Annual Reading Goal Challenge for 2016 - Come and join us!
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nemofans
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
Finished book #49/65 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
I had never read this, but heard so much about it so I decided to read it. I think I would have enjoyed this better if I had read it when I was younger. It had some funny lines and absurdity to it which I enjoyed. Overall though, I would give it 3 stars. I also didn't realize it was a series. I thought it was just 1 book. Well, I don't think I will read the rest. However, I will recommend these to my son.
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
I had never read this, but heard so much about it so I decided to read it. I think I would have enjoyed this better if I had read it when I was younger. It had some funny lines and absurdity to it which I enjoyed. Overall though, I would give it 3 stars. I also didn't realize it was a series. I thought it was just 1 book. Well, I don't think I will read the rest. However, I will recommend these to my son.
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Kirby
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2000
43/80 - Last One Home by Debbie Macomber
The first ever standalone novel from international best seller Debbie Macomber, author of Blossom Street Brides and Rose Harbor in Bloom. A story about the enduring bond between sisters, the power of forgiveness and a second chance at love.
Twelve years ago Cassie Carter chose the wrong man, and one fateful event drove three sisters apart.
Now, hoping to leave her past behind, Cassie has returned to Washington with her daughter. Though her sisters don't live too far away, she doesn't expect to see them. Karen, the oldest, is a busy wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her two children. And Nichole, the youngest, is a stay-at-home mum whose husband indulges her every whim. But one day Cassie receives a letter from Karen, offering the hope of reconciliation.
As Cassie opens herself up to new possibilities - making amends with her sisters, finding love once more - she realises the power of compassion and the promise of a fresh start.
While not a fan of her earlier books when she was writing for Harlequin, I do enjoy her later books.
The first ever standalone novel from international best seller Debbie Macomber, author of Blossom Street Brides and Rose Harbor in Bloom. A story about the enduring bond between sisters, the power of forgiveness and a second chance at love.
Twelve years ago Cassie Carter chose the wrong man, and one fateful event drove three sisters apart.
Now, hoping to leave her past behind, Cassie has returned to Washington with her daughter. Though her sisters don't live too far away, she doesn't expect to see them. Karen, the oldest, is a busy wife and mother, balancing her career with raising her two children. And Nichole, the youngest, is a stay-at-home mum whose husband indulges her every whim. But one day Cassie receives a letter from Karen, offering the hope of reconciliation.
As Cassie opens herself up to new possibilities - making amends with her sisters, finding love once more - she realises the power of compassion and the promise of a fresh start.
While not a fan of her earlier books when she was writing for Harlequin, I do enjoy her later books.
25/50 - The Friends We Keep
After five years as a stay-at-home mom, Gabby Schaefer can't wait to return to work. Oh, to use the bathroom in peace! No twins clamoring at the door, no husband barging in, no stepdaughter throwing a tantrum. But when her plans are derailed by some shocking news and her husband's crushing expectations, Gabby must fight for the right to have a life of her own.
Getting pregnant is easy for Hayley Batchelor. Staying pregnant is the hard part. Her husband is worried about the expensive fertility treatments and frantic about the threat to her health. But to Hayley, a woman who was born to be a mom should risk everything to fulfill her destiny—no matter how high the cost.
Nicole Lord is still shell-shocked by a divorce that wasn't as painful as it should've been. Other than the son they share, her ex-husband left barely a ripple in her life. A great new guy tempts her to believe maybe the second time's the charm…but how can she trust herself to recognize true love?
As their bonds of friendship deepen against the beautiful backdrop of Mischief Bay, Gabby, Hayley and Nicole will rely on good food, good wine and especially each other to navigate life's toughest changes.
After five years as a stay-at-home mom, Gabby Schaefer can't wait to return to work. Oh, to use the bathroom in peace! No twins clamoring at the door, no husband barging in, no stepdaughter throwing a tantrum. But when her plans are derailed by some shocking news and her husband's crushing expectations, Gabby must fight for the right to have a life of her own.
Getting pregnant is easy for Hayley Batchelor. Staying pregnant is the hard part. Her husband is worried about the expensive fertility treatments and frantic about the threat to her health. But to Hayley, a woman who was born to be a mom should risk everything to fulfill her destiny—no matter how high the cost.
Nicole Lord is still shell-shocked by a divorce that wasn't as painful as it should've been. Other than the son they share, her ex-husband left barely a ripple in her life. A great new guy tempts her to believe maybe the second time's the charm…but how can she trust herself to recognize true love?
As their bonds of friendship deepen against the beautiful backdrop of Mischief Bay, Gabby, Hayley and Nicole will rely on good food, good wine and especially each other to navigate life's toughest changes.
26/50 - Friendship Bread
One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.
Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.
When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.
In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.
About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.
One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.
Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.
When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.
In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.
About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.
moniqueand2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2012
Ok. I've been holding out a little bit. Throughout the year I've read all 4 of the Elena Ferrante Neapolitan novels. But I thought I've record them all in one post rather than individually. Spreading out this reading with other books in between was the way to go with this series in my opinion.
#26/30 - My Brilliant Friend
#27/30 - Story of a new name
#28/30 - Those who leave and those who stay
#29/30 - Story of the lost child
#26/30 - My Brilliant Friend
#27/30 - Story of a new name
#28/30 - Those who leave and those who stay
#29/30 - Story of the lost child
MochaDrinker
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2015
91/200 Living with Intent by Mallika Chopra
nemofans
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
Finished #50/65 - This Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell
I did not like this book (1.5/5 stars). It had too many different characters as 1st person narrators, a few of them had nothing to do with the story than to give another viewpoint of the main characters. Also, the story jumped all over the timeline way too much with no pattern or reason. It made the story too choppy and hard to connect with any of the characters. Reading this became a chore and I dreaded the beginning of each chapter because I wouldn't know who and/or when it would take place. To top it all off, I didn't even like the 2 main characters.
Meet Daniel Sullivan, a man with a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn and a wife, Claudette, who is a reclusive ex-film star given to shooting at anyone who ventures up their driveway.
He is also about to find out something about a woman he lost touch with twenty years ago, and this discovery will send him off-course, far away from wife and home. Will his love for Claudette be enough to bring him back?
I did not like this book (1.5/5 stars). It had too many different characters as 1st person narrators, a few of them had nothing to do with the story than to give another viewpoint of the main characters. Also, the story jumped all over the timeline way too much with no pattern or reason. It made the story too choppy and hard to connect with any of the characters. Reading this became a chore and I dreaded the beginning of each chapter because I wouldn't know who and/or when it would take place. To top it all off, I didn't even like the 2 main characters.
Meet Daniel Sullivan, a man with a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn and a wife, Claudette, who is a reclusive ex-film star given to shooting at anyone who ventures up their driveway.
He is also about to find out something about a woman he lost touch with twenty years ago, and this discovery will send him off-course, far away from wife and home. Will his love for Claudette be enough to bring him back?
MochaDrinker
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2015
92/200 - Walking with the Wind by John Lewis
WowLookAtThat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2011
Book #42 A Curious Christmas Bride by Emma Morgan
Book #43 A Pregnant Christmas Bride by Emma Morgan
Book #44 The Relunctant Christmas Family by Emma Morgan
Book #45 Put up your Dukes by Megan Frampton
Book #46 Melody by VC Andrews
Book #47 Heart Song by VC Andrews
Book #48 Unfinished Melody by VC Andrews
Book #49 Laura by VC Andrews
Book #50 Olivia by VC Andrews
Book #51 What to Expect When you Are Expecting by Heidi Murkoff
Book #52 The Advent Bride by Mary Connealy
Book #53 The Nutcracker Bride by Margaret Brownley
Kirby
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2000
44/80 - I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. Genre - Science Fiction
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.
I am Number Four.
I am next.
I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Now to see the movie!
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.
I am Number Four.
I am next.
I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Now to see the movie!
MochaDrinker
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2015
93/290-madam secretary by Madeleine Albright
94/200-Quiet by Susan Cain
94/200-Quiet by Susan Cain
nemofans
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2007
Finished book #51/65 - Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
I usually like her books & I liked this one. Not her best though.
Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?
Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.
Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite.
Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?
Finished book #52/65 - Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
I have read a few of her books (The Good Girl, Pretty Baby) & they just don't draw me in like other books. This one is the same, just not that interesting. I think part of it is being in the head of these characters that think the same thoughts or state obvious things. Just gets boring.
In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.
Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.
As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under Pearl's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.
I usually like her books & I liked this one. Not her best though.
Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?
Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.
Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite.
Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?
Finished book #52/65 - Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
I have read a few of her books (The Good Girl, Pretty Baby) & they just don't draw me in like other books. This one is the same, just not that interesting. I think part of it is being in the head of these characters that think the same thoughts or state obvious things. Just gets boring.
In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.
Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.
As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under Pearl's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.
I am currently slogging through this one. It's not bad enough to dump, but not the greatest either.
willowsnn3
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2009
willowsnn3
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2009
#39/72
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
I absolutely loved this book! Not what I generally read but could possibly be the best of the year so far.
From the jacket:
The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, NC. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Gernerations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.
A successful caterer, Claire prepares dishes made with her mystical plants. Evanelle, her elderly cousin, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. Sydney, who fled Bascom thee moment she could, returns suddenly with a young daughter of her own.
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
I absolutely loved this book! Not what I generally read but could possibly be the best of the year so far.
From the jacket:
The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, NC. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Gernerations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.
A successful caterer, Claire prepares dishes made with her mystical plants. Evanelle, her elderly cousin, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. Sydney, who fled Bascom thee moment she could, returns suddenly with a young daughter of her own.
BonnieF
Is it time for Food & Wine Yet??
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2010
24/40 - The Kindness, Polly Sampson
25/40 - The Widow, Fiona Barton
26/40 - I Almost Forgot About You, Terry McMillan
27/40 - The Light of Paris, Eleanor Brown
28/40 - Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty
I enjoyed 4 of these - but couldn't really get into the McMillan book - characters just too self-absorbed.
A high recommendation to The Widow, The Light of Paris, and Big Little Lies.
25/40 - The Widow, Fiona Barton
26/40 - I Almost Forgot About You, Terry McMillan
27/40 - The Light of Paris, Eleanor Brown
28/40 - Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty
I enjoyed 4 of these - but couldn't really get into the McMillan book - characters just too self-absorbed.
A high recommendation to The Widow, The Light of Paris, and Big Little Lies.
MochaDrinker
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2015
nothing to see here
Last edited:
Kirby
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2000
45/80 - Prodigal Son by Danielle Steele
Twin boys grow up in the same family, in the same town. Dramatically different, they become bitter enemies, even as children. One good, one bad. One leaves his peaceful hometown, but when all else fails, the prodigal son returns, twenty years later. The reunion of brothers, sweet and healing at first, exposes shattering revelations of good and evil. #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel tells a brilliant, suspenseful story of suspicion, betrayal, and a life-and-death struggle for survival. Which twin is good and which is evil, as the tables turn again and again?
PRODIGAL SON
In a matter of days, Peter McDowell loses everything he has worked so hard for - his wealth, his property, his livelihood as a star investment banker. And then it gets worse. The stock market crash not only plunges Peter into joblessness, it causes a rift in his marriage that he cannot repair. Stripped of everything, he has only one place to retreat: a lakeside cottage he inherited from his parents, who left most of their modest estate to Peter's twin. With no other choice, the prodigal son goes home.
A beloved small-town doctor, a devoted family man, and a pillar of his community, Michael McDowell serves others without regard to personal gain. Only Peter knows how Michael manipulated their parents when the boys were young, ultimately driving Peter away. At first, he dreads seeing Michael again. But, to his surprise, their reunion is tender and real. Only later, as Peter mulls over his late mother's journals, does the truth begin to emerge, as realization and panic begin to set in. Who is his twin? Is the facade real, or does something terrifying lie beneath? Imagination or a reality too terrifying to believe?
In a race for time, Peter throws caution to the winds to find the truth. What he discovers will change their lives forever, the lives of their children, and an entire town.
I enjoyed this book.
Twin boys grow up in the same family, in the same town. Dramatically different, they become bitter enemies, even as children. One good, one bad. One leaves his peaceful hometown, but when all else fails, the prodigal son returns, twenty years later. The reunion of brothers, sweet and healing at first, exposes shattering revelations of good and evil. #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel tells a brilliant, suspenseful story of suspicion, betrayal, and a life-and-death struggle for survival. Which twin is good and which is evil, as the tables turn again and again?
PRODIGAL SON
In a matter of days, Peter McDowell loses everything he has worked so hard for - his wealth, his property, his livelihood as a star investment banker. And then it gets worse. The stock market crash not only plunges Peter into joblessness, it causes a rift in his marriage that he cannot repair. Stripped of everything, he has only one place to retreat: a lakeside cottage he inherited from his parents, who left most of their modest estate to Peter's twin. With no other choice, the prodigal son goes home.
A beloved small-town doctor, a devoted family man, and a pillar of his community, Michael McDowell serves others without regard to personal gain. Only Peter knows how Michael manipulated their parents when the boys were young, ultimately driving Peter away. At first, he dreads seeing Michael again. But, to his surprise, their reunion is tender and real. Only later, as Peter mulls over his late mother's journals, does the truth begin to emerge, as realization and panic begin to set in. Who is his twin? Is the facade real, or does something terrifying lie beneath? Imagination or a reality too terrifying to believe?
In a race for time, Peter throws caution to the winds to find the truth. What he discovers will change their lives forever, the lives of their children, and an entire town.
I enjoyed this book.
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