Dara85 2010 Reads

I did this challenge last year. This is a great group. I am happy to be back again for 2010!

Glad to see you back for 2010, Dara!

I noticed you are currently reading My Antonia. That is my favorite by Cather. I hope you enjoy it!

Welcome back!

1. Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari

#5: What did you think of that one? The reviews appear to be very mixed.

Dear alcottacre,

I liked Rosary Girls. The perp kind of came out of no where (But he was not unknown to the reader.) The author offered a plausible explaination of why it was this person.
Another person and I read this at the same time. She also gave it 4 stars, as I did. She felt it was slow to start and too much detail was given about the characters.
I would definately read more of Montanari.

I have a question for you. I just finished Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. Mentioned in the book was was a flivver. I think I ran into that in My Antonia also. I had never heard the term until that book and then I read two books almost back to back that talk about flivvers. Do you remember the flivver in My Antonia?

2. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

If you have read The Glass Castle this explains why Rosemary, Jeannette's mother is the way she is.
I thought she did another excellent job with this book.

#7: Thanks for the additional info on Rosary Girls. I will have to give that one a try.

I do not remember the specific instance of the use of 'flivver' in My Antonia, but I do know what a flivver is: an old, mainly broken-down automobile.

3. Snowflower and Secret Fan by Lisa See

This one made me cry. I enjoyed it.

#10: That one has been in the BlackHole for a while now. One of these days, I may actually get it read :)

I think you will enjoy it.

4. Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts

I did a challenge with a friend of mine. We each something for the other to read that we would not normally read. She chose this for me. I admit I enjoyed the book.

I enjoy Roberts' romantic suspense more than her pure romance stuff, but I indulge in both occasionally.

5. Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter by Melissa G. Moore

6. Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark

I missed this the first time around. It was a good read.

7. Search for the Strangler by Casey Sherman

(See my review)

#16: That one looks good. I will have to see if I can find a copy. Thanks for the recommendation, Dara.

8. Down River by John Hart

I had read his first book and it was good. This one was superb. I really enjoyed it.

Can't get touchstones to work properly.

#18: I liked that one too when I read it a couple of years ago. I am glad you enjoyed it.

9. Sudden Prey by John Sandford

10. O Little Town by Don Reid
(See my review)

This is a sweet Christmas story written by a member of the Statler Brothers.

11. Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay

I received this as an ARC and really enjoyed this thriller.

12. Death Rounds by Peter Clement

13. Envy by Sandra Brown

I gave it 5 stars.

By the way, you actually seem to have read 13 books not 12 - see messages 16 and 18 where you've listed 2 books as no 7

Elkiedee,

Thanks!!! I guess I can't count!

14. I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

The last two in this series have been really good.

#27: I have heard very good things about that one. I really must read it soon.

15. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton
(See my review)

This book without a doubt is the best in the series.

16. If I am Missing or Dead by Janine Latus

I wish she would have told more about her sister's death. What did the police think really happened?

Hi Dara! I see the touchstone in msg #24 shows a book called Venus Envy. I guess that's not the same book you're referreing to. Just thought I'd let you know. Nice start of the year btw:)

I liked Down River quite a bit when I read it as well. It was very atmospheric.

I am hoping to get to the second in the Prey series sometime this year. I've read the first and am trying very hard to read series in order these days.

17. Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain

The second installment of the very evil Gretchen Lowell.

#33: I have the first installment home from the library now. I hope I like the book well enough to head to the second one.

Alcottacre: I hope you enjoyed Heartsick.

18. The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

This was part mystery, part romance. A ghost searches for her lover many years after she has died. I enjoyed this book.

#35: That one looks pretty good. I will see if I can find a copy. Thanks for the recommendation, Dara.

19. Torn From My Heart by Patsy Heymans
(see my review)

A mother who has married an Israeli searches for her children, who were kidnapped by their father in the name of religion.

20. David by Marie Rothenberg

A young who was burned very badly after his father set fire to the motel room where they were staying.

21. Driftless by David Rhodes

#39: How did you like that one, Dara? It looks pretty good!

It was good. David Rhodes writes beautifully. This is our All Iowa Reads book for 2010. It is about the relationships of all these people in the small town of Words, Wisconsin.

22. Bone Deep by Darian North

This was a great page turner!

#41: OK, I will look for it.

#42: Sounds like another one I need to look for.

23. Night Ferry by Michael Robotham

This is the third book in the series. Each book focuses on a different detective on the team. The writer is Austrailan, so they take place in England. They are quite engaging.
This story dealt with human trafficing using orphans as surrogate mothers.

#44: I read the second book in the series, Lost, not even realizing that it was a series. I shall have to get around to the others. Thanks for the reminder, Dara!

#35: I think this book goes to my tbr pile. Thank you for the tip Dara!

24. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

This was not as good as I hoped it would be. It talked a lot about zoo animals. There were two scenes that I thought were pretty funny. The pet badger they had actually using a potty chair The other was the German soldier who came in the house and wanted Antonina to play the piano. She started playing a famous German love song and he "No, no, no not that." He rifles through her sheet music and pulls out The Star Spangled Banner and proceeds to sing along with the song.

25. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

If you like historical fiction about the World War II era this book should not be missed!

#48: I got a copy of that one from PBS. I just need to get it read! Thanks for the reminder.

26. Yes, My Darling Daughter by Margaret Leroy

I finished this last night. This was an ARC about a mother who thought her daughter was reincarnated. They go to Ireland to see if the daughter remembers anything.

#50: I already have that one in the BlackHole thanks to Kath's recommendation. I will have to step up the search for it.

27. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

I had never read this before. This was for our book discussion group in June.

#52: I read that one for the first time last year. Were you as surprised by the ending as I was?

Yes, I was surprised by the ending. I think this will make a great discussion book.

28. Shocking Pink by Erica Spindler

I really liked this book. Erica Spindler--I have liked everything I have ever read of hers.

29. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

This was okay. I don't know that I will read the following book.

#56: I am planning on reading that one over the summer. It seems to be getting some mixed reviews, so I am going to have to read it to decide for myself :)

Alcott you will probably like {Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. When reading it, I knew parts of it were suppose to be funny and to me it was not. An English setting, again not my cup of tea. If you have read A Little Friend by Donna Tartt I would compare it to that, but I liked A Little Friend much, much better.

30. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

I have read most of the other books by Gerritsen in this series. I thought Jane Razzoli in this book was cold and unlikeable, although she was trying to establish herself as a detective equal to the men.

#58: I have not read Tartt's A Little Friend yet, although it is in the BlackHole. I really liked her The Secret History.

31. Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

I have to read O is for Outlaw and I will be current with the series.

32. Caught by Harlan Coben

This is one of the best Harlan Coben books I have read. I could hardly put it down.

#61: I have seen several good reviews of that one. I will have to get a copy soon.

33. Santa Fe Rules by Stuart Woods

I have never read a bad book by Stuart Woods. This one did not disappoint! I have read a lot of good mysteries this year.

#63: I have only read one of Woods' books. I will have to look for more.

34. 9th Judgment by James Patterson

#65: I have that one on hold at the library. Did you like it?

Yes, I liked it. Some interesting relationship changes. Ends with a cliff hanger.

35. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

I enjoyed it and it held my interest and I cared about what happened to the characters, but not as good as her book The Virgin of Small Plains.

36. The Lost German Slave Girl by John Bailey

I started out liking this and enjoying all the information about the differnt kinds of slaves and the laws regarding slavery. Then it got into the court case and it got repeatative and dull. The writing was good and the book was well researched.

#69: I agree with you about that one. I am not much into courtroom books and got bored very easily with that part of the book.

37. No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

This was another good mystery. I have added Linwood Barclay to my list of favorite authors.

#71: I read several of Barclay's books last year and liked them all. I am glad you enjoyed that one.

38. Gracie: A Love Story by George Burns

I have had this book for a long time. I wanted to get it off my TBR pile.

I did not know that George Burns was the producer for the old TV show Mr. Ed.

#73: Did you enjoy that one?

BTW - Congratulations on making it to the halfway point of the challenge!

Gracie was okay.

39. Secret Lives of First Ladies by Cormac O'Brien

Lots of facts about First Ladies, some I did not know.

40. The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck

This was a fun book for kids about a one room school house in Indiana, where the young boy's sister becomes the teacher.

I have a book discussion for kids on Weds.

Good luck with the book discussion!

Book discussion went well.

41. A Sister's Hope by Wanda E. Brunstetter

These Amish books aren't as good as Beverly Lewis, but I enjoy them once in a while. This was probably the best one of the trilogy.

#78: I am glad to hear it!

42. Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

I had read Midwives and did not care for it. I reluctant to read this, yet the annotations seem to appeal to me. I really liked this. If you have read and enjoyed The Great Gatsby you might also like this book.

43. Mad River Road by Joy Fielding

This was alright. If I was to recommend a Joy Fielding book it would be Puppet or Missing Pieces.

44. While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky

I really liked this book. It delved in family relationships.

45. Every Woman's Nightmare by Steven Long

This was a good true crime story.

#83: I like try crime books, so I will see if I can find Every Woman's Nightmare. Thanks for the recommendation, Dara.

46. House Rules by Jodi Picoult

This was not the best Jodi Picoult I have read and it was not the worst. It held my interest and I learned a lot about Aspergers. I figured out the ending before I got there and she usually has a surprise ending.

47. Fever 1793 byLaurie Halse Anderson

This is a young adult book about the yellow fever epedemic that hits Philadelphia in 1793.

#86: I enjoyed that one. I hope you did too.

I did enjoy Fever 1793.

48. All the Pretty Girls by J. T. Ellison

This is the first of a series. I really enjoyed this one and plan on reading more books by Ellison.

#88: I have the Ellison book in the BlackHole already. I guess I had better bump it up!

49. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

I really liked this. If you want to try Nicholas Sparks and not have to bawl your eyes out, this is a great book. I thought it was very romantic, I suppose some might say sappy, but I loved it.

50. Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

I thought with TV and movies now days this was a little dated. I am sure it was unique and explosive in the early 60's. When the experiment took place, I am sure it was a scary time.

Congratulations on reaching the 50 book point, Dara!

Thanks Alcott. I am not reading as fast as last year. I think I am spending too much time on the computer.

51. Lifeguard by James Patterson

I enjoyed this. I would not call it one of his top books, but it kept my interest.

52. The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross

53. A Widow's Walk: A Memoir of 9/11 by Marian Fontana

In memory of the 9th anniversary. I learned some things I did not know from this book or had forgotten. It was interesting.

#95: I will have to look for that one. Thanks for the mention, Dara.

54. The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage

This moved a little too slowly for me.

55. I am Nujood, age 10 and Divorced byNujood Ali

This was very interesting. An easy read.

56. My Lobotomy by Howard Dully

This was real interesting about a young boy age 12, whose stepmother did not like him and made up awful things about him to get a docctor to perform a lobotomy on him.

#99: I have had that one in the BlackHole for a while now. I really must bump it up. Thanks for the reminder, Dara!

57. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

I could hardly put this down. It was a really good book.

#101: My daughter read and loved that one. I just may have to borrow it from her!

58. Rainwater by Sandra Brown

This is not the usual Sandra Brown. Part historical fiction, part romance. If you want a sweet, short read, this is a great book.

#103: That one looks good! I will give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation, Dara.

59. Dewey by Vicki Myron

The cat in the library at Spencer, Iowa.

60. The Program by Stepehn White

This was a good book.

#106: I have read a couple of White's books. I need to return to that series.

61. Stormchasers by Jenna Blum

I liked this, but her first book I thought was fabulous.

#108: Are you referring to Blum's Those Who Save Us, Dara?

Yes, Those Who Save Us I think will be my top read for 2010. I loved it.

62. The Match: Savior Siblings and one Family's Battle to Heal Their Daughter by Beth Whitehouse

Considering all the technical information this book dealt with it was an easy read.
See my review
This was an Early Reviewers copy.

#110: I will have to get around to reading Those Who Save Us then!

63. Private byJames Patterson

This is a new series by James Patterson and worth the time if you are a Patterson fan.

Touchstones not working.

64. Brothel: Mustang Ranch and its Women by Alexa Albert

An interesting study of the taboo of legalized prostitution in Nevada by a physician.

65. The Killing Hour by Lisa Gardner

This kept my interest, but was not Lisa Gardner's best book, by any stretch of the imagination.

66. 24 Hours by Greg Iles

This was good and I liked it. I think in the last 10 years Greg Iles has improved as a writer.

67. Angels Flight by Michael Connelly

#116: I really enjoy the Harry Bosch series. I hope you liked the book, Dara.

68. Cult Insanity by Irene Spencer

This was not as good as her first book, Shattered Dreams. I enjoyed it though.

#118: I read Spencer's first book, but I think I will give that one a pass.

69. Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

I enjoyed this book. It is set at the time of the Salem Witch Trials. (see my review)

70. Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

This is a YA novel about a young 14 year old boy who has CP and is mute. It gives you insight into his life and how he is thinking and feeling even though he cannot express himself.

#121: That one looks good to me. Thanks for the recommendation, Dara!

71. The Drake Diner Murders by Pete Hale & Jim Rowley

This is a Non-fiction, true crime. (See my review)

72. The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

I really enjoyed this page turner. Great premise. The book starts at the end and then goes back in time to prevent a murder. Great story! (see my review)

#124: Sounds interesting. I will have to look for it. Thanks for the recommendation!

73. Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

An orphan girl who inherits a claim in Montana during World War I. Gives you a peek into what life might have been like at that time in Montana. Newbery Honor book

#126: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I guess I had better bump it up some!

74. Too Late to Say Goodbye by Ann Rule

This is a good Ann Rule for those fans out there. I have been interested in genealogy for a long, long time. I have extensive files on my family. As I am reading this book it mentions the mother's maiden name of one of the victims. It is an unusual name and one in my family. I checked my file when the grandparents names were mentioned. Sure enough--we are eighth cousins once removed. My cousin, was a beautiful woman who was killed much before her time.

#128: Wow, what a way to find out about the tragedy of your cousin's murder.

75. Triumph by Carolyn Jessop

This is the follow up book to Carolyn's bestseller Escape. This book told more about why she decided to leave the FLDS and how she felt about leaving. It was quite interesting.

76. They Never Came Home by Lois Duncan

Congrats on hitting 75!

Thank you drneutron and Alcottacre.

77. Royal Duty by Paul Burrell (see review)

78. Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans

My Christmas read for 2010. I enjoyed this book. As his books usually do, this one made me cry.

79. Cellar of Horror by Ken Englade.

(See Review)

I hope you had a great Christmas, Dara!

80. Cross Fire by James Patterson

81. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

This was a great YA about a young girl as the only passenger on ship coming to America. She gets caught up in the workings of the ship and the mutiny on board.

#139: That one looks good! I will have to see if I can find a copy.

Happy New Year!

I looked over my list and realized I left out 2 books.

82. I completed Jan 18 Final Scream by Lisa Jackson.

83. I completed May 4 Church of Lies by Flora Jessop.