Read 100+ Books in 2015 discussion

Wow! February flew. Of course, two vacations may have helped especially since they were out of the snow and ice. I also got lots of new books at the Wild Wicked Weekend in San Antonio last week. Now on to March's challenge.

1. Read a book with a one word title.
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
9. Your choice.

So I'm going to take card of the high school and the magic options in one shot with "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" that Nate and I are currently reading. Still working through "By the Shores of Silver Lake" with Ruth. Also working on Twelve Extraordinary Women. I have finished reading "Star Wars X-Wing Wedge's Gamble". I enjoyed it. It was a nice bit of light reading after some of the heavy books I read before it. So that's my start for March. Hope spring comes soon. I'm tired of snow.

February is gone and March is upon us, my favorite month. Celebrating my birthday and others this month AND the beginning of baseball - Training camps opening up!

Life is good.

1. Read a book with a one word title.
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
9. Your choice.

Finished reading "Believer, My Forty Years in Politics" by David Axelrod - 4/5 stars.

Now reading "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.

"On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?"

Chuck wrote: "Finished reading "Believer, My Forty Years in Politics" by David Axelrod - 4/5 stars.

Now reading "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.

"On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick a..."

What did you think of Gone Girl. I've tried to read it twice and I just could not get into it. I've heard good and bad.

Happy Birthday, Chuck.

For my March reading list (and that is all I want to do, READ!)

7/9, 27 Books

1. Read a book with a one word title--Fat by Saranna DeWylde--finished 3/5/15.
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A--Taking Him by Jackie Ashenden--finished 3/7/15.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it--Spellbound by Sylvia Day--finished 3/18/15.
5. Read a book already on your book shelf--Pete
& Fremont by Jenny Tripp--finished 3/19/15.
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball--Inside Heat by Roz Lee--finished 3/7/15.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit--Stepbrother: Impossible Love by Victoria Villeneuve--finished 3/22/15
9. Your choice--Marks on my Skin by J. A. Howell--finished 3/2/15.

BONUS:
Truth or Dare by Leigh Ellwood--finished 3/1/15
Nashville Trio by Joy Daniels--finished 3/4/15
The Professional by Kresley Cole--finished 3/10/15
Slut by Saranna DeWylde--finished 3/11/15
Do You Trust Me? by Desiree Holt--finished 3/12/15
I Am Malala--Malala Yousafzai--finished 3/14/15
Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society--finished 3/15/15
Carnal Compromise by Robin L. Rotham--finished 3/16/15
Welcome to Sanctuary, Volume 1 by Cooper McKenzie--finished 3/17/15
The Master by Kresley Cole--finished 3/19/15
Rough Justice by Sarah Castille--finished 3/21/15
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka--finished 3/23/14
The List by Anne Calhoun--finished 3/24/15
Purity in Death by J. D. Robb--finished 3/26/15
Billionaires for Charity by Marie Carnay--finished 3/26/15
Gabriel's Redemption--Sylvain Reynard--finished 3/28/15
D & S Duo 2 by Lisabet Sarai--finished 3/28/15
Nasty Business by Lisabet Sarai--finshed 3/29/15
The Raven by Sylvain Reynard--finished 3/30/15
Fortune on Moon Lake by Amy Gamet--finished 3/31/15

Sheila wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Finished reading "Believer, My Forty Years in Politics" by David Axelrod - 4/5 stars.

Now reading "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.

"On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri..."

Sheila wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Finished reading "Believer, My Forty Years in Politics" by David Axelrod - 4/5 stars.

Now reading "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.

"On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri..."

After seeing the film I had to read the book. I disliked both Nick and Amy and dislike them even more!

Sheila wrote: "Happy Birthday, Chuck."

Thank you very much!

-John and Stasi Eldredge 3-1-15
This was a helpful and interesting Christian nonfiction book about marriage.

Chuck wrote: "Sheila wrote: "Chuck wrote: "Finished reading "Believer, My Forty Years in Politics" by David Axelrod - 4/5 stars.

Now reading "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.

"On a warm summer morning in North Car..."
I've heard a lot of people say that. I'm not sure I want to read it.

March continues with great books to read!

1. Read a book with a one word title.
"Runaway" by Alice Munro
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
9. Your choice.

Now reading "Runaway" by Alice Munro.

" . . . Runaway is a book of extraordinary stories about love and its infinite betrayals and surprises, from the title story about a young woman who, though she thinks she wants to, is incapable of leaving her husband, to three stories about a woman named Juliet and the emotions that complicate the luster of her intimate relationships. In Munro’s hands, the people she writes about–women of all ages and circumstances, and their friends, lovers, parents, and children–become as vivid as our own neighbors. It is her miraculous gift to make these stories as real and unforgettable as our own."

-Lindsey Davis 3-10-15
This was a somewhat entertaining mystery/suspense novel set in ancient Rome. It was well written, but I found the pace to be very slow, and it was hard for me to stick with the story because I didn't develop a liking for the protagonist. However, I figured out who the murderer was before the book told me, which is something that has never happened before, but I'm not sure if that means that I had a random instance of inductive reasoning or if the hints were just too obvious. Overall, it was an okay read, but I won't bother reading more of the series.

Rachel wrote: "-John and Stasi Eldredge 3-1-15
This was a helpful and interesting Christian nonfiction book about marriage."

I read this book Rachel. It was very good. I really like the Eldredges with Captivating being my favorite of theirs that I've read. They are some of my favorite writers.

So I finished my March challenge of the book about high school and a book about magic. Nate and I finished "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". I liked it but not as well as Sorcerer's Stone. Still going to finish the series. Now working on the Prisoner of Azkaban. I've also finished reading "The Bridge to Terabithia". I read it as a kid and loved it and love it even more now as an adult. I never realized it was written by the same author as "Jacob Have I Loved" which I also loved as a child. I want to reread that soon also. Right now in addition to Prisoner of Azkaban, I'm still working on "By the Shores of Silver Lake" with Ruth, "Ella Enchanted" and "Twelve Extraordinary Women" on my own. I should have both of those done by the end of next week with any luck.

March continues with great books to read!

1. Read a book with a one word title.
"Runaway" by Alice Munro
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
"LT's Theory of Pets" by Stephen King
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
9. Your choice.

Now listening to Stephen King's audio book "LT's Theory of Pets."

"A Rare Live Stephen King Recording!
Stephen King delivers a haunting, heartfelt performance as he shares a story about the bonds between husbands, wives and pets.
LT has a theory about pets, particularly his Siamese cat. It had been their cat not just his cat, but that was until he came home one day to a note on the fridge. His wife had left him.

The cat stayed behind."

Chuck wrote: "Now listening to Stephen King's audio book "LT's Theory of Pets."

"A Rare Live Stephen King Recording!
Stephen King delivers a haunting, heartfelt performance as he shares a story about the bond..."
Cats in Stephen King books are always creepy. I give you "Pet Cemetery".

Now listening to Stephen King's "The Mist."

"It's a hot, lazy day, perfect for a cookout, until you see those strange dark clouds. Suddenly a violent storm sweeps across the lake and ends as abruptly and unexpectedly as it had begun.
Then comes the mist...creeping slowly, inexorably into town, where it settles and waits, trapping you in the supermarket with dozens of others, cut off from your families and the world.
The mist is alive, seething with unearthly sounds and movements. What unleashed this terror? Was it the Arrowhead Project---the top secret government operation that everyone has noticed but no one quite understands? And what happens when the provisions have run out and you're forced to make your escape, edging blindly through the dim light?"

March continues with great books to read!

1. Read a book with a one word title.
"Runaway" by Alice Munro
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
"LT's Theory of Pets" by Stephen King
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
9. Your choice.
"The Mist" by Stephen King

1. Read a book with a one word title.
"Runaway" by Alice Munro
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
"LT's Theory of Pets" by Stephen King
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
9. Your choice.
"The Mist" by Stephen King
"The City" by Dean Koontz

Finished "LT;s Theory of Pets" by Stephen King and "Runaway" by Alice Munro.

Now reading "The City" by Dean Koontz.

"The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened . . . and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.

Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable “piano man,” a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it’s a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart."

So I have finished "Secrets According to Humphrey", another cute kids book with an adventurous hamster as the protagonist. I also finished "Twelve Extraordinary Women", good study of some of the women of the Bible. I finished "Ella Enchanted" to get one title off my to read list, which is huge. And now I am working on "Sense and Sensibility". I'm just sort of in a Jane Austen mood and she's always fun to reread. So there's my author with an A name for the month. Happy reading out there folks.

As we approach the end of March there are so many more books and new writers to seek out.

1. Read a book with a one word title.
"Runaway" by Alice Munro
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
"LT's Theory of Pets" by Stephen King
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
"UR" by Stephen King
9. Your choice.
"The Mist" by Stephen King
"The City" by Dean Koontz

-Jennifer Donnelly 3-18-15
I really enjoyed this suspenseful historical romance novel. It was written well, and the characters were well drawn. I really thought the different elements of the rather twisting plot were interesting, and the conclusion was satisfying. The historical elements also added a great deal to the novel. I really liked it.

Warning: Jack the Ripper's crimes are described in this book.

-Melody Carlson 3-21-15
This was a fun Christian YA novel. It shows how a teenage girl goes through a period of depression after she's dropped by her best friend and then finds some new friends and subsequently Christ. It was a simply written novel, but it was well done, and the characters were drawn well also.

-John G. Lake 3-22-15
This was an interesting collection of vignettes from John G. Lake's life and healing ministry.

As we approach the end of March there are so many more books and new writers to seek out. But I still enjoy reading storied by some of my favorite writers. In this case, Philip K. Dick and his "The Man in the High Castle."

1. Read a book with a one word title.
"Runaway" by Alice Munro
2. Read a book whose author's last name begins with A.
3. Read a book that is set in high school.
4. Read a book with magic in it.
"LT's Theory of Pets" by Stephen King
5. Read a book already on your book shelf.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
6. Read a book that was written the year you were born.
7. With spring training under way, read a book about baseball.
8. Read a book set in a place you want to visit.
"UR" by Stephen King
9. Your choice.
"The Mist" by Stephen King
"The City" by Dean Koontz
"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick

"It's America in 1962.

In San Francisco the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war, and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan.

This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to awake."

-Lori Copeland 3-22-15
This was a well-written and very sweet but too short short story.

-Vanetta Chapman 3-22-15
This was a well-written and very sweet but too short short story.

-Lauraine Snelling 3-24-15
This was a well-written Christian historical novel. The characters were well drawn and engaging, and the plot was full of unexpected turns. I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more of the series.


-Lauraine Snelling 3-30-15
This was a prequel to the first novel of the Red River series, An Untamed Land, and while it was also an interesting Christian historical novel, I felt that it left some dangling ends in the plot. However, I still found the characters to be well drawn and engaging, and the plot had a few surprises as well. Overall, I enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more of the series.

Chuck wrote: "As we approach the end of March there are so many more books and new writers to seek out. But I still enjoy reading storied by some of my favorite writers. In this case, Philip K. Dick and his "The..."

How is The Man in the High Castle? It sounds good.

Rachel wrote: "-Lori Copeland 3-22-15
This was a well-written and very sweet but too short short story.

-Vanetta..."

These sound good. Have you read the Appleseed Creek Mysteries series by Amanda Flower? It's set in Amish country in Ohio but the heroine is an Englisher who meets the Amish family over a murder. They are cozy mysteries and quite enjoyable.

Sheila wrote: "Chuck wrote: "As we approach the end of March there are so many more books and new writers to seek out. But I still enjoy reading storied by some of my favorite writers. In this case, Philip K. Dic..."

It was interesting read, a bit disturbing at times. In the story the Axis powers World War II and now are occupying the USA.

What was disturbing was the Nazi's treatment of the "non-whites," in the US, the treatment of the people of countries they defeated and there entire outlook of what life should be like.

Japan is now occupying the West Coast (the Pacific States of America) and their treatment of the defeated land is not much better.

No, Shiela, I haven't heard of that series before. I might look it up some time. Thanks.