Sharon's 50 Book Challenge for 2010

I have been adding my books to the list for a while now. But have decided to post in this 50 Book Challenge. I read 62 books in 2009, so 50 should not be a stretch for this year. Some of my favorite reads from the last two years:

Hannah's Dream
The Help
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Someone Knows My Name
The Story of Edward Sawtelle
The Indifferent Stars Above
Water for Elephants

My first book for 2010 was The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara. It's a novel of WWII, the first in a trilogy. I started it in December, but finished it this week, so put it in 2010. I look forward to seeing what others are reading.

1. The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara
2. True Blue by Baldacci
3. Blue Shoes and Happiness by McCall Smith
4. A Reliable Wife by Goolrick
5. The professional (Spenser) by Parker
6. Charley's Web by Fielding
7. Breathless by Koontz
8. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
9. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
10. New York by Rutherfurd
11. Worst Case by Patterson
12. Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
13. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
14. The Wild Zone by Joy Fielding
15. Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein
16. Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay
17. Split Image by Robert B. Parker
18. Caught by Harlan Coben
19. The 9th Judgment by Patterson
20. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
21. I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart
22. Jerusalem Vigil by Brock and Bodie Thoene
23. Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark
24. The Lady in the Tower; the fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir
25. The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark
26. Sundays at Tiffany's by Patterson
27. The Partner by John Grisham
28. The Clinic an Alex Delaware story by J. Kellerman
29. Survival of the Fittest Alex Delaware by J. Kellerman
30. Innocent by Scott Turow
31. The Godwulf Manuscript first Spenser book by Robert B. Parker
32. God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker
33. Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker
34. World War One: a Short History by Norman Stone
35. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
36. These Is My Words: Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner
37. The Reckoning #3 in Heritage of Lancaster County by Beverly Lewis
38. Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris
39. The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini
40. The Quilter's Legacy by Jennifer Chiaverini
41. The Seventh Secret by Irving Wallace
42. Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, prison, and the worst maritime disaster in American history by Alan Huffman
43. The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Nathanael Philbrick
44. Cure by Robin Cook
45. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
46. The Postcard Killers by James Patterson
47. Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini
48. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
49. Rival to the Queen by Carolly Erickson
50. The Confession by John Grisham
51. Cross-Country Quilters by Chiaverini
52. The Christmas Train by Baldacci
53. Painted Ladies Spenser book #39 by Robert B. Parker
54. Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark/Carol Higgins Clark
55. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
56. Cross Fire by Patterson

I finished Baldacci's True Blue last night. It took me a while to get into it. Wasn't sure I liked Mace, the main character. But the more I got to know her and her sister, the better I liked them. Mace has just gotten out of prison and is determined to prove that she was set up for a crime she didn't commit. She wants nothing more than to clear her name and get back on the Washington DC metropolitan police force. Her sister Beth is the Chief of Police. She is trying to keep Mace out of trouble, but it isn't easy with all the forces going against her. There are murders to investigate, and clashes with the FBI, CIA and other intelligence agencies, with no one wanting to share information. There were some rather implausible situations, but it was an exciting read, as all of his books are. I'm anxious to read the sequel. It's obvious there will be one, as these characters are too good to just let them drop after one book.

I read Blue Shoes and Happiness, the 7th installment in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. While I didn't think this book was as good as the previous ones, it still was quietly enjoyable as we delve deeper into the minds of the wonderful characters. Mma Ramotswe's love of her African country of Botswana and the old ways of the people saturates this story. I would love to visit!

I am currently reading New York by Edward Rutherfurd. It is historical fiction about the city of New York, starting in 1640 when it was New Amsterdam, and running through 2009. Much like James Michener in the span of his characters and their history. Also I am reading A Reliable Wife, fiction. Don't remember the author right now. Will add more later.

If you like New York you might enjoy some of Rutherfurds other books. I have read Sarum, London and the Forest and liked all of them. I have Russka and The Princes of Ireland, but haven't read them yet.

I have read Sarum and The Forest. Liked them both, especially Sarum. I have put RUSSKA on my TBR list. I'm sure I'd like LONDON also. Thanks for the suggestions!

A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick is set in the long, harsh winter months of Wisconsin in 1907-08. Catherine traveled from Chicago to northern Wisconsin in answer to an ad for “a reliable wife.” She had a plan in mind. Ralph, the lonely, bitter widower who placed the ad had a plan in mind. Neither one had their plans work out the way they anticipated. My attitude toward Catherine changed from curiosity to sympathy, to disgust, to understanding, to disgust again, to the final expected-yet -unexpected ending. It is a psychological tale that draws you in and carries you along. It is an exploration of lies, deceptions, despair and forgiveness. There is a lot of sex in this story. It is not explicit to the point of titillation, but it is always there. So if you are offended by that kind of story you might not like this one. But if you like exploring the psyches of troubled but determined people who are somehow drawn to one another, you should enjoy this one.

I'm 2/3 of the way through New York as well. Liking it, but not as much as London. London has so much more depth and (people might yell and disagree!!) a much more varied and interesting history than New York. Possibly that is just my bias though!!

I will definitely put LONDON on my TBR list. I have been away from NEW YORK while I read library books I had requested, so they have a time limit. Will get back to NEW YORK in a week or so.

I have paused in NEW YORK again to read THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls. Will comment more when I have finished it.

I finished THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls last night. Trying to think how to review it. At first I thought, yes, they are poor and their parents are irresponsible, but the kids know they are loved. As the kids got older and the living situation got more and more bizarre, I thought “How could the parents be so self-centered and so absolutely without a clue?” One might say you don’t know how the kids could turn out so well growing up in such a dysfunctional family. I think it’s because the parents, in spite of their selfish behavior, were highly educated. They passed that love of learning on to their kids through what they taught them at home. It’s a good thing, because they didn’t get much help from their schools, either! They also taught their children to be strong and not expect handouts. The kids learned the value of work, while recognizing that their own parents were not examples to follow. I think that family will stay in my mind for a while. I wonder whatever happened to Maureen? She’s the one who was ultimately hurt the most.

I finally finished NEW YORK. That's a loooong book! Very interesting, and I enjoyed it, but I had to leave it a couple of times to read something else. It was almost too much of a good thing. I liked the way all the threads were wrapped up at the end. Most of the characters seemed genuine, whether I liked them or not.

Try London if you liked the way things were tied up nicely - it is similar in structure and concept, but much richer. Good to hear you enjoyed New York!

I read Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow for the second time. Read it the first time 20 years ago. It was still a very good book, but couldn't help wondering "where's the DNA evidence" and "why aren't they using cell phones?". That's what happens when you read an older book. The technology has just moved so fast in recent years. The reason I read it again is because he has the sequel coming out in May, which I intend to get. So I wanted to refresh my memory of this one. I remember how shocked I was when the true culprit was revealed the first time I read it. So this time I was able to focus on that person to see if there were any clues. I also want to back and re-read Burden of Proof because the main character in that book was a major player in this one.

I remember reading Presumed Innocent way back when. It was the first book of a new book club and when the last member arrived, she said "I haven't finished it yet. Don't tell me who did it." So much for book discussion. It was a pretty short-lived book club since many of the members chose romance novels - not my favorite genre at all. My current group of 15 years and still going strong has introduced me to so many books I wouldn't have read on my own. And isn't that the point?

Thanks for the great news that there is a sequel coming in May. I'll have to get into my time machine and re-visit the first one!

NarratorLady: I do not belong to a book club as such. But I do participate in a book thread on line. A new thread is started every Sunday. A number of us come and go, some are very regular. We have become friends through our love of books. Many of the books I read now are because of recommendations from those posters. Yes, that is the point! Thanks for your comment here.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is a very thought provoking book. Beautiful prose, vivid scenes, interesting characters. It takes place in late 1940 through summer of 1941. The blitz is going on in London. Americans have mixed feelings about the war, whether they should get involved or not. Iris is the postmistress in a small town at the very tip of Cape Cod. She prides herself on accuracy and following the rules. Emma is a young woman who was orphaned at an early age. She meets and marries the town doctor. Frankie is a radio broadcaster who goes to London to work with Edward R. Murrow broadcasting during the blitz. She wants people to "pay attention." She also goes to Germany and rides the trains to report on German Jews trying to escape. The characters are all tied together in a story that is compelling and sad. It is very much told from a woman's point of view. It is a love story and a war story, but it does not focus on battle scenes. Rather it tells about how the situations affect ordinary people, the ones "around the edges" of the story. The characters all have their flaws, but the story is one that stays with you after you finish reading.

Thanks for sharing. I like this kind of book, and have added The Postmistress to my TBR pile.

I just finished 23 books in the first five months, so I should easily make it to 50 this year. I am currently reading The Lady in the Tower; the fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir. It is so interesting, but very small print, lots of names and an incredible amount of speculation in with the facts. It's taking me forever. So I inserted a quick read by Mary Higgins Clark--Pretend You Don't See Her from 13 years ago. Tonight it will be back to Anne Boleyn.

The Lady in the Tower; the fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir covers the last four months of her life, primarily the last 19 days in which she experienced imprisonment, trial and execution. Very thoroughly researched! Nearly every aspect is told through at least four sources, some more accurate than others. It was very interesting, but sometimes tedious in its repetition of the same event by the various sources. She does a good job of convincing the reader that Anne Boleyn was framed by Cromwell, not just callously tossed aside by a bored Henry VIII. As another reviewer said, it helps if you are basically familiar with this period and the Tudors before you read this book.

I read Mary Higgins Clark's latest, The Shadow of Your Smile. An interesting read, but not one of her best IMO. Once I got into it it was hard to put down. But still, too many characters and not enough real surprise.

I finished These Is My Words: Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901 last night. A very impressive first novel by Nancy E. Turner. It is in the form of a journal kept by Sarah Prine starting as a teenager of 17 when her family moved from Arizona Territory back to west Texas. Tragedy and trouble of all kinds affect them, and they return to Arizona Territory as part of a wagon train led by Capt. Jack Elliott. Sarah is a tough, no-nonsense girl who faces life head on and does what needs to be done to protect her family. She mourns being illiterate but searches for ways to improve her education on her own. Very good description of life in the Tucson area in the late 1800's. Highly recommended!

Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris is a fascinating book. It is actually a murder mystery, but it is equally a description of present-day life in Saudi Arabia. Reading about the relationships between men and women in that society, how both sexes adapt (or not) to the restrictions imposed, was eye opening to say the least. Both aspects of the book made this a compelling read. Many twists and turns and surprises. I am very glad I found out about this book; it is not one I would ordinarily have chosen.

#14> "I read Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow for the second time. Read it the first time 20 years ago. It was still a very good book, but couldn't help wondering "where's the DNA evidence" and "why aren't they using cell phones?".

Ha! That's funny, and I know what you mean. I'm currently, little by little, reading through the first five books of William Tapply's Brady Coyne mystery series, which are set in (and written during) the 80s. It's a bit strange to read books set in a time that almost just like our own, but not quite. Lotsa pay phones; no email. When you're reading something written and/or set further back, you find things much different from our world, but you expect it. It's hard to wrap your mind (or, I should say, it's hard for me to wrap my mind) around how quickly our world has changed over the past couple of decades. At least if, like me, one is in his/her 50s and so remembers those 1980s & 90s quite well.

I read The Seventh Secret by Irving Wallace. It takes place in 1985, when he wrote it. A prominent British historian and his daughter have been doing research to write a definitive biography of Hitler. He is approached by someone who has proof that Hitler and Eva Braun did not die in the bunker in 1945. He is then killed by an apparent hit-and-run truck. His daughter decides to complete the research and write the book. She follows up on the evidence. The first half of the book is a fast, compelling read. I particularly liked the Berlin locale because I visited Berlin in 1990, just after the wall was opened, but when much of it was still in place. So I could visualize the setting of the story. The second half was also exciting, but was frankly too incredible to be true. A lot of coincidences just when they were needed, for example. The ending was appropriate, I guess, but was quite abrupt.

I read Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, prison, and the worst maritime disaster in American history by Alan Huffman. Very interesting book. Its main focus is on man's ability to endure and survive the worst that life can throw at him. SULTANA is the name of a Mississippi steam boat that exploded while taking Union soldiers, many of whom had been in prison camps, home to Indiana and Illinois. Very little is known of it because it happened just a few days after the end of the war and the assassination of President Lincoln. The author is a freelance journalist, which is apparent from his story-telling style and his research of the various elements of the book. If you are interested in the Civil War at all, this is a recommended read.

I recently finished I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman. It's the first book of hers that I've read. I don't remember where I heard about it. It is more of a psychological thriller than a suspense or a whodunit. We already know who did it, and it happened 20 years ago. Elizabeth was kidnapped and held for 39 days by a man who had already grabbed and killed other girls. For some reason he did not kill Elizabeth. 20 years later Eliza (she shortened her name) received a letter from the man who is now on death row. He wants to see her. She has tried to forget it, but this brings all those memories back. The author does a very good job of developing the characters of Eliza and Walter (the guy), and also many other characters who were involved. She develops suspense and makes you dread what you think is going to happen. Very good. I think I'll find some of her other books to read. I understand she has written a series, but this is a standalone book.

I finally finished FREEDOM by Jonathan Franzen. It’s a little hard to know where to start in describing this book. It is basically about the Bergstrom family from St. Paul, Minnesota – Patty and Walter, and their children Jessica and Joey. They seem to be a happy middle class family, but you soon discover that they all have their problems that they have trouble dealing with. I didn’t really like any of them, or Walter’s best friend Richard. I kept thinking what stupid decisions they were making. But gradually you get drawn into their lives and sympathize with the tragedies they experience. The concept of freedom keeps appearing in many guises, and with it the way we demand it but do not really appreciate it. It is a sprawling book that develops family background stories for all the characters that help you understand how they got to be the way they are. In the end they all grow and mature through their experiences. I think I will remember the Bergstrom family for quite some time.

I finished RIVAL TO THE QUEEN by Carolly Erickson. She started out as a writer of nonfiction. I read ALEXANDRA, about a Russian princess. Very good. But now she is also writing historical novels, which she calls "historical entertainments." This book is about Lettice Knollys, who was a rival to Queen Elizabeth I for the affections of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. It was interesting, because I love reading about Elizabeth and that period of English history. But it was more like she was just telling the story instead of really getting the reader involved like a good novelist does. There were some rather startling revelations, which are quite likely true since she is such a good historian. But some things cannot be put in nonfiction books if there is not enough solid proof. If you like Elizabethan history you will probably enjoy this book. It's only 296 pages, so didn't take very long to get through.

WooHoo! I reached Book #50 today!! It was The Confession by John Grisham. I thought it was very good. He is obviously very much against the death penalty, and there are numerous arguments for its being abolished. Some people have said the book is too long and dull, but I didn't find it that way at all. Yes, there is a lot of detail, but that lets you understand the setting and the situation. Grisham is a good story teller. It may not always be what you want to hear, but it does make you think. Donte Drumm, a young black man, is five days from his execution in Texas for the abduction, rape and murder of a high school girl in Texas nine years earlier. Travis Boyette shows up in Kansas saying he is dying of a brain tumor and wants to confess to that murder. He wants to go to Texas to stop the execution. Because he is an ex-con with an extensive record, people don't want to believe him. Will he get anyone to listen in time to save Donte?

I finished Baldacci's THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN. It's quite a change from his other books. There's something for everyone in this one -- interesting characters, a little mystery, some love interest, a snowstorm in the mountains, some soul-searching, a few surprises, and a happy ending. What more could you want in a Christmas story??? Plus interesting facts about the railroads. All of that in only 260 pages.

I finished Ken Follett's FALL OF GIANTS last night. It's not as good as PILLARS OF THE EARTH, but it was very interesting. I sure learned a lot about the world during World War One and the Russian Revolution. Not really much description of battles, but very descriptive of what the people in the various countries were going through in the years from 1914 to 1920. Characters are families in Wales, England, Germany, Russia and America, so you could almost call it sprawling, but they all somehow intersect in various ways.

I am definitely going to have to read RUSSKA by Rutherfurd to understand more about the Russian people and their history.

I got Pillars of the Earth for Christmas - am really excited to start reading it in January. Well done on reaching 50 and Happy New Year!

Thank you, Bookbugg. I loved Pillars of the Earth! Read it a second time just before World Without End came out, and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Hope you, too, find it compelling! Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to another 50-book challenge in 2011.