!) wanting me to read them all so we can have a book discussion about them. My nieces are really into them too, so it gives us some common ground. It wasn't bad. BTW - I am gifting The Forgotten Garden to one of the nieces who has a birthday next month.

31. Table for two by Adam Christopher (2 Stars)

32. Suite Francaise By Irene Nemirovsky (4 Stars)

33. The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal
by Lily Koppel (2 1/2 Stars)

34. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (3 Stars)

35. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (4 Stars)

36. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (3 Stars)

37. Death by the Glass: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery by Nadia Gordon (3 Stars)

38. The Crimson Portrait: A Novel by Jody Shields (2 1/2 stars)

39. The Beach by Alex Garland (2 Stars)

I just couldn't relate to this book.

40. Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4) by Stephenie Meyer (3 Stars)

41. In the Woods by Tana French (4 Stars) I really enjoyed this book! The writing was wonderful and had a touch of humor which drew me in quickly.

42. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (4 Stars)

43. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (4 Stars)

YA book - I would have never even heard of this book but for this group. The title drew me in. Not my usual type of read but I really enjoyed it!

Love the title Kristine!

Cam: wrote: "Love the title Kristine!"

I think it was the teeth that did it for me!

44. The Girl in the Glass: A Novel by Jeffrey Ford (4 1/2 Stars)

I am really loving this author! I wonder why he isn't better known. This book is a mystery set in New York during the depression. There is a supernatural element that keeps things interesting and some of the historical facts were new to me. Very highly recommended.

45. Mistress of the Art of Death (Book 1) by Ariana Franklin (4 Stars)

I loved the setting (Cambridge in the 1100s)and the mystery was good. The characters were very alive for me. I will read the next Art of Death book.

count down to 50!

...45...

The next ones are pretty good, too!

count down to 50!

...45...

The next ones are pretty good, too!

46. The Likeness by Tana French (4 Stars)

I listened to the audio of this book, and I loved the reader. The story seemed slower paced than other police procedurals, but the writing was Beautiful and really painted each scene vividly.

47. The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque: A Novel by Jeffrey Ford (4 Stars)

I really like this author. This one was so different from his other ones but still had a creepy element. The ending wrapped up very well.

48. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (4 Stars)

49. Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)by Charlaine Harris (3 Stars)

50. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (4 Stars) :)

51. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (3 Stars)

52. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (4 1/2 Stars)

53. The Glass of Time: A Novel by Michael Cox (4 Stars)

54. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)
by Stieg Larsson (4 Stars)

55. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (4 Stars)

56. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo (3 Stars)