The Next Best Book Club discussion
Diane's AtWi 80 books Challenge
>
Nancy - Frequent Flyer
Thanks. I'm sure I will enjoy the challenge.
I am enjoying this challenge because it is making me think ahead to what I want to read next. I usually have several books going at the same time, and read things for my library instead of myself, so this is different. I really like it. Thanks to the person or persons who came up with this - great idea!!
Nancy, make sure you add a new post with each additional country or state in addition to editing, so your thread will go up to the top. I can't tell if a thread other than my own has been edited and I don't want you to miss out on your readerboard updates.
I just finished The Solemn Lantern Maker by Merlinda Bobis. It takes place in the Philippines, and this story really grabs you. It is interesting to see how Americans are viewed, even fictionally, in the Philippines. What a story!
I just finished The Jackal's Head by Elizabeth Peters, which takes place in Egypt. It was good, but I think it was one of her earlier novels and not quite as tightly plotted as her later ones, which I really like.I also just finished Lisa Scottoline's "Why My Next Husband Will Be A Dog" and it is a scream!! I just loved it. About two weeks ago, I read her 'Empty Nest' one, the newer one, and before I was even finished with it, I had to go out and buy the first one. She is a fabulous writer, and I relate so much to what she says. Plus, she lives in PA like I do, so I can also relate to her places and things. The way she writes makes you think you have known her since forever, and you definitely want her for a best friend! I have always liked her mysteries, but I LOVE her essays - I can't wait until she publishes the next set!
I just finished two more books:Curly Smoke by Susan Holtzer is set in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is a really good mystery.
Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman is set in New Jersey, and is the story of two sisters whose mother is dead and whose father in an alcoholic. The girls deal with their difficult life situation in different ways. It is a realistic look at what children of alcoholics have to go through as teens when their parents are still actively drinking. It has a very positive message and is definitely a good read.
(I already have New Jersey on my list of books read, but this one was still good and definitely noteworthy anyway.)
I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sweden). This was a great book and I can't wait to read the next two. I put off reading this for a while because I was tired of everyone raving about it --- but now I have joined that club. It is a great read!!
Nancy - I felt the same way, I hate hyped up books because for me they never seem to live up to the hype...but this one did, and I bought the other two on audiobook already
I felt so tired reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was so glad when it was done.
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "Nancy - I felt the same way, I hate hyped up books because for me they never seem to live up to the hype...but this one did, and I bought the other two on audiobook already"Have you read/listened to them yet? I needed to take a break before I dive into the second one, but I think I will pick it up soon.
Sandra wrote: "I felt so tired reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was so glad when it was done."I was like that for about the first 50 pages, but then I really got into it and didn't want to stop reading. I am hoping the second and third are like that also.
I just finished Charlaine Harris' A Fool and His Honey - in the Aurora Teagarden series. I really like this series, and this was interesting because the main characters traveled from their home in Georgia to Ohio, where about half of the book took place. It was really good, and there were some surprises. I am eager to read the next two in the series, but then I will be caught up and I will be sad not to have anymore of this series waiting for me. I hope she writes some more fast!
I just finished reading Barbara Shoup's Everything You Want, about a family who wins the lottery. It is interesting to see what happens to people when they have a lot of money. This book is set in Indiana.
I haven't - i'm listening to shadowfever right now...I tend to alternate my audiobooks, a classic; a romance, or something else light, then something elseNancy wrote: "Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "Nancy - I felt the same way, I hate hyped up books because for me they never seem to live up to the hype...but this one did, and I bought the other two on aud..."
Nancy wrote: "I needed to take a break before I dive into the second one, but I think I will pick it up soon. "Make sure your ready to need the next 2 books before you start, because book 2 and 3 tells 1 story! I didn't know.. and planned on waiting a while between book 2 and 3 but couldn't really when it came down to it because I wanted to know what happened next...
LadyHeather wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I needed to take a break before I dive into the second one, but I think I will pick it up soon. "Make sure your ready to need the next 2 books before you start, because book 2 and 3..."
Ok, I will do that. I just received a box of books that I have to review, so it may be a while before I decide to pick up the 2nd and 3rd ones. I will eventually get to them, though, and I will plan a block of time to read them in so I can do both back-to-back. Thanks for the tip.
Just finished The Feng Shui Detective by Nury Vittachi. It is a good mystery set in Singapore with a side-trip by the detective and his assistant to Australia. I will have to look for more books in this series featuring the detective Mr. Wong, because I really enjoyed this one.
I finished Free Fall in Denver by Sarah Andrews. (Colorado) It is a mystery that features a geologist as the main character. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the geology of gas and oil fields.
If you liked that one - you could read In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery From The Last Continent for Antarctica, also by her, I read it and really enjoyed it - but i've already hit the states her other books are featured in, so they don't help me
I was wondering why my list of "state" books didn't match the list I entered here - I finally went through my book list for the end of last year, and realized that I had missed entering Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke, which is set in Minnesota. I love this series and can't wait for the next one. (And this brings my 'state' total up to 16.)
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "If you liked that one - you could read In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery From The Last Continent for Antarctica, also by her, I read it and really enjoyed it - but i've already hit the stat..."Sounds good - I will have to look for that one.
I just finished reading Home Is Beyond the Mountains by Celia Barker Lottridge. It is set in what was Persia, now Iran, and tells the story of about 300 orphans who were displaced by the invading Turkish army in World War I. They had to walk hundreds of miles to places of safety, and many of them had also to walk back home again when they were finally able to return. It is based on a true story, and the courage of the children and the orphanage directors is amazing. A great historical fiction novel!
I finished Hip-Deep In Alligators by Robert Campbell. It was a quick read, in the style of the classic old-style detectives, like Mickey Spillane, Mike Hammer, etc. I enjoyed it and will probably find more of that author's series to read. This one took place in Chicago, Illinois.
I just finished a wonderful book called A Time of Miracles, by Anne-Laure Bondoux, which is set primarily in Georgia, in the Caucausus, but also has the characters traveling from there to France. It is a story of a boy who is trying to find his mother and is very surprised to find out who she is at the end of the story after all of his traveling. It is a story of hope in the midst of the worst possible conditions. Quite a good read!
Just finished Suspect by Kristen Wolden Nitz, an excellent mystery set in Missouri. It features a teen girl whose mother left her 14 years earlier. She goes to work at her grandmother's bed-and-breakfast for the summer, and suddenly finds herself investigating her mother's disappearance. She is quite shocked when she finds out what really happened.
I finished The Healer's Apprentice yesterday (2/18/11) - it was a good historical romance set in Germany in the medieval period.
I just finished a fun read called Oh.My.Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs. Set mostly in Greece, it is about current teens who happen to be descendants of the Greek gods, and the one American girl who thinks she is normal until she finds out otherwise.
I just finished Town in a Blueberry Jam, a quick fun mystery by B.B. Haywood. It takes place in Maine during a blueberry festival, and makes you want to find some blueberries to eat while you're reading!
I've been reading a lot of review books lately,but finally got one with a new state for my list: Come High Water by Carolyn Brown, a romance set in early 20th century Arkansas.
I just finished a great book called Lady Luck's Map of Vegas, by Barbara Samuel, which despite the title, has most of the action taking place in New Mexico and very little in Las Vegas. (Plus there is also a Vegas, New Mexico mentioned in the book.) It is definitely in the 'chick-lit' genre, and it a good story of a mother and twin sisters (now grown) and how they have to deal with the past, the present, and the future.
The Hearse You Came In On - Tim Cockey --- Maryland (3/12/11)I loved this mystery, and most of it took place in Baltimore, Maryland, so I get to count it for another state. This book has lots of humor to go along with the mystery -- my favorite kind!
I just finished The Year of the Golden Dragon by B.L. Sauder - China (3/14/11). It is a good young adult novel with some mystery and magic. The action takes place mostly in China.
I just read this one the other night, as well as the second one in the series...it sort of reminded me of the movie Mean Girls in a way - with Adara and her step-sister; Phoebe as the out of place girlNancy wrote: "I just finished a fun read called Oh.My.Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs. Set mostly in Greece, it is about current teens who happen to be descendants of the Greek gods, and the one American girl who thin..."
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "I just read this one the other night, as well as the second one in the series...it sort of reminded me of the movie Mean Girls in a way - with Adara and her step-sister; Phoebe as the out of place ..."I haven't read the second one yet but I am looking forward to it. This one was a refreshing surprise, so I am sure I will read the next one.
I have just read Arundel by Kenneth Roberts and was very surprised to find that I liked it quite a bit. It takes place partly in Maine and partly in Canada, so I am counting it for Canada.
I have been reading review books for a while, but finally got another state. I just read Somebody Everybody Listens To, by Suzanne Supplee, which is set in Tennessee, and is about a girl who goes to Nashville to become a professional singer. It is quite a good story.
I read The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart over the weekend. A large part of it took place in Spain, so I am counting it for Spain. It was a very unusual story. Parts of it I liked, and parts I didn't. I haven't made up my mind whether or not I like it as a whole.
Today I finished Laughed 'Til He Died by Carolyn Hart, one of the Death on Demand series. I love this series, and this one is quite good. It takes place in South Carolina.
Just finished Agent Q or The Smell of Danger by M.T. Anderson. It is a YA novel for younger YAs, probably 9th grade or younger. It is a fantasy set in the state of Delaware in which the governor has been replaced with an evil Autarch, and there are monks and four kids who have to escape. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous ones in this series.
Today I finished Drawing A Blank, by Daniel Ehrenhaft, which was quite good. It takes place in Connecticut and in Scotland, and since most of the action takes place in Scotland, I am counting it for Scotland.
Recently finished The Turtle Mound Murder by Mary Clay. (4/25/2011) It is a mystery set at New Smyrna Beach in Florida, and involves several friends who go to the beach to relax, but instead find themselves involved in a murder. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the next ones in this series.
I read Panama by Shelby Hiatt. (4/27/2011) This is an excellent story about an American girl whose family lives in the Panama Canal Zone while the Canal is being built. She falls in love with one of the workers, which is a problem because he is not what he seems and because she seems to be from a different level of society than he is. Excellent historical fiction and romance.
Saks and Violins by Mary Daheim (5/2/2011)This mystery set in Washington State is part of her Bed-and-Breakfast series featuring two cousins who get involved in solving mysteries. Although I usually love the books in this series, I didn't think this one was as good as some of the others. I am eager to read the next one, though. I also really enjoy this author's other series, set in a small logging town called Alpine. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in that series, since I gobble them up as soon as they are published (and then lament that I have to wait so long for the next one!!)
I just finished Once, by Morris Gleitzman, which is an excellent and very poignant novel. It tells the story of a little Jewish boy whose parents put him in a Catholic orphanage to try to save his life in Nazi-occupied Poland. He escapes to try to find his parents, whom he still believes are alive. Excellent book. (5/27/11)
Cuba Libre - Elmore Leonard (5/30/2011)This is excellent historical fiction/adventure about an American cowboy who finds himself in Cuba at the start of the Spanish-American war. It gives a rare picture of the chaos in Cuba during that time period.
I have finally finished The Lacuna by Barbara Kinsolver. (6/10/11) It is a great book, with about half of the story taking place in Mexico. I really enjoyed it, but because of work and other things, it has taken me much longer to read it than it does for most books that are 500+ pages. For anyone interested in Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, it is a good choice.
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery from the Last Continent (other topics)In Cold Pursuit: A Mystery from the Last Continent (other topics)
1.Peace, Love & Baby Ducks - U.S. (10/1/10)
2.Conspiracy 365: June(also July, August, September) - Great series! - Australia (10/7/10)
3.How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation- Israel (10/13/10)
4.The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan - England (10/17/10)
5.The Brain Full of Holes- Switzerland (11/11/10)
6.Dead Sexy - Reunion Island - South Pacific(11/12/10)
7.Murder on the Eiffel Tower - France (11/23/10)
8.Cayman Gold - Cayman Islands (12/9/10)
9.An Irish Christmas - Ireland (12/16/10)
10.Teens in Venezuela - Venezuela (12/17/10)
11.Teens in Turkey - Turkey (12/22/10)
12. The Solemn Lantern Maker - Philippines (1/6/11)
13. The Jackal's Head - Egypt (1/8/11)
14. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Sweden (1/17/11)
15. The Feng Shui Detective - Singapore (1/29/11)
16. Home Is Beyond the Mountains - Iran (2/2/11)
17. A Time for Miracles - Georgia/Caucausus (2/10/11)
18. The Healer's Apprentice -Germany (2/18/11)
19. Oh.My.Gods. - Greece (2/22/11)
20. The Year of the Golden Dragon - China (3/14/11)
21. Arundel - Canada (3/17/11)
22. The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart - Spain (4/3/11)
23.Drawing a Blank - Ehrenhaft - Scotland (4/18/11)
24. Panama - by Hiatt - Panama (4/27/2011)
25. Once - Gleitzman - Poland - (5/27/11)
26. Cuba Libre - Leonard - Cuba (5/30/2011)
27. The Lacuna - Kingsolver - Mexico (6/10/11)
28. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter - Mario Vargas Llosa - Peru (6/26/11)
29. Tiny Sunbirds, Far away - Christie Watson - Nigeria (7/1/11)
30. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party - Alexander Mccall Smith - Botswana (7/14/11)
31. Djibouti - Elmore Leonard - Djibouti (7/28/2011)
32. Home to Italy - Peter Pezzelli - Italy (7/31/11)
33. Aunt Dimity Down Under - Nancy Atherton - New Zealand (8/1/11)
34. It All Began in Monte Carlo - Elizabeth Adler - Monaco (8/3/11)
50 States Challenge:
1.Dangerous Undertakings- North Carolina (10/6/10)
2.Scarlett Fever - New York (10/11/10)
3.Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty - California (10/23/10)
4.When I Crossed No-Bob - Mississippi (11/10/10)
5.Working Stiff- Wisconsin (11/2/10)
6.I So Don't Do Spooky - Arizona (11/25/10)
7.Sizzling Sixteen - New Jersey (11/28/10)
8.The Widower's Tale - Massachusetts (11/20/10)
9. Apple Turnover Murder - Minnesota (12/1/10)
10.The Six Rules of Maybe - Oregon (12/6/10)
11.Three Bedrooms, One Corpse - Georgia (12/17/10)
12.Why My Next Husband Will Be a Dog - Pennsylvania (1/8/11)
13. Curly Smoke - Michigan (1/12/11)
14. A Fool and His Honey - Ohio (1/23/11)
15. Everything You Want - Indiana (1/26/11)
16. Free Fall in Denver - Colorado (1/29/11)
17. Hip-deep in Alligators - Illinois (2/2/11)
18. Suspect - Missouri (2/14/11)
19. Town in a Blueberry Jam - Maine (2/27/11)
20. Come High Water - Arkansas (3/6/11)
21. Lady Luck's Map of Vegas -New Mexico (3/8/11)
22. The Hearse You Came In On - Maryland (3/12/11)
23. Somebody Everybody Listens To - Tennessee (4/2/11)
24. Laughed 'Til He Died - South Carolina (4/12/11)
25. Agent Q or The Smell of Danger - Delaware (4/13/11)
26. The Turtle Mound Murder - Florida (4/25/2011)
27. Saks and Violins - Washington (state) (5/2/2011)
28. Merry, Merry Ghost - Oklahoma (6/13/11)
29. Mourning Gloria - Texas (6/19/11)
30. She Went All the Way - Alaska (6/20/11)
31. Birthday Party - Wyoming (6/30/11)
32. The Memory Keeper's Daughter -Kentucky (8/12/11)
33. Hey, Good Looking - Louisiana (8/13/11)
34. The Scent of Rain and Lightning - Kansas (8/15/11)
35. Aloha Summer - Hawaii (8/19/11)
36. Thistle and Twigg - Alabama (8/20/11)
37. Murder Takes the Cake - Virginia (8/21/11)
38. Bone Hunter - Utah (8/23/11)
39. Stumptown Kid - Iowa (8/23/11)
40. Slow Dancing on Price's Pier - Rhode Island (8/27/11)
41.Open Season - Vermont (8/30/11)
42.The Cold Blue Blood - Connecticut (9/3/11)
43. The Double-Jack Murders - Idaho (9/5/11)
44. Go Big or Go Home - South Dakota (9/5/11)
45. Out of the Blue - North Dakota (9/7/11)
46. Funny How Things Change- West Virginia (9/8/11)
47.Bookmarked for Murder- New Hampshire (9/10/11)
48. Sixteen Brides - Nebraska (9/12/11)
49. Nobody Dies in a Casino - Nevada (July 12, 2011)
50. Montana Sky -Montana (9/19/11)
51. The State of the Onion - Washington, D.C. (9/20/11)