Read 100+ Books in 2014 discussion

I hope you were able to read the books you wanted to last year. Hope you get to read more this year! So here goes!

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf.
7. Read the first book of a trilogy.
8. Read a book about something new.
9. Your choice.

All right. I'm in again. Starting the new year with Ruth's suggestion "Because of Winn-Dixie". Happy new year everybody. Boy are you on the ball this year.

Colleen wrote: "All right. I'm in again. Starting the new year with Ruth's suggestion "Because of Winn-Dixie". Happy new year everybody. Boy are you on the ball this year."

I try but I'm not always successful.

Sheila wrote: "Colleen wrote: "All right. I'm in again. Starting the new year with Ruth's suggestion "Because of Winn-Dixie". Happy new year everybody. Boy are you on the ball this year."

I try but I'm not a..." I know but I love you anyway.



Colleen wrote: "All right. I'm in again. Starting the new year with Ruth's suggestion "Because of Winn-Dixie". Happy new year everybody. Boy are you on the ball this year."

I found it! :)

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
5. Read an outdoor book. The Quarryman's Bride-Tracie Peterson
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf.
7. Read the first book of a trilogy. A Lasting Impression-Tamera Alexander (the second one comes out in April, and there will be a third) 1/11/14
8. Read a book about something new. Sarai-Jill Eileen Smith (travel to a new land) 1/14/14
9. Your choice. Bed of Roses-Nora Roberts 1/2/14, Savor the Moment-Nora Roberts 1/5/14, Happy Ever After-Nora Roberts 1/7/14, Rebekah-Jill Eileen Smith 1/16/14, The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini 1/19/14, While we're far apart-Lynn Austin 1/21/14, A Gift of Grace-Amy Clipston 1/23/14, A Promise of Hope-Amy Clipston 1/25/14, Leah's Choice-Marta Perry 1/26/14, Rachel's Garden-Marta Perry 1/28/14, Anna's Return-Marta Perry 1/30/14

I'm in!

Dina wrote: "I'm in!"

Nice to have you.

So I finished my choice today "Because of Winn-Dixie". This was a great children's book. I loved it, especially Gloria Dump. She was my favorite character. I love books about the south and family. It was well written and clever. I'm glad my daughter asked me to read it.

Glad to have you back.

Rachel wrote: "I found it! :)

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is ..."

Good to have you.

Dina wrote: "I'm in!"

My books for the month:

8/9, 14 books

1. Read a book whose title begins with M--Matchpoint by Elise Sax--finished 1/9/14.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M--Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally--finished 1/6/14.
3. Read a biography--Rin Tin Tin: The Life and The Legend by Susan Orlean--finished 1/13/14.
4. Read a mystery--Billionaire Blend--Cleo Coyne--finished 1/4/14.
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf--Priceless by Cat Grant--finished 1/17/14.
7. Read the first book of a trilogy--Legend by Marie Lu--finished 1/31/14.
8. Read a book about something new--Little Bird Lost by Steve and Kate Larkinson--finished 1/2/14.
9. Your choice--Goodbye, Santa--Jon and Ramona Hieneman--finished 1/1/14.

Extras:
An Affair to Dismember by Elise Sax--finished 1/8/14
Primal Heat by Donna Grant--finished 1/17/14
The Drake Equation by Heather Walsh--finished 1/22/14
The Wicked Witch of West Garland Street--T. Lee Alexis--finished 1/26/14
The Reluctant Bride by Beverly Eikli--finished 1/29/14
Mustang Sally by Jayne Rylon--finished 1/30/14

Happy New year everyone!

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf.
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
7. Read the first book of a trilogy.
8. Read a book about something new.
"The Circle" by Dave Eggers
9. Your choice.

Just got back home after camping along the Colorado River - What a way to celebrate the holidays!

While enjoying the great outdoors:

Finished reading,
"L.A. Noir" by John Buntin - 4/5 stars

Currently reading,
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith - Love this story, why hadn't I read it sooner?

"The Circle" by Dave Eggers - Well written and scary about the potential issues of social media. A must read for all!

Happy New Year everyone!

Chuck wrote: "Just got back home after camping along the Colorado River - What a way to celebrate the holidays!

While enjoying the great outdoors:

Finished reading,
"L.A. Noir" by John Buntin - 4/5 stars

Curr..."

Happy New Year! Welcome back. Hope you were warm enough.

1/2/14
This was a well-written and sweet novel. I really enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading the rest of the quartet. It was a lot of fun.

can I get some suggestions for outdoor books... I have no clue

Melissa wrote: "can I get some suggestions for outdoor books... I have no clue"

Try "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer, this was one of favorites by him. He has written several other "outdoor" stories as well.

Rachel wrote: " 1/2/14
This was a well-written and sweet novel. I really enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading the rest of the quartet. It was a lot of fun."

I liked Nora's Bride Quartet series.

Sheila wrote: "Rachel wrote: " 1/2/14
This was a well-written and sweet novel. I really enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading the rest of the quartet. It was a lot of ..."

These are the first books by her I've read, and I really love the Quartet so far. I'm reading the third now. :)

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf.
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
7. Read the first book of a trilogy.
8. Read a book about something new.
"The Circle" by Dave Eggers
9. Your choice.
"Inferno" by Dan Brown

Finished reading "A Tree Grown in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith - 5/5/ stars!

Now reading "Inferno" by Dan Brown.

"In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered."

Melissa wrote: "can I get some suggestions for outdoor books... I have no clue"

Hiking Through by Buxton. It's about a guy who hiked the AT after his wife's death. Very good book.

Just finished "Murder in Provence" for my book that starts with M. It was a good book. I thought the start threw a lot of characters at you in a short time but it really picked up fast and held me till the end. Good story. Liked it. I'm reading "War Horse" next. Happy new year to you all.

Melissa wrote: "can I get some suggestions for outdoor books... I have no clue"

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It's about his hiking the Appalachian Trail. Some of it is funny. It is interesting.

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.- "Men-ipulation, A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery" by Monica Sarli
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf.
7. Read the first book of a trilogy.
8. Read a book about something new.
9. Your choice. "Just Bill" by Barry Knister

FYI - The Men-ipulation book....Awesome read if you like a biographies about real life struggles. Great writer. I finished the book in less than 24 hours. Hard to put down .

1/5/14
This was a well-written and sweet novel. I really enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading the last of the quartet. It was a lot of fun.

I just finished "War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo, my M author. It was a great book but horribly sad. I guess you can't have a book about war that isn't sad and horrible if you are going to be honest. I'm moving on the "Foul play at the Fair" as my mystery.

Tonight I finished Water for Elephants which is the book already on my shelf and yesterday I finished the dark divine first in a trilogy.

Melissa wrote: "Tonight I finished Water for Elephants which is the book already on my shelf and yesterday I finished the dark divine first in a trilogy."

I loved Water for Elephants. They did a good job on the movie also.

Sheila wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Tonight I finished Water for Elephants which is the book already on my shelf and yesterday I finished the dark divine first in a trilogy."

I loved Water for Elephants. They did a ..."

The book was excellent! And was pleasantly surprised with the film.

1/7/14
This was a well-written and sweet novel. I really enjoyed the characters, and I'm sad this was the last of the Bride Quartet. It was a lot of fun.

I just finished my mystery "Foul Play at the Fair". It was an easy read that was fun and had characters that you didn't want to see in trouble. Very cute light read. Ok for the book already on my shelf I will be reading Crossroads by Wm. Paul Young.

1/9/14
This is a good, well-written novel with well-developed and unique characters. I really liked this second book of the series.

I figured this to count as my outdoor book because it talks a great deal about the quarry and about Minnesota winters and landscapes.

tonight I finished the book Dismantled for my mystery and started Miss Peregrines home for peculiar children for my book that starts with M.

So I finished reading 2 kids books. The Diary of Robin's Toys: Donkey Hoo Tee. and The Missing Piece. Both are very well written and cute stories. I've not read anything by Shel Silverstein that I haven't liked and the Donkey Hoo Tee story is a clever play on classic literature. Great books for the kids and grown up kids too.

1/11/14
I really loved this historical novel. It was a complex, sweet story, and I enjoyed the characters. I loved the themes of new birth, baptism, and forgiveness woven into the romance. A new favorite for sure, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf.
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
7. Read the first book of a trilogy.
8. Read a book about something new.
"The Circle" by Dave Eggers
9. Your choice.
"Inferno" by Dan Brown

This morning I finished reading "Inferno" by Dan Brown - It was OK, 3/5 stars.

Now reading "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern.

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. With no knowledge of the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences and leaving the lives of everyone, from performers to patrons, hanging in the balance."

Okay so I'm down to 4 out of the 9 topics left. I just finished Miss Peregrines home for Peculiarities Children. It was a fast read for me I love YA books maybe bc I'm in my mid 20s I've also been into sci fi type stuff lately. Witches, vampires, peculiar kids etc. Wondering around the biography section I came a cross a book i already have read in high school (hope that's ok!) I just lobe it and I'm looking forward to reading it again. So now I'm beginning Tuesday's with Morrie.

1/14/14
This was a well-written and interesting take on Sarai/Sarah and Abram/Abraham. It was a fun read.

I just finished reading Chihuahua Confidential. It was a cute book. My kids like the talking chihuahua but I did have to change some of the words to make them more kid appropriate. Good story.

1/16/14
I really loved this take on Rebekah and Isaac's story. It is well-written and entertaining. It is heavily focused on family relationships.

So I just finished reading my book on my shelf "Cross Roads". It was interesting. It was by the man who wrote "The Shack". I liked Cross Roads but I liked The Shack better.
Now reading "I lived to tell it all" by George Jones as my bio.

1/19/14
This book was well-written and thought-provoking. The characters were well drawn and intriguing. Of course, this was the kind of book you like because it was informative and interesting and not because it was a particularly enjoyable book to read. I didn't find it entertaining per se, but I did enjoy the unexpected twists the plot took.

1. Read a book whose title begins with M.
2. Read a books whose author's name begins with M.
"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
3. Read a biography.
4. Read a mystery.
"The Bat" by Jo Nesbo
5. Read an outdoor book.
6. Read a book that is already on your shelf.
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
7. Read the first book of a trilogy.
8. Read a book about something new.
"The Circle" by Dave Eggers
9. Your choice.
"Inferno" by Dan Brown

Finished reading "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. Either you love it or just hate it, there is no in-between . . . And I loved it!

Now reading "The Bat" by Jo Nesbo.

"Inspector Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad is dispatched to Sydney to observe a murder case. Harry is free to offer assistance, but he has firm instructions to stay out of trouble. The victim is a twenty-three year old Norwegian woman who is a minor celebrity back home. Never one to sit on the sidelines, Harry befriends one of the lead detectives, and one of the witnesses, as he is drawn deeper into the case. Together, they discover that this is only the latest in a string of unsolved murders, and the pattern points toward a psychopath working his way across the country. As they circle closer and closer to the killer, Harry begins to fear that no one is safe, least of all those investigating the case."

1/21/14
I really loved this historical novel. It's very well written, and the characters are well drawn and are interesting. I loved all the pieces of the multi-pronged plot. This was a highly enjoyable novel.

I just finished the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed for my outdoor book. Now outdoor books are not my thing since I previously asked for help choosing a book. I am totally up for the challenge of this group but I must say I should have read one if the books y'all suggested. My mom is a librarian and When talking about this book challenge with her two of her fellow librarians loved this book so much they thought I would too. Dead wrong. I don't very often dislike a book I've read but oh man did I hate this book. I'm extremely excited to be moving on to my last two of the nine topics. I have already begun A Wrinkle in Time that I've been reading a chapter a night to to my son who may not get it since he's four but reading is our bonding time if you take a look at my shelves I have already read over 50 books to him thus year all being easy read picture books besides a wrinkle in time. As for my book of choice I'm undecided so far I have three to choose from, Walking Disaster a fairly new release and sequel to Beautiful Disaster I read this summer. I also have The Lost Saint the second book in the trilogy I started with this book challenge and lastly the first installment of the Mortal Instruments books, City of Bones. I hope the two I don't choose fit into a category for February since I have been looking forward to them.... that is if I don't get a couple bonus books in by the end of the month!!!!

I finished Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legacy by Susan Orlean. I enjoyed it. I learned a lot about Rin Tin Tin, whose story starts in 1918 France. Well worth reading.