Reading Thread/Goals for 2025

[wvjules]

#10 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins -
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.



I cannot say enough good things about this book. If you read The Hunger Games trilogy you will love this book. It is heartbreaking and beautiful. You will learn so much about Haymitch and others from the original 3 books. I highly recommend it. I’m going to listen to the audio book now too.

 

[willowsnn3]

#8/25 Deeper Than Dead by Tami Hoag
California, 1985. Four children, running in the woods behind their school, stumble upon a partially buried female body, eyes and mouth glued shut. Close behind the children is their teacher, Anne Navarre, shocked by this discovery and heartbroken as she witnesses the end of their innocence. What she doesn’t yet realize is that this will mark the end of innocence for an entire community, as the ties that bind families and friends are tested by secrets uncovered in the wake of a serial killer’s escalating activity.

I enjoyed this one.

 

[wvjules]

Oh I wanted to add…

Update to my lost Kindle. I filed a lost and found claim with Delta and got an email last Wednesday that they found it!!! It was delivered to me yesterday. I thought it was lost forever! Delta for the win!!!

So now I am exchanging the new one for a Colorsoft. It should be here on Tuesday.

 

[bobbiwoz]

22/50 “Peace” by Shelly Shepard Gray. Needed to rest my eyes, so listened to this “A Crittenden County Christmas novel.” Didn’t particularly enjoy it. Apparently it’s part of a series, and I don’t think it stood well enough alone. 2.5/5

 

[Wood Nymph]

11/30 - Flight of Dreams - by Ariel Lawhon - 3/5

This is the 4th book that I've read by this author. It is mostly a matter of laziness, since I don't really know what book I want to read next, and this author does a decent job. This story of the Hindenburg is really just a story that could be in almost any location. There's a love story, or more, a mystery, etc. It was an okay story but my least favorite of the four books from this author. But it was interesting to read a little about this period in time.

from library website - With everyone onboard harboring dark secrets and at least one person determined to make sure the airship doesn't make the return trip, Flight of Dreams gives an utterly suspenseful, heart-wrenching explanation for one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth century. On the evening of May 3, 1937, Emilie Imhof boards the Hindenburg. As the only female crewmember, Emilie has access to the entire airship, from the lavish dining rooms and passenger suites to the gritty engine cars and control room. She hears everything, but with rumors circulating about bomb threats, Emilie's focus is on maintaining a professional air ... and keeping her own plans under wraps. What Emilie can't see is that everyone from the dynamic vaudeville acrobat to the high-standing German officer seems to be hiding something. Giving free rein to countless theories of sabotage, charade, and mishap, Flight of Dreams takes us on the thrilling three-day transatlantic flight through the alternating perspectives of Emilie; Max, the ship's navigator who is sweet on her; Gertrud, a bold female journalist who's been blacklisted in her native Germany; Werner, a thirteen-year-old cabin boy with a bad habit of sneaking up on people; and a brash American who's never without a drink in his hand. Everyone knows more than they initially let on, and as the novel moves inexorably toward its tragic climax, the question of which of the passengers will survive the trip infuses every scene with a deliciously unbearable tension. With enthralling atmospheric details that immediately transport and spellbinding plotting that would make Agatha Christie proud, Flight of Dreams will keep you guessing till the last page. And, as The New York Times Book Review said of her last novel, This book is more meticulously choreographed than a chorus line. It all pays off.

 

[wishiwasindisneyjen]

25/104: Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber
This was supposed to be a Christmas story but the only "Christmas" thing about it was that it was set in December. Story of an overworked business owner who mistakenly ends up on an Amazon cruise and falls in love. Predictable and just ok. 2

26/104: Memorial by Bryan Washington
I did not finish this book. I found it in my neighborhood's little free library and it was a book of the month club pick, so I grabbed it without reading the synopsis. Wasn't a fan of the writing style and I couldn't get into it. No rating.

27/104: Gift of Life by Henri Landwirth
Excellent story of the man who created Give Kids the World. This book was recommended on here and I really loved it. His early life was so horrific, it's a miracle he even survived, and then to spend his life trying to help others, just beautiful. 5

28/104: The Little Book of Tourists in Iceland by Alda Sigmundsdottir
Cute book about tips, tricks and what the Icelanders really think of tourists in their country. Learned a ton and enjoyed the writing style. 4