2025 Reading Challenge discussion

As of April 16 I have read a total of 19 books

hi James what books have you read??

Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Pompeii by Robert Harris
A Fine Summer's Day by Charles Todd
The Bridge by Robert Knott
Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The Escape by David Baldacci
The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell
The Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel
Deadline by John Sanford
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
Moriarity by Anthony Horowitz
Let It Bleed by Ian Rankin
Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin
Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson
As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett
The Burning Room by Michael Connelly

#20 Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson - finished 4/17/15
#21 A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson - finished 4/19/15

#22 Mightier Than The Sword by Jeffrey Archer - finished 4/24/15

#23 Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson - finished 4/24/15

#24 The Stranger by Harlan Coben - finished 4/27/15

#25 Elephant Company by Vicki Croke - finished 5/3/15

#26 My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni - finished 5/9/15
#27 The Jury Master by Robert Dugoni - finished 5/15/15

#28 Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng - finished 5/21/15

#29 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - finished 6/3/15

how was Pompeii?

Nidhi wrote: "how was Pompeii?"

Very well written. Fictional characters but historically factual.

You're doing great on your challenge! Which have been your favorites so far?

That is like trying to choose your favorite child.

#30 In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides - finished 6/9/15

That's true, it is hard to choose a favorite book. I always have a few that I rate higher than others, though.

#30 is the best history I have read in awhile. The Rankin books are great English detective stories and Craig Johnson captures the modern West as good as anyone since James Lee Burke. I guess those would be favorite children at the moment but each page turn brings a world of possibilities.

"A man who does not read lives one life. A man who reads lives thousands." - George R.R. Martin

#31 Any Other Name by Craig Johnson - finished 6/11/15

Oh, very cool! I have In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette on my list, so I'm glad to hear you liked it.

#32 The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs - finished 6/13/15

#33 Kickback by Ace Atkins - finished 6/18/15

#34 Wrongful Death by Robert Dugoni - finished 6/25/15

#35 A Lucky Life Interrupted: A memoir of Hope by Tom Brokaw - finished 6/28/15

#36 Gathering Prey by John Sanford - finished 6/29/15

Great job with your goal, Jim! You seem right on target.

Kara wrote: "Great job with your goal, Jim! You seem right on target."
Thanks Kara - Setting the goal helps keep me on task.

#37 Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - finished 7/7/15

#38 - The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez - finished 7/8/15

James wrote: "#38 - The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez - finished 7/8/15"

What did you think about the book? I read it last year.

#39 - Finders Keepers by Stephen King - finished 7/10/15

#40 - Faceless Killers (Wallander #1) by Henning Mankell - finished 7/14/15

I did a review of this book and said the following: Listed as one of 2014's best, this book deals with the trials and triumphs of Latinos, both legal and otherwise, trying to matriculate in to American society. It is well written fiction that will touch you and shock at the same time. At the end of the day it is a story of family and the love of family which knows no boundary regardless of ethnicity.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book but it is not one to read for escapism.

Megan wrote: "James wrote: "#38 - The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez - finished 7/8/15"

What did you think about the book? I read it last year."

#41 - Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman - finished 7/18/15

#42 - Dead Wake by Erik Larsen - finished 7/20/15

#43 - The Bone Tree by Greg Iles - finished 7/27/15
#44 - Melancholy Baby by Robert B. Parker - finished 7/27/15

#45 - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - finished 8/6/15

#46 - Black and Blue by Ian Rankin - finished 8/8/15

#47 - Cold Service by Robert B. Parker - finished 8/11/15

#48 - The Fateful Lightning by Jeff Shaara - Finished 8/16/15

#49 - The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - finished 8/17/15

#50 - A Duty To The Dead (Bess Crawford #1) by Charles Todd - finished 8/19/15

#51 - An Impartial Witness (Bess Crawford, #2) by Charles Todd - finished 8/26/15

#52 - Memory Man (Amos Decker, #1) by David Baldacci -
finished 8/27/15

#53 - School Days by Robert B. Parker - finished 9/2/15

#54 - A Bitter Truth (Bess Crawford, #3) by Charles Todd -
finished 9/5/15

#55 - Hundred-Dollar Baby by Robert B. Parker - finished 9/5/15

Way to go, James! You're way ahead of schedule for your challenge.

I have a question for you - my dad is a huge fan of Robert B. Parker and David Baldacci. I don't read mystery/suspense books very often, so I have a hard time recommending books to him. Would you recommend the Charles Todd series you've been reading?

Cassandra wrote: "Way to go, James! You're way ahead of schedule for your challenge.

I have a question for you - my dad is a huge fan of Robert B. Parker and David Baldacci. I don't read mystery/suspense books very..."

Well Todd is totally a different type writer. In the first place he is British and the time frame is strictly post WWI. In the the second place his writing is a bit more cerebral than Parker or Baldacci. By that I mean the suspense builds much slower than with the American writers. However my suggestion is always: go the library and borrow the first book in the series. You will know within a 100 pages if it your cup of tea or not,

Good to know! That makes me think that I would actually like Todd more than my dad would, but it never hurts to try it out.