Donna’s Comments (group member since Jan 01, 2019)

Donna’s comments from the Challenge: 50 Books group.

46. This Tender Land, William Kent Kruger. Easily one of my top five reads this year and the one on this list I would recommend to everyone.

Things were different then. Not simpler or better, just different. We didn’t travel the way we do now, and for most folks in Fremont County, Minnesota, the world was limited to the piece of it they could see before the horizon cut off the land. They wouldn’t have understood any more than I did that if you kill a man, you are changed forever. If that man comes back to life, you are transformed. I have witnessed this and other miracles with my own eyes. So, among the many pieces of wisdom life has offered me over all these years is this: Open yourself to every possibility, for there is nothing your heart can imagine that is not so.

Four children in depression era Minnesota escape to the river in the Homeric tale with hints of Huck Finn and a touch of magic. Yes, there's a cyclops.

Tiffany wrote: "16. The Nancy Drew Scrapbook: 60 Years of America's Favorite Teenage Sleuth

Have you tried the tv show that just started? They're giving Nancy the Riverdale treatment. I kind of found the character unlikeable - which surprised me a lot.

Okay, I lied. Geez, two months? I used to be so good about keeping things current...
Well lots of good books since August. Now here did I leave off?

Oh, Kindle Unlimited binge of the King Family series.

#36. The Bodyguard King Family #2, S. Doyle.
#37. The Bastard King Family #3, Julie Kriss.
#38. The Cowboy King Family #4, Molly O'Keefe.
#39. One Last Chance King Family #4.5, Molly O'Keefe.
Nice big Ahhhh for the whole series, but especially the O'Keefes.

#40. Ellie and the Harpmaker, Hazel Prior. Enjoyable, but it didn't really live up to the hype.

#41. The Blacksmith Queen, G.A. Aiken. A totally engrossing bawdy good time of a book. The adventure begins as a blacksmith quests to keep her megalomaniac sister from taking over the kingdom.

#42. The Third Mrs. Durst, Anne Aguirre. Don't let the blurb fool you this is a revenge is a dish best served cold story. The protagonist is less sociopathic than Jane Doe, but there is A LOT more violence.

43. Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster, Adam Higgenbotham. YES, I actually read NON-FICTION. Sad and infuriating.

44. Murder on Black Swan Lane, Andrea Penrose. A nice little addition to my growing collection of historical mystery with romantic elements. Scientist aristocrat & struggling artist widow. Lots of dangling threads for future books to weave together.

45. Never Have I Ever, Joshilyn Jackson. A twisty little tail about what a woman will do to protect the secrets that could destroy her happy life.

Tiffany wrote: "Donna wrote: "Good gravy, where have I been?! Okay, AZ, NC and work, work, work. I no particular order: ..."

Welcome back :)"

Thanks Tiffany. I promise to be a little more current.

Good gravy, where have I been?! Okay, AZ, NC and work, work, work. I no particular order:

#25. A Dangerous Collaboration, Veronica Speedwell #4, Deanna Raybourne. Delightful.

#26. The Unhoneymooners, Christina Lauren. A funny, touching sexy enemies to lovers romp.

#27. Tightrope, Amanda Quick. Enjoyable, if formulaic - but I love her formula.

#28. Wolf Rain, Nalini Singh. Latest psy-changling outing goes back to wolves and cats. Sigh. Loved it, but I really, really want my damn great white shifter!

Wow, lots of my favorite go tos there.

#29. Her Royal Spyness, Rhys Bowen. You'll be seeing more of these as historical mysteries with a touch of romance set between the great wars seems to be my jam lately.

Case in point:

#30. Murder at the Brightwell, Ashley Weaver. A little Nick & Nora, a little Christie, a lot of good reading.

#31. The Last Wolf, Maria Vale. Always looking for a new take on werewolf mythology. the writing is stylistic and beautiful.

#32. Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, Balasubramanyam, Rajeev. Wouldn't normally be on my radar, but it popped up as a rec from an author I admire, so what the heck, why not. Bliss was here to be found with a grumpy. lonely Cambridge economics professor finding a new way to deal with his estranged family and career disappointments.

#33. Wherever She Goes, Kelley Armstrong. Been enjoying her Rockton series so much, I decided to give this stand alone a try. A main character who is dismantling her life under the weight of the secrets she's been keeping. A twisty little mystery to solve when she witnesses a kidnapping, but no one believes her. I understood it to be a stand alone, but there's plenty here to build a sequel on.

#34. Under Currents, the always compulsively readable Nora Roberts. No mysteries about who the bad guys are, but lots of engaging characters, competence porn and a fun doggie. And since I had just returned from NC high country, it was pretty easy to picture the setting.

#35. The Tycoon, King Family #1, Molly O'Keefe. Yummy.

I'm pretty sure I'm missing something, but that's enough for now.

Wow, am I behind on my posting! How could 6 weeks have passed? Oh, yeah, Dad ignoring a health issue until it almost killed him. Parents, sigh.

Still, time on planes and waiting rooms for reading.

#17. Wild Country, Ann Bishop. Much more satisfying than the last Others novel. There was a lack of the humor that marked the original books that is back in this one. I must ask though, why, after they recently wiped out a goodly portion of the human population, people continue to be complacent in the belief that they can get one over on the Others? It only leads to mayhem and death. Gory dismemberment and death.

#18. Act Like It, Lucy Parker. A reread so I could move on to:

#19. Pretty Face and
#20. Making Up bringing me up to date on my London Celebrities books. Full of sharp snappy banter, romance between engaging characters and a touch of snark. Delightful.

#21. Sin & Chocolate,Demigod of San Francisco #1, K.F. Breene. New PNR series (? Trilogy?). Interesting, if slightly undeveloped world building, but the plot moppets are really well written.

#22. My Wicked Prince, Molly O'Keefe. A score off an unplanned trip to Kindle Unlimited that got me out of a post crisis reading slump. It didn't quite reach the angsty good depths of previous books, but it was just what I needed to get reading again.

#23. Fall, VIP #3, Kristen Callihan. My favorite rock star trope romance series. Unique for it's pretty spot on depiction of mental health issues.

#24. Sin & Magic, Demigod of San Francisco #2, K.F. Breene. Book two wherein Alexis starts to learn her powers, fulfills her employment commitment and bangs Keiran. Oh, like we didn't all see that coming. Also, Daisy finds a life calling and Mordecai makes his first shift.

#11 My Next Breath Obsidian Files #2. Followed immediately by:
#12. In My Skin Obsidian Files #3. and then
#13. Light Me Up Obsidian files 3.5 All by the cracktastic Shannon McKenna. Mostly not up to the standards of her previous books, but still compulsively readable.

#14. The Vanishing Stair Truly Devious #2, Maureen Johnson. Nicely twisty, well paced murder. Every time a mystery seems solved, there are more questions and secret rooms.

#15 Watcher in the Woods: a Rockton Novel, Kelley Armstrong. I love the way each book starts on the heels of the previous books. There's no need to recap the aftermath because the book is all about the aftermath. Rockton and it's residents continue to entertain and intrigue while Casey and Dalton kick butt.

#16. Archangel's Prophecy, Guild Hunter #11, Nalini Singh. Things are looking dire for Rapheal and Elena.

#8. Of Blood and Bone, Nora Roberts. Book 2 of the Chronicles of the One trilogy. Baby Fallon has turned 13 and as promised, Mallick returns to take her for training in the ways of magic & her powers. It's a middle book. Lots of things happen and, of course, the romantic parings of the final book are set in motion. It is la Nora after all.

#9. Untouchable, Jayne Ann Krentz. fianl book of the Cutler, Sutter & Salinas trilogy in whcih the big bad finally gets his due. Or does he?

#10. Right Through Me, Shannon McKenna. Book 1 of The Obsidian Files was mostly disappointing. Have I lost my taste for her brand of crazysauce, or am I just sensing the lack of a strong editor's hand? Still, the books are free on Kindle Unlimited... maybe book 2 will be better?

Happy reading, Susan. What's on the pups' tbr list?

#7. The Frame-Up, Meghan Scott Molin. A fine first book wherein a chance remark in a coffee shop lands MG Martin, comic writer and costume designer, in the middle of a police investigation that may involve the vigilante hero of the book she writes. It all concludes at a comic convention. Yes, it's as fun as it sounds.

A convincing droid walks behind me, and I hear her say to her companion, "You know, next year I think I'm going to do crossover cosplay. Maybe R2-D2 Wonder Woman."
I close my eyes, hold out my hands, take a deep breath, and let it out. For everything else that's going on... these are my people. I feel like I've come home.

Lillie wrote: "Looks like you're off to a great start!"

Thanks, Lillie! The fact that the weather has been so bad helps a lot.

#5. The Passion of Patrick MacNeill, Virginia Kantra. Short sweet travel read.

Drum roll please: book #6 is book #1200 on my read shelf!

#6. A Study in Death #4 in the Lady Darby mysteries had a nice mix of mystery and relationship building as Keira & Gage investigate the death of one of her clients. Plenty of complications impede their progress. Her sister's health issues, the appearance of Gage's dictatorial and disapproving father and the growing realization that someone is trying to remove Kiera from the equation, permanently.

#3. Protected Lauren Dane. Book 2 in the series(?). Left a big question still unanswered, so I presume there's another book coming. Nice little travel read full of yummy werewolves, snarky witches and small town problems.

#4. This Fallen Prey Kelley Armstrong. Another strong entry to the Rockton series. This was full of twists and turns, lots of red herrings that turn out to be anchovies. Salty good unexpected anchovies.

#2. Hate Notes Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. First romance of the year was a real winner that threw a big emotional curve into a snappy banter friends to lovers story.

I encourage the use of the public library, pretty much the best use of my taxes, ever. Saves you money and spares the shelf space for the books you really want to own. With all the inter-library loan programs and e-book loans you can get almost anything. Mine has an online reservation system and a drive-thru check out.

Thanks, Tiffany. Looking forward to the year back with you all.

#1. Lethal White, Robert Galbraith. Wherein Cormoran does not stop Robin's wedding, implodes his relationship with a perfectly nice woman, encounters his former fiancee, and solves both the murder of his client, and eases the mind of a mentally ill man who comes to him with a long cold case. A fine start to the year, just REALLY long.

Started 2018 with mystery/suspense, going with the trend for 2019. Post when finished in, geez, another 389 pages.

Hey all, Donna, AKA Piece of Cake is back. I'm re-introducing myself, as I've been gone for a while. Usual excuses: family, work, life, blah, blah, blah, but I also read probably the fewest books of my entire life last year. I think setting the challenge and reporting in will get me back on track, unless, you know, family, work, life get in the way.

Still living outside Chicago, overworked and underpaid, possessed of a sedentary inclination and a romance addiction.

Happy to see Carol, Tiffany, Susan and Susan and the Pups are still hanging out here. Looking forward to a great reading year with all of you.

Yes, I disappeared. What can I say? Life. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year with lots of books you love.