75 Books...More or Less! discussion

I hope to read at least 280 books in 2024...

Carol wrote: "I hope to read at least 280 books in 2024..."

That's an amazing goal, Carol!

1. The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes - When Harlow Estrada got fired, she fled from New York to her family farm in Mexico. Then the mysticism comes out and affects Harlow's new love interest. *** 1/1/24

2. Holy Chow by David Rosenfelt - A year ago, senior Rachel Morehouse came to Andy Carpenter's Tara Foundation to adopt a senior dog. She found a great Chow Chow and named him Lion. A year later she calls Andy asking if she dies, and her step son does not want Lion, that Andy takes him. Well she dies and it looks suspicious. Andy has to dust off his lawyer/investigating hat to see what really happened. *** 1/3/24

3. The Invasion by K.A. Applegate - One night Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and Marco saw a blue light in the sky. They met an unusual alien that was injured and dying. Before they know it, another group of aliens are trying to get them. *** 1/2/24

4. The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews - One day, Meg Langslow hears noises downstairs. She finds many pet type animals down in her living room. It turns out that her grandfather "stole" them from the animal shelter that had just repealed it's no kill policy. But of course, a human ends up getting killed. *** 1/6/24

5. Rappaccinis Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - This short story is about a young man who falls for his neighbor's daughter. The neighbor, a scientist, has been poisoning his daughter and making her poisonous. ****1/7/24

6. Time of Fog and Fire by Rhys Bowen - Poor Molly Murphy! Her husband, Daniel has to go out to San Fransisco on a special assignment for President Theodore Roosevelt. Then she gets a letter from Daniel that is very unusual. First the wording makes her mad and then she finds a secret code in it and Molly believe it is her husband asking her to come out and help her. **** 1/7/24

7. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs - Brenda & her husband had to rush their dog to the vet on Xmas Eve. The dog could not breathe & had to have surgery. The good news was that Tim survived the surgery. The bad news was that he was choking on a pair of ladies lace panties that were not Brenda's... 1 year & 1 divorce later, Brenda is well on her way to getting her life back. She still has lots of emotional scars that don't show. She gets involved in a dog rescue org. & is talked into making a long road trip w/ her dog Tim & 11 dog. **** 1/7/24

8. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez - This book was a series of short stories about the Garcia family and how they had to flee the Dominican Republic in 1960. They end up in New York leaving behind their polished life. **** 1/7/24

Carol wrote: "8. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez - This book was a series of short stories about the Garcia family and how they ..."

Oh gosh I think I've had this on iBooks for like 15 years!

9. Cocktails & Chloroform by Kelley Armstrong - Modern detective Mallory is still trapped in the body of Victorian maid, Catroina. Mallory is concerned about another maid in the household, Alice. She gets a letter and then slips out into the night. Mallory follows and a whole lot of trouble ensues. *** 1/8/23

Carol wrote: "I hope to read at least 280 books in 2024..."

You totally got this!

10. The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - Robert Blair, a lawyer got a call from Marion Sharpe. She and her mother have been accused of taking a young lady and kidnapping her. The case has stumped Inspector Grant. Turns out Robert Blair may solve the case. ** 1/9/24

11. Extraction by Douglas Preston - In this novella, Pendergast tells his ward, Constance about a story from his youth, the Tooth Fairy of the New Orleans' French Quarter. It's not as light as it sounds... **** 1/10/24

12. Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood - Another great Phyrne Fisher mystery! Phryne gets asked for help from a female newspaper reporter who is looking for some missing, unwed, pregnant women. The reporter gets kidnapped and Phryne gets the whole team involved! Plus, there is a lot of hinky things going on involving young, blonde women. ***** 1/10/2024

13. Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens - Wow. Allen Eskens hit another one out of the ballpark. This is the story about teenage Boady Sanden in the mid 1970s. He is living in a small, southern town. He is lonely and he is alone. Then a new family moves in across the street. They have a teenage son and the boys get along great, but there are elements in that town that do not like a new black family in the community. ***** 1/12/24

14. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - Shhh! This book is one of Brandon Sanderson's Secret Projects. Tress leaves her quite life behind to go save her friend Charlie. **** 1/12/24

15. Northland: A 4,000-Mile Journey Along America's Forgotten Border by Porter Fox - A non-fiction book on the history and environment of the border between The United States and Canada. *** 1/13/24

16. National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home by Anya von Bremzen - A really interesting non-fiction book that discusses several country's national dish, a dish that identifies the nation and often shows history and politics and often makes things very personal. **** 1/17/24

17. In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen - One night, during the early days of WWII, at Farleigh Place in England, a parachutist falls to his death. Ben Cresswell, who works for MI5 and is a hometown boy, is sent to casually assess the situation and see if he can pick up any tidbits from the locals. The author draws an accurate picture of life in WWII England: 1. Trust no one 2. Everyone must do their part, and 3. Stiff upper lip are reoccurring themes. ***** 1/18/24

18. Death Valley by Melissa Broder - A woman who is visiting her very sick father who is in the hospital, escapes from that situation (and her very sick husband) to the Death Valley desert. While hiking she runs across a saguaro cactus (which really isn't supposed to be there) and crawls inside. This story is full of magical realism. *** 1/18/24

19. Mrs. Plansky's Revenge by Spencer Quinn - Loretta Plansky is a sweet, 70 something grandmother who is living in Florida in retirement. She is called one night from a boy claiming to be her grandson asking for money. The next thing she knows, her accounts are emptied out. Based on information she has learned this took place in a village in Romania. She decides to go get her money back. No problem! ***** 1/19/24

20. African Proverbs for All Ages by Johnnetta B. Cole - A child's book of African proverbs, beautifully written and beautifully illustrated. **** 1/20/24

21. Beach House Memories by Mary Alice Monroe - 3rd book in The Beach House series. This story flashes back to Lovey and her family and how she met Dr. Russell Bennett. **** 1/22/24

22. White Fire by Douglas Preston - Agent Pendergast goes to an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue Corrie Swanson. She is supposed to be investigating some questionable deaths that happened in the 1800s. She gets arrested and Pendergast comes to the rescue. Then people start getting tortured to death and houses catch fire. ****

23. The Dutch Shoe Mystery by Ellery Queen - Ellery is visiting his friend, Dr. Minchen at the hospital and is invited to stay and watch a surgery. Then something is wrong, the patient is found dead when she is wheeled into the surgery! *** 1/22/24.

24. The Madstone by Elizabeth Crook - This book was a little bit of a slow starter, but I ultimately ended up liking it. This is the story about Ben who helps a young pregnant woman and her son flee from her husband and his brothers across Texas in the 1800s. *** 1/23/24

25. The Last Ranger by Peter Heller - The story and backstory of a park ranger of Yellowstone National Park. ** 1/25/24

26. The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike - A group of teens are dying and spending their last days in hospice. The meet up at midnight and tell stories. ***** 1/25/24

27. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien - The 7th time I have read this last novel in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Will Frodo be able to finish his quest? ***** 1/28/24

28. To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey - A photographer is found dead and Inspector Grant must figure out if it was an accident, a suicide or something more... nefarious! *** 1/30/24

29. Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum takes a freelance assignment. A jewelry shop has been robbed and the owner asks Stephanie to track down Nutsy Manley. Meanwhile Lula believes she is being stalked by Grendel. Yes, the Beowolf Grendel. **** 2/1/24

30. Vanishing Edge by Claire Kells - Felicity Harland is an ex-FBI agent and is searching for missing campers in Sequoia National Park. **** 2/1/24

31. Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy - Zora owns a bookshop in Washington, D.C. . She meets two men and is interested in both. The thing is, they are friends. Best friends. So she decides to date both. *** 2/1/24

32. Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld - A Minnesota Book Award Finalist for Children's Literature. A sweet book that looks at death in a sensitive light. *** 2/1/24

33. Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers? by Junauda Petrus - A Minnesota Book Award Finalist for Children's Literature. This children's book was based on a poem written by Ms. Petrus after a black man was killed by a policeman in Missouri years ago. *** 2/1/24

34. The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye - A historic fiction/contemporary fiction/romance/retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story. **** 1/1/24

35. A Study Guide for Julia Alvarez's How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Gale Cengage Learning - This was a Study Guide for Julia Alvarez's book, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. The Alvarez book was interesting. Culturally, it was a very different picture than what I knew growing up, but on the other hand, there were elements of that story that any of us, or our ancestors, had or could have had. Listened to the audio book version of it. *** 2/3/24

36. Shannon in the Spotlight by Kalena Miller - This is a 2024 finalist for the Minnesota Book Award for Middle Grade Literature. A book about Shannon who is a 12 year, old backstage girl for the production of The Sound of Music. Then she is discovered singing and is persuaded to audition for the play. She makes it and that's when the trouble begins. Shannon has OCD and has to balance that with everything else going on in her life. **** 2/4/24

37. Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon - Gethsemane Brown, an African-American Musician, accepts a teaching position at a school in the Irish countryside. She is living in the home of a late musician and meets him, in ghost form. He has unfinished business. They form a friendship and Gehtsemane helps to solve his murder. **** 2/4/24

38. Meltwater: Poems by Claire Wahmanholm - This is a 2024 finalist for the Minnesota Book Award for Poetry. I must admit, I don't appreciate poetry as much as I should. *** 2424

39. Santa's Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt - It is Christmastime again in Paterson, New Jersey and Andy Carpenter's animal rescue organization is taking care of a new dog who is very pregnant. An employee, Chris has volunteered to take care of the new mother who just had eight puppies. Then he gets accused of murder! **** 2/4/24

40. The Witness by Nora Roberts - 16 year old Elizabeth Fitch and a friend visited a bar in Chicago, met two handsome gentlemen and went home with them. Elizabeth is not feeling well and is trying to figure out how to get out of there when she witnesses one of the men and her friend get killed. She manages to escape and has been on the run ever since. 12 years later she is living in the Ozarks under a new identity. **** 2/5/24

41. Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal - A character driven book about the owners of a supper club. *** 2/5/24

42. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - Molly Gray is back in another mystery. This time a famous mystery writer dies while staying at the hotel and it looks like it was not of natural causes. **** 2/5/24

43. Looking for Happy by Ty Chapman - A Minnesota Book Award Finalist for Children's Literature. A very sweet story about a boy who is very sad and can't get happy until... **** 2/7/24

44. The Ninth Metal by Benjamin Percy - The first book in the Comet Cycle series. A comet blew past the planet earth. The next year earth goes through the comet's debris field, littering parts of the earth (including Northern Minnesota) with debris. The metal is not one of the noble metals (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Iridium, Palladium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, and Osmium) and is unknown to earth. This ninth metal, later named Omnimetal, becomes very valuable. **** 2/9/24

45. Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews - Caerphilly is hosting an arts & crafts festival. The residents are also trying to solve a murder. **** 2/10/24

46. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman - Emily Pollifax is in her sixties, widowed, and bored. What can she do? Maybe she will fall back on a dream she had as a youth. Maybe she would be a spy. ***** 2/20/24