Challenge: 50 Books discussion
*Retired* 2008 Lists
>
Cindi's 50 in 2008
date
newest »
newest »
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver - not bad11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart - I prefer his more recent stuff
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides - Better than I thought it would be. Hefty, but I wasn't slogging through it.
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson - eh..14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani - Good vacation read.
Read in April:12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
Read January - March:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara -Favorite So Far
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult - Worst So Far
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
I love the idea of keeping a running favorite/least favorite on the list!
I thought about adding others, too."Most Surprising"
"Funniest"
"Most Disappointing"
etc...
Read in May:16. Last Car to Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke - A "transitional" book in the series and life of Dave Robicheaux. I liked it, but missed characters and elements from the past. Dave is showing his age, because he's switched from regular to Diet Dr. Pepper. :-)
17. Appaloosa, Robert B. Parker - Not great literature, but a quick, entertaining read.
18. Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen - Favorite so far. Several different themes intertwined in an absorbing story. The circus life of the '30s was well-researched and presented in an entertaining manner. Made me think!
19. Hard Evidence, John Lescroart - An early book in the Dismas Hardy series, which I'm quite fond of. Not my favorite, but it provided background on some aspects of Dismas' life that are alluded to in later books in the series.
Oh, my... I need to pick up the pace a bit!
Read January - April:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult - Worst So Far
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
Read in June:20. one l: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, Scott Turow - Though a bit dated, still an interesting look at the life of a law school student.
21. The Face of Deception, Iris Johansen - OK. Not as predictable as some, but definitely not the page turner I wanted it to be.
22. Empire Falls, Richard Russo - Loved it!
Read January -May:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult - Worst So Far
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
16. Last Car to Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke
17. Appaloosa, Robert B. Parker
18. Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
19. Hard Evidence, John Lescroart
Read in July:23. Jack Knife, Virginia Baker - So-so. I'm not into time travel books so not sure why I picked up this one.
24. No Second Chance, Harlan Coben - My first Coben and I'll be reading more.
25. White Oleander, Janet Fitch - Okay story, but I didn't find the main character's voice very authentic.
26. Still Missing, Beth Gutcheon - Liked this more than I thought I would. Parts were vaguely familiar. Maybe I watched the movie?
27. Down and Dirty Justice: A Chilling Journey into the Dark World of Crime and the Criminal Courts - Interesting look at the inner workings of the Phoenix prosecutor's office. Uneven writing.
28. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, Steven Johnson - Pretty good historical science narrative non-fiction.
Read January - June:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult - Worst So Far
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
16. Last Car to Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke
17. Appaloosa, Robert B. Parker
18. Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
19. Hard Evidence, John Lescroart
20. one l: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, Scott Turow
21. The Face of Deception, Iris Johansen
22. Empire Falls, Richard Russo
I just may make it to 50!Read in August:
29. Loving Frank: A Novel, Nancy Horan - Fictionalized look at the love affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick, told from Mamah's point of view. Well written.
30. Amagansett, Mark Mills - Both a mystery and a novel of time and place. I like this one.
31. Jar City: A Reykjavik Thriller - A new favorite author! This is by far the book that's impressed me most this year.
32. On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan - Seems to be a book people love to hate. I thought it was okay.
33. Perfect Nightmare, John Saul - Awful. Just the stupidest book.
34. Read For Your Life: 11 Ways to Better Yourself through Books, Pat Williams - Eh. Written by a jock for jocks who don't read. Nothing useful for a Goodreads member.
35. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, James McBride - Memoir, biography, and a touch of autobiography all rolled up into one.
36. The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright, Jean Nathan - Weird and strange biography of the author of the children's "Lonely Doll" books.
Read January - July:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
16. Last Car to Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke
17. Appaloosa, Robert B. Parker
18. Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
19. Hard Evidence, John Lescroart
20. one l: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, Scott Turow
21. The Face of Deception, Iris Johansen
22. Empire Falls, Richard Russo
23. Jack Knife, Virginia Baker
24. No Second Chance, Harlan Coben
25. White Oleander, Janet Fitch
26. Still Missing, Beth Gutcheon
27. Down and Dirty Justice: A Chilling Journey into the Dark World of Crime and the Criminal Courts, Gary T. Lowenthal
28. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, Steven Johnson
Read in September:37. Crusader's Cross: A Dave Robicheaux Novel, James Lee Burke - Five star novel in a five star series by a five star author
38. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King - Okay, but lengthy.
39. Crucial Conversation: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Kerry Patterson - One of the best books I've read within this category.
40. In the Lake of the Woods, Tim O'Brien - Engaging book; unusual twists.
41. Tomato Girl, Jayne Pupek - Great debut novel, heck - a great novel, by a Goodreads author.
42. The Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely - Picked up a few good tips; somewhat repetitious.
43. Sweetwater Creek, Anne Rivers Siddons - Pretty good easy read; Southern gothic.
Read January - August:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
16. Last Car to Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke
17. Appaloosa, Robert B. Parker
18. Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
19. Hard Evidence, John Lescroart
20. one l: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, Scott Turow
21. The Face of Deception, Iris Johansen
22. Empire Falls, Richard Russo
23. Jack Knife, Virginia Baker
24. No Second Chance, Harlan Coben
25. White Oleander, Janet Fitch
26. Still Missing, Beth Gutcheon
27. Down and Dirty Justice: A Chilling Journey into the Dark World of Crime and the Criminal Courts, Gary T. Lowenthal
28. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, Steven Johnson
29. Loving Frank: A Novel, Nancy Horan
30. Amagansett, Mark Mills
31. Jar City: A Reykjavik Thriller, Arnaldur Indridason
32. On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
33. Perfect Nightmare, John Saul
34. Read For Your Life: 11 Ways to Better Yourself through Books, Pat Williams
35. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, James McBride
36. The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright, Jean Nathan
Read in October:44. Capital Crimes, Stuart Woods - Good, not great. A "light" read for a mystery despite some violent moments.
45. Down River, John Hart - Hart's second novel. I will definitely be looking for his first - and subsequent books. Loved it.
46. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Listened to it on CD; some parts interesting,others boring. Science geeks would like this one.
47. Have Mercy On Us All: A Novel (Chief Inspector Adamsberg Mysteries), Fred Vargas - First in the series. Quirky and fun.
48. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase, Douglas Adams - Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I could picture the scenes in my mind as the author read (audio CD).
Read January - September:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
16. Last Car to Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke
17. Appaloosa, Robert B. Parker
18. Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
19. Hard Evidence, John Lescroart
20. one l: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, Scott Turow
21. The Face of Deception, Iris Johansen
22. Empire Falls, Richard Russo
23. Jack Knife, Virginia Baker
24. No Second Chance, Harlan Coben
25. White Oleander, Janet Fitch
26. Still Missing, Beth Gutcheon
27. Down and Dirty Justice: A Chilling Journey into the Dark World of Crime and the Criminal Courts, Gary T. Lowenthal
28. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, Steven Johnson
29. Loving Frank: A Novel, Nancy Horan
30. Amagansett, Mark Mills
31. Jar City: A Reykjavik Thriller, Arnaldur Indridason
32. On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
33. Perfect Nightmare, John Saul
34. Read For Your Life: 11 Ways to Better Yourself through Books, Pat Williams
35. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, James McBride
36. The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright, Jean Nathan
37. Crusader's Cross: A Dave Robicheaux Novel, James Lee Burke
38. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
39. Crucial Conversation: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Kerry Patterson
40. In the Lake of the Woods, Tim O'Brien
41. Tomato Girl, Jayne Pupek
42. The Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely
43. Sweetwater Creek, Anne Rivers Siddons
I MADE IT!Read in November:
49. Bone Thief, Thomas O'Callaghan - Serial killer on the loose, removing the bones from the dead bodies. It was okay.
50. Happiness Sold Separately, Lolly Winston - An okay story about a marriage, post-fertility treatments that were unsucessful.
51. Heartsick, Chelsea Cain - My second serial killer story this month. Better than the Bone Thief. Pretty good for a debut book.
52. One Good Turn, Kate Atkinson - The second in the Jackson Brodie series. Quirky characters and plot.
53. The Duet, Robert Elmer - Over simplistic love story. This one seems to be highlly rated but I just couldn't get into it.
Read January - October:
1. The Right Madness, James Crumley
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
10. The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
11. Son of Holmes, John Lescroart
12. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
13. Catering to Nobody, Diane Mott Davidson
14. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
15. The Shape of Snakes, Minette Walters
16. Last Car to Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke
17. Appaloosa, Robert B. Parker
18. Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen
19. Hard Evidence, John Lescroart
20. one l: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School, Scott Turow
21. The Face of Deception, Iris Johansen
22. Empire Falls, Richard Russo
23. Jack Knife, Virginia Baker
24. No Second Chance, Harlan Coben
25. White Oleander, Janet Fitch
26. Still Missing, Beth Gutcheon
27. Down and Dirty Justice: A Chilling Journey into the Dark World of Crime and the Criminal Courts, Gary T. Lowenthal
28. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, Steven Johnson
29. Loving Frank: A Novel, Nancy Horan
30. Amagansett, Mark Mills
31. Jar City: A Reykjavik Thriller, Arnaldur Indridason
32. On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
33. Perfect Nightmare, John Saul
34. Read For Your Life: 11 Ways to Better Yourself through Books, Pat Williams
35. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, James McBride
36. The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright, Jean Nathan
37. Crusader's Cross: A Dave Robicheaux Novel, James Lee Burke
38. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
39. Crucial Conversation: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Kerry Patterson
40. In the Lake of the Woods, Tim O'Brien
41. Tomato Girl, Jayne Pupek
42. The Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely
43. Sweetwater Creek, Anne Rivers Siddons
44. Capital Crimes, Stuart Woods
45. Down River, John Hart
46. A Short History of Nearly Everything
47. Have Mercy On Us All: A Novel (Chief Inspector Adamsberg Mysteries), Fred Vargas
48. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase, Douglas Adams
WHOHOO AND HOORAY! AND A REALLY GOOD ONE TO FINISH UP WITH!
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (other topics)The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (other topics)
Water for Elephants (other topics)
2. The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara - Favorite So Far
3. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
4. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, John Grisham
5. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
6. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult - Worst So Far
7. Hard Truth, Nevada Barr
8. Some Danger Involved, Will Thomas
9. The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic that Shaped Our History, Molly Caldwell Crosby
Currently reading: The Twelfth Card, Jeffrey Deaver
Next up: Son of Holmes, John Lescroart