dara85 2008

My reading goal is 55 books. I read over 60 last year. I finished my first book after midnight last night. (My New Years was so exciting!)

1. Double Cross by James Patterson

Alex Cross is after another killer called the DCAK (District of Columbia Audience Killer). Meanwhile an old nemesis escapes from prison by pretending to be someone else and he also has it in for Alex. Alex also has a new love in his life policewoman, Brianna Stone (Bree) she and Alex work together to solve the DCAK case.

2. Tell No One by Harlan Coben

David Beck receives a strange e-mail. The sender seems to know things that only he and his wife shared. Could Elizabeth, his wife, who was murdered 8 years ago be alive?

I finished

3. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

last night. What a wonderful book.

Miriam is forced into an arranged marriage by her father and his several wives. Miriam is beaten by her husband, Rasheed. When Lailia, fifteen, who lived in the neighborhood has a rocket blow up her home and kill her parents she agrees to marry Rasheed. Lailia knows she is pregnant with her best friend, Tariq's baby when she marries Rasheed. Miriam and Lailia dislike each other. Rasheed regularly beats Miriam and sometimes turns on Lailia. Soon they ban together against Rasheed. Lailia gives birth to a son by Rasheed. She and Miriam plot to escape the war in Afghanistan and Rasheed. When they attempt to leave they are found out and returned and beaten severely. Lailia then finds out Tariq is alive, although she was told he died, when Tariq appears on her doorstep. Lailia's son tells his father Tariq was there and Rasheed chokes Lailia until she passes out. Miriam intercedes and kills Rasheed with a shovel. Lailia and Tariq are together at last, Miriam stays although Lailia begs her to come with them. Miriam is killed for killing Rasheed.

4. You've Been Warned by James Patterson

One of the worst books by James Patterson has written. She sees dead people.

5. Shattered Dreams by Irene Spencer

Irene Spencer married Verlyn LeBaron when she was 16. She was his second wife in a polygamous relationship. Verlyn would go on to marry a total of ten wives and had 58 children. Irene was the mother of fourteen children. She was forced to move around for the good of the colony. Verlyn never seemed to be around when she had her children or was hospitalized. The family lived most of their marriage in Mexico and Verlyn was often in the United States trying to earn enough money to support his large family. They lived in poverty, without electricity or an indoor toilet.
Finally, after 25 years of marriage Irene left him and then was told by two physics she needed to return and it would be made clear to her after one year why she needed to return. She was ready to tell Verlyn she was leaving him, when a year to the day of her return to Mexico, Verlyn was killed in an auto accident.

She has since become a born again Christian and has been Hector's only wife for nineteen years.

6. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

I finally finished this book. I know a lot of people loved this. I just did not care for it. I didn't care much for or about Henry. I liked Clare better when she was young than as she got older. I don't really get into fantasy or science fiction.

7. Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia by John Gilmore

Another so, so book. I have read two other books about the Black Dahlia that I liked a lot better than this one. If you are interested in delving into Elizabeth Short's character, this book is for you.

8. Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky

(See my review)

9. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Early reviewers (See my review)

10. Double Abduction by Chris Beakey

11. Good Morning Miss Dove by Frances Gray Patton

I saw this movie as a child.

12. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

I liked My Sister's Keeper and Nineteen Minutes better, but this would be a close second. Very engaging.

13. Alex: The Life of a Child by Frank Deford

This is a memoir of his daughter, Alex who died at the age of 8 from cystic fibrosis.

14. The Circus Fire byStewart O'Nan

This was very interesting about a fire in a circus tent in 1944 in Harford, Connecticut. Many women and children were killed and our fire laws were changed because of it.

15. Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag

I have read several of her other books that I felt were better than this.

16. Sarah's Song: A True Story of Love and Courage by Janice A. Burns

This is a touching love story of a young couple with AIDS. He finds out he is HIV positive shortly after their marriage and then she is tested and she is also HIV positive. They suffer many illnesses and hospitalizations thoroughout all this is their enduring love for each other.

17. Maybe a Miracle by Brian Strause

**SPOILER**

The story of a young girl who is found floating in their swimming pool by her brother, Monroe. Annika and Monroe are big Cincinnati Red fans. Monroe who doesn't like what is happening at home and how Annika has become a "miracle girl" for the sick, drags Annika away from the faithful on her two year anniversay of her coma and takes her to a Reds game. Annika is hit in the head by a foul ball and wakes from the coma.

I finished
18. Ice Bound by Dr.Jerri Nielsen

Very interesting about her life in Antarctia. There was very humorous poem and I laughed at Monica Penguinski. I only hope that her children have come around and her issues with them have been resolved.

19. 7th Heaven by James Patterson

Another good book about the Women's Murder Club. This one on arson, murder, prostitution, stalking etc.

20. Digging to America by Anne Tyler

This is the All Iowa reads for 2008. It was okay, nothing to write home about. I did like the character Maryam and hoped that she and Dave would end up together.

21.The Poet by Michael Connelly

I have never read a bad book by Michael Connelly and this one was no exception. This was about a serial killer who kills the child victim and then follows up with killing the cop who investigates the first murder. The killer leaves messages from Edgar Allen Poe at the police murder scenes. The ending was a twist. I thought it was all solved and then they threw a curve ball.

22. The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross

This is probably the best mystery I have read, so far this year. What a thriller. A great page turner! (see my review for early reviewers)

23. Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury

The sequel was just as good as the first book.

24. Erased: Missing Women, Murdered Wives by Marilee Strong

See my review

25. P is for Peril by Sue Grafton

This was a pretty good Kinsy Milhone mystery.

26. The Outland Trail by Wendi Lee

Iowa author
See my review

27. Fatal by Michael Palmer

See my review

28. The Wrong Man by James Neff

This book was drugery. Too many varying opinions. (See my Review)

29. Sleeping Beauty by Philip Margolin

30. Five Little Peppers and How They Grew byMargaret Sidney

I wanted to like this, but it was just too sweet.

31. The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up by Rich Blake

See my review

32. The Choiring of the Trees by Donald Harington

See my review

I was delighted by the Ozark accents and the time period. Excellent read.

33. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo

34. Forbidden Fruit by Erica Spindler

Another wonderful mystery set in New Orleans by Erica Spindler!

35. Turning Angel byGreg Iles

This was a very good mystery. I thought the funeral scene was very well written.

36. Forget You had a Daughter: 'Doing Time in the Bangkok Hilton' bySandra Gregory

37. Desert Heat by J.A. Jance

38. Cruel Deception by Gregg Olsen

(see my review)

39. Internal Combustion by Joyce Maynard

(See my review)

40. Sharp Objects byGillian Flynn

41. Hide by Lisa Gardner

I forgot one

42. The Summer of My German Solider by Bette Green

43. Escape by Carolyn Jessop

Another book where the woman escapes FLDS pologamy. It was very interesting in light of Warren Jeffs compound getting raided earlier this year. It answered questions I had about the religion. A good read.

44. Sail by James Patterson

Makes a great beach read.

I forgot another one

45. Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio

This really helps you understand how Tourettes was thought of in the 1950's.

46. Marley and Me by John Grogan

I read this for our next book discussion. What a great book. It made me laugh out loud and I walked around reading parts to my husband. I cried, until I read the next part to make me laugh.

47. In Their Footsteps by Tess Gerritsen

This was one of her first books. It is not that great. She is a much better writer now.

48. Once in Every Life by Kristin Hannah

I loved the premise of this book. She went to heaven and did not have a happy life, so she got a second chance and even got to pick who she wanted to spend it with.

49. Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs by Elissa Wall

This is my third book about the Mormans and they have all been very, very good.

50. The 19th Wife byDavid Ebershoff

I was not so gone on this as others seem to be. I found a small part of the history arduous. Having read several books about Mormans this year, some of the information was not new. I did enjoy the present day story line more than I did the history.

Yay! I made it to 50!

51. Sympathy Between Humans by Jodi Compton

This was another good book about Sarah Pribek.

52. Lost in a Fog: Memoir of a Bastard by Rachel Van Meers

53. Circumstantial Evidence by Pete Earley

This takes place in Monroeville, Alabama, the home of the author of To Kill a Mockingbird.

The man wrongfully convicted of this crime, was the first man ever released from death row in Alabama.

54. 19 Steps Up the Mountain byJoseph P. Blank

Very good family story.

(See my review)

55. Rebecca byDaphne du Maurier

I saw this movie when I was young. It really made a great movie. The book was not as good. There is a lot of description which is not my thing.

56. Made in the USA byBillie Letts

I loved this book. (See my review)

57. Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell

58. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen

This was very good. The mystery pulled me in right away.

59. Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson

60. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I can see why teenagers would like this. It is short. There is a lot a teenager can relate to in the book.

61. Dear Ann, Dear Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziah

Very interesting how they competed with each other and for a number of years did not speak to each other.

62. The Night Before byLisa Jackson

Another good thriller by Lisa Jackson!

63. Gable and Lombard and Powell and Harlow by Joe Morella and Edward Z. Epstein

Interesting book about old movie stars.

64. Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner

Very creepy, good mystery.

65. Stalker by Faye Kellerman

This was not the best Faye Kellerman mystery. It may be one of the worst.

66. The Turnaround byGeorge Pelecanos

This started off slow, but then got better. I really enjoyed the book. It had a great ending!

67. The Christmas Wish by Richard Siddoway
See my review

I can't get the touchstones to work.

68. Heart Full of Lies by Ann Rule

69. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

This was a discussion book for our library. It was interesting to read about mountain climbing and Pakistan. I agree with Greg Mortenson's philosophy. It gave me a different prospective on Afganistan and the Taliban.

70. Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman

What a great story! This has got to be one the top non-fiction books I read this year!

71. The 4 O'Clock Murders byScott Anderson

This was really quite interesting. It is a the LeBaron family of which Irene of Shattered Dreams by Irene Spencer was a member.

72. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

This was not a happy book for the most part. It was quite interesting. In some ways it reminded me of the 19th Wife. It had a lot of history.

73. The Fireman's Wife by Jack Riggs

See my review

74. Triptych by Karin Slaughter

This was a really good mystery. I really liked it.

This concludes my reading for 2008. I was hoping to make it to 75! I will try again this year.

I left one out that I finished late December Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard. It was a bit too English and Victorian for my taste. A very dark tale.

The ending was worth it all thouhg. the end was pretty exciting.

I DID make it to 75!!!!