Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50 Book Challenge 2014/What I've Read In 2014

#40 America by Dinesh D'Souza

I saw the movie and enjoyed it. The book is just as good.

Joan

53. Everybody's Daughter, by Marsha Qualey

17-year-old Beamer Flynn, who was raised in a commune, realizes how her life was shaped by her early experiences.

54. The Bar Code Rebellion, by Suzanne Weyn

The sequel to 'The Bar Code Tattoo'. As people continue to rebel against the corporate/government mandate that everyone get the bar code tattoo, more is revealed about the information it really contains and the danger it poses to humanity.

55. Deadly Kingdom, by Gordon Grice

A book about dangerous animals, both wildlife and pets (and the most dangerous of all, humans).

56. Pandora's Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization, by Spencer Wells

This book details how the rise of agriculture and civilization about 10,000 years ago changed both the planet and the humans themselves.

57. Christine, by Stephen King

The classic novel about a possessed car. Not as scary as some of King's books, but still unsettling.

#41 Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

Second book in the trilogy. In a post-apocalypic world, Cia has been chosen to attend University. Yet she must undergo many tests during her studies to make sure she is worthy.

I enjoy these types of stories but there's a logic issue that detracts from this series. I'll probably read the third book anyway.

Joan

#42 The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

I like this author. I enjoyed her first two books, "The Secret Life of Bees" and "The Mermaid Chair". The subject of a wealthy southern woman limited by virtue of her sex, and a slave oppressed by slavery was a good one. Yet I found it hard to remain engaged in the story. I put it down several times before finishing it.

Joan

Stop Acting Rich (And Start Living Like a Real Millionaire) by Thomas J. Stanley

Wealth is not income and there are three kinds of wealthy people. The "glittering" rich, the millionaires next door and "aspirationals". The glittering rich usually have very high incomes, have their money and display it but still live within their means because of their large net worth. The millionaires next door probably have modest incomes but are very frugal and usually go unnoticed, also living within their means. The aspirationals, regardless of their income, spend above their means acting as if they were rich. The bottom line is that by spending less, saving more and not keeping up with the Joneses it is much more easy to accumulate wealth.

Having read Stanley's other Millionaire books I found there was a lot of repetitive examples in this book. I was hoping for guidelines and strategies but this book is more of a wake up call to the uninformed. I would recommend this book but I would highly recommend The Millionaire Next Door and The Millionaire Mind.

Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters from the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima by James Mahaffey.

Interesting and well-written book about what it says in the title. It starts with "Radi-Thor", the patent medicine (radium in distilled water) of which the Wall Street Journal headline was "The Radium Water Worked Fine Till His Jaw Came Off" and moves on through the history of atomic research and the inevitable accidents.

Bad things happen; we learn more, and change procedures to prevent them from happening again; then bad things happen again in a different way.

The author really knows his stuff and writes about nuclear science in an engaging, educational, and sometimes humorous way. Example: One chapter is reassuringly titled, "The Military Almost Never Lost An Atomic Weapon."

An interesting thing about the Fukushima debacle - the engineers made provision against every credible situation. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami were deemed "not credible".

Of interest to readers of this forum - Mahaffey quotes an episode from the George Reeves "Adventures of Superman" show where Superman stops an atomic pile from melting down. Those who have seen the show - can you tell me what episode it was?

An earthquake and tsunami were deemed "not credible" in Japan? Whiskey tango foxtrot?

I believe they thought a tsunami of the height it was - 14 meters or 46 feet - was not a credible scenario. Alas for all of us, it was all too credible.

According to Wikipedia:

#43 Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

A friend recommended this YA title. A plane filled with teen aged beauty queens crashes onto a deserted island. As they learn to cope, they discover they are more than what society (and other forces) wants them to be. I like the idea of female empowerment - that women aren't defined by their looks. My friend thought the book was very funny. It was a little too over the top for me.

Joan

#44 Come Hell or High Water by Joy Castro

A mystery set in New Orleans. Lots of great descriptive detail and wonderful insight into the main character.

Joan

#45 Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Last book in the YA Divergent series. Entertaining but some of the premise was a little weak.

Joan

#46 The Circle by Dave Eggers

A job at the The Circle corporation seems like a dream come true for Mae. The Circle is the forefront in developing technologies such as consolidating user information, tracking children and information. Their ultimate goal - complete transparency. All information available to everyone.

It's a interesting concept worth exploring. We see Mae getting sucked into that world. Trying not to spoil the ending, I wasn't pleased by it.

Joan

With my Kindle chockful of freebies these days, I've been spending the last months reading half books. Ones that appeared interesting but lost my interest halfway through.

Greatshadow - James Maxey

This was the first complete book I've read in an age. I bought it last Christmas on the back of having loved his Bitterwood trilogy. Sadly, this wasn't a match for it. I had a hard time feeling any connection or empathy with the main characters.

The Key (True Reign Series I) - Jennifer Anne Davis

But I loved this. Part romance, part fantasy novel, it was the ideal way to while away a Saturday afternoon. Eager to see where Rema and Darmik go from here.

LabRat

#47 The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

While searching in the attic for something, a woman finds a sealed letter from her husband, labeled, "To be opened in the event of my death". What she learns will change her life forever.

Joan

Partials by Dan Wells
"Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask."

Takeover - Lisa Black
Evidence Of Murder - Lisa Black

I enjoyed these two thrillers. Our heroine was an engaging character and the plots were entertaining. Not keepers, but would definitely read more in the series if they crossed my path and not feel I'd wasted my time.

LabRat

Titan by Ron Chernow The life of John D. Rockefeller, good read when in the airport. There are many similarities today with Google, Microsoft and Apple.

#48 New Frontiers by Ben Bova

Short sci-fi/fantasy stories involving such themes as time travelers influencing Albert Einstein and the Catholic Church playing a role in the affairs of people frozen until cures were determined.

Joan

#49 Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

True story about Olympic athlete and WWII POW Louie Zamperini. His experiences in Japanese POW camps were horrifying.


Joan

#50 Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

Touching story about Jane, a new social worker in North Carolina in the 60s. The story is also told from the POV of Ivy, a young girl on a tobacco farm. Jane is torn, not knowing how to best help Ivy and her family.

Joan