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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#33 Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Mare is a Red, one of the workers while the Silvers have true power in every way. Then Mare discovers she's developing powers of her own. My son recommended this series. For a YA dystopia, it's pretty good.
Last edited by scifiJoan; 08/01/17 07:28 PM.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#34 Glass Sword by Victoria AveyardPursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.
But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.
Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever? Next installment in the Red Queen series. I'm starting the third one tomorrow. Joan
Last edited by scifiJoan; 08/09/17 07:34 PM.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#35 Falling by Jane Green
Light romance about a woman changing her life. Perfect for a plane ride read.
Joan
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Top Banana
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24. Prey, by Michael Crichton
A Silicon Valley company designs intelligent nanobots that can replicate themselves and evolve. The project works too well, and the nanobots start preying on humans.
This was a good sci-fi novel that it didn't take me long to read. It delves into the scary side of AI -- the potential for it to turn on living things.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#36 King's Cage by Victoria AveyardMare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.
As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back Third installment in the Red Queen series. Lots of groups forming new alliances. I'm starting like Mare a little more. Joan
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#37 Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
I was in the mood for something light and this definitely was light. Some insight into the Gilmore Girls reunion movie. Nothing overly indepth.
Joan
Last edited by scifiJoan; 08/28/17 02:16 PM.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#38 The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon
Two wives of American military men stationed in Jordan become unlikely friends. Their different personalities and approaches to Jordan culture lead to problems.
The portrayal of these women was brutally honest. You didn't love either but you felt you could understand them. The book lead to the question, when to be cautious and when not to be.
Joan
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Top Banana
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25. Lois Lane: Cloudy with a Chance of Destruction, by Gwenda Bond
Lois catches a classmate smuggling something dangerous to school in order to impress his girlfriend. Trouble ensues (because this Lois also likes dangling over the jaws of death).
26. Ghosts of California: The Haunted Locations of Fallbrook, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Perris, and Temecula, by Jeffrey Fisher
I downloaded this book to see what ghosts were supposed to be in the areas I go to. It was interesting, but the research needed some work, especially when it came to the locations of these supposedly haunted buildings.
27. Blue Dahlia, by Nora Roberts
The first book of Roberts' In the Garden trilogy, in which a young widow named Stella takes a job in a nursery, meets a new love, and contends with a ghost who loves children (and hates men).
28. Black Rose, by Nora Roberts
The second book of Roberts' In the Garden trilogy, in which the owner of the nursery from the previous book, Roz Harper, falls for the man doing a history of her family in an attempt to help the increasingly vicious ghost.
29. Dangerous Minds, by Janet Evanovich
Evanovich's new series is funny, like the Stephanie Plum series was before it got repetitive. An island has disappeared, and its Buddhist monk owner, Wayan Bagus, wants it back, so he contacts his former student, Emerson Knight, a Sherlock Holmes type who can't resist a good mystery. Knight brings along his amanuensis, Riley Moon (the Watson to Knight's Holmes), and his redneck cousin, Vernon. Hilarity ensues.
30. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
31. Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins
32. Dinosaurs, by Peter Zallinger
This old children's book about dinosaurs was written in the 80s and is somewhat out of date, but the art is entertaining, particularly where it appears that a predator is trying to talk his prey into being eaten, and the prey looks like he's about to give the predator a rude gesture.
33. Bad Monkey, by Carl Hiaasen
Hiaasen writes about the Bahamas in this humorous book about crime, corruption, and obnoxious primates.
34. The Magic School Bus: Going Batty: A Book About Bats, by Nancy E. Krulik
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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35. Blackboard Bear, by Martha Alexander
Cute little book about a boy who isn't allowed to play with the big kids, so he creates a bear friend and won't let them play with it.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#39 Ordinary Grace by William Kent KruegerFrom New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger comes a brilliant new novel about a young man, a small town, and murder in the summer of 1961. I read this book a second time for an upcoming book club and enjoyed it even more the second time around. It reminds me a little of "To Kill A Mockingbird". Joan
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Merriwether
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#40 A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold
Sue Klebold takes us through her confusion and grief over her son's crimes at Columbine High School.
Joan
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36. Insects, by Barbara Taylor
This children's book, published in 2010 by Jack-in-the-Box, gives a number of easy-to-understand facts about insects. My 6-year-old niece, who can't read yet but nevertheless loves learning about animals and biology, had me read it to her.
37. Red Lily, by Nora Roberts
The third and final book in the In the Garden trilogy, telling the story of Hayley and Harper, and also solving the mystery of the ghost of the Harper Bride, Amelia.
38. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
This novel tells the story of two black maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, and a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, who put together and publish a book of stories told by black maids in white households in the early 1960s.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#41 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
This book tells about the scientific discoveries made using HeLa cells and about the life of the donor herself.
#42 While You Were Sleeping by Kathryn Croft
You wake up to find the man beside you is dead.
He is not your husband. This is not your bed.
What do you do?
While this was an interesting start, this psychological thriller never really came together for me. I didn't like most of the characters. And the twist seemed to come out of nowhere.
Last edited by scifiJoan; 09/28/17 09:47 PM.
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39. Tourist Season, by Carl Hiaasen
Brian Keyes, a former reporter turned PI, is hired to investigate the case of a Cuban man arrested for murder. It turns into a much larger case involving a former colleague, a wealthy Seminole, an ex-football star, and the world's most incompetent terrorist.
This is Hiaasen's first "only in Florida" novel, and one of his best.
40. On the Beach, by Nevil Shute
Nuclear war has come and gone, and the people of Melbourne, Australia, wait for the end as the radiation moves steadily south, killing everyone in its path.
This is honestly one of the most depressing books I've ever read, and the ending is a real tearjerker. It's about nothing less than the end of the world.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#43 The Girl with No Past by Kathryn Croft eah Mills lives a life of a fugitive – kept on the run by one terrible day from her past. It is a lonely life, without a social life or friends until – longing for a connection – she meets Julian. For the first time she dares to believe she can live a normal life.
Then, on the fourteenth anniversary of that day, she receives a card. Someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed the life Leah has created.
But is Leah all she seems? Or does she deserve everything she gets? People are comparing this book to Gone Girl. It is not on the level. The lead character isn't that likeable and some of the events don't make much sense.
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41. Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, by James Finn Garner
After reading On the Beach, I wanted to read something light and funny, and Politically Correct Bedtime Stories fit the bill. This book parodies both fairy tales and the politically correct language and attitudes of the mid-90's (much of which hasn't changed in more than 20 years). Definitely weird, and definitely funny.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Merriwether
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#44 Missing Pieces by Heather GudenKaufSarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, hospitalized in a coma, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded. Ok mystery. Some parts a little silly and predictable.
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42. Lords of Corruption, by Kyle Mills
Ex-con Josh Hagarty is recruited by an obscure charity, New Africa, to manage their activities in a war-torn African nation. It soon becomes apparent, though, that the "charity" is not what it seems.
This was an engaging story, although the attitudes toward Africa and Africans were often disturbing. The idea of a charity being a front for criminal operations wasn't unbelievable. (How many fake charities pop up after every disaster, trying to separate sympathetic people from their money?) Overall, a decent read.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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#45 You will know me by Megan AbbottKatie and Eric Knox have dedicated their lives to their fifteen-year-old daughter Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful. But when a violent death rocks their close-knit gymnastics community just weeks before an all-important competition, everything the Knoxes have worked so hard for feels suddenly at risk. I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up on my Nook. I was surprised to read such an insightful look at the impact on a family of pursuing their daughter's Olympic dream. My daughter is involved in gymnastics (not nearly to that extent) but the descriptions of the life rang true. I was a little disappointed by the ending of the book.
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43. Wild Western Desire, by Kathy Jones
Katy Halliday, a Wild West and dime novel fan extraordinaire, takes a trip to Colorado to see some of the places she's read about in the dime novels her uncle publishes. Rait Caldwell, ex-lawman turned saloon owner, owes Katy's uncle a favor, and finds himself the chaperone for the young lady. Romance ensues, of course, though frankly I think the love story was shoehorned in rather badly. Katy is none too bright, often venturing into too dumb to live territory (like when she decides to find out if someone could rob the train by running along the top of it, falls off, and nearly falls over a cliff. Rait has to rescue her, at which point she ignores him in favor of fangirling over his friend, real-life lawman Bat Masterson.) In spite of -- or perhaps because of -- Katy's lack of common sense, the novel is very funny and reads like a satire of both westerns and romance novels.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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