The Next Best Book Club discussion
Diane's AtWi 80 books Challenge
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Dee - Frequent Flyer
and because i'm a sucker for challenges...plus was pseudo half-way through a similar challenge, so I can just continue on here...Current Status - 44/50 (plus 1/1 for washington DC) Complete
1. Alabama: A Redbird Christmas
2. Alaska: The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs And Men in a Race Against an Epidemic
3. Arizona: Zack
4. Arkansas: Natural Disaster
5. California: The House on Olive Street
6. Colorado: A Red-Tainted Silence
7. Connecticut: Triangle
8. Delaware: Are You Scared Yet?
9. Florida: High Tide
10. Georgia: Beyond Reach
11. Hawaii: A Little Harmless Obsession
12. Idaho: Tangled Up In You
13. Illinois: Friday Night Bites
14. Indiana:
15. Iowa: More Than Words
16. Kansas:
17. Kentucky:
18. Louisiana: Dead Until Dark
19. Maine:
20. Maryland: Any Given Sunday
21. Massachusetts: The Kitchen Witch (Accidental Witch Trilogy, #1)
22. Michigan:
23. Minnesota: Undead and Unreturnable
24. Mississippi: The Help
25. Missouri:
26. Montana: Logan
27. Nebraska: Garron's Gift, Rawley's Redemption, Twin Temptations
28. Nevada: Saturday Night Special
29. New Hampshire: Wintergirls
30. New Jersey: Dog Tags
31. New Mexico: Tularosa
32. New York: Lover Mine
33. North Carolina: A Breath of Snow and Ashes
34. North Dakota: Years
35. Ohio: The Immortal Highlander
36. Oklahoma: Goddess of Love
37. Oregon: Orchard Valley Grooms: Valerie\Stephanie
38. Pennsylvania: Switch
39. Rhode Island: Love on Assignment
40. South Carolina: The Ultimate Romantic Challenge
41. South Dakota: Mercy Kill
42. Tennessee: Hidden Force
43. Texas: Soul Bonds; Rush in the Dark; Edward Unconditionally
44. Utah: Dead Dry
45. Vermont: Dangerous Secrets
46. Virginia: One Foot in the Grave
47. Washington: Nothing But Trouble
48. West Virginia: Sticks & Stones
49. Wisconsin:
50. Wyoming: No Going Home
*Washington D.C.: Only Pleasure
A-Z CountriesCurrent Status - 16/26 Complete
A - Australia - The Story of Danny Dunn
B - Belize - No Souvenirs
C - China - Mao's Last Dancer
D
E - England - Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
F - France - Unmasqued: An Erotic Novel of The Phantom of The Opera
G - Greenland - Cold Earth
H - Hungary - The Darkest Whisper
I - Indonesia - The Persimmon Tree
J - Japan - The Housekeeper and the Professor
K - Korea - The Surrendered
L
M - Mexico - White Heat
N - Nepal - The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a 23-Year-Old's Summit of Mt. Everest
O
P
Q
R
S - Scotland - Spell of the Highlander
T
U - United States - Speak
V - Vietnam - Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
W - Wales - Goddess of the Sea
X - Pass...lol!
Y
Z - Zambia - Mrs. Pollifax on Safari
Kicked off my trip in the
United States
with Speak - about a high school freshman who is raped at a party and how she copes during that school year and that she learns she has to Speak in order for her story to be told (it is also a recently challenged book in honor of Banned and Challenged Book Week)
Hungary, Europe - The Darkest Whisper - while small portions of the book take place in other countries (US and Egypt), the majority of it is set at their compound in Budapest (aka Buda)Florida - High Tide
Japan, Asia - The Housekeeper and the Professor - this was actually recommended to me in another group and I ended up enjoying it...the overall plot is that the housekeeper (neither her nor the professor are named throughout the novel) is hired to work for the professor who's memory only lasts for 80 minutes before it resets. from a psychological perspective, it was really interesting read
Belize, Latin America - No Souvenirs - only about half of the book took place in Belize/off the coast on a diving tour, but it was continually referred back to during the rest of the book.Oregon, United States - Orchard Valley Grooms: Valerie\Stephanie
Wyoming, United States - No Going Home
Nepal, Asia - The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a 23-Year-Old's Summit of Mt. Everest - while there are two routes to the top of Mt Everest - in this one they approached via Nepal and so the majority of the book was set there
Illinois, United States - Friday Night Bites - book 2 in the Chicagoland Vampires series...I really wanna pick up book 3 right now, but i'm trying to hold off
if nothing else, I'm knocking a bunch of US states out...lol!Massachusettes, United States - The Kitchen Witch (Accidental Witch Trilogy, #1)
Texas, United States - Soul Bonds; Rush in the Dark; Edward Unconditionally - these three books form a trilogy set in Houston and in a small town outside of it
Wales, Europe - Goddess of the Sea - the majority of the book takes place on a small island called Caldei off the coast of wales - this island exists today but is now called Caldey Island and you can still go and visit the monastery that is thereNorth Dakota, United States - Years
Australia, Australia/Oceania - The Story of Danny Dunn - Bryce Courtenay - I love this authors books and have read many of his over the years - this is his newest, a family saga following the life of Danny Dunn from growing up, to his service during WW2 and through the life of his family - the ending was sad, but still well-writtenNorth Carolina, United States - A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon
Vermont, United States - Dangerous Secrets - Lisa Marie Rice
Ohio, United States - The Immortal Highlander - Karen Marie Morning - the book was split between Ohio, USA and Scotland with more than 50% being set in Ohio, so i'm utilizing it for that state
England, Europe - Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict - Laurie Viera Rigler - interesting read about a Jane Austen fan who ends up being transported into the body of a female living during Jane Austan's time...can't say I loved it, but it wasn't bad either
Dominica, Caribbean - Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys - ehh, it was ok...I'd heard about this book and had wanted to read it since I finished Jane Eyre, but probably wouldn't run out to read it again...had a hard time with the changing perspectives, because I could never really figure out who was talkingFrance, Europe - Unmasqued: An Erotic Novel of The Phantom of The Opera - Colette Gale - a retelling of Phantom of the Opera...loved it! will def. be looking for more of her books in the future
Scotland, Europe - Spell of the Highlander - bummed that i'm done with the series :( Must find a new obsessionNevada, United States - Saturday Night Special - Mari Carr
Washington, United States - Nothing But Trouble - Rachel Gibson
China, Asia - Mao's Last Dancer - the autobiography of Li Cunxin - trained as a ballet dancer in Mao's Communist China but defects to the US in the early 80'sHawaii, United States - A Little Harmless Obsession
Nebraska, United States - Garron's Gift, Rawley's Redemption, Twin Temptations (they were all relatively short, but I read the three of them in a row)
Arkansas, United States - Natural Disaster
Georgia, United States - Beyond Reach - Karin SlaughterTennessee, United States - Hidden Force - Shayla Kersten
Finland, Europe - Snow Angels - James Thompson - murder mystery set in the northern portion of Finland...have to say, i didn't see the who dun it coming
Zambia, Africa - Mrs. Pollifax on Safari - Dorothy Gilman - cute mystery set in Zambia...is the 5th in the series, but didn't feel too out of the loop having not read the previous ones
Indonesia, Asia - The Persimmon Tree - set predominantly on Java, Indonesia during WW2 - its the love story of Nick Duncan and Anna Van Heeden - good read, now I need to get the sequel
Ireland, Europe - Here Be Dragons - TA Chase - honestly this book took me a while to get through because of how the characters were portrayed at the beginning but it got better once the dragons came into play.
Puerto Rico, Caribbean - The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico - Sarah McCoy - a YA coming of age of a 11 year old in Puerto Rico
Jordan, Middle East - Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist - Dorothy Gilmanhaving visited Jordan and Amman a couple of years ago, it was interesting reading the book and actually being able to visual a lot of the places - we visited the hotel where they stayed as well as going to Petra and walking through the wall of rock, like she described
West Virginia, United States - Sticks & Stones - Madeline Urban/Abigail Roux - loved this second book in the series featuring Ty and Zane...now I just have to wait until dec 6 for book 3
Minneasota, United States - Undead and Unreturnable - next installment in the series, its sort of losing its enjoyment, wasn't a fan of how the author turned the strong guy weak :(
Pennsylvania, United States - Switch - Megan Hart...I seem to be temporaily stuck travelling in the US ;) - must be time to catch a flight elsewhere
Maybe you are waiting for your new passport to arrive :)
your right - I did let it expire and its needed for this little sojourn!
Mexico, North America - White Heat - Jill Shavis - features a firefighter who is brought to mexico to help fight an out of control fire and the pilot who flew him there.
Alabama, United States - A Redbird Christmas - Fannie Flagg - have to admit, i ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would and will def. be trying other books by this author in the future.
Sweden, Europe - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - have to admit, I ended up really enjoying this although I was skeptical at first...the narrator for the audiobook (Simon Vance) was really good...will be getting the other two in the trilogy in the future
New Zealand, Oceania - Tommo and Hawk - Bryce Courtenay - originally I wasn't sure if i was going to count this or not, as only half of it is set in New Zealand itself, but what isn't and then some of the third book is influenced by their experiences with the Maori's during the uprising against the British in the 1850's.
Iowa, United States - More Than Words - Judith McCoy Miller - Inspirational/ Christian romance is def. not normally my thing when it comes to romances, however, a challenge in another group had that as a category and this book looked interesting - set in Iowa in the Amana communities (religious, self-sufficient communities with some similarities to the Amish) - it was an enjoyable read, although I had hoped that the conflict would be a bit more, it was too neat and dealt with too quickly in the end
New Hampshire, United States - Wintergirls - Laurie Halsie Anderson - YA/issues based - another interesting read about a teenage issue, this time anorexia in 2 teenage girls, one who dies and the other, her friend, who struggles to live with her disease. Reminds me of a lifetime movie (I think) about the two teens, one with anorexia and the other with bulemia
Wow! You're half-way through your states! Great job!
Thanks! it wasn't intended...I haven't really been seeking out state books, but just happened that way! excited because I have a delaware book on the pile for a january challenge and I know that state wasn't hit last year (does that make me an uber-dork?)
Colorado, United States - A Red-Tainted Silence - Carolyn Gray - this book made me want to bawl my eyes out...I hurt so much for Brandon and Nicholas and everything that they went thought and was then shocked to find out who the bad guy was...totally dumbfounded me
Saudi Arabia, Middle East - Finding Nouf: A Novel - Zoe Ferraris - while I prefered her second book, which I read first, this one was also interesting and provided an insight into the muslim culture - I've been reading a lot about it over the years and there is still so much I don't know.I also revisted Japan, Asia with Hotel Iris: A Novel - Yoko Ogawa - right now, disturbing is the only word that comes to mind
Afghanistan, Middle East - The Kite Runner - I can't believe how long I put off reading this book - I think maybe because it was so hyped up and I didn't want to be disappointed and I wasn't...really liked the political insight into everything as well
Antarctica - In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery From The Last Continent - Sarah Andrews - loved this mystery...I had some inklings of who did it about half-way through, but wasn't sure. the ending did seem a bit rushed and so far no word on if she is going to write more in the series :( I hope so
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "Afghanistan, Middle East - The Kite Runner - I can't believe how long I put off reading this book - I think maybe because it was so hyped up and I didn't want to be disappointed and I ..."The Kite Runner is amazing! Hard to imagine, but A Thousand Splendid Suns is even better. I look forward to reading more of his books.
Thanks - will def. Be looking for it in the future...maybe as one of next years books
Vietnam, Asia - Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War - the vividness of this astounded me, it was as good as We were Soldiers, but fiction. A coming-of-age of 2nd LT Mellas, a Princeton graduate who signed up for the Marines never expecting to actually go to war and who ends up in the battle for Matterhorn, a hill near the border of Laos. Highly recommended
Ukraine, Europe - The Rose of Sebastopol - Katherine McMahon - once part of Russian, Sebastopol (or Sevastopol) is a port city in Ukraine. Interesting book, a learnt a lot about the crimean war, which is interesting to me because the town I grew up in in Australia (back in the day) was named for a town on the Crimean Peninsular (Balaklava)
I read that and found it to be a good read.
since i've already read a book set in Vietnam for the challenge, I'll take a look at it for future reference - but I would prefer if someone mentions a book on my tracker that they mention any connection to the fact that they wrote it...just a personal preference - thanksFrank wrote: "I read that and found it to be a good read."
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Cape Greed (other topics)Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin (other topics)
Cape Greed (other topics)
Cape Greed (other topics)
Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin (other topics)
More...
Dee's Around the World in 80 Books Google Map
Current Status of World Trip - 80 out of 80 countries visited - I need a vacation from my vacation ;)
Africa:
Botswana - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Cameroon - Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin
Cote D'ivoire - Aya
Egypt - Death on Tour
Ghana - Wife of the Gods: A Novel
Kenya - Out of Africa
Libya - In the Country of Men
Mauritius - The Last Brother
Morocco - The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca
Nigeria - Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away
Rwanda - Baking Cakes in Kigali
Sierra Leone - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
South Africa - Cape Greed
Uganda - Waiting: A Novel
Zambia - Mrs. Pollifax on Safari
Zimbabwe - Out of Shadows
Asia:
China - Mao's Last Dancer
India - The Case of the Missing Servant
Indonesia - The Persimmon Tree
Japan - The Housekeeper and the Professor
Kazakhstan - Woman in Exile: My Life in Kazakhstan
Korea - The Surrendered
Laos - The Coroner's Lunch
Malaysia - A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder
Mongolia - Warrior
Nepal - The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a 23-Year-Old's Summit of Mt. Everest
Uzbekistan - Private Wars
Vietnam - Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
Australia/Oceania:
Australia - The Story of Danny Dunn
Kiribati - The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific
New Zealand - Tommo and Hawk
Caribbean:
Cuba - The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom
Dominica - Wide Sargasso Sea
Puerto Rico - The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico
Europe:
Albania - Chronicle in Stone: A Novel
Austria - Portrait of Seduction
Belgium - 11 Days in December: Christmas at the Bulge, 1944
Bosnia-Herzogovenia - The Cellist of Sarajevo
Denmark - One, Two ... He is coming for you
England - Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Finland - Snow Angels
France - Unmasqued: An Erotic Novel of The Phantom of The Opera
Germany - The Reader and The Vanishing of Katharina Linden: A Novel
Greece - Oh. My. Gods.
Greenland - Cold Earth
Hungary - The Darkest Whisper
Iceland - Frozen Assets
Ireland - Here Be Dragons
Italy - Nicholas
Latvia - The Dogs of Riga
Lithuania - Between Shades of Gray
Malta - The Information Officer
the Netherlands - The Hiding Place
Norway - Don't Look Back
Poland - Yossel, April 19, 1943
Portugal - A Small Death in Lisbon
Russia - Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspense
Scotland - Spell of the Highlander
Spain - Miracle in Seville
Sweden - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Ukraine - The Rose of Sebastopol
Vatican City - The Secret Cardinal
Wales - Goddess of the Sea
Latin America/ South America
Argentina - Brava, Valentine
Belize - No Souvenirs
Brazil - Blood of the Wicked
Chile - The Killer's Tears
Paraguay - The News from Paraguay
Peru - Bel Canto
Middle East:
Afghanistan - The Kite Runner
Iran - Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Israel - Drawing in the Dust
Jordan - Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist
Pakistan - An Act of Treason
Saudi Arabia - Finding Nouf: A Novel
Syria - Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled
North America:
Canada - Love Bites
Mexico - White Heat
United States - Speak
*Antarctica:
Antarctica - In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery From The Last Continent
Re-visits (countries that i've read more than once - aside from the US and UK)
Japan - Hotel Iris: A Novel