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100 is the Goal, but if I do better than last year (53) I'll be happy.

I'm doing several challenges - Popsugar(40 books), Listopia (25 books) and Around the World in Books (20 books) but I expect lots of overlap. In fact my first book read this year, The Goldfinch, fit into all three challenges.

Now I just have to find more books that aren't doorstoppers like that one.

Congrats on finishing your first book in 2016! Good luck with your challenges!

Thank you Megan.

book number 2 is The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø

This is a mystery novel and part of a series featuring Oslo Police Detective Harry Hole. This is the 5th book and really part of a trilogy as it brings a resolution to a crime committed in the third book The Redbreast.

I really enjoy some of these Scandinavian and/or Nordic style novels and this one is a good series. Harry Hole as a character is a challenge though as he's often morose and in an alcoholic stupor when he's not brilliantly solving another crime.

Book number 3 is The Whites by Harry Brandt (Penname for Richard Price -writer for the TV series The Wire among other things )

This is a police procedural and about a veteran police officer now working the Manhattan Night shift. The Whites refer to he and his friend's white whale case--Cases where they know who the murderer is but they've never been able to put them away. The story starts when one of these suspected murderers turns up dead.

It's interesting and the author's understanding of cops shines through. While compelling I wouldn't say I absolutely loved it. I gave it 3.5 stars.

see review: Yvonne's Review

Here I am again with book # 4 Playing for Keeps by Avery Cockburn

This is a M/M Romance book. I won't add any of those for the challenges here saving them for that particular group but I will be counting them towards total books read.

This particular story was sports theme-football/soccer and takes place in Scotland. There was an entire subplot involving religious prejudices between Catholics and Protestants and something to do with this Orange Order Festival. One of the main characters spent a lot of time conflicted about whether or not to carry the banner in the parade.
Of course one guy was Catholic and the other a Protestant which caused a lot a of hand wringing--a regular Romeo & Juliet or Romeo & Romeo.

While I did learn something new (The Orange) this was just so so in the end. 3 Stars.

Congrats on finishing four books! What did you think of The Goldfinch? It's sitting on my shelf, but the sheer size of it puts me off a little :D

Tabea wrote: "Congrats on finishing four books! What did you think of The Goldfinch? It's sitting on my shelf, but the sheer size of it puts me off a little :D"

I did like it Tabea and gave it 4 stars but it's overly descriptive at times especially in regards to Theo's drug use. It's one of those love it or hate it books so good luck if you're trying it out.

While over 700 pages is daunting, t wasn't a hard book to read as Donna Tratt is a very good writer.

book # 5 Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 2.5 Stars

I did not care for this that much as it's just another tragi-porn about the disabled.

Yvonne's Review

Book #6 And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

This story mainly takes place in Afghanistan but explores the concept of family and its connections even when there's separation of displacement where some family members end up as far away as France or the US.

It starts off with the story of Abdullah and Pari who are brother and sister and who are separated as children, and explores their extended family through the years from the 1950's to present day. It's Intelligent but not entirely cohesive storytelling.

I'll use this post to put my books read thus far:

27/100

1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 4.0 Stars
2. The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø 5 Stars
3. The Whites by Harry Brandt 3.5 Stars
4. Playing for Keeps by Avery Cockburn 3.0 Stars
5. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 2.5 Stars
6. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini 3.5 Stars
7. Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian 4.0 Stars
8. The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty 4.0 Stars
9. Circling the Sun by Paula McLain 3.0 Stars
10. Bad Chili by Joe R. Lansdale 4 stars
11. Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill 3.5 Stars
12. The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian 3.0 Stars
13. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith 5 Stars
14. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 4 Stars
15. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 2 Stars
16. Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton 4.5 Stars
17. This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison 2.0 Stars
18. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood 3.0 Stars
19. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 2.5 Stars
20. Dead Sleep by Greg Iles 3.5 Stars
21. North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo 2.0 Stars
22. The Cleaner by Paul Cleave 3.0 Stars
23. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 2.5 to 3.0 Stars
24. The Alienist by Caleb Carr 2/28/2016 4 Stars
25. Bossypants by Tina Fey 3/2/2016 3 Stars
26. Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl 3/7/2016 3 Stars
27. All I Love and Know by Judith Frank 3/9/2016 4 Stars

Added book #7 Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian

This starts off with a young man returning to his boyhood city in Turkey because his grandfather has just died. When he learns that his grandfather has bequeathed the family home to a woman living in California, he flies out there to find out why.

The story revolves around the Armenian Genocide and the exile of thousands of women and children into the Arabian desert leading to their deaths during WW I. It was good but a little distant--4.0 stars

book # 8 The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty

I enjoyed this very Irish mystery that takes place in Carrickfergus Ireland in 1981. Against a backdrop of the troubles, everyday bombings and an infamous hunger strike, Detective Sean Duffy comes across what seems at first like a very non sectarian murder scene that appears to be the work of a serial killer targeting homosexual men. Of course all is not what it seems.

The author gets Ireland in the 80's just right which is probably because he's from the exact town and lived during that time. It was fun to hear all the references to 80's music as well as to see the occasional historical figure like a Margaret Thatcher referenced in.

The main character is young (sowing his wild oats so to speak) and determined. I liked the story but the last chapters throws a wrench in it. Not sure if I'll read the sequels (the storyline is part of a trilogy) but this was enjoyable to read nonetheless.

4.0 Stars

book # 9 Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

This is an historic fiction about Beryl Markham who was in real life a horse trainer, an author and an aviator who was one of the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from East to West.

The story begins in 1904 when Beryl as a toddler moves from England to what's Kenya today with her family. Her mother and her brother eventually leave finding the climate and the life too harsh.

Beryl grows up with her father who is a horseman and thoroughbred racer. Perhaps it's due to the relative freedom of her life that she grows up to want freedom in her adult life as well.

This story details her early family life, her long term friendship with a native Kenyan boy and her misadventures in love and marriages and of course her efforts as a horse trainer. There's not as much focus on her aviation career save for the last couple of chapters.

There's a bit of crossover here between this and the story Out of Africa as there's details of a love triangle involving Beryl, Denys Finch Hatton and Baroness Karen Blixen.

If you're gathering from this this story is about the elite expats of Kenya rather than about black Africa then you'd be correct. It is an interesting portrait though of a woman who refused to settle.

4.0 Stars

book # 10 Bad Chili by Joe R. Lansdale

This is for a lighter change of pace and part of a series involving characters Hap and Leonard. Since I'm catching this series in the middle, I don't get to see the why's of the friendship but there's no question these two have each other's back.

Hap has just returned from an offshore job involving oil and drudgery. He's catching up with his best friend Leonard when they're interrupted by a mad squirrel who seems to have Hap in his crosshairs.

It's a funny scene but things turn darker as a dead body crops up and signs point to Leonard and it's Hap to the rescue and vice versa.

There's lots of dark politically incorrect humor in this. While Hap is a white Texan who's served time for being Vietnam draft dodger/conscientious objector, Leonard is black and gay Vietnam vet. This story also takes place in not exactly liberal East Texas of the 80's and 90's.

The epithets fly in this good ole boy redneck mystery but there's plenty of heart as well.

4.0 Stars

(There's going to be a limited series on Sundance TV in March featuring Hap and Leonard)

Book # 11 Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill 3.5 Stars

Yvonne's Review


Book # 12 The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian 3.0 Stars

Yvonne's Review

Book # 13 Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith 5 Stars

The setting is the big thing in this novel where it's 1950's Soviet Union near the end of Stalin's reign and Leo Demidov is a former war hero turned member of MGB, the Ministry of State Security (the Secret Police) and an idealistic true believer in the state. His belief system begins to unravel when a child turns up dead near a railroad crossing and Leo is sent to the family to squash any talk of murder. When Leo starts questioning things and when he runs afoul of a personal enemy he ends up being punished and exiled.

Rest of Review: /review/show...

Book #14 Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 4 Stars
Review: /review/show...

Book#15 Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 2 Stars
This appears to be a very popular book but I found the plot ridiculous and unbelievable. There's also some scenes of rape and torture.
Review: /review/show...

Book #16 Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton 4.5 Stars

Slow moving and engrossing story about missing children on Falkland Islands and involving three people with troubles and secrets of their own.

Review: /review/show...

We are on the same number here - 16!!
I haven't decided to do any challenges but an around the world challenge sounds good - might check it.

That's great Violaine. This is a faster pace than I did last year so maybe I'll make it to 100. ( Last year with no challenges I read 53 books)

Book # 17 This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison 2.0 Stars

I felt sorry for Harriet for reaching the age of 78 and having to look back on her sad life and for me for having read this downer of a book.

/review/show...

Book #18 A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood 3 Stars

A day in the life of George, a gay college professor whose partner of 28 years Jim, recently died in a car accident while out of town. This story explores in kind of stream of consciousness prose many themes including sadness, loneliness, loss, happiness & recovery and what it meant to be a not quite out gay man in the 1960's (The story was written in 1964)

/review/show...

Good luck on your reading goal, you have already made some serious progress!

Thanks Hannah even though I feel I'm slowing down a little. I've had to abandon a few books too. But I did finally finish this one.

Book # 19 Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 2.5 Stars

A National Book Award winner that had some good writing and pretty sentences but I just kept getting bogged down in it. Don't be fooled by the small size because this felt like it took forever to read. It was so descriptive and dense it was hard to get through.

It only picked up steam when the hurricane finally arrived in the last couple of chapters.

/review/show...

Sometimes life gets a little hectic so we have to slow down our reading process! With school back in full swing I will have to slow down soon as well. Glad that you finished another book though!

Four books to add to the pile. First:

Book #20 Dead Sleep by Greg Iles 3.5 Stars

What an intriguing concept. Jordan Glass comes across a series of paintings taking the artworld by storm in Hong Kong. They are paintings depicting nude women in repose, asleep or are they possibly dead? Jordan is stunned to discover that one of the paintings features a woman that looks exactly like her. Could it be her twin sister who's been missing for over a year? Is she dead or alive.

For rest of review: /review/show...

Second:

Book #21 North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo 2 Stars

Ok book that never seemed to find its footing. I'm not surprised it's a debut novel.

Our heroine Pirio Kasparov is all over the map from part time babysitter for the son of her alcoholic best friend to being in charge of her exotic parent's perfumery business and in her spare time she goes out on a lobster boat even though she's totally inexperienced, with her best friend's baby daddy, Ned. On that trip their boat gets hit and she returns but not Ned. When the authorities start stonewalling her, she decides to investigate on her own. Besides that, the FBI is interested in her because of her superhuman ability to stay alive in frigid waters for a significant length of time.

That's a lot of stuff thrown at you so I sense that all this is to set up the character of Pirio for future books. The problem is, I didn't care for her all that much. She's a little annoying, a little vain and has some half assed ideas that gets her constantly in trouble. There's some interesting ideas in the story but not enough to keep me there. Again--just ok for me.

/review/show...

Third:

Book # 22 The Cleaner by Paul Cleave 3 Stars

I tend to not be that fond of thrillers from the serial killer's point of view like this one does as this alternates between the Joe the carver killer and Sally a woman who has decided to rescue him. This is violent, weird, creepy funny and filled with one too many killers. If you like oddball mysteries starring your kooky, mother obsessed serial killer then maybe this is for you. This one also has a sequel which I'll probably pass on.

Fourth

Book # 23 The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 2.5 to 3 Stars

Parts of this I enjoyed and parts just made this one of the most tedious and difficult books I've ever read. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

This has been out a long time so there's not much to add to the volume of reviews out there.I'd say this is more a medieval history, religious argument, ancient languages and other things blah, blah, blah wrapped up in a slight sliver of a mystery than a historical mystery. In other words, what Eco knows about medieval times and their numerous circular religious arguments ...more

/review/show...

Finished 2/28/2016

Book # 24 The Alienist by Caleb Carr 4 Stars

It's a little talky, but I quite liked this historical fiction/mystery taking place in the New York of 1896 about a serial killer of young boy prostitutes and the group of men including an Alienist(psychiatrist, a reporter, a couple of early forensic investigators & Teddy Roosevelt and one woman, a frustrated detective wanna be, who are doing their best to catch him before he kills again.

It's obviously well researched and the New York of that time period really comes alive. A nice tense psychological thriller that in the same vein as the nonfiction The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (less)

It looks like I read 12 books for February which means I'm above the pace to get to 100 before the end of the year.

Read March 2, 2016

Book #25 Bossypants by Tina Fey 3 Stars

Good for a chuckle or two but I didn't find this laugh out loud funny most of the time ( the audiobook might have been funnier. )The highlights are about Tina's turn at SNL, 30 Rock and as Sarah Palin impersonator.

Full Review: /review/show...

Finished March 7, 2016
Book #26

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl 3 Stars

Nina Borg is an interesting, complex and not always likable character despite or maybe because of being an excessive bleeding heart. We do get a hint however, on what happened in her past to make her this way.

In this edition of the series, Nina is separated or divorced from her husband who was fed up with her putting others needs above him and their children. She's still a Copenhagen Red Cross nurse working for the Coal House Camp for refugees with a special interest in protecting one little Ukranian girl they call Rina whose mother Natasha has been incarcerated for attempted murder. Things begin to go haywire when the mother escapes custody and comes looking for her daughter.

Full Review: /review/show...

Finished March 9, 2016
Book#27

All I Love and Know by Judith Frank 4 Stars

I was almost immediately drawn into this story. Matt and Daniel are two gay men living a life of leisurely coupledom in the very lesbian friendly Northampton, Massachusetts. Matt, a former New Yorker, had left his high energy life of partiers and tweakers to settle into happy domesticity with his partner of 5 years, Daniel. All that is shattered when Daniel's twin brother and his wife are killed by a terrorist attack bomb on a cafe in Israel leaving behind two children, a 6 year old girl and a baby. In their will, they've left the custody of the children to Daniel and Matt.

Full Review: /review/show...

Good luck, Yvonne! You're doing awesome on your challenge. :)

Thanks Cassandra. All the challenges have really kept me so focused on reading this year that I'm getting more confident that I may actually meet my goals.

That's great! Challenges really help keep me on track too, although this hasn't been such a great month for me so far. Hopefully I can catch up over spring break!