Swimmer girl 2017 reads

Off again. Hope to add more reviews this

Hoping to finish my read of a biography for every president in order. I should finish up Truman tomorrow.

Welcome back!

Can someone tell me how to post book covers on here?

Happy 2017 swimmergirl1, I've given up posting book covers, may you have more success !

#1. Truman by David McCullough. He was a small town boy who never went to college. He had a series of business failures before starting his political career thanks to a local "boss". As president he had major decisions to make about ending WWII, dropping the bomb, and the Korean conflict. He seemed to have good people surrounding him, but he was strong in his own decisions. He remained a stalwart of the country even after he left office. He went on to raise funds for and build his Presidential Library in his hometown of Independence, MO. Bess was the love of his whole life.
Started this last year but finally finished the 997 page book today.

#2. Thin Air: A Shetland Mystery. (Shetland Island Mysteries) by Ann Cleeves. This is a series of mysteries set in the Shetland Isles and features Jimmy Perez, a police officer from one of the isles. It's rumored his ancestors were from a Spanish galleon. Each of the books has several murders and they've take place on different isles. In one, Jimmy lost his fiancé, and is now her daughters guardian. I started reading these after finding the videos by BBC which were on in England and Scotland. I haven't watched the ones I bought as I wanted to finish the books I could. Several of her books were limited printing for U.K. And I have not been able to find them.
Any one might have a suggestion as a source for them?

I turned into a big Truman fan after reading that biography. McCullough has a knack for making his subjects very sympathetic. Plus, I think that poor Truman had to make one of the most difficult decisions of all time - dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I understand why he did it, but I cannot imagine having to make that choice. Reason 897 why I should never be President.

A lot of the scientists that worked on the bomb also change of hearts after the fact, when they saw the destruction. I read a really good biography on Robert Oppenheimer and he was shunned academically for the stance he took afterwards.

#3. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson. Audiobook.
Jacqueline Woodson has written many children's books so this is a return to an adult book that centers on August, and growing up in Brooklyn. It's a tough life for she is motherless, and there are things going on around her that children should never have to deal with such as rude boys, drugs, rape, an education system that doesn't meet their needs. She has friends that come and go, but really aren't there for her.

Audiobooks have become my friends since September. I moved to a new school to teach and I have 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours depending on the day, time construction and traffic. Wouldn't survive it if it weren't for the books I listen to.

Go to the book page after you've added the book to one of your collections. Right click on the book cover and choose "copy image address". Come back here and type the left bracket on the comma key and then the following without any spaces except the one between img and src:
img src="copy your image address here" and finally the right bracket on the period key.

This is the result:

Thanks.

#4. The Red Thread by Ann Hood. This book is about Maya, who, while married, dropped her baby and the baby died from landing the wrong way. She went on to open up an adoption agency, The Red Thread, to help childless couples adopt baby girls from China. The story follows several couples who are going through the process including a couple who quits, a couple who are pregnant by the time they go to China, and Maya herself, who has finally forgiven herself, and wants a child of her own again. The author had been through this process herself. I tend to read multiple books by authors and have several more of her books to read having to do with knitting.

#5. Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan. Rosie is recruited by her mother (who is in Australia) to leave her fiance in London and travel to Lipton, a small village. She has gone there to assist an elderly great aunt who has health problems, and has not been able to open her sweetshop for quite a while. Rosie gets into all kinds of adventures and mishaps while there, eventually falling in love and reopening the sweetshop.

#6. Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman. Audiobook
This book follows the trip a woman and her niece take to discover her Mother's past, which was painful, and never shared. They are tasked to spread her ashes in her hometown, a place she has never mentioned. In digging up the past, they discover painful reasons she never talked about it including a dead husband and child, a hometown covered over by a lake. In doing this Olivia discovers herself by canceling her wedding.

#7. The Mistress by Danielle Steel. My guilty pleasure reading her books. This is her latest, about a young woman who is the mistress to a Russian tycoon. It's also the story of Theo, who is a painter, and son of a famous painter. In short, he sees her in his mother's restaurant and falls in love. The tycoon wanting to buy a painting by Theo's father, that is not for sale. In revenge he steals 10 paintings from the restaurant. Natasha, the mistress, sees the paintings and turns him in. She is cast out when he realizes he can't trust her, and she creates a life in Paris for herself, and finds her way to Theo.

#8. The Ladies of Managua by Eleni N. Gage. This book is about three generations of Nicaraguan women in a family. Ninexin, once a revolutionary, now an official in the government. Devoted so much of her time to building the country, she let her parents raise her daughter Mariana. Isabela is the grandmother who raised her granddaughter in Managua and then in Miami. They are all reunited for the grandfather's funeral in Nicaragua.
Isabela reflects on her lost love she had in boarding school in New Orleans in the 50's. All strong women, they bond as Mariana has problem pregnancy, and they all have decisions to make about their futures.

#9. Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet by Harry Kemelman.
Audiobook
An elderly patient dies after being given the wrong medication by a local pharmacist. Both the druggist and his son become suspects. The father is not religious and not attached to the local synagogue, while the son has just returned and has come from a Hasidic cult. The rabbi is concerned as deals to buy and sell property are brought the the board of directors and his members are turning to New Age retreats, yoga, and crystals. It is up to the Rabbi to sort through all this to find the truth.

Do you all read multiple books at a time? My husband was giving me a hard time the other day because I had books in every room and he wanted to know if I was reading them all. I replied YES! I have one in the bedroom, one in the bathroom, one in the living room, one on my NOOK I'm reading, and I'm always listening to one in the car. I don't know how, but I can follow all the story lines. It's also why I seem to finish a bunch at once and then there are breaks where I'm just reading and don't post for a while.

I do. I usually have at least 2-3 going at a time. Like you, I often have a paper book, a kindle book, and an audiobook for different occasions. I have a hard time reading one book all the way through and then moving to the next. This is true of me in many ways, though - projects at work, etc.

I usually have 2 or 3 going at a time. A bathtub book (nonfiction or short stories or fiction I can't read straight through), a bedside book, and a Kindle book.

#10. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by vicki Myron. Audiobook

Listened to this on the drive from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. Since I love cats and libraries it was a wonderful book to listen to. A favorite bookstore I used to frequent in New Mexico had several bookstore cats and I always searched them out. Dewey really proved to be a hit with the patrons of this library, cats have a way of calming people and making people feel at home. She really bonded with Vicki who found her in the library drop box in freezing weather. Really loved this book.

#11. This is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang.
This is a YA novel that was really good. Janie and Micah have a weird relationship, they love each other but she will not let anyone know that. They were neighbors until her family moved across town. Janie puts things in categories such as her and Micah, her and her school life and friends, and her dream world where she wants to take a gap year and travel to Nepal. It's a little jumpy as it goes back and forth in time. It took a while to learn the whole story, but Janie chooses not to stay in this life and Micah has a really hard time dealing with the loss.

#12. Books for Living by Will Schwalbe.
This was the same author who wrote "The End of Your Life Book Club" where he talked about books that he read with his mother who was dying from cancer. They would read books and talk about them. In this book, he shares books that have made an impact on him throughout his life. Some of the books he shared are James Baldwin's "Giovanni's Room", Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird", Paula Hawkin's "The Girl on the Train", Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift from the Sea", books by Haruki Murakami, E. B. White's "Stuart Little" among others. This was a wonderful book for readers, which we all are. The downside is I've added to my must read books.

#13. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. Audiobook.
This was the book I listened to on the way back from Salt Lake City. The story "spools" back through three generations of Whitshanks, how they fell in love, how their families grew, how their families relate, how a house becomes a home, how the women in the families are the center of the families, birth and death intersect the story. Really enjoyed this story and the rich characters she brings to life.

#14. Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith.
This is part of my reading a biography of all the presidents in order. Trying to finish this challenge this year. He started his career by entering West Point and going on to secure a commission. Ike had several mentors in the Army who secured prime appointments for him to advance his path including appointments to the War College and the command school. His worst assignment was working for MacArthur in the Philippines. He was passed over for European command several times during WWII, until being appointed Supreme Commander for D-day. His time as President was filled with ending the Korean conflict, trying to stay out of Vietnam, dealing with desegregation including his decision to send troops to Little Rock to assist with desegregation. The books also goes into his personal life of his marriage to Mamie, his affair with Kay Summersby, and hints that he wanted to divorce Mamie to marry Kay after the war. Ms. Smith also tends to compare Ike to President Grant both militarily and as a president.

Good luck with your challenge this year! Great idea to read biographies of the presidents too.

In answer to your question above, I used to read two books at one time (something "serious" on the commute to work, and something trashy at home in bed). But for the last while, it's just been one book at a time, serially. (Although I am reading two right now - I forgot my paperback yesterday so fired up Kindle on my phone and downloaded a book. Toggling between it and my paperback now.)

15. The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle by Joanne Huist Smith..
Audiobook
Joanne and her children have lost their father, and along with that their Christmas spirit. They were struggling just to get through school, work and normal everyday things. But 13 days before Christmas, a gift and note show up on the doorstop. The first being a poinsettia. Every day things show up with a note and the gifts increase just like in the 12 days of christmas. Slowly they come out of their funk, cleaning the house, unpacking the decorations, fixing meals, and the presents kept coming. The gifts were simple, cards, bows, wrapping paper, all to elicit a feeling of Christmas. It culminates in a wonderful Christmas dinner at her house, filled with family and love, and hope.

16. The Knitting Circle: A Novel by Ann Hood.

Mary's child has died. She is lost. Stella was the light of her life and her husband, Dylan. Mary's mother suggested she go see Alice, who owned a knitting store. On Wednesday nights, a group of women, got together and knitted. Each woman had their own story of grief and tragedy. Mary learned these stories as got to know the women and they each taught her something about life and knitting. The shop burns down and they are so committed to each other, they knit in the frame of the shop as it is being rebuilt. Mary eventually shares her story, and begins to heal. This has brought me back to my own knitting. I read this just before I had to go spend a week in the hospital with my son who was having major surgery. It was hard to concentrate and read, but I came away with a really nice scarf and a renewed interest in my knitting.

17. The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian.
This started out real slow, a woman, Annalee, who is a known sleepwalker, disappears, and is eventually found dead. Twists and turns come out slowly, both of her daughters have been sleepwalkers in the past. A detective, who is also a sleepwalker, has had contact with the mother, in the past and recently. The older daughter, Lianna, is attracted to the detective but has suspicions that he may know more than he says about the case. Paige, the younger daughter, tries to keep up her life of skiing, but doesn't want to go on trip she had planned for fear of her sleepwalking. All these characters, plus a father who seems aloof, but has suspicions about what happens tries to protect his daughters. A twist at the end, of how the mother died, and how everyone is interconnected to the incident, is thrilling.

18. The Beach House by Jane Green. Audiobook.

An ok book, wouldn't recommend it. Nan is an eccentric 70 year old widow, living in a huge house in Nantucket. She decides to take in boarders to help her financially. She takes in a cast of characters including a man getting a divorce, who has recently discovered he's gay; a woman who is just divorced and is estranged from her 15 year old daughter. Her son, Michael, a jeweler moved back from Manhattan after a failed affair. In the end, everyone finds love and lives happily ever after.

19. Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen.
Rebecca Winter, a photographer, divorced with a shaky bank balance, decides to lease her Manhattan apartment and move to upstate New York to save money. Her fame came years ago, from a series of photos, and while she is still famous, that too seems to be fading. She moves into a battered cottage that has a lot of problems. As she hikes the woods behind her house, she finds a series of crosses, some with pictures, some with items such as trophy. She begins to photograph these, she also photographs a dog who has happened to adopt her. The local tea shop begins selling her dog photos, which makes her publicist unhappy, which leads to a parting of the ways. She meets, and likes, a local named Jim Bates, but he is in the middle of a tough time. She has an offer to put the cross pictures together for a gallery showing in Manhattan. Jim walks in, and walks out, and she doesn't see him again for a while, although she hears his sister has passed away. It is Jim's sister who created the crosses as a way of saying goodbye before she killed herself (she was bipolar). In the end Jim and Rebecca find a way back to each other.

20. Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman.
Audiobook.
David Small is the new rabbi in Barnard's Crossing, doing his rabbinical duties and Torah studies until a nanny's body is found behind the temple and her purse is found in the rabbi's car. He collaborates with the Irish Catholic police chief to eliminate himself as the killer and find who really did it. Using theological debate and Talmudic reasoning he works through the mystery.

21. The Afterlife of Stars by Joseph Kertes.
Audiobook

1956 - Budapest, Hungary. Two close brothers, Attila and Robert Beck observe the tanks roll in and Stalin's fallen statue. The soldiers stormed their home, and prompt them with their parents, grandmother and two cousins to be their escape, where all will not survive. They are trying to head to Paris and then maybe Canada. Robert idolizes his brother, who sometimes has wild ideas and a great capacity for anger. They don't all make it to Paris, but when they do, they find their great-aunt, a former opera singer with a haunting past.
Attila,pursuing one of his wild schemes, leads them into danger in the catacombs under Paris, where one will not return.

22. Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting by Ann Hood.

This book is filled with short vignettes on other author's experience with knitting. They range from writer's who could never get the hang of knitting, to those who only do scarves and hats to those who do an array of knitting projects. Writers include Sue Grafton, Barbara Kingsolver, Elizabeth Berg, and Andre Dubus III. Some knitting was as a way to connect with a family member, others to try and heal something in themselves, and some funny stories and trying and failing. 27 authors share their tales of knitting.

That is a gorgeous cover on The Afterlife of the Stars.

23. Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History by Rhonda K. Garelick. Audiobook.

Raised in poverty, Gabrielle (Coco) rose above her circumstances to transform the way women dressed for ages. Her break came with a wealthy financier and admirer who got her started in her own hat business. A series of lovers included the diplomat Boy Capel, conductor Igor Stravinsky, Russian Grand Duke Dmitri, the Duke of Westminster, and a Nazi officer, but all ended in either death or abandonment.

Her hat shop grew into a clothing and perfume empire that went around the world, and by forty she become a multimillionaire and her name was known around the world. Included is her involvement in WWII, her racist views, her comeback after being gone from the clothing field for 14 years. She was unrivaled in her day among women.

24. Problems with People:Stories by David Guterson.

These are short stories which seem to contain a theme of tradegy including the loss of a boyfriend years ago, the death at sea of a son, dealing with being overweight, being Jewish. The stories cover the globe from Washington State to Nepal. The characters he brings life will find their way into your psyche. While these are ordinary lives, their circumstances are highlights in their own lives.

Been reading, just haven't found time to post with a lot of medical issues with husband and son. Time to catch up!

25. In the Unlikely Event: A Novel by Judy Blume. Yes, Judy Blume whose children's books that were wonderful and the kids at my school still love them.

This was a really interesting fictional account of a real life event that happened in 1951 and 1952 when three plane crashes occured near Elizabeth, NJ (where Judy Blume actually grew up) forcing them to close Newark Airport for a period of time. This book looks at this event through fictional characters who either witness the crashes or are affected by the crashes. The story centers around Miri Ammerman and the people that surround her life.

26. Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman Audiobook.

This is part of a series of mysteries. It is Yom Kippur and a murder has happened, but everyone presumes it was a suicide of an alcoholic. He is found in his car in the garage with the car. The widow would like him buried in the Jewish cemetary even though he has not been a practicing Jew. The board is not happy with the rabbi's decision because he was not a practicing Jew and it is assumed to be a suicide. In the end, through the rabbi's keen sense, he solves the mystery proving it was a murder.

27. The Road to Enchantment: A Novel by Kaya McLaren.

Willow's mother uprooted them due to a cheating husband, moving them from Washington to New Mexico where she bought a goat farm turned winery. When Willow's mother dies, Willow comes back from LA where she was a studio cellist. She arrives back pregnant, and unsure of her future. As she reconnects with the people she grew up, sells off bottles of her mother's wine to pay the back taxes and mortgage, she realizes where her future lies.

28. The Nearness of You by Amanda Eyre Ward.

Suzette (a brilliant cardiologist) and her husband Hyland, from Houston, agreed before getting married not to have children due to a genetic tendency towards mental illness. But Hyland has changed his mind, he wants to explore surrogacy. Through the process they find Dorrie, a penguin trainer in Galveston. But while Dorrie is pregnant, she has a change of heart and flees, with a youngster who is practically an orphan. With the help of this girl, Dorrie delivers. Five years later, Dorrie's mother shows up on Suzette and Hyland's doorstep with a very sick child, the surrogate child. She needs extensive medical care Dorrie had no way of providing. When the child grows up, she goes on a search for Dorrie, finding her in Cape Cod, along with a twin.

29. Her Sister's Shadow by Katharine Britton.

The novel opens when Lilli receives a call from her older sister Bea. They have been estranged for nearly forty years only briefly talking once or twice a year. Bea calls with news that stuns Lilli; Bea's husband Randall has passed away suddenly and she wants Lilli to come home for the funeral. Lilli is torn as she vowed never to return to her childhood home but at the same time she thinks that this may be an opportunity for her and her sister Bea to clear the air between them. She hopes to bring the past to light and then bury it once and for all. However Lilli is stunned when she sees Bea. Her once vibrant sister is aging and not in a good way. She has difficulty walking and doesn't appear to be able to see too well. The house and surrounding yard are in complete disarray. Lilli works to set things up for Bea so that she can move to a home, but Bea is having none of that. Lilli also has to reconcile her feelings for Randall, who she loved and wanted to marry when she was young. Never having wanted to return, she finds that she can't leave now, and begins to restore not only a house, but relationships.

30. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney.

Lillian was the highest paid advertising women in New York City in the 30's, writing ads for Macy's. This book alternates between present day New Year's Eve and the 30's and forward.
Lillian, in her 90's, is celebrating New Year's Eve the way she always does, with dinner at a nearby restaurant. But this year, will be different. She is early as she walks out of her apartment, so she stops at a bar, has a drink and eats too many snacks and is not hungry for dinner. On a walk that takes her over 10 miles around the city, she meets bartenders, bodega clerks, security guards, criminals, children, parents, and parents-to-be, while introspecting about a life of excitement and adversity, passion and heartbreak, lookig back on how New York City in some ways has changed and in other ways has not. She loves her city and would live nowhere else.

31. Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick.

Four college friends inherit money from a friend who passed away. She wants them to follow their dream and be able to do something they have really wanted to do.They all quit their jobs and move back to the small town where they went to college. One woman refurbishes their old dorm and turns it into a bed and breakfast, one is trying to write a novel, which turns into a steamy romance novel, as she falls in love with her previous college professor. Another becomes an event planner, while another follows her passion to become a pastry chef. Each is allowed to follow their hearts and passions.

32. Isle of Palms by Dorothea Benton Frank.

Another of Frank's books set on the Outer Islands of Charleston. Anna, independent mother of a college student, hairdresser, has a break with the shop she has worked at forever, forcing her to make changes that have been long in coming. Still living with her Dad, she decides to buy a house on the island where she lived as a child, until her mother died in unnatural circumstances. There she meets Lucy, the crazy neighbor, and reconnects with two ladies who were kind to here on the day her mother died. Also in her life, is her ex-husband who is gay. They get her to open her shop and help her get set up and decorate it. Comedy and heartbreak intersperse through this novel as she finds her own way.

33. The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson.
Audiobook

Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four adult children have not been home for Christmas. When she announces, via a series of videos, that she is getting married on Christmas, and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day, the children all make their plans to make the trip home. Each have their own trials, tribulations and expectations of the holiday. Gaby with her friends have everything planned for a wedding in the barn by the time her children arrive. She has three suitors who are all ready and willing to marry her, but she must choose the one that is right, and it will wait till the day.

34. Almost Anywhere: Road Trip Ruminations on Love, Nature, National Parks, and Nonsense by Krista Schlyer.

After the death of her husband, Krista is devastated and is searching for something. She sets off for a year with her friend Bill. They are taking a car trip visiting natural sites along the way. Included in the trip is her dog Maggie. This book alternates between how Krista is dealing with her grief, and descriptions of the places they visit. You from feeling her grief to laughing over their and Maggie's antics. Great read!

All caught up entering my books, now to catch up reading everyone else's posts.

35. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline.

Christina Olson was the muse for Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World". Born and raised in Cushing, Maine she was afflicted all her life with physical ailments that more and more affected her ability to get around, so that her home became all she had. Andrew painted in their attic,and as he worked he became part of her life. He was married to her friend, Betsey and lived with her brother, Alvaro. Andrew had been painting their house and asked her to pose for the now famous painting. The book is about her life's ups and downs.

36. Re Jane by Patricia Park..

Jane is an orphan who is half-American, half-Korean. She has been raised in Flushing, NY by her uncle Sang. She has struggled to fit into the family and also into society as she is unsure of herself. After college, unable to find a job in her field, she becomes a nanny, and becomes involved with the dad. A death in the family calls her back to Korea to meet family she has never known. She decided to stay and learn about her Korean heritage, eventually becoming employed and engaged. When she calls off the engagment, she returns to NY to try and figure things out. She moves in with her friend Nina, and tries again with Ed, who is now divorced. Eventually she realizes that is not going to work either, but Nina and she open a business of property management. Alot of issues and questions on identity for those who are of mixed heritage.

37. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

This is one of those books I read about every 5 years because it is one of my favorites. Asher Lev grows up in a cloistered Hasidic community in postwar Brooklyn, a world centered around a charismatic Rebbe, who his father and eventually his mother works for. His father is devoted to the Rebbe and to his Jewish faith. He cannot understand Asher's desire to draw and eventually to paint. Asher cannot stop himself from doing drawings much to the ire of his father. Eventually the Rebbe enjoins a Jewish artist, Jacob Kahn, to guide and teach Asher when he realizes there is no way to stop him. Jacob introduces him into the artist's world and exposes him to other artists renderings. He ends up creating art that will create a chasm between himself and his faith.

38. The Sisters of St. Croix by Diney Costeloe.

Adelaide on her 21st birthday, finds out her dad, was not really her dad. She sets on a journey to find out about her father from his relatives, one a nun in the convent of St. Croix. She will be led back to St. Croix as a spy for the English during WWII. She is airdropped in to help get downed flyers out as well as help Jews in France escape. But meanwhile she puts those around her in danger, with disastrous consequences. She works with an operative named Marcel, who once she is discovered as helping others escape, helps her to get picked up out of the country.

39. Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl.
Audiobook

Jubilee has not been out of her house in 9 years! Her mother's passing, her mother had paid her mortgage and sent her a check every month, prompts her to have to earn a living, thus leave her house. BUT, Jubilee is allergic to people, she is allergic to skin cells, and therefore can't touch or be touched.
She eventually works herself up little by little to get out of the house and lands a job at the library. She meets Eric and his son Ajah there and becomes friends. They both want more but realize it can never happen. Eventually she goes for treatments that takes several years, but leads to her overcoming her illness and letting people into her life.

40. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek.

Dallek was granted unrestricted access to key Kennedy papers, including medical papers. This biography starts out describing his grandparents to show the influence they had on his political career. How his father orchestrated his political career and influenced his private life in the example he set of womanizing. Describes how his father literally bought the presidency for Kennedy by pouring millions into key states. He also details Kennedy's medical issues with Addison's disease and well-known back problems. He describes all the pain medication he took daily and shots just to keep him going. His match with Khrushchev over Cuba, his indecision over Vietnam, civil rights issues vs. political standing, all led him to really have a less than stellar presidency in my eyes.

41. Owl Island by Randy Sue Coburn.
Audiobook

Phoebehas lived a quiet life on Owl Island for the past 25 years, until her past catches up with her, sending her life crashing. Phoebe first fell in love with Whit Traynor as a teenager when Whit was a radio personality. His reappearance living down the road from her, makes her reevaluate her relationship with him as well as her current boyfriend, Ivan, and her daughter, who may or may not be Whit's. She is also haunted by the early death of her mother when she was young.

42. My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir by Noelle Hancock.

Noelle decides to take the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt and do one thing a day that scares her in the year before her 30th birthday. These acts range from trapeze training to swimming with sharks to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

43. If Not For You by Debbie Macomber.
Audiobook

New-to-town music teacher Beth and mechanic Sam don’t hit it off immediately when their mutual friends Nichole and Rocco set them up on a blind date in Portland, Ore. But the night takes an unexpected turn when Beth is in a car accident that leaves her in critical condition. From that evening on, Sam stands by her as she recovers from her injuries, but once Beth is out of the hospital, their growing bond is tested by their complicated pasts and hang-ups. Meanwhile, Beth decides to help her aunt Sunshine find the one who got away, sparking concerns that she’s meddling too much in the lives of others.

44. The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok/

Read this every few years, one of my favorites.
Now living in France with his wife and two children, Asher is deeply disturbed by the reviews of his latest show, which criticize his paintings as being nothing new to his reportraire. When he learns of the death of his favorite uncle, he returns to Brooklyn with his family for a funeral reunion with fellow Ladover Hasids. In America, Asher is assailed by memories and surprises: his uncle had amassed important artworks, and Asher is made responsible for the collection. He also faces a crisis in his own work, and yet another dilemma when he realizes that his son Avrumel has a chance to inherit the mantle of the Ladover rabbi if the boy remains in Brooklyn under the the sect leader's special tutelage. Asher is torn as he cannot stay where his art is deemed evil and he cannot seem to produce art there. He must leave his family in Brooklyn and return to France to save himself and his family.

45. Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt.

"This is a story of a middle-class family who adopts a set of newborn twin boys, Wyatt and Jonas. It seems like the perfect family and everything for which Wayne and Kelly Maines had hoped. From the very beginning of his young life, Wyatt clearly sees himself as a girl, wanting to play with dolls and dress in “girly clothes.” As toddlers, the two twins could not be more different—one loves dolls and the other, trucks and sports. When asked to draw pictures of himself, Wyatt draws a girl. Initially, Mom and Dad think Wyatt is going through a phase, something he will outgrow. By the time Wyatt is five and entering school, however, the Maines family is in conflict. Wyatt clearly continues to exhibit feminine characteristics that progress throughout high school. Although extremely torn, Wayne and Kelly agree to allow Wyatt to gradually transform himself into Nicole. This family encounters obstacles from the school system and community, yet they choose to fight for Nicole’s legal rights and embrace and support their transgender daughter. This is a story of a transforming family and what it means to love and support a child unconditionally."

On the road for a couple of months without computer so adding by phone so I'm just going to list until I get back.

46. The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins.

47. The Gin & Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter.

48. Secrets of Summer by Nancy Thayer.

49. Words Get in the Way by Nan Rossiter.

50. Flight Patterns by Karen White.

51. Still Time by Jean Hagland.

52. The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins.

53. The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney.

54. The Beach Trees by Karen White.

55. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

56. The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand.

57. Knitting: A Novel by Anne Bartlett.

58. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert.

59. Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris
Kearns Goodwin.

60. The Lost Recipe for Happiness by Barbara O'Neal.

61. Serendipity: A Novel by Louise Shaffer.

62. The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman.

63. The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green.

64. The Promise Girls by Marie Bostwick.

65. Same Beach, Next Year by Dorothea Benton Frank.

66. The Annual Big Arsenic Fishing Contest by John Nichols.

Been in a reading slump lately due to some health issues, hope I'll be able to meet my reading goal!

Did you like Same beach, next year? I have it home from the library right now. I started it then put it down for something else. Do you recommend it?

No, it was terrible! Real hokey!

67. The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz. ******

>71 swimmergirl1:

Thanks for the tip! I returned it to the library unread after glancing at it one more time.

>72 swimmergirl1:

So you liked The Girl in the Spider's Web?
I passed up a copy at the used bookstore a couple days ago. I think I'll go back and get it!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Identicals are both on my 'to read' list. How did you like those two?

68. Richard Nixon: A Life in Full by Conrad Black.

Wow! So in depth, read the book and it was 2000+ pages. This has taken several months as I had to take breaks at times. Some of it was too in depth, but it was remarkable the way he came back after Watergate to become a valued statesman. Been watching the David Frosts interviews after he resigned, very interesting.

Been reading the Presidential biographies in order. Now I'm on to the short presidency of Gerald Ford.

Yes, really enjoyed The Girl in the Spiders Web. Waiting for the next book to come in to the library.

69. The Right Time by Danielle Steel.

70. Dangerous Games by Danielle Steel.

71. My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues by Pamela Paul.

***** Interesting book by the editor of The New York Times Book Review. Everyone who is a reader will see themselves in this book. It's a journey of her reading life and I saw myself so many times in this book.

72. Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman.

73. The Light in Summer in Mary McNear.

74. Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan.

75. The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian.

76. Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber.

77. Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson.

78. The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan.

79. Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson.

80. The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan.

81. Map of the Heart by Susan Wiggs.

Not sure I'm going to make it! 19 to go and I'm having hip surgery in 3 weeks.

82. The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck.

83. Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan.

84. Against All Odds by Danielle Steel.

85. How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry

86. Any Dream Will Do by Debbie Macomber.

87. All I Want for Christmas by Nora Roberts.

First year I will not make it ! Just got home from hospital after hip replacement.

Didn't make it but looking forward to starting again in 2018!

Has the 2018 group been formed?

I couldn't find one so I set on up here

Hope to see you there!