1chrirob
Well my friends, I have joined the 75 Book Challenge for a few years and have yet to make my goal. It is not that I could not read 75 books in a year...I have to many hobbies! So, this year I am learning how to balance my passions and do a little bit of many fulfilling things throughout each week. I have even begun a Happy Planner whose sole purpose is to be filled with things I do each week that bring me joy and happiness. I started it on Sunday and learned it is very hard to only put happy, fulfilling things in my planner! It is such a switch in mentality to discuss/list all the happy things and not all the things you need/must/want/think you must be doing. That really made me stop and think about how much time I devote to work & worry, when I should also be more purposeful with scheduling things that also bring me joy. Among the things that has always made happy is reading. So, for 2022 I am going to be scheduling more purposeful happy time with crafts, nature, travel, and yes, reading! So, to begin my journey, I am striking upon a new path along the 50 Book Challenge for 2022 while also allowing for more of the things I love in life to be penciled into my life. I hope you will also make 2022 the Year of You!
Christine
Christine
3rocketjk
Welcome to the 50 Book club. I'll look forward to following along to see where your happy reading takes you. Cheers!
5chrirob
>2 lamplight: Thank you! Happy reading to you too! :)
6chrirob
>3 rocketjk: Thank you so much! Happy reading to you too in 2022! :)
7chrirob
>4 L-Anne: Thank you so much! Happy reading to you in 2022! :)
8chrirob
1. The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Elin Warner does not want to go to Le Sommet high in the Swiss Alps, but she must in order to get to the truth. She wants to confront her brother Isaac and make him confess to killing their brother Samuel. She can't remember exactly if he did it, but her returning memories all point to his guilt. However, their meeting at Le Sommet is for Isaac's engagement party and is not really a great place to garner a murder confession. Just as Elin begins to search out the truth of her brother's murder, a body is found and an employee is discovered missing...all as the weather begins to turn treacherous, avalanches block the guests escape, and panic begins to ensue after more deaths occur. Elin is the only law-enforcement office in the hotel, but can she bring herself to find this new killer while searching for the one haunting her past.
This was a very engaging book and is the first in a series that revolves around Detective Elin Warner. I will definitely pick up the next in the series!
Elin Warner does not want to go to Le Sommet high in the Swiss Alps, but she must in order to get to the truth. She wants to confront her brother Isaac and make him confess to killing their brother Samuel. She can't remember exactly if he did it, but her returning memories all point to his guilt. However, their meeting at Le Sommet is for Isaac's engagement party and is not really a great place to garner a murder confession. Just as Elin begins to search out the truth of her brother's murder, a body is found and an employee is discovered missing...all as the weather begins to turn treacherous, avalanches block the guests escape, and panic begins to ensue after more deaths occur. Elin is the only law-enforcement office in the hotel, but can she bring herself to find this new killer while searching for the one haunting her past.
This was a very engaging book and is the first in a series that revolves around Detective Elin Warner. I will definitely pick up the next in the series!
9chrirob
The Happy Planner is going well so far! I had a bit of frustration when the 1st week did not turn out "beautiful" like the ladies on YouTube or how I had imagined it in my head...but I knew this would happen. So after getting mad and journaling about my frustruation in the Happy Planner, it then made me laugh at myself for being such a darn perfectionist! So, now I have completed 5 weeks of my Happy Planner or Joy Journal and that is pretty amazing for me...as I historically give up on planners/journals after a few days. It does not hurt that I have bought some sticker books to jazz it up! I keep notes throughout my day of what brings me joy and then write them down in my Happy Planner. It was hard to remember what brought me joy at first, but as the weeks went on I found that I was able to recognize more moments throughout my day that made me happy or brought a smile. I did not know this journey would be so enlightening while also calming my perfectionist tendencies! I hope you are all well and finding joy each and every day. :)
Christine
Christine
10chrirob
2. The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel
Lady Annabeth wants nothing more than to be left alone to design & create her own jewelry; however, ladies of the gentry do not follow such pursuits. At least, that is what she thought, until her father actually let her begin an apprenticeship with a local jeweler when her family moved from England to Ireland. Stephen Jennings does not want to have anything to do with the British interloper that has come to apprentice at his father's shop. The British have no business in Ireland and need to leave - permanently! As tensions run high in the shop, so too do the tensions mounting between the British and the Irish. If a war is coming will it be a war between countries or between two hearts?
This was a good, quick read and I liked the ending & epilogue to show what happened to everyone.
Lady Annabeth wants nothing more than to be left alone to design & create her own jewelry; however, ladies of the gentry do not follow such pursuits. At least, that is what she thought, until her father actually let her begin an apprenticeship with a local jeweler when her family moved from England to Ireland. Stephen Jennings does not want to have anything to do with the British interloper that has come to apprentice at his father's shop. The British have no business in Ireland and need to leave - permanently! As tensions run high in the shop, so too do the tensions mounting between the British and the Irish. If a war is coming will it be a war between countries or between two hearts?
This was a good, quick read and I liked the ending & epilogue to show what happened to everyone.
11chrirob
3. Come Back to Me (Waters of Time #1) by Jody Hedlund
Marian Creighton never believed her father's theories about the Tree of Life and its' healing properties from Biblical lore. However, she does believe in science and, like her father, will stop at nothing from finding a cure for her sister who suffers from a debilitating terminal illness. When she receives a call that her father is in a coma, she races to Canterbury, England only to discover his office ransacked, his home burglarized, and her life in danger. Was her father's coma an attempted murder, a medical condition, or was it somehow self-inflicted? As Marian tries to solve the mystery of her father's condition, she begins to understand more of his work and those who want to steal it. Can she discover the secrets of her fathers condition and if it is connected to the cure her family so desperately needs before time runs out for them all?
This was a great book and I could not put it down - read it in one day! I am so glad that I bought this book to read before jumping into my LibraryThing Early Reviewer's copy of the sequel: Never Leave Me! More to come on the adventures of the Creighton family!
Marian Creighton never believed her father's theories about the Tree of Life and its' healing properties from Biblical lore. However, she does believe in science and, like her father, will stop at nothing from finding a cure for her sister who suffers from a debilitating terminal illness. When she receives a call that her father is in a coma, she races to Canterbury, England only to discover his office ransacked, his home burglarized, and her life in danger. Was her father's coma an attempted murder, a medical condition, or was it somehow self-inflicted? As Marian tries to solve the mystery of her father's condition, she begins to understand more of his work and those who want to steal it. Can she discover the secrets of her fathers condition and if it is connected to the cure her family so desperately needs before time runs out for them all?
This was a great book and I could not put it down - read it in one day! I am so glad that I bought this book to read before jumping into my LibraryThing Early Reviewer's copy of the sequel: Never Leave Me! More to come on the adventures of the Creighton family!
12chrirob
4. Never Leave Me (Waters of Time #2) by Jody Hedlund
Ellen Creighton has lost her father and her sister in a few very short weeks - now she is about to lose her own life. Ellen has battled VHL Syndrome, her family's genetic terminal illness, for years and has accepted that she would never have a husband or children due to the risk of passing on her illness and to spare those that love her the pain of leaving. However, when her lifelong friend Lord Burlington finds a miraculous cure for himself, can she dare hope it will work on her. But with such a miracle cure comes danger from those that would have such a prize for themselves, and deny it to those who are really in need. Can Ellen take the cure without harming herself or others? Will she survive to have more time to live - and to love?
This was a very good book also in this series. I was sad when I finished it as there were no more to read! I am hoping Ms. Hedlund writes another, but could also see this book as the end of that particular series about the Creighton family. Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for this book (as it also led me into this series when I bought book #1 to read first!)
Ellen Creighton has lost her father and her sister in a few very short weeks - now she is about to lose her own life. Ellen has battled VHL Syndrome, her family's genetic terminal illness, for years and has accepted that she would never have a husband or children due to the risk of passing on her illness and to spare those that love her the pain of leaving. However, when her lifelong friend Lord Burlington finds a miraculous cure for himself, can she dare hope it will work on her. But with such a miracle cure comes danger from those that would have such a prize for themselves, and deny it to those who are really in need. Can Ellen take the cure without harming herself or others? Will she survive to have more time to live - and to love?
This was a very good book also in this series. I was sad when I finished it as there were no more to read! I am hoping Ms. Hedlund writes another, but could also see this book as the end of that particular series about the Creighton family. Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for this book (as it also led me into this series when I bought book #1 to read first!)
13chrirob
5. Born of Persuasion (Price of Privilege Trilogy #1) by Jessica Dotta
6. Mark of Distinction (Price of Privilege Trilogy #2) by Jessica Dotta
7. Price of Privilege (Price of Privilege Trilogy #3) by Jessica Dotta
When Julia Elliston's mother dies, she is left feeling unmoored with no home, no family, no money, and no idea of what her future holds. When shipped off by a mysterious guardian to stay a few weeks with family friends, she discovers that her guardian's plans are very dismal and bleak: she is to be shipped to Scotland as a lady's maid. Julia, believing she has no choice after learning that her betrothed had become married to the church, takes matters into her own hands. Julia will never imagine the series of events that will unfold due to her hasty decisions based on unknown half-truths.
This series is very good and riveting! I literally could not put it down and kept changing my mind as to what I wanted to happen to the main characters. I highly recommend this series if you are a fan of historical fiction!
6. Mark of Distinction (Price of Privilege Trilogy #2) by Jessica Dotta
7. Price of Privilege (Price of Privilege Trilogy #3) by Jessica Dotta
When Julia Elliston's mother dies, she is left feeling unmoored with no home, no family, no money, and no idea of what her future holds. When shipped off by a mysterious guardian to stay a few weeks with family friends, she discovers that her guardian's plans are very dismal and bleak: she is to be shipped to Scotland as a lady's maid. Julia, believing she has no choice after learning that her betrothed had become married to the church, takes matters into her own hands. Julia will never imagine the series of events that will unfold due to her hasty decisions based on unknown half-truths.
This series is very good and riveting! I literally could not put it down and kept changing my mind as to what I wanted to happen to the main characters. I highly recommend this series if you are a fan of historical fiction!
14chrirob
8. The Sweet Life (Cape Cod Creamery) by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Life is not going according to plan for Dawn: her fiancée cancelled their wedding (and their relationship), her mother got cancer (and conveniently forgot to tell her) and her dad is not there to help patch things up (passed away a year ago). What Dawn needs if for her life to go back to being structured, well-organized, and planned to a "T." But, what Dawn got was a honeymoon without a wedding...with her mother in Cape Cod. Oh well, the honeymoon is not what was expected (um, she expected her husband Kevin to be joining her) but at least she is beginning to relax...until her mother decides to buy a dilapidated ice cream shop that is not even in running condition. Can Dawn convince her mother that this is not her life's dream, but a post-cancer-mid-life-crisis before she ruins both their lives?
This was a really good book that both my mother and I read in 2 days each! We both agree it was great and just a good solid read. Great job Ms. Fisher!
Life is not going according to plan for Dawn: her fiancée cancelled their wedding (and their relationship), her mother got cancer (and conveniently forgot to tell her) and her dad is not there to help patch things up (passed away a year ago). What Dawn needs if for her life to go back to being structured, well-organized, and planned to a "T." But, what Dawn got was a honeymoon without a wedding...with her mother in Cape Cod. Oh well, the honeymoon is not what was expected (um, she expected her husband Kevin to be joining her) but at least she is beginning to relax...until her mother decides to buy a dilapidated ice cream shop that is not even in running condition. Can Dawn convince her mother that this is not her life's dream, but a post-cancer-mid-life-crisis before she ruins both their lives?
This was a really good book that both my mother and I read in 2 days each! We both agree it was great and just a good solid read. Great job Ms. Fisher!
15chrirob
9. Where the Road Bends by Rachel Fordham
Norah King's dream had always been to marry, have a family, and continue to work her family's farm in Blackwell. Love, she has learned, may not always be part of that life-bargain. When her father dies, Norah tried her best to work the farm, but she has no more funds to pay for the land - until Jake Granger begins to court her. Jake may not be Prince Charming, but he appears kind...and will save her land. While not romantic, it is practical and amiable. But, when Norah rescues a young man in her fields and tends to his numerous wounds, she begins to learn that stability may not be worth forgoing love. Little did she know that meeting Quincey Barnes would set in motion a spiral of events that would change both of their lives: One for the better and one for the worse.
This was a very good book! I liked the reality of the story and how it did not soften those realities of life. It would be very interesting to continue this storyline with some of the other characters in the story: Sam & Alice, Nels and Mrs. Dover. Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the advanced copy! Will be looking for more by Ms. Fordham!
Norah King's dream had always been to marry, have a family, and continue to work her family's farm in Blackwell. Love, she has learned, may not always be part of that life-bargain. When her father dies, Norah tried her best to work the farm, but she has no more funds to pay for the land - until Jake Granger begins to court her. Jake may not be Prince Charming, but he appears kind...and will save her land. While not romantic, it is practical and amiable. But, when Norah rescues a young man in her fields and tends to his numerous wounds, she begins to learn that stability may not be worth forgoing love. Little did she know that meeting Quincey Barnes would set in motion a spiral of events that would change both of their lives: One for the better and one for the worse.
This was a very good book! I liked the reality of the story and how it did not soften those realities of life. It would be very interesting to continue this storyline with some of the other characters in the story: Sam & Alice, Nels and Mrs. Dover. Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the advanced copy! Will be looking for more by Ms. Fordham!
16chrirob
Wow it has been so long since I have been in here...and read a book. Not sure why I went on a non-reading binge but it certainly happened. I really don't ever remember going so long without reading a book! But, I guess I should just be happy I am reading one now. Working on Jane Kirkpatrick's Beneath the Bending Skies. I am enjoying it so far...will keep you posted...
Good to be back LibraryThing. :)
Good to be back LibraryThing. :)
18chrirob
10. Beneath the Bending Skies by Jane Kirkpatrick
Mollie Sheehan's life is turned upside down when her mother dies, but her father is almost inconsolable. While her father finds solace in work, Mollie must contend with being left with strangers in her father's absence. Just as Mollie gives up hope of seeing her father again, he returns to claim her & start their life anew. Mollie learns very quickly that her dreams of independently caring for her father are crushed - her father has married again. However, the young woman he has married is kind & patient with Mollie and becomes Mother Anne to the lost & rebellious child. As Mollie grows into a beautiful young woman, she begins to learn of life & love and the sacrifices to be made for love, duty, and family. However, will Mollie give up love at the request of her father? Will she content herself with caring for her irrationally, overprotective father at the loss of what could be the love of her life?
This was a really good book and I love that it was based on a real person! Ms. Kirkpatrick is very good at narrating the lives of real people and making you want to know more. Thank you LibraryThing for the Early Reviewers copy! :)
Mollie Sheehan's life is turned upside down when her mother dies, but her father is almost inconsolable. While her father finds solace in work, Mollie must contend with being left with strangers in her father's absence. Just as Mollie gives up hope of seeing her father again, he returns to claim her & start their life anew. Mollie learns very quickly that her dreams of independently caring for her father are crushed - her father has married again. However, the young woman he has married is kind & patient with Mollie and becomes Mother Anne to the lost & rebellious child. As Mollie grows into a beautiful young woman, she begins to learn of life & love and the sacrifices to be made for love, duty, and family. However, will Mollie give up love at the request of her father? Will she content herself with caring for her irrationally, overprotective father at the loss of what could be the love of her life?
This was a really good book and I love that it was based on a real person! Ms. Kirkpatrick is very good at narrating the lives of real people and making you want to know more. Thank you LibraryThing for the Early Reviewers copy! :)
19chrirob
11. The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano
Music has always been intertwined in Vivienne's life for as long as she can remember. Music is what has helped her survive her father's abuse and her mother's death. However, Vivienne never expected music to save her sanity or the sanity of others. When Vivienne is mistakenly admitted to an asylum as a patient, she will need to rely on her music more than ever to not only keep her sanity, but to survive. Something is amiss in the Hurstwell Asylum, if only Vivienne can let her music, faith, and love guide her to safety...Vivienne may discover that she has other talents beyond music to share with the world.
This was a very interesting book that had many turns I was not expecting! Thank you LibraryThing for the Early Reviewers copy!
It was a very interesting story and I loved the history of the asylums & the plight of its' inhabitants that was threaded into the narrative.
Music has always been intertwined in Vivienne's life for as long as she can remember. Music is what has helped her survive her father's abuse and her mother's death. However, Vivienne never expected music to save her sanity or the sanity of others. When Vivienne is mistakenly admitted to an asylum as a patient, she will need to rely on her music more than ever to not only keep her sanity, but to survive. Something is amiss in the Hurstwell Asylum, if only Vivienne can let her music, faith, and love guide her to safety...Vivienne may discover that she has other talents beyond music to share with the world.
This was a very interesting book that had many turns I was not expecting! Thank you LibraryThing for the Early Reviewers copy!
It was a very interesting story and I loved the history of the asylums & the plight of its' inhabitants that was threaded into the narrative.
20chrirob
12. Laura's Shadow by Allison Pittman
Trixie Gowan has loved the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder since she was a little girl. In fact, the series is the inspiration for her weekly comic "Lost Laura" about a midwestern Prairie Girl lost in today's modern times. When Trixie gets a message that her great grandmother Miranda is slipping away, she reluctantly returns home...sure that this bedside vigil will end like the others for her 104 year-old GG...as a false alarm. While Trixie finds her GG in better health than she expected, she is concerned that her mind might be slipping when GG states that she knew Laura Ingalls Wilder...and could not stand her! What could be so terrible about America's Prairie Sweetheart that would rile-up Trixie's GG and force a deathbed confession?
This was a wonderful book and it was lovely to see the Little House characters come to life again in this new tale. It was also wonderful to see some of the lesser-known characters have a little life of their own in Ms. Pittman's story. Bravo! A must for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder & the Little House series.
Trixie Gowan has loved the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder since she was a little girl. In fact, the series is the inspiration for her weekly comic "Lost Laura" about a midwestern Prairie Girl lost in today's modern times. When Trixie gets a message that her great grandmother Miranda is slipping away, she reluctantly returns home...sure that this bedside vigil will end like the others for her 104 year-old GG...as a false alarm. While Trixie finds her GG in better health than she expected, she is concerned that her mind might be slipping when GG states that she knew Laura Ingalls Wilder...and could not stand her! What could be so terrible about America's Prairie Sweetheart that would rile-up Trixie's GG and force a deathbed confession?
This was a wonderful book and it was lovely to see the Little House characters come to life again in this new tale. It was also wonderful to see some of the lesser-known characters have a little life of their own in Ms. Pittman's story. Bravo! A must for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder & the Little House series.
21chrirob
13. A Perfect Copy by Derville Murphy
Daisy Staunton needs to sell a painting of her great-great grandmother Lady Helen Fromme to pay for her mother's rising medical costs. Ben Tarrant needs to sell a portrait of his great-great grandaunt Lena Tarrant to fund his fiancée's extravagant wedding. The only problem for them both is that their paintings are identical Thomas Rafferty works and the auction house will not proceed with either auction until the paintings are examined and their histories revealed. While Daisy and Ben work together to unravel their paintings' history, they may also discover the mysterious past that connects their two families. How did two families come to own the same painting, of the same woman, with completely different names, pasts, and families?
This book was very interesting and was woven between the past to explain the stories of sisters Lena and Rosa and their descendants Ben & Daisy. A good book with an interesting history of the Jewish people living in Kiev, Vienna, England, and Ireland from the 1850s to 2011. Thank you LibraryThing for the Early Reviewers copy and the opportunity to read this intriguing story.
Daisy Staunton needs to sell a painting of her great-great grandmother Lady Helen Fromme to pay for her mother's rising medical costs. Ben Tarrant needs to sell a portrait of his great-great grandaunt Lena Tarrant to fund his fiancée's extravagant wedding. The only problem for them both is that their paintings are identical Thomas Rafferty works and the auction house will not proceed with either auction until the paintings are examined and their histories revealed. While Daisy and Ben work together to unravel their paintings' history, they may also discover the mysterious past that connects their two families. How did two families come to own the same painting, of the same woman, with completely different names, pasts, and families?
This book was very interesting and was woven between the past to explain the stories of sisters Lena and Rosa and their descendants Ben & Daisy. A good book with an interesting history of the Jewish people living in Kiev, Vienna, England, and Ireland from the 1850s to 2011. Thank you LibraryThing for the Early Reviewers copy and the opportunity to read this intriguing story.
