Read 100+ Books in 2014 discussion

Can you believe it's almost summer? The temperatures here have certainly been rising.

1. Read a book whose author's name starts with R.
2. Read a book whose title has an R in it.
3. Read the third book of your trilogy.
4. Read a book about building.
5. Read a book about a direction.
6. Read a book about summer.
7. Read a book about mountains.
8. Read a book about fires.
9. Your choice.

6-2-14
This is a well-written sweet set of four connected novellas about four cousins and their journeys to love and to reconnection with family.

Yes, it's summertime, no school and lots of camping trips planned - so, let's getting reading!

1. Read a book whose author's name starts with R.
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling
2. Read a book whose title has an R in it.
3. Read the third book of your trilogy.
4. Read a book about building.
5. Read a book about a direction.
6. Read a book about summer.
7. Read a book about mountains.
8. Read a book about fires.
9. Your choice.

Finished reading "The Fort" by Aric Davis - 4/5 stars. Now reading "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," Book #2 of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

I've been reading some good ones. So here's my June list:

7/9 books, 15 books

1. Read a book whose author's name starts with R--Glory in Death by J. D. Robb--finished 6/10/14.
2. Read a book whose title has an R in it--Rapture in Death--J. D. Robb--finished 6/23/14 .
3. Read the third book of your trilogy--A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower--finished 6/3/14.
4. Read a book about building.
5. Read a book about a direction--Whistlin' Dixie and a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton--finished 6/13/14.
6. Read a book about summer--Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally--finished 6/10/14.
7. Read a book about mountains.
8. Read a book about fires--Smoke and Mirrors by C. K. Harris--finished 6/8/14.
9. Your choice--The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich--finished 6/5/14.

Bonus books:
Pete the Cat: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by James Dean--finished 6/17/14
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Suess--finished 6/18/14
Hey! Wake Up by Sandra Boynton--finished 6/18/14
Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton--finished 6/18/14
Immortal in Death by J. D. Robb--finished 6/21/14
Blue the Bird on Flying by Becky Due--finished 6/25/14
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker--finished 6/28/14
The Rendering by Joel Naftali--finished 6/30/14

6-7-14
This was a brilliantly written novel about misinterpretation and how living in a fantasy world can cause serious repercussions in the real world. The characters are well drawn, and the eventual revelation of the full truth of events is surprising. I really loved it, and it's a new entry on my favorites list.

So I finished "Champion" the third book in the trilogy. It was my favorite of the three. Lots of surprises were in it. I enjoyed the book, even though I'm a little tired of the genre. It was well written with likable characters, good action, and some fun parts. Well done. I've moved on to a non-fiction choice now "Scaracity". Very interesting so far. Fast reading for non-fiction. More to come on that later.

Yes, it's summertime, no school and lots of camping trips planned - so, let's getting reading!

1. Read a book whose author's name starts with R.
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling
2. Read a book whose title has an R in it.
3. Read the third book of your trilogy.
4. Read a book about building.
5. Read a book about a direction.
6. Read a book about summer.
7. Read a book about mountains.
8. Read a book about fires.
9. Your choice.
"Criminal" by Karin Slaughter

Finished "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling - 5/5 stars, it must be, Harry Potter, right?

Now reading "Criminal" by Karin Slaughter, Book 6 of the "Will Trent" series."

"Will Trent is a brilliant agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Newly in love, he is beginning to put a difficult past behind him. Then a local college student goes missing, and Will is inexplicably kept off the case by his supervisor and mentor, deputy director Amanda Wagner. Will cannot fathom Amanda's motivation until the two of them literally collide in an abandoned orphanage they have both been drawn to for different reasons. Decades before--when Will's father was imprisoned for murder--this was his home. . . .
Flash back nearly forty years. In the summer Will Trent was born, Amanda Wagner is going to college, making Sunday dinners for her father, taking her first steps in the boys' club that is the Atlanta Police Department. One of her first cases is to investigate a brutal crime in one of the city's worst neighborhoods. Amanda and her partner, Evelyn, are the only ones who seem to care if an arrest is ever made.
Now the case that launched Amanda's career has suddenly come back to life, intertwined with the long-held mystery of Will's birth and parentage. And these two dauntless investigators will each need to face down demons from the past if they are to prevent an even greater terror from being unleashed."

1. Read a book whose author's name starts with R. The Lightning Thief-Rick Riordan 6-30-14
2. Read a book whose title has an R in it. N/A
3. Read the third book of your trilogy. N/A
4. Read a book about building. Love finds you in Amana, Iowa-Melanie Dobson 6-15-14, Fatal Fixer Upper-Jennie Bentley 6-16-14
5. Read a book about a direction. Death Comes for the Archbishop-Willa Cather 6-18-14 (takes place in New Mexico, and the two main characters travel a lot in every direction you can go)
6. Read a book about summer. Atonement-Ian McEwan 6-7-14
7. Read a book about mountains. Love finds you in Bethlehem, New Hampshire-Lauralee Bliss 6-14-14, Land of my Heart-Tracie Peterson 6-27-14
8. Read a book about fires. Firegirl-Tony Abbot 6-12-14
9. Your choice. Threads of Love-Frances Devine et al 6-2-14, Mozart's Sister-Nancy Moser 6-9-14, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-Stieg Larsson 6-12-14, The Chicken Dance-Jacques Couvillon 6-13-14, Freckles-Gene Stratton-Porter 6-20-14, A Girl of the Limberlost-Gene Stratton-Porter 6-22-14

6-9-14
This is another new favorite on my list. It is a well-researched and well-written historical novel about the life of the Mozart family, mainly focusing on "Nannerl" Mozart. I really enjoyed the characters and the journey through Europe.

Finished reading Smoke and Mirrors by C. R. Harris. Wow! It's scary to think that this killing of scientists involved in bioweapons is going on and seemingly sanctioned. It is also scary that the spies are working together as long as it doesn't hurt their agendas. This is fiction but she does list the books she used as research.

6-12-14
This has been the most brilliantly written book I've read this year. It took me a little while at first to get into the plot because it took a while for the characters to be introduced, but once the multi-pronged plot really took off, I was impressed with the depth of the characters and the details put into the facets of the plot. This is definitely an addition to my favorites list.

I finished "Scarcity, Why having too little means so much". It was an interesting book that combined economics with psychology. It really illustrated its point well and proved how much of our lives are controlled by how we think. Excellent book for non-fiction. Now I'm reading "While We Were Watching Downton Abbey".

6-12-14
This was a simple but well-written children's book on how the outward appearance shouldn't affect friendship.

6-13-14
This was a strange children's novel about a boy finding out that he everything about his life that he thought was true is actually a lie. The characters aren't developed well either.

6-14-14
This is the first book from the "Love finds you" series that I've read, and I was quite impressed with it. The historical setting was interesting, the characters were well developed, and the plot was enjoyable. It is another new favorite for me.

6-15-14
This was my second foray into the "love finds you" series, and I enjoyed it as well. I liked learning about the inspirationists and their community. The characters could have been better developed, however, and I also wish that the author had spent more time explaining Friedrich's decision; it seemed like he decided to go from the pacifist beliefs he was raised with to agreeing to his conscription into the Union within a few days, which didn't feel real to me. Therefore, this one gets four rather than five stars.

6-16-14
I found this cozy mystery to be entertaining, well-written, and full of interesting, well drawn characters. I look forward to reading more of the series.

6-18-14
This book provided an interesting look into the lives of some missionary priests in New Mexico during the time of Kit Carson who is a minor character in the novel. It also talked a great deal about the landscape in addition to the Mexicans and the Indian tribes of the area. I liked the book, but it wasn't spectacular by any stretch of the imagination.

6-20-14
I had read the sequel to this book, A Girl of the Limberlost, before, but this was my first time reading Freckles. I really enjoyed this sweet little love story. I liked the characters as well, and I also found it entertaining to see the different cultural changes and expectations between back then and today.

So I finished "While We Were Watching Downton Abbey". I liked that a lot. It had interesting characters and a well-written plot. I enjoyed it and loved the ending. I also read "Mistress of the Storm". That was a great Sci-Fi read. It had interesting characters and some plot twists that kept it moving quickly. Good young adult book. I also read "Find Momo" which I won on a contest here on Goodreads. It's basically where's Waldo with some great photograph and a border collie. Cute dog. It was fun. Next up is "The Dark Hollows of West Virginia" which I bought on vacation, so that's my travel book.

So I finished "The Dark Hollows of West Virginia". It was a good little summer read. It starts with a double murder and runs you through the investigation which shows that ordinary lives are not always what they seem.

Back from camping along the California Central Coast. Had plenty of time to read!

1. Read a book whose author's name starts with R.
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling
2. Read a book whose title has an R in it.
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
3. Read the third book of your trilogy.
4. Read a book about building.
"Mary's Shallow Grave (name of the bar)" by Phillip DePoy
5. Read a book about a direction.
6. Read a book about summer.
"Carpe Diem, Illinois" by Kristin A. Oakley
7. Read a book about mountains.
8. Read a book about fires.
9. Your choice.
"Criminal" by Karin Slaughter
"Hologram For the King" by David Eggers
"Little Bee" by Chris Cleave
"Sincerely, Mr. Hyde" by Loren D. Estleman

6-22-14
Having read this book before, I already knew that it is a well written novel with great characters. However, I did understand some of the details of the story better having read Freckles first. This time around I was more aware of how different society's expectations are so different today, and, apparently, it was thought that the trait of goodness is inherited and innate rather than taught by parents. I still really like the novel, but I'm more aware now of the silly untruths that are ingrained in the plot.

6-27-14
I really enjoyed this historical novel. It was well written, and the characters were well developed; the plot was interesting and realistic. This is another new favorite book for me, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

It's been a while since I've been on the site. I was on vacation then it took me all week to get back in the groove after vacation. The next couple of months I should be around more often.

I read The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. I did not think I would like it but it was a good read. It takes Jewish and Syrian folklore and blends them while set in the present day. I liked the individual stories of the characters and how they touch each others' lives. It is a love story but not the typical one. Worth your time.

6-30-14
This was a fun young adult novel. I enjoyed the characters and the action-packed plot. It was a lot more exciting in the movie format, however.

So I finished "In the Land of Magnanthia". It is the start of a pretty good young adult series. I liked the characters and want to see how they develop.