2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi I'm new to this challenge! I have some books on my shelf that are cluttering up the place so I need to be reading them. I would love to add some friends too! I enjoy all genres.

My book list is:
Glad Tidings by Macomber** (Read 1-9-12)
Sea Swept by Nora Roberts **(Read 1-24-12)
Fearless Fourteen by Evanovich **(Read 1-27-12)
Finger Lickin' Fifteen (2-12)
Sizzling Sixteen (8-12)
Smoking Seventeen (9-5-12)
Explosive Eighteen (11-30-12)
The Waiting Time by Price (3-14-12)
A Reliable Wife by Goolrick (2-12)
Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts Dillon **(Read 2-13-12)
50 Harbor Street by Macomber (Read 2-6-12)
6 Rainier Drive by Macomber (Read 3-31-12)
74 Seaside Ave (Read 4-9-12)
8 Sandpiper Way (8-12)
92 Pacific Blvd (9-25-12)
1022 Evergreen Place (10-31-12)
1105 Yakima Street (11-15-12)
1225 Christmas Tree Lane
The Hunger Games (Read 3-23-12)
One Good Dog (Read 4-23-12)
The Mermaid Chair (4-27-12)
Navy Woman by Macomber (5-30-12)
To Try Men's Souls by Gingrich (5-12)
George Washington Frontiersman by Zane Grey (5-12)
Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand (6-12)
Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah (6-30-12)
Treasure Island by RL Stevenson (7-5-12)
Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand (7-25-12)
Room by Emma Donoghue (8-12)
Maisy Dobbs #1 Jaqueline Winspear (12-10-12)

8/1/12 Updating my goal from 20 books to 25.
I reached my goal of 20 books on 7/25/12, having no idea how many books I read in a year.

9/11/12 I have read 23 out of 25. I need to up my goal again to 30!

11/30/12 I have read 28/30!!

Thank you.

Hey there finished Glad Tidings by Macomber and Sea Swept part of the Chesapeake Bay saga. Now I'm reading Fearless Fourteen.

Finished Fearless Fourteen last night. Evanovich books are so funny and that's just what I need right now! I rated it 4/5. It's typical Stephanie Plum bumbling through solving crimes. In this book there's a clue to 9 million dollars buried in Morelli's basement and the crazies that are trying to find it are dead serious. Very entertaining and good for nothing but laughs. I love Evanovich.

I finished 50 Harbor Street by D. Macomber and enjoyed it very much. I would give it a 4/5. I look forward to the simplicity of these books; the characters are believable. The author has me wrapped up wanting to know what happens next.

I just finished Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts by Lucy Dillon. I give it a 5/5. I loved it!! From the middle on I couldn't put it down!
Rachel inherits her Aunts home in England which includes a rescue kennel that has several dogs needing to be rehomed. Rachel is not a dog person but her aunt also willed her Gem a boder collie. There are folks helping in the kennels and friends she meets who adopt the dogs and these are fun relationships within the story. If you are a dog lover this book is for you but it also has interesting side stories that make it hard to put down for any reader.

I just finished A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. I give it a 4/5. It is without a doubt the wierdest book I have ever read. There is SO much talk about sex, not necessarily the act but what is on the minds of the characters. That could wear one out. But what kept me turning the pages was to see whether the characters gained a concsious and what dirty deeds they plotted against each other and whether they would be successful. It is written in the dark style of Wuthering Heights and Leave Her to Heaven but was not as good as these classics. Good book. Probably won't read this author again.

The Waiting Time by Eugenia Price is the book I just read. I give it a 3/5. It held my interest but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone as a "you must read this." It is about a woman named Abby who's husband dies at sea while on his was to purchase illegal slaves. Abby who is from the north is faced with managing a large rice plantation and 100 slaves. She does not believe that owning people is within God's will and so the book is focused on this struggle that she must find a solution too. There were some thought provoking parts to the book but again there are better books to spend your time on.

Just finished 74 Seaside Avenue by Debbie Macomber. I gave it 4/5. It is a typical Macomber book, but that's why I'm reading them. They relax me, yet have a continuing set of characters and a few added in each book. I am reading these for a Finish the Series challenge. That way I can start a new series, I'm a bit anal that way. I reviewed it on the main GR site.

I read One Good Dog 5/5 A very good book about finding out what is really important in life. Climbing the corporate ladder with all the stress or caring for others one of which is an abused dog. I loved this book, but then I am partial to dog books.

Last night I finished The Mermaid Chair. I give it a 5/5. It is a book with the Thornbirds like theme but with a few different twists and turns. The main character learns the truths about her childhood which causes her to think about how she views herself and the choice she must make for love. The setting for the book is on an island outside of Charleston, SC.

I have finished Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand. What a great book! It's about restaurant life and romance and tragedy and summer and parental relationships. The only weak link in the book was.....the ending! She could have ended it 2 pages before and it would have even better.

I forgot to update this section for May: I read Navy Woman by Macomber. It was not very good. Then I read George Washington: Frontiersman by Zane Grey which was fabulous and To Try Men's Souls by Newt Gingrich which was also very good.

I realize I haven't updated my books here in a while so I'll just start with Treasure Island which I finished on July 5th. It is a great book 5/5. Even though it is a kids book it is an excellent story of human nature, goodness in some characters and the badness of the pirates. I had not read it before and now I know why it was a classic. I read this for a challenge I never joined in June or July. Our vacation for 3 weeks to Texas (driving) got in the way.

I read Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand. I LOVED it!! 5/5
The story was twisty, interesting, and ended with many surprises and yet all wrapped up nicely. (Such a good feeling for my personality :))
The story is about a couple who die in a boating accident off of Nantucket. They are one couple in a close nit group of 3 other couples. The uncovering of all of the relationships and individual guilt that each bear are so realistic. I highly recommend it!!

Wow, Lorelei! Looks like you've hit your 20 books! Are you going to raise your goal, or will the rest just be bonuses? :)

Kara wrote: "Wow, Lorelei! Looks like you've hit your 20 books! Are you going to raise your goal, or will the rest just be bonuses? :)"
I really want to read some big fat books now so I guess I'll up my goal to 25 books because I'd hate to not make the goal! Hmmm, I guess there's something about "challenge" that makes us need to reach beyond tour comfort levell, but why should I be stressed?
Thanks Kara, for the encouragement!

I read Sizzling Sixteen at the beginning of August and, as with all books in this series I give it a 4/5. Stephanie Plum is a favorite character of mine. These books have a similar story line for all the books but I still turn the pages. They are funny, easy reading books with a dose of suspense. Yes I have read all 16 and will be reading the 17th as soon as I can! The characters are lovable and quirky and become like good friends. I hope that Joe and Stephanie hook up soon though! I love Ranger but he's not the guy to spend all time with.
In this story Vinnie the owner of the bail bonds office that Stephanie, Connie and Lula work at has been kidnapped for gambling debts. The office will have to close if Stephanie and the girls can't raise the money needed to free him from the bad guys. Stephanie still needs to find the skips and the mayhem that occurs is good entertainment.

Room is a fabulous book! I give it a 5/5 and it becomes one of my favorite all time books. The story line is disturbing but the author chooses not to dwell on the negative. Jack, a five-year old boy is born in Room where his mother has lived for 7 years as the sex slave to her kidnapper. The author goes into great detail about the psychological effects this lifestyle has on both the mother and Jack. It is very well written from Jack's perspective. Room is all he knows and his mother has created a wonderful life for him giving him exercise, reading books to him and keeping him safe from their captor. The story is very thought provoking and as the book jacket suggests you will never forget Room. Either the author has done extensive research on this subject or it has actually happened to her! A MUST read!

I really liked Room as well, Lorelei. I especially loved the second half of his book, it was nothing like what I expected picking the book up. The way Jack talks is interesting as well, I like that the book was from his perspective.

I read 8 Sandpiper Way in August and loved it. It gets 4/5 for enjoyment but these books are not OMG great. The story line continues from the previous book and they definitely hold my interest. I am reading Book 9 right now to finish the series by the end of December. There are 12 books!!

I read Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich on 9/5/12. These books are funny sometimes laugh out loud funny! They are about a rag-tag bail bonds office and Stephanie Plum is the one who goes out and gets the "skip" to go to court and renew the bond. She has Lula to help and since the bond office burned the office is in Mooner's motorhome. Great books. 4/5
I have read 23 books and I'm upping my challenge to 30!

Lorelei wrote: "I have read 23 books and I'm upping my challenge to 30!"

I went ahead and changed the title of your thread to match, Lorelei. :) Good luck on your new goal!

I read 92 Pacific Blvd. by Debbie Macomber in Sept. and 1022 Evergreen Place in October. So at the moment I am at 25/30!
Both of these books continue the Cedar Cove series. I really like the series. There are characters that you follow along with in their daily lives. A new character is added from time to time and there are always characters falling in love but not being able to get together for one reason or another. Sometimes this is frustrating but for the most part the books hold my interest. I look forward to reading other books in 2013.

I finished Explosive 18 by Evanovich. It's a 4/5 book but as I've said they are simply enjoyable.
In this book Stephanie Plum finds herself involved in a jewelry heist ring. Razzle Dazzle is trying to kill her because she was in possession of a picture that he and everybody else wants. The thinng is she threw it away not knowing it's importance! While trying to bring skips in to get them re-bonded, she avoids the killers and typical odd characters that make up the silliness and enjoyable stories that Evanovich crafts.

I have a new series I started, Maisy Dobbs by Jaqueline Winspear. The first book was just what I needed, a good British mystery of sorts. Maisy is a private investigator with a past that is detailed in the book along with her first case. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the series. I gave it a 4/5.

OOH British Mystery! I'll have to check out Jaqueline Winspear as well... I'm a big british mystery fan!