Ameise1's 50 in 2013

I like this challenge and therefor I give it another try this year.
My last two threads are:
2011: 51 books
2012: 77 books

2012 has been an absolutely gorgeous reading year. We'll see how many books I'll be reading in 2013.




January

# 1 Blood from Stone by Frances Fyfield (3 1/2 stars)
# 2 Black Wind by Clive Cussler ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
# 3 The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Audiobook (4 stars)
# 4 The Cornerstone by Anne C. Petty Early Review (3 1/2 stars)
# 5 Bloodprint by Kitty Sewell (2 1/2 stars)

February

# 6 Exit Ghost by Philip Roth (4 1/2 stars)
# 7 Sacred Stone by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
# 8 Take Me to the Castle by F C Malby member giveaway (4 stars)
# 9 Dynamite Fishermen by Preston Fleming member giveaway (4 1/2 stars)

March

#10 The Dark Room by Minette Walters ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#11 Death on Dartmoor by Dara England ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)
#12 Ameristocracy by Paul Moxham member giveaway (3 stars)
#13 Eyes of Diamond, Hair of Gold by Jonathan Garrett member giveaway (4 stars)
#14 The Fourth Crusade by Mark Butler member giveaway (3 1/2 stars)
#15 The Amber Rooms by Ian Hocking member giveaway (3 1/2 stars)
#16 My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates (4 stars)

April

#17 After The War by Libby Sternberg early review (4 1/2 stars)
#18 Bruno Chief Of Police by Martin Walker (4 stars)
#19 Hornet Flight by Ken Follett ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#20 Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich (4 stars)
#21 Fine Just the Way It Is by Annie Proulx (3 1/2 stars)
#22 Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (4 stars)
#23 The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt (4 1/2 stars)
#24 All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie (4 stars)
#25 Whispers Of The Dead by Simon Beckett (4 1/2 stars)

May

#26 A Week In December by Sebastian Faulks (4 stars)
#27 The Coroner by M. R. Hall (4 1/2 stars)
#28 Outside the Spotlight by Sophie Weeks Early Review (3 1/2 stars)
#29 Predator by Patricia Cornwell ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#30 Testimony by Anita Shreve (4 stars)
#31 The Defector by Daniel Silva (4 1/2 stars)
#32 You Know Who I am by Diane Patterson member giveaway (3 1/2 stars)
#33 The Dying Animal by Philip Roth (4 1/2 stars)
#34 Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer (4 1/2 stars)
#35 Meltdown by Ben Elton (3 stars)

June

#36 Down at the End of the River by Angus Woodward Member Giveaway (5 stars)
#37 Burial by Neil Cross (3 stars)
#38 A Darker Domain by Val McDermid Audiobook (4 stars)
#39 Travels in Elysium by William Azuski Early Review (2 1/2 stars)
#40 The Chameleon's Shadow by Minette Walters (4 stars)

July

#41 Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich (3 1/2 stars)
#42 ALONG CAME A SPIDER. by James Patterson ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)
#43 Jo Joe by Sally Wiener Grotta Early Review (4 1/2 stars)
#44 The Mysterious Moxie (Zack & Milton) by Jos Van Brussel Member Giveaway (4 1/2 stars)
#45 Dead Before Dying by Deon Meyer (4 1/2 stars)

August

#46 Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell (3 1/2 stars)
#47 Random by Craig Robertson (4 stars)
#48 Impotent Geckos: and Other Modern Curiosities by Wolfram donat Member Giveaway (3 1/2 stars)
#49 Annabelle by Nancy Christie (4 1/2 stars)

September

#50 The Mirror by Candace L. Bowser Early Review (4 1/2 stars)
#51 Summer's End by Lisa Morton Early Review (4 1/2 stars)
#52 To Free A Spy: Deception and Revenge in Washington, Tokyo and Moscow by Nick B. Ganaway Member Giveaway (4 1/2 stars)
#53 Jack & Jill (Alex Cross) by James Patterson ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#54 Rhinoceros by Colin Forbes ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)

October

#55 First Among Equals by Jeffrey Archer ROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#56 Tall Tales Twin-Pack, Mysteries by CM Spencer (4 stars)
#57 Going Out in Style by Daniel Kelley Member Giveaway (3 1/2 stars)
#58 Forty Days at Kamas by Preston Fleming Member Giveaway (4 1/2 stars)
#59 Wild Child by T.C. Boyle read in German (5 stars)
#60 Star Chamber Brotherhood by Preston Fleming Member Giveaway (5 stars)
#61 frequency by Darren Kirby Member Giveaway (4 stars)
#62 Cafe Insomniac by Mark Capell Member Giveaway (4 1/2 stars)
#63 Mischief in Italy by Beate Boeker Member Giveaway (3 1/2 stars)
#64 Judas Silver by J.R. Rain (3 1/2 stars)

November

#65 Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown (4 stars)
#66 Alice in Wonderland by Nancy Christie (4 stars)
#67 In The Dark by Mark Billingham Audiobook (3 1/2 stars)
#68 Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (4 1/2 stars)

December

#69 Exile Hunter by Preston Fleming Member Giveaway (4 stars)
#70 Tribute by Nora Roberts (4 1/2 stars)
#71 Chasing The Storm: A Thriller Novel (Rygg & Marin Thrillers) by Martin Molsted Early Review (4 1/2 stars)
#72 Birthing House by Christopher Ransom (1 1/2 stars)
#73 Rules of Vengeance by Christopher Reich (4 stars)
#74 Cross Country by James Patterson (3 1/2 stars)

Good luck!

Ha, somehow missed your new thread! Good luck again for the new yer. I hope you'll do as goog as in 2012.

Thanks a lot who ever you are, and I wish you good luck, too.

Thanks for stopping by, and a very happy and successful 2013 to you too! May your year be filled with great reading experiences!

And good luck to you, also!

Thank you :-D

Wow...77! Very impressive. Good luck in '13!

Thanks you utbw42. Your 2012 thread was impressive, too :-)

Good luck to you too Ameise1 :o)

Thanks Fiona :-D

# 1



This reading was a good start into the new year. It could be called a crime mystery set out in our days in London, but there are also many passes into earlier eras especially with the love to noble clothes. Victims as searcher are in equal measure addicted to those precious garment. The story tells also the daily human weakness between being satanically and angelically and shows how the characters were falling into the one or the other category. Furthermore it shows the weakness and the power of human beings.
It was a pleasant reading and enthralling until the very end.

All the best with this year's challenge, Ameise1. I thought you might have moved to the 75 Book Challenge Group seeing how well you did in 2012. :-)

Thanks australwind. No, I won't change the group. I watched the 75 Book Challenge and I noticed that they are chatting such a lot that I wouldn't find time to read. It's nice to chat from time to time and hear some news fro the others but I also like the reading. So I stay safely here it's more quiet. :-)

LOL... can't let anything get in the way of a good book!

Hi Barbara, one book done already my dear, i am impressed. Keep up the good reading in 2013.

Thanks John! I've just finished the next one and will post it now.

# 2



It's ten years ago since I've read the last Dirk Pitt adventure and now I can't belief that I've waited so long to read this one. It's as always a fast-paced enthralling adventure starting out in the last year of WWII and everything that happened later is related to this event from WWII. The whole NUMA family is involved to eliminate the acute jeopardy, luckily the heroes are always on time at the right spots. Minor damages like the loss of some high tech vessels have been included but nevertheless the good ones have been the winners and the bad boys are removed from this planet.

I love Cussler novels, especially the early classics..

Cussler is fantastic - I haven't read many of the newer, co-written ones though. Are they any good?

@ 19+20

Many years ago I was reading Cussler all the time, I couldn't stop. Now this one was my first after a break of 8 years. I'm not sure if I've read one with a co-writer earlier but one is waiting on my TBR pile and I'll start reading it in February.

# 3 Audiobook



It's a fabulous book. It's not only telling the story of hunting Dracula, but also the story of a family, which is on the one hand tracking the history of Dracula and himself and on the other hand is guarding each other, especially the young daughter from the evil. The story leads through half of Europe and makes also stops in the USA. All persons have a soft spot for history in case of a professional way or just on behalf of interest.

Hi Barbara, you really are on a roll at the moment my dear, keep up the good work.

Thanks John, I give my best ;-). I'll probably get slower in the second half of January because I've to write all the reports for my class.

@20...

The co-written Cussler novels are not bad, except for Crescent Dawn, which was just dull...but not quite on par with the classic Cussler.

Hi utbw42, the one I'll read in February is called Sacred Stone. Have you read this one?

Sounds like an Oregon Files book (Cussler/Dirgo)....haven't read any of those yet.

O.k. thanks. I'll post my opinion after I've read it. So, we'll see if this could be another branch for more reading of this.

A belated Happy New Year and happy reading in 2013. For what it's worth, I sell a lot of Cussler books in my used bookstore. One of these days I'll have to read one. :)

Hi rocketjk, thanks a lot and happy reading to you, too. I guess you'll like the NUMA family and especially when you're at the source of those books I would you strongly recommend to read one of them.

Good luck to you too. :)

Thanks glwebb :-)

Off to a flyer already Ameise! Good luck for the year.

I like the sound of The Historian, I think I'll keep my eye out for that one.

Looks like you got a good start!

Thanks PaperbackPirate :-)

# 4



The story is starting out in old Irland a couple of hundred years ago as an old pagan fairy tale. This start is important because the whole story which is taking place in our days is based on this inception. The most part of the story takes place in Atlanta at the Janus Theatre where a group is rehearsing the play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. Like in this play where Faustus sold his soul to Mephistoteles, in the Irish fairy tale had Christopher Marlowe sold his soul, too. He is the owner of the Janus Theatre and the director of this play and also the keeper of an old stone which is in the basement of the theatre. During the rehearsal the old vow from the early Irish time starts to break. An interesting aspect was that it took me a while to find out which characters were from the old time and which are only related to the present.

Thanks for the good luck message. I have a copy of The Historian hiding somewhere, will have to track it down.

Good afternoon Barbara, thanks for the get well message on my thread. I am still feeling under the weather but not as bad as on saturday. We have had about an inch of snow and could get another 2 to 3 inches and it's all over the news, don't know what we'd do if we got the amount you guys get, why do we brits always get into a panic when a bit of the white stuff comes. Hope you are ok my dear, will talk later.

# 5



I wasn't so gripped by this book. Everything was so obvious. Also the author was trying to set different links within the story and their characters it was always so predictable. The devilish actions some of the characters were practising were so different to each other that all in all it was more disturbing than gripping.
I wouldn't recommend this book.

Thank you for your good wishes and good luck with your challenge too!

# 6



It's a wonderful story and it's written in a marvellous language. Zuckerman, who is living since eleven years away from New York in a quiet neighbourhood in the country, is coming back to the city for a medical examination. He is overwhelmed by the bustling activities of New York and has to learn in a hard way that he no longer belongs to this kind of life. One week long his feelings are going up and down. He meets a young writer couple with whom he would like to swap home for one year. Especially the young woman attracts him and he starts daydreaming about an affair with her. While in reality this wouldn't be possible he starts writing a second story within the main story. A young writer is hassling him to get information about a writer example of Zuckerman's earlier time. While Zuckerman is refusing his assistance the young man is getting more and more ornery. In the end Zuckerman is taking refuge to his lonely home in the country.

# 7



What a fast-paced page-turner. It's starting out in Greenland in a earlier time. Back in our time the plot is taking the reader from Greenland to Scotland further down to England and finally to the Arabian Peninsula. The corporation team needs all twist and angle to solve the requested problems but it wouldn't be a real Cussler when his protagonists wouldn't be able to rescue the world.

# 8



History and politic are hidden within this love story. It's a great inside what people were and are thinking during the turmoil of the political changes in Europe in the 70s and 80s. As an European I was always impressed how people from the eastern part were crusading against their regimes with silent marches also hazarding the consequences to be arrested for their desire to be free.

Jana the main character of the story is struggling with the past and the future. She made a predication which is already overhauled by the present:

How could human nature be so vile? Would this happen again, further on in history, to different people groups and nations? Was this the beginning of further brutality? Where had it begun? Jana was feaful that an end to the communist regime might give rise to too much freedom and leave people open the perils of some other individual or regime - one that would sweep in and change the world around them with new and dangerous ideologies.

You're doing well with the reading Barbara, i should finish another two books by the weekend. I will send you a message later.

# 9



That was my second Fleming and it was as gorgeous as the first one (Bride of a Bygone War). It takes place in Beirut in the 80s. It's a fabulous espionage thriller, fast-paced and kept me gripped until the very last page. I was already familiar with some of the main protagonists and therefore it was very interesting what they were doing in the earlier time. Also this time I was impressed about the hard and difficult life in Beirut during the civil war. Unfortunately the ongoing war in this region now will be nearly the same for the residents than 30 years ago.
I can strongly recommend both stories.

I haven't read this one but I have read Bride of a Bygone War as well as two others of Fleming's books. I like his writing style and his attention to detail.

# 10



It's an enthralling story from the first page until the very last one. Jane is suffering from an amnesia after an assumed suicide attempt. She is staying at a privat clinic whereas outside the incidents are in a turmoil. The police is believing that Jane is responsible for all murders which have taken place in the long and short past and they are trying hard to find enough evidences to convict Jane for all those dark doings. While Jane's doctor is trying to protect her from everybody she runs into mischief because she is trusting in her own kinship and those of her friends and can't see the danger.
It also kept me guessing until the very end if Jane would find her new love in her doctor.

# 11



It was an enjoyable easy reading and I would call it a lovely cosy mystery. As in other Dara England's book also in this one the main character and hobby detective is a young lady. She is as nosy as Miss Marple and has also the ability to take everybody in so that they share their knowledge confidently. On the other hand her doing isn't always thought through properly and therefore she is lucky that the real detective is on her side.

# 12



It's an action based story without a lot of profoundness. It's more the shooting between the good and bad guys. I miss a good story behind it. The reading was more like watching a 'crime' serie on the TV. For all those who like action, shooting and so on they'll probably like this story.

Hi Barbara, see you've had a little spurt on the reading front my dear. Hope everything is well with you and the rest of the family. I've just finished a book in the last hour and really can't think what to read next,lol.

# 13



It's an enthralling story set in an earlier time where computer and robot weren't injected. In this story the mechanical individual are called automaton. Automaton were common at this time but they were mostly music automaton which were playing the music with the help of a perforated paper roll. In this story all the automat are close to human beings and the inventor of them had gone seriously mad. It's not only automatons with their own life he had invented but also his manor is very special and for some people a deathtrap. Anyway all the human protagonists can only survive by solving a wicked puzzle.
I couldn't put the book away it kept me reading until the very last page. It's fast paced and I can strongly recommend it.

# 14



I like historical fictions and this one was enjoyable easy reading. Each chapter is showing another part of the story. On the one hand there is the story of becoming a priest in rotation with the escape from Constaninopel and the tough trip home. Finally when the priest is back in his hometown he is reporting the whole story of this Crusade.
It was easy getting familiar with the characters and I was always looking forward to what would happen next.

# 15



First of all I've to admit that it's worth reading the first and second book of this sequel to get an idea of the time travelling. Ian Hocking provided the copy I've got with a short summary of both earlier books and I'm glad for that also he remarked that this book could stand as an own story.

The story takes place in the early 20th century mostly in St. Petersburg but also in some places in the south of Russia and in Switzerland. Saskia is travelling with some dubious characters which are partly related to real historical persons. Whereas she is trying to bring the money of the heist securely to the right party she is struggling with different groups and moreover is fighting for her survival.
With the help of a special band and the Amber Room she should be able to find her way back to her real life in 2023. In the middle of the book this time transfer gets started but instead of landing in 2023 she is passing different Amber Rooms and is still in the early 20th century where the explanations for the first half of the story starts.

# 16



This story gives me a lot to think about upbringing, parental ambitions and the disastrous consequences. Also this is a fiction based on an unsolved murder case there is so much truth in it how a lot of children are suffering from parental ambitions be it in a sportive or art aspect or the offspring's schooling for their future career and becoming rich and famous. Everything is planned in advance without asking the children if they would like it this way. There is no room left for individual fulfilment neither any possibility to meet friends on their own because playdates are organised by their mothers. So, it's no wonder that the kids and the adolescents need therapy to survive. It's a shame what damages parents can do.

# 17



It's a wonderful sensitive story. I'm very impressed by Libby Sternberg's way of approach to each of the characters. It's made with a great love and an ever greater respect for her protagonists. I've got very quickly familiar with all the persons and it was a fascinating expedition to learn from their past, their present and their wishes during a time after WWll wich is always present. Even though each of them is related in an accidentally or familiar way, what each of them is sharing is a strength faith in himself or in a religious manner.
I can strongly recommend it.

# 18



It's a very charming cosy mystery set out in French Périgord. It's the first book with this Chief of Police and therefore the description of the surrounding and the local characters is well done. Bruno isn't an ordinary policeman, he is more a kind of best friend, fellow, sportsman and coach for the youth. For him it's more important that justice is done in a way that nobody has to lose face and that everybody can go on with his day-to-day routine. He campaigns for the weak ones and is truely devoted to those, who helped him growing up without biological parents. While he is familiar with his surrounding he is approaching the case in an unorthodox manner which helps him to solve the cases.

# 19



It's an enthralling fiction which is set in the beginning of WWll in Denmark. A young fellow was stumbling across a German military secret. During the plot he is trying to bring this secret to England. Until he could reach his target he, his family and his friends had to suffer mistrust and death. With the help of his love and his knowledge how to mend machines, he was able to reach his goal. The story is very fast-paced and in some parts I was holding my breath because I couldn't bear the twists and turns.

# 20



It was an enjoyable reading. Sometimes I had to laugh out loud on the one hand Stephanie would like to be a hero and is stomping straight into a mess on the other hand she is acting like a coward and has to take her grandma with her as a kind of protection. Unfortunately she abandons her granny into dangerous situations, whereas the old lady seems to enjoy those situations and can be really tough. Nevertheless without the help of her 'might to be lover' she wouldn't be able to solve the case and couldn't get out of some delicate situations.

Glad you enjoyed Two for the Dough we love them all and are just waiting for Notorious Nineteen to come out in paperback. You are doing well with your reading my dear.

Thanks John, for your encouraging words. We do have some more Evanovich in our local library (book 3 and 14-19). So, I've the chance to read some more.
I hope everybody is fine at your place, at our front all is o.k. especially since the weekend and summer temperatures have finally arrived :-D

# 21



This book comprises nine short stories which are set out in Wyoming. The stories are from different times from 1885 up until our date. What they've got in common is that all are showing the families hard way of life. They are struggling every day for getting something to eat, finding an occupation and earning money, raising up a family and the failure of it and love that never could be fulfilled. I had the feeling, that those are very sad stories and luck must live on another planet.

# 22



This is a very fast-paced and enthralling thriller. It's a real page-turner and kept me in a non-stop running through up until the very last page. The very short chapters make it easy to switch between the different locations and settings which are connecting in the end. Also it was soon obvious who are the good guys and who are the evil ones. Nevertheless all the twists and turns made me guessing how the plot will be ending.
The first half of the story takes place on Hawaii whereas the second half goes really international. The story shows how human mentality can be really evil and dangerous.

I have quite a number of Annie Proulx's books and have always enjoyed their stark nature. Often her stories are sad but there's resilience and strength and hope in her characters.

Patterson's habit of mega-short chapters really screws me up sometimes...

It does me Andy, that's why i try not to read Patterson's as my bedtime read, there's never a good place to stop and put the book down so that i can go to sleep.

In this book the short chapters are really good, otherwise it would loose the pace.

I guess that's the problem I have...I get into it a bit, then BAM, new chapter!

I have eleven Patterson's on my bedroom bookcase (an Ikea billy) along with about another 180 books plus some piled in front and a dozen at the side plus a bakers dozen on the dressing table, about 70 in the third bedroom and then around 1200 in the loft on two sets of shelves and in boxes, oh what to read next.

Yes, you are right, usually that's not so nice but in this one it works fine for me.

Gee, John! Do you have any space left for sitting comfortably for doing your reading and what is Karen saying about all those books ;-)?

Quite a lot of the books in the two bedrooms are hers but i read a lot of her books but she doesn't read a lot of mine. I will have to put some photos on here to show my books and that doesn't include my cricket book collection.

I see, we are four addicted readers and our books are stored from the cellar up under the roof. My English TBR collection is in the living room and I'm not allowed to buy more books than the shelf has room for. All the books which have been read go down to the cellar. Because our local library has such a wide range of books the shelf looks for many weeks the same. That's the reason while I join the ROOT group. I've set a target of 10 so that I will be able to buy some new books this year too. So far I've read 5 from the shelf.

# 23



It's a wonderful story which is set out from 1895 up to 1919. It's spelling style is very rich and marvelous. All the characters are linked to each other if it's in a familiar way, through friendship, political connections or art. The characters belong to the Fabian Society, the free thinker, women's movement or the naturalist. Even though everybody is trying to be open minded it doesn't work out always in a good way. One of the main character is writing fairy tales for each of her children and therefore must be the title of this book. Although this story is a fiction the most elements from that time about society, women's movement and free thinker are true.

# 24



That was a nice fast-paced reading. What I liked most was that the detectives weren't showing off like the most efficient or brutals cop. On the contrary both have a sensitive way to approach the target and dealing with the suspects. With the help of Jasmine's diaries and the talks to all the protagonists Duncan was able to see the solution. Duncan and his partner Gemma are starting to get know each other much better and Gemma could confide in Duncan with her privat matters.

Hannah's first painting done at playgroup this week, not bad for a 26 month old little girl. The new heir to Jackson Pollock. Thought you might like this Barbara, the weather here is warm but breezy. We are having a party tomorrow for Karen's dad who is 90 today so it should be a good do.

Hi John
What a lovely and vivid painting, it's absolutely gorgeous. All the best and a very kind congratulations on your father-in-law's 90th. It's fabulous when someone can reach this age and is able to celebrate it with his loved ones.

# 25



This was my third Beckett and as the two beforehand I enjoyed the reading very much. It is fast-paced and enthralling and kept me guessing until the very last page who is the evil one. David Hunter has left his British ground to join his friend in Tennessee. This trip should help him to recover and to pick up his courage for his work back in England. Although he was forced to vault his shadow his inquisitiveness to help solving the case was much bigger. He's got strength to help others and has found back his gut instinct on which he always can rely.

# 26



It was a very interesting reading. There are a lot of different lives wrapped into a fictional story which could also be a true one. All life stories are linked to each other. There are different generations which are connected privately or professionel. All those stories are showing the every day life of our time with its ups and downs or its hopes und failures. It comprehends the power of money, religion fundamentalism, drugs and mental disorder, the competition who is the best writer or the best host as well as finding love and true friendship.

# 27



That was an absolutely gorgeous reading. Mostly it was a breathtaking flicking through the pages. I wasn't able to put it away. Jenny the new Coroner was starting her new job not only with a lot of unsolved cases but also with health trouble of herself. Unfortunately this issue is known also by her enemies who are trying to suspend her from the cases but also to make her looking as a suspect herself. She doesn't have got a lot of friends and has to solve the most part on her own. It kept me guessing until the very last page if she'll succeed.

# 28



It was an enjoyable reading. The story starts in Christmas, but not Christmas as a time but as a place. Isabella is living since 400 years in Christmas and would like to have a vacation. Therefore she must fill out a form and go to an interview. She decides to take her holiday in the place called mystery. First she has to undergo an apprenticeship and for this reason she is sent to Sherlock Holmes. He is teaching her how to characterise her person for a mystery. The story he is placing her into is rather modest. After this course of instruction Isabelle is sent to her 'mystery play', where the play is taking another turn that it should have been. I didn't like the plot of this play because it is rather dull. Anyway, because there has been another outcome of this play then it was expected from the script Sherlock Holms reenters the story. Isabella has got strong feelings for him and has been falling in love. As it must be, Sherlock is solving the case and the very end of this story is leaving it open whether there could be continuance or not.

# 29



In the beginning I was a little bit disappointed because it wasn't so fast-paced like the other Scarpetta's. It took me a little while to make all the links, probably because it looked like their were a lot of different cases, which weren't related so obviously. Nevertheless after the first third the pace took up and it was getting enthralling. Due to the fact that the main characters have got major problems with their relationships and faith in each other it kept me guessing until the very end how the outcome will be.

Hi Barbara, we are neck and neck on the reading stats my dear, hope you had a good weekend and everyone is ok.

Hi John! Thanks for stopping by. Yes, Thanks to my spring holiday I've got enough reading time. We are all well and are still looking forward for better weather. Mostly it's wet :-(. I hope you feel better and you could enjoy your father-in-law's birthday.

Hi Barbara, yes i am feeling a bit better and Karen's dad had a lovely birthday and got some nice presents and was rather tipsy, i hope i can drink as much when i get to 90. It has been a lovely weekend but we are to have a drop in temperature and a bit of rain and wind for a couple of days.

# 30



It's a wonderful written story about a tragic occurrence at a privat school in Vermont. The incident is written on the point of view from participants which are different in age as well in the involvement of their part. As a reader I've got an insight without any estimation for one or the other. Even though what had gone on was something anybody wouldn't wish for someone else and could change life of many people it is also a situation where anybody can drop in. As parents we are obliged to protect our children from such circumstances by explain them how to conduct themselves in those situations but we'll get never the security if it'll work out in a good way.

# 31



I always love the Gabriel Allon's thrillers and haven't been disappointed with this one. Gabriel and his team are hunting the evil ones across Europe but mostly they are in England and Russia. For Gabriel it's a very personal mission because his wife has been captured from his nemesis Ivan. The story is very enthralling and fast-paced. I couldn't put it away. It kept me guessing until the very last page if Gabriel and Chiara will have a future.

LOVE Silva novels....that guy can flat out write.

You say it, absolutely gorgeous :-D

# 32



It took me a while to dip into the story. The beginning was very confusing and there weren't much links and hints. By and by I was able to connect the loose ends and from that point I enjoyed the reading. Dru has not only to solve recently mysteries but also to get back her stable life. With the help of her sister as well as different characters along the story she finally was able to solve the puzzles. It was a fast-paced reading and it kept me guessing until the very last page who the murderer was.

# 33



What a gorgeous story. It's a true masterpiece from Philip Roth. David Kepesh (age 70) is reflecting on love life, sex and relationship. Starting with an addicted love affair with one of his students he is drifting in his memory to other relationships and is telling the reader what the past and the present has brought to his former lovers. He is also trying to help his son whom he has left in early age and to whom he never has been very close. On the one side Roth is writing like a kind of psychoanalyst and on the other hand there is a lot of wink and esprit.

I enjoy reading your reviews!

Thanks Hanneri for your encouraging words :-D

# 34



What a fantastic story! I enjoyed the reading from the first up to the very last page. It's written in a marvellous spelling. As a reader I was hoping and suffering with the protagonists and their challenge if they would ever achieve the target. It's very informative and interesting how they had to prepare their mission without all those technologies we have got nowadays. But there are also some situations where I could smile e.g. when General Bruce can only travel with his bath tube to the base camp like the colonial lifestyle could move up to the highest point of the world.

# 35



I didn't like this story so much. The spelling style was ok but the plot itself didn't assure me. Why? It's based on the failure of some young and very rich people which couldn't stop making exorbitant money at the expense of others. Secondly it's an inside of them how they had to struggle with their new found poverty which some of them weren't able to accept and still were looking for an escape into the old habit. In my opinion all this is looking like malice towards all people which really have to count each penny and which are masters in surviving with their small income.

# 36



What a magnificent collection of short stories. These stories could have been taken from real life with the protagonists like you and me. Everything looks so familiar and the reading was like sneaking into your neighbour's life. The spelling style is so vividly and rich and I've got always the feeling to be amid as an observer. The stories felt so real that I've got the feeling some incidents could happen to me, too. I enjoyed the reading very much and can strongly recommend it.

# 37



It was an easy reading. In my opinion a lot of the twists and turns are a little bit far-fetched. There are moments which are too obvious and rarely I've been surprised. On the other hand the psychological inside of the protagonists is well done and comprehensible and for this reason the story is turning out as a good one.

# 38 Audiobook



It was a great listening. Two stories which are related to each other also it wasn't really obvious in the beginning. It's starting with a disappearance of a father who was working as a miner during the miners strike leaving behind a wife and a daughter. The daughter is starting out to search her father's whereabouts twenty years later with the help of the police. On the other hand a very rich baron is looking for his grandson who's disappearance is laying back also twenty years. The scenes are switching between Scotland and Tuscany. The story is very gripping and I couldn't stop the listening.

# 39



Frankly speaking the reading was a real struggle and there were many times that I was very close to put it unfinished aside. But because I've won this book for an early review I finished it to be able to write my review.

The positive aspect of this story is the language which is very rich, detailed and vivid. Everything is described so precisely that I've got the feeling taking part as an observant in the middle of it.

BUT
I wasn't able to find the thread. It took me half away through (300 pages) until I got the feeling about what and where the plot could lead. Unfortunately, also those small glimmers of a so called threads were mostly ending in the nowhere. I was more confused than satisfied and this is a factor I really don't like.

The very end was a big surprise and I was asking myself at which reading junction I've taken the wrong path that I haven't got a clue about the outcome. But to tell the truth there couldn't have been a right path. All of them would have been leading in another direction.

# 40



It was a great reading. I liked the injured Lieutenant Charles Acland. He had his secrets but was also one of the reliable characters. The police made a fool of themselves. Mostly nothing has been coordinated and they were far behind the truth. Without the help of Acland and his doctor Jackson who was helping him, no case would have been solved. The story is very gripping and let me guessing until the very last page.

# 41



This was my third Stephanie Plum. It wasn't so gripping as the first two were and she didn't drop much clanger. Those parts of the stories I really like best. Nevertheless it is a solid plot even though the topic is a little bit too far fetched. Lula is starting to help Stephanie and I wonder how this 'partnership' will develop. The cat-and-mouse game between Stephanie and Morelli is taking some interesting turns. So, I'm looking forward to reading some more Plum's.

# 42



This is the first of the Alex Cross series. After I've already read several others from this series, I'm really happy that I could read the first one and now being able to understand how everything started. It was a very fast-paced reading and it was gripping until the very last page. I couldn't put it aside. I love the psychological inside in Patterson's books and this one isn't standing behind.

# 43



It is an amazing perceptive story about Judith a woman in her thirties which's ancestry is manifold and therefore has to fight for her place among the people she should belong to. Because of her grandma's death she is going back to the little village where she has sworn never to set foot again. Judith is black, Jewish, French, American and African. She lived there during her teenage and had to flee after she has been raped.
Back at the village with a lot of hate and unsolved problems she met all her predators, the hatred, the unspoken truth but also some new people which are giving her support and love. She has to learn that her grandma was a person which has been pulling the strings of everybody especially those of her beloved ones and unfortunately not for the best of them. Nobody could stop her and a cousin backed her. Finally, he is telling all her failures to Judith.
It was a fast-paced reading and gripping until the very last page.

# 44



It was a gorgeous reading and I had to giggle a lot. Zack and Milton are banished to a small village in the British countryside. There, they try to turn their poor image to the better but as it has to come everything got much worse. They got stuck in the middle of a killer serie and the police is thinking that the twosome are the murderers. Instead of getting out of this mess they entrap even more. Next to Zack and Milton other men are also on their different criminal paths and to make everything more mixed up, some respectable persons get also involved.
The only reliable persons are women and thanks to their strong minds everything could be solved.

# 45



It was my first Meyer's but definitely not my last one. The story is taking place in Cape Town with all its problems as violence, difficulties of racism, politic etc.. M.A.T. Joubert working as a Captain at the Murder and Robbery department is the main character. He struggles with the murder of his wife as well with his smoking habit, his bad shape and his heaviness. With his team he has to solve a series of murders and in a side show to stop a series of bank hold-up. He has got some good colleagues which are helping him. I've got familiar very quickly with all the protagonists and liked their character as well. It's a fast-paced and gripping reading and kept me guessing until the very last page.

# 46



It was o.k. but not so good as others from the Scarpetta serie. It was very fast obvious that the evil one has to be found amongst the inner circle of the investigating team. But in the end there weren't many clues why he has done it. Anyway, I hope the next sequel will be better.

You are almost there. I suspect you will have the 50 by the end of this month. I like how you add the early reviewer. I hope you do not mind if I copy your idea.

Thanks Lisa for stopping by. I hope that I'll finish my 50 in the beginning of September. Please, fell free to copy anything you can use or pick out other ideas whatever you like.
Happy reading to you, too.

Hi Barbara, it looks like we are going to be neck and neck to the end of the year on books read.

Yep! And if I'll get close to 75 than I'll switch over to the 75 club :-D!

Do what I have done this year and be in both groups. Next year I may go back to the big books as I have plenty awaiting my attention.

Thanks John, I'll do so :-D

# 47



It's Robertson's first book of the Glasgow serie and an astonishing work. While there are six victims which all of them were brutally murdered, the insight of the killer's feeling and thinking are written very perceptively. First, I've had the feeling that the killer must be an insane person, because I wasn't able to see why he was killing randomly. By and by I was able to discover the brilliancy of his plan and couldn't stop reading. It kept me guessing until the very last page how he would manage it to stay undetected.

Getting close to the fifty mark my dear. Hope you are having a good weekend.

# 48



I've got this copy free from the Member Giveaway. The reading wasn't so enjoyable because the paragraphs were set accidentally and mostly at the wrong places. I guess that this copy must have been one of the planning phase before a corrector has seen it.

Most of these short stories are really funny and are taken from real life. As a reader I could lively see the incidents and feel with the writer. Sometimes I got the giggles. In any case, it's a book everybody will like.

Hi John! Thanks for stepping by. I had a busy weekend. Last Monday I went back to work and with new pupils the time is very stressful. That's the reason I haven't read so much in August.
I hope you and your family are going well.

# 49



It's a wonderful little short story which describe a young woman who is trapped in her feelings and her past. When she has her meeting with her psychiatrist she is trying to protect what has happen during her childhood and on the other hand she is debating to burst out what has happen in the past. She is not only sheltering herself in fact she would like to keep up the illusion of her parent's life. It's subtly written with a lot of love for the main character.

Nearly there now.

# 50



I loved the story so much. It was enthralling from the first until the very last page. The reading was like dipping into another time and another life but also kept me at nowadays. I got soon familiar with all the characters and was hoping and feeling with them. A four hundreds year old curse had to be solved and only deep love and a great amount of obstinacy could lead to the happy end. The path to was rocky and sometimes really surreal. But as a kind of a fairy tale it worked out fine.

Hi Barbara, congratulations on reaching 50 books, I wonder where you will get to by the year end. Hope everything is well with you my dear, give my regards to Thomas, Isabelle and Marina.

Thanks John! I'm really happy that I reached the goal. We'll see how many books I'll finish until the end of the year. We are fine. Isabelle is on holiday in Portugal with her boyfriend. They are coming back on Friday. I hope at your front is also everything o.k.. Give my regards to Karen and the rest of the family too.

I will do my dear, I will talk more tomorrow. Really tired after our day out to the Yorkshire Coast and our long jaunt on Monday.

# 51



What a gripping story. It kept me breathless until the very last word. It's an experience between two worlds whereas the very old elements are intruding into nowadays and it looked like they felt very comfortable so. An old manuscript could have turned around the destiny of our world weren't it for the good sense of an expert who made the experience with the old mystery world and decided to undo the evil experiment.

# 52



This is a very thrilling fast-paced story. It kept me breathless from the first until the very last page. It's brilliantly written. Nick Ganaway is introducing the reader from the beginning to all leads of the full story, but as a reader you are only able to connect all those hints and links during the reading. I always kept those hints in my mind and sometimes I asked myself where will be this or that link connected to. But I never felt disappointed that I had to wait until all jigsaw puzzle parts became a whole. All the characters are described so vividly that I've got the feeling to be straightly into the plot as a observer.

# 53



That was a very gripping reading. As always, Alex wasn't only involved into one major crime, he had also to solve another disturbing mystery in his neighbourhood. There he met a lovely woman who is the headmaster of his son's school. When his heart was closer to his quarter, he was called to the top of national security. Soon he found out that the President was at risk but there were to many barriers, time was rare and the assassins were always one step ahead. In the end all mysteries are solved but not really to Alex's utter satisfaction.

# 54



That was a thrilling reading. I love Tweed and Co and also this time I wasn't disappointed. It was very fast paced and gripping. Tweed and his friends had a difficult task to solve and they never were sure whom they could trust. 'That no one was what they seemed to be' - was Tweed's slogan and more than once, everybody was suspecting an enemy at his counterpart. It kept me guessing until the very last page how the mystery could be solved.

55



It's a very interesting insight into the British politic and parliament, especially for a non British citizen like me. It describes the political career of four men which are from different parts of Great Britain and also from different political parties. They are more or less equal in age but not in their social background. Everyone of them is following other ambitions to become one day Prime Minister or to be called for an important job within its party. There are few friendships and it looks like cheating is very common.
I enjoyed the reading very much and Jeffrey Archer's spelling style is as always fabulous.

# 56



This little book contains two different kinds of short mystery stories. The first one is taking place in good old England whereas the second one is from Canada. The British mystery is peppered with all the clichés everyone is looking for and also it's very clear how the story will proceed, it's never boring or a poor copy. It is perfectly written and can hold on with famous British mystery writers. The Canadian one is more an up-to-date mystery. I was always guessing in which direction it will turn out and the outcome was really surprising.
I enjoyed the reading very much.

# 57



This was a lovely reading. This book contains several short stories which could happen to everybody and therefore one feels so familiar with the protagonists. I liked all of them and can't pick out a favourite one. Sometimes I could giggle out loud of the clumsiness of some characters.

# 58



It took me a while to drop into the story but then it was so gripping I wasn't able to put it away. The story is taking place in the future in a penal camp. The inmates are forced to endure inhuman labour and were treated less than an animal. Therefore they are organising strikes and a takeover of the camp. Among the inmates is Paul who isn't only trying to survive but also looking for a possibility to flee and to reunite with his family. He wasn't aware that one of his daughters was staying very close to the camp and especially at his tormentor's home.
It was a breathless and fast-paced reading. I enjoyed it very much.

# 59



This is an absolutely brilliantly written story about a young boy who was found in the end of the 18th century in the wood of West France. Firstly he was chased by village people those who had no idea how to cope with this wild child. Secondly, his life in the wood is described so detailed that as a reader one becomes also an observer. Furthermore, the trying of the young doctor to give this boy a kind of human life and feelings and also to make a rapprochement to the speaking and communication is written in a very sensitive way.

bold



An absolutely gorgeous written sequel of Forty Days At Kamas. I enjoyed the reading from the very first page. It's very gripping and thrilling. Frank has been called upon to eliminate one of the most evil warden of Kamas. He recruits a group to help him reaching his target. He finds loyal members within old inmates from Kamas or their relatives. Even though he fully understands that his helpers would like to go to a safer place after the first attempt failed, he is very thankful to everybody who is staying and helping until the fulfillment of his task. Without them he wouldn't have fulfilled it. His lady friend was born in Libanon. Sometimes I've got the feeling if there could be a link to Preston's other trilogy.

# 61



This is a gripping little short story about a sixteen years old girl who has bought her dream car. Soon after receiving this car she is hearing a voice of a little boy who is lulling her and therefore she isn't thinking and acting properly. My conclusion: Do not trust to everybody.

# 62



This is a fantastic story about a young guy who is suffering from insomnia and therefore wasn't able to teach anymore. He opens a night coffee which is called Insomniac. Already in the opening night he meets suspicious individuals and has to meet extraordinary situations he isn't able to explain. During the plot he has to struggle with familiar issues as well as his insomnia which wouldn't let him sleep anymore. He can't anymore separate what is real and what is a dream or more a hallucination. The outcome is a surprise and it looks like this guy is making a kind of self-healing process.
I couldn't put this book aside. I had to read it through. It's written like a psychological thriller and it is very gripping.

# 63



This is a lovely romantic story with a lot of turbulences. Even though the course of the story is predictable, the different twists and turns are amusing. A German woman would like to be in Italy because she would like to flee from the nasty weather in Hamburg. Therefore, an ad from an old geezer, which she saw on an Internet platform, was just the right reason for going to lake Garda. Thenceforth, the story is taking its run with confusions, traps, lies and a lot of love.

# 64



It's a very fast-paced story about the collecting of Judas 30 silver coins. It's written as a screenplay and the author mentioned in the beginning that the reading could be a little displeasing but it was an easy reading for me. The story is something like a treasure hunting with lots of hidden tunnels, hallways and caves but also a touch of fantasy with dragons and ghosts.

65



I enjoyed the reading very much. It was fast-paced and gripping. Burke is chasing his nemesis who is held responsible for the death of Burke's best friend and working mate. Burke has to dig deep into the bag of tricks not only to get his nemesis dead but also to solve the problem within the NOPD which has got a mole within there row.

# 66



This is another wonderful written short story by Nancy Christie. This time a daughter is trapped with the care of her old and ill mother. She has to support her from the early morning until the night. Unfortunately the older woman is a very demanding and unfriendly person. Alice has found a very strange way to escape from her mother's demands. It's a special way of reading - I can't explain more without giving away the clue of the story.
The story is written so vividly that one has the feeling to be a part of it.

Hi Barbara, just got your message on facebook my dear, I am well and getting on with some reading. I have my first engagement as the new chair of governors at the Junior school where I volunteered today so that should be interesting. My daughter Amy is popping in to see us this evening so that will be nice although her and Karen will be having a good natter so I will probably be superferlous to the conversation especially with Christmas coming up. Hope you and the family are all well and I will chat later hopefully.

# 67



I enjoyed the listening very much. The story has got a lot of twists and turns and I was guessing along with Helen if her partner was involved in some criminal act himself or if he was working undercover. Sometimes it was really gripping, but there were other times I felt like bobbing up and down through the plot.

# 68



This was a fantastic reading. Elizabeth Strout is describing Olive's world, all the people around her and the surrounding so vividly that as a reader I've got the feeling to be a part of them. All persons are described with a lot of love and respectfulness. All the little stories can take place all over the world because the characters of those people are the same than of any ordinary person on this planet. Strout shows that life is ephemeral with all its minor or bigger uncomfortableness but still worth living.

I've had Olive Kitteridge on my tbr list for awhile. My goal was to read it by the end of this year so hopefully your review will give me an extra push.

Hi Barbara, hope you and the family are well, we have had a busy day as Karen's dad came home today. We spent the afternoon with him and have been home about an hour, we saw his first two care visits and if they are anything to go by we have nothing to worry about. It is going to take a few days for him to re-acclimatise himself with his home after being away for six months.

Hi John
I'm glad to hear that your FIL is back home and the care seems to go well. I hope that the first night wasn't too stressful for him and that he had a good day. Yes, it'll take some time to re-acclimatise but I'm hopful he'll do it fine.
Hugs to all of you
Barbara

Hi Barbara, thanks for the congrats message, will now just see what my year end total will be.

You're welcome. I hope that I'll get some reading time over the weekend ;-D

69



This was the last book of the Kamas Trilogy. The first part of this book was very gripping and interesting, probably due to the fact that it is set out in Beirut and not in the future of the US. The living and the plot is more to the lovely Mediterranean live style. Everything is slowed down, food and drink have a greater importance and how to talk and to negotiate with each other is different but nevertheless amiably. When the plot moves on to the US, the style changed completely. It was getting very cold and odd and matches the Yukon camp perfectly. If this book will be read on its own than this part and its length seems to me absolutely confirm. Because I've read all three books the Yukon camp part was too long and could have been shorten. The escape part was really fascinating and the outcome was a surprise.

# 70



This one was a gorgeous reading. I liked the setting in the rural Virginia with all those family clans which are going a long way back, their gossips and their secrets. I loved the main charater's capability the renovate her grandma's house and her familiarity to work with all those tools. Also the romance wasn't to miss out but it was also not so overloaded. It was very gripping and I was guessing until the very last page who was doing such harm to Cilla.

# 71



That was an absolutely gripping and fast-paced reading. The story contains everything a fabulous thriller is needing. It is set out in different European and African countries. There are the good guys as well as the evil ones, agents, several kind of services, undercover work, ordinary people which are getting involved in one way or another, different escape routes and to be on the run. It starts out what is looking like a simple murder but soon it's clear that nothing and anything seems to be simple on the contrary it is getting complicated and wicked and all wits from the main characters are needed to solve the problem. It let me guessing until the very last page.

Hi Barbara, I think you may reach 75 books for the year, hope you are all well my dear.

Thanks John for dropping by. We'll see if I can reach 75 books. Well, I haven't been working this week because I've got a bad cold. So I got some extra reading time. I hope all the arrangements for your FIL are working fine and that he is well.

Hi Barbara, the arrangements are working fine but he is not well and it has been an awful week for us. (See my post on my 75 ers thread). You will get to 75 my dear and I hope the cold is getting better and that the family are looking after you.

# 72



Well, to be frank this book isn't one I would recommend. First I thought it's an easy-going reading with nothing to think about. But in the last part the story got really weird and I didn't like it at all.

# 73



This was a gorgeous reading. I liked this espionage story very much. All major countries as US, Russia and England are involved, but nobody would grant someone else the success. Jonathan's wife is an agent but it let me guessing until the last page for whom she is working. Firstly, Jonathan couldn't believe what his 'wife' is up to, therefore he isn't trying to help her than to stop her. It was a breathtaking reading until the very last page.

Lovely to see you have signed up on the 75ers my dear, things are a bit subdued now, just got back from the hospital. He is comfortable and pain free but it is now only a matter of time before he joins his beloved wife. I hope you and the family have had a good Christmas so far and enjoyed good food and presents.

# 74



This wasn't one of my favourite Cross Novel, perhaps because I didn't like his trip to Africa. It was an easygoing reading. Cross has to solve terrible homicide which are leading him to Africa. There the welcome wasn't very friendly and he stepped in more troubles than to solve problems. Back home he not only found his enemy but also that he couldn't trust who from the CIA is trustworthy and who not.