75 Books...More or Less! discussion

I'm going to shoot for 75 books in 2016. 2015 was a bust for reaching my goal, but anything is possible in the year to come!

Sounds good! Good luck!

I love the possibilities of a new year ahead!!!

1. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. I gave this one a 3 star rating. Some parts appealed to me, but honestly most did not. I did love the author's dedication.

Annie, Nina George's book didn't work for me either. Big disappointment!

Annie wrote: "1. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. I gave this one a 3 star rating. Some parts appealed to me, but honestly most did not. I did love the author's dedication."

Oh that's disappointing!

2. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. This was such a fun read! An improbable sequence of events, quirky characters, and a book store with unusual shelf categories such as "Happy Endings When You Need Them" all add to the charm of this novel. I enjoyed kicking back and escaping into the small town of Broken Wheel. A light read that I would recommend to fellow booklovers and book clubs.

Annie wrote: "2. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. This was such a fun read! An improbable sequence of events, quirky characters, and a book store with un..."

Oh I think I have this from NetGalley! Sounds like I should bump it up my list!

Annie wrote: "2. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. This was such a fun read! An improbable sequence of events, quirky characters, and a book store with un..."

That sounds like a book I'd love. Adding it to my TBR

3. Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton. This was my first Hamish Macbeth mystery, it will not be my last! Although this is the 31st book in the series, I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone. The author, M.C. Beaton, has done a wonderful job of immersing the reader into Hamish Macbeth's village of Lockdubh. I comfortably dropped into the beautiful Scottish Highlands setting and was introduced to some fun and interesting characters. Cleverly written, the mystery unfolds at a nice pace and works through some satisfying twists and turns. A very enjoyable read that I would recommend to all who enjoy a fun mystery! I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4. Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway. This was a Barnes and Noble serial read. Really enjoyed it! Most chapters ended with cliffhangers which certainly paired well with it being a serial read!

5. The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. Enjoyable read - eccentric, quirky characters with a bit of suspense. I look forward to reading more by this author!

6. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

7. The Rejected Writers' Book Club by Suzanne Kelman

8. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Annie wrote: "6. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

7. The Rejected Writers' Book Club by Suzanne Kelman

8. [book:Me Before You|1550795..."

Getting on the Jojo Moyes bandwagon soon!

Elyse, I really enjoyed "Me Before You" and will be adding "After You" to my TBR list. "Me Before you" hit me on an emotional level that not many books have, especially recently. Enjoy!

9. The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian by David Dyer. Captured me right from the start. Before reading this novel I was unaware of the 'Californian' incident which shows a very different side of the Titanic catastrophe. Author, David Dyer, gives the reader more than a well-researched historical novel. Dyer's novel brings the reader deeper by revealing the effects of human error and moral consciousness. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me the opportunity to read this novel.

Annie, After you is pretty emotional too.

Andrea, I just started reading "After You". What a beginning! I'll be sure to keep a box of tissues close at hand. Thanks for the heads-up!

10. After You by Jojo Moyes. Loved this!

Annie, I am so glad you loved it. I'm still thinking about. There is supposed to be a 3rd book in the works.

11. Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnès Martin-Lugand. This novel started off strong with a very powerful and emotional beginning. As the story progressed I felt it lost its momentum - there seemed to be a shifting of the story line which honestly just did not appeal to me. I had difficulty becoming vested in the characters which I believe was necessary with this novel. Only 3 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Weinstein Books for granting me the opportunity to read this novel.

12. The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood. I really enjoyed this one! Still wrapping my thoughts around the characters and their stories.

13. The Martian by Andy Weir

14. Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King. Another great read in King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series!

Annie wrote: "14. Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King. Another great read in King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series!"

I read this one and really need/want to go back and start from the beginning! :)

15. The Blue Bath by Mary Waters-Sayer. This is not a book I would normally pick up to read but I was captured by the beautiful cover! Only a few chapters into the book, I found myself wanting to keep reading to discover Kat's story. While I couldn't quite relate to Kat's actions, I was drawn in by the author's writing. At times the book felt a bit choppy but not enough to detract from the storyline. Full review to come.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

16. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. I really enjoyed this book and appreciate the author's extensive research. Looking forward to the sequel!

17. The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin. Read this book in two days. One of those books that had me flipping pages, had to find out what happens!

18. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany. Fun to visit Harry Potter's world again!

19. A Weekend to Change Your Life: Find Your Authentic Self After a Lifetime of Being All Things to All People by Joan Anderson.

20. It's Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond by Julia Cameron

21. The Lake House by Kate Morton

22. The Gilded Years by Karin Tanabe

23. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Annie, I just finished the Lake House on audio, I really liked it! At first I was confused with all the characters and time changes. Once I figured out who was who in which time period I was hooked.

Andrea, I really enjoyed Lake House also. I thought the author did a nice job on keeping the reader guessing until the end of the book. As for listening to an audio book, I probably would have been lost! I noticed that I really needed to pay attention to the dates in the chapter headings in order to follow the story.

Now that I think of it Annie, I don't recall if the reader mentioned dates! That would have been a huge help in getting the timeline and characters straight. I agree with you, I was guessing right up until the end too!

24. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny. This is the 12th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. I've enjoyed them all but this may be my favorite! Complex cast of characters - old and new, compelling plot, intriguing story that unfolds at a perfect pace. What fun to visit Three Pines again!

25. Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. This description sums it up nicely! ...about three generations of mothers and daughters who must discover their greatest source of strength in one another—a masterful, brilliant tale of a family both united and torn apart by ambition and love.

26. The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King. This may be one of my favorites in this series. Loved it!

27. Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart. Loved this! Well researched, great characters. I look forward to reading the sequel.

28. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Do you love Flavia de Luce yet?! We have quite a few fans in the group! :)

Elyse, I do love Flavia! She entertained me from cover to cover. I can't wait to start the next one!

Annie wrote: "28. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley"

I read this book almost 6 years ago and the thought of it still makes me happy!

Andrea, Isn't it great when a book has that effect! I just picked up The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag last week. Can't think of a better way to start off 2017!

Ohh I loved that one too!

29. Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

30. The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough

31. Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James

32. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

33. Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen

34. The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg

35. Find Momo Coast to Coast: A Photography Book by Andrew Knapp

36. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

37. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin

How was Britt-Marie Was Here? I love Backman's novels and haven't read this one yet though I do have the audiobook!

Elyse, I loved it! Britt-Marie reminded me of one of my close relatives, very fun read!

38. In the Woods by Tana French. Loved this! Great characters, intriguing mystery, keep me turning pages! Looking forward to reading more by this author.

Annie wrote: "38. In the Woods by Tana French. Loved this! Great characters, intriguing mystery, keep me turning pages! Looking forward to reading more by this author."

Tana French is one of those authors I keep meaning to pick up and just never do. 2017 for sure! (And by "for sure" I of course mean "maybe?")

Charleen wrote: " (And by "for sure" I of course mean "maybe?")"

Charleen, I had to laugh when I read your comment! I fondly remember those busy days when my kids were young. I'm impressed with the number of "for you" books you still manage to read!

Annie wrote: "Charleen wrote: " (And by "for sure" I of course mean "maybe?")"

Charleen, I had to laugh when I read your comment! I fondly remember those busy days when my kids were young. I'm impressed with th..."

Thanks Annie, it's definitely tough but important, I think. Helps me keep my sanity. I have been absent from the group here and I know I have some updating to do on my own thread.