Reading Challenge/Goals for 2024

[melk]

11/30 The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Daphne Parrish meets Amber, who soon becomes obsessed with Daphne and her very wealthy husband and very soon desires everything that Daphne has.

What I liked about this book is that it was told in two parts, first from Amber’s point of view, then through Daphne’s. Things that you learn in part one are turned upside down in part two. What I didn’t like about the book is that it got very, very dark, at times very upsetting.

 

[Wood Nymph]

16/30 - When he was Wicked: volume 6 of the Bridgerton series

Again - a quick read for fun.

 

[Kirby]

#30 - House of Sky and Breath: A Crescent City Novel by Sarah J. Maas.
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal-they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri's power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels' plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what's right. And they've never been very good at staying silent.
I enjoyed this book as much as the first one. So sad when it ended, ready to read the next one.

 

[bobbiwoz]

18/80
“The Real James Herriot, A Memoir of My Father” by Jim Wright

From cover
No one is better poised to write the biography of James Harriot than the son who worked alongside him in the Yorkshire veterinary practice when Herriot became an internationally bestselling author. Now, in this warm and poignant memoir, Jim Wright talks about his father - the beloved veterinarian whom his family had to share with half the world.

I enjoyed learning about James Herriot, but it was dry. 3/5

 

[cayennews]

Two more books this week, both by Allen Eskens. Both mysteries.

#9 The Heavens May Fall - I enjoyed this book. It keeps you guessing.

#10 The Deep Dark Descending - I wasn't a huge fan of this story.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I finished a couple of good books this week.
#6 - The Woman in Me by Brittany Spears
This was an interesting read, though poorly written. I really felt sorry for her and wanted to just give her a hug. I learned a lot about her that I didn't already know.

#7 - The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Very good book. It was hard to put down. Never a dull moment. Very suspenseful. I think I went through every emotion. Highly recommend.

#7 sounds good to me. I put a hold on it!

 

[Kirby]

#31 - The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
Genre - Historical 5/5
AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and �����a work of art” (The Denver Post).
On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.
Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.
Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of mid-century American life that is “a novel to cherish” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), The River We Remember offers an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.
Could hardly put this book down at times. It makes me want to check out what else the author has written.

 

[EvilChameleon]

I set a goal of 10 books for the year, and it's at this point, having read nine so far, that I set my goal way too low. Just finished The Prison Healer trilogy and I could not put any of those books down. The characters are so well written, I immediately sought out more works by Noni, but it seems paperback versions of her older works aren't easily available here in the States.

 

[MGMmjl]

#31 - The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
Genre - Historical 5/5
AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and �����a work of art” (The Denver Post).
On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.
Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.
Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of mid-century American life that is “a novel to cherish” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), The River We Remember offers an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.
Could hardly put this book down at times. It makes me want to check out what else the author has written.

I read that last year and really enjoyed it! I also enjoyed his other stand-alone novels, This Tender Land and Ordinary Grace. I haven't read any of his Cork O'Conner series, but hope to one day.

 

[willowsnn3]

#20/50 A Better World by Sarah Langan
You’ll be safe here. That’s what the greasy tour guide tells the Farmer-Bowens when they visit Plymouth Valley, a walled-off company town with clean air, pantries that never go empty, and blue-ribbon schools. On a very trial basis, the company offers to hire Linda Farmer’s husband, a numbers genius, and relocate her whole family to this bucolic paradise for the .0001%. Though Linda will have to sacrifice her medical career back home, the family jumps at the opportunity. They’d be crazy not to take it. With the outside world literally falling apart, this might be the Farmer-Bowens last chance.
But fitting in takes work. The pampered locals distrust outsiders, cruelly snubbing Linda, Russell, and their teen twins. And the residents fervently adhere to a group of customs and beliefs called Hollow . . . but what exactly is Hollow?
Sounds better than it was. No likeable characters at all.
#21/50 Good Christian B*****s (rhymes with witches) by Kim Gatlin
Amanda Vaughn, a recently divorced mother of two. To get a fresh start, she moves back to the affluent Dallas neighborhood where she grew up. In an Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Desperate Housewives on steroids style, her old friends are already out to destroy her reputation.
I can't believe I read the whole thing, lol.

 

[Beezle2]

34/75 Empire of The Damned by Jay Kristoff this is the sequal to Empire of The Vampire which I really enjoyed. This book was fine and moved the story forward, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book. I'm not sure why, I really loved the first book. I will read the third book when it comes out because the world buliding has me caring for what happens, but I'm not sure it couldn't have been a 2 book story.

 

[cayennews]

Another book completed! Another by Allen Eskens. It is a follow-up book to his first book, The Life We Bury.

#11 - The Shadows We Hide - This book follows the main character from his first book a few years later. Good read. Many surprises.

 

[RangerPooh]

15/25 Cascade Manhunt (Luke McCain Mysteries Book 5) Rob Phillips