Review: 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club Series #1) by James Patterson

The first of the Women's Murder Club pulled me in from the beginning, and it happens to be the first book by James Patterson that I've ever read. This is an easy book to listen to while I'm multitasking on other thoughtless activities because there aren't many details that absolutely have to be remembered to enjoy or understand the story as a whole. In other words, there isn't a lot of depth to the plot or the characters. It's a mindless story, which surprises me somewhat considering how popular James Patterson is as an author.

As James Tivendale, another Goodreads user and book reviewer, put it in his review, "I tend to read Patterson's books when I don't want my brain to work that hard. 1st to Die fits that bill perfectly." He is absolutely right.

While I loved the idea of a Murder Club, as opposed to the book clubs that typically catch my attention, and that the club consists of four women in jobs that typically work closely together on crimes, I was not keen on the fact that none of the women were all that "real." The journalist, Cindy Thomas from the San Francisco Chronicle, is portrayed as a stereotypical drama queen. Lindsay Boxer, a homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department, had a health scare that seemed to only be included to give the character a personal crisis to handle while trying to track down a possible serial killer. The district attorney, Yuki Castellano (token Asian and Italian name/character?), was not memorable - perhaps those were the sections where my mind had wandered to something else. Claire Washburn, the medical examiner, is the token best friend and confidant for the main character. Why is it always the medical examiner that serves as the token confidant and wise person in crime dramas?

All the fluff of "you go girl" kind of attitudes left me cringing and wondering if Patterson just wrote this for the sake of writing this kind of story, or if he really does actually know how to write strong female characters.

I don't typically like reading the first book of a series because it's such a commitment if I end up liking them and there are so many other books I'd prefer to read. This particular series has 20 books, which is why I chose to read it because it fits the 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge Advanced prompt of "A book from a series with more than 20 books."

In the end, this book accomplished its purpose for me - checking off a reading prompt. I am 100% okay with not continuing to read the rest of the books.

I recommend this to those who enjoy mindless reads, shallow characters, and fluffy plots. This is perfect for a beach read.

**
Review: 1st to Die by James Patterson
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Published: November 1, 2005 by Hachette Audio
Dates Read: August 12-17, 2020

Reading Challenge: 2020 Audiobook Challenge

Better late than never to officially post and sign up for the 2020 Audiobook Challenge hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer. This year officially marks the 4th year that I've participated in this challenge, and every year I have a stronger appreciation for the audiobook because without it, I wouldn't digest nearly as many books as I would like.

As I mentioned in last year's signup post, I used to be anti-audiobook because it felt like cheating and like I wasn't truly reading. Once I got past that and realized that I was still absorbing the same information, it became a real challenge for me in the sense that it's a competition for myself.

I enjoy trying to outdo myself and now that I've been doing this challenge for a few years now, it's amazing to see how my listening habits have evolved over the years.

There are seven Achievement Levels:

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

In 2017, I was the Stenographer because I listened to 15 books.
In 2018, I surpassed my personal goal of 15 books, and achieved the Binge Listener level by listening to 24 audiobooks.
In 2019, my goal was 25 books (Binge Listener), and I surpassed that by listening to 34 books pushing me into the My Precious level.
My 2020 Goal: 30 books to reach My Precious level again. I may increase it to 50 at some point considering I've listened to 22 books so far this year (thank you COVID-19).

Are you interested in signing up for this challenge? Head on over to Caffeinated Reviewer's link up post where you'll also find the rules. You do not need to be a blogger to join - you can link up using your Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing or other account.

Happy Listening!

Reading Challenge: Audiobook Challenge 2019

2019 marks the third year in a row that I am participating in this challenge hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer. This challenge has helped me gain an appreciation and love for the audio book format. I didn't used to like audio books because I didn't think listening to a book really counted as "reading." It felted like cheating. I have since learned that while it technically doesn't count as reading the words, it still counts as absorbing the story. Listening to audio books has helped me to "read" more than I would have otherwise, and also books I wouldn't have read otherwise such as classics like Jane Austen novels that are hard to read. One of my favorite authors to listen to is Elin Hilderbrand because her writing is so easy to enjoy while I am multitasking.

That said, I enjoy a challenge and I am super competitive so I enjoy trying to outdo myself. So far I've been able to do that with this challenge. In 2017, I was the Stenographer (see below) and in 2018 I skipped a level and achieved the Binge Listener level by listening to 24 audiobooks (as of Dec. 15). For 2019, my goal will be 25 to achieve at least the same level as 2018, if not more.

There are seven Achievement Levels:
Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

In the blogger-sphere, signing up is called "linking up" so if you'd like to link up for this challenge, hop on over to Caffeinated Reviewer's link up post where you'll also find the rules. You do not need to be a blogger to join - you can link up using your Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing or other account.

Reading Challenge: Audiobook Challenge 2018

This is the 2nd year I've participated in the Audiobook Challenge hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and Hot Listens! They do a giveaway at the end of every year for anyone who participates in the challenge and "links up" in their year end posts. Link up means signing up for the giveaway by submitting your link to a list of the books you've listened to throughout the year. Most people either submit a blog post or a link to their Goodreads shelf or list. This blog post counts as my sign up once I link to Caffeinated Reviewer's Final Check-In post. Interested participants can link up anytime through December 31, 2018.

The reason I'm signing up now instead of on December 31 is because I know I'll stay in the same level as I am now, which is Binge Listener, which is 20-30 books and I won't have time to write a post between today and the end of the year because of how crazy schedules get with Christmas approaching. As of December 15th, I've listened to 24 complete books out of my goal 25 for the calendar year. My original goal was 15 for the year and when I finished my 23 audio book I decided to up my goal. It's possible I may surpass 25 before the end of the year by 2-3 books because I have 4 hours left on one book and a 14 hour round-trip road trip ahead of me.

These are the levels:
Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

These are the books I've listened to:
January:
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand
Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

February:
Undying by Corina Bishop

March:
Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand
And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

April:
Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want by Rachel Cruze
Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

May:
Fly Away: Firefly Lane 2 by Kristin Hannah

June:
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

July: none

August:
The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thich Nhat Hanh

September:
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

October:
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama XIV

November:
The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
The Home Front: Life in America During WWII by Audible Originals, Narrated by Martin Sheen

December:
Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Currently Listening to:
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian - 4 hours left and will finish today
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis - starting today and will finish this week

May also finish this year:
You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

I'll update this post at the end of the year with how many I officially finished.

Part 3 of 3: Year in Review of 2017 Reading Challenges

Read Women 2017 Challenge

Summary: I am a member of a group on Goodreads called Read Women. Groups can have their own challenges, which are tracked by creating a "shelf" that's tied to the group challenge, and as you finish a book for that challenge, you add it to that shelf. The goal of this group, and in turn the, challenge is to read books by women. 

Challenge progress: I've read 12 out of  my goal of 13 books. I set this goal to 13 based on the books by women on my assigned list I created early on in 2017.

1. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
2. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand
3. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
4. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
5. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
6. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
7. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
8. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
9. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
10. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
11. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
12. Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Educator Sexual Abuse by Andrea Clemens

Goal for remainder of 2017: however many of my currently reading pile I can complete.

2018 Goal: I think 15 is a fair goal considering that half of the books I usually read are by women. Exact number is to be determined. I like to set my goal at the very end of the year when I know exactly how many books I've completed.

Read Women Around the World

Summary: This is another challenge started by the Read Women group on Goodreads. It was adapted and borrowed from a few other challenges, particularly modeled after the "around the world in 80 books" challenge in the UK Book Group in Goodreads. The goal is to read as many books as I choose as the reader that are set in different countries around the world. There is no time or date limit to this challenge - I can take as long as I want to complete this challenge! The group challenge is set to end in 2037, but that's most likely because the site setting requires an end date.

Copied over from the challenge description, the only rules are:
1) All books have to be written by women.
2) The country must be the main setting (or joint main setting) for the book, not just somewhere a character makes a fleeting visit to.

A rule I've added for myself - exclude books set in the U.S. since it's my home country.

Alternately, I could read authors who are from different countries around the world, regardless of the setting of the book. I decided not to do it this way because I'd forget to try to reading female authors from different countries. It is much easier for me to go by setting of the book, than the author.

Challenge progress: 4 so far, out of the total of 30 I want to read.

Goal for remainder of 2017: Not applicable really since there's no time limit on this challenge. If I can finish either Dragonfly in Amber or Rokitansky, then great and that'll count. If I don't, then that's okay too!

2018 Goal: whatever I can read! I think 2-3 would be a safe goal, but that'll get firmed up a bit more in the next month (or year). I'll keep it low because I don't know what I'll be reading over the next year and want to keep it attainable.

Part 2 of 3: Year in Review of 2017 Reading Challenges

2017 Audiobook Challenge

Welcome to Part 2 of this 3-part series, where I am talking about my progress in the 2017 Audiobook Challenge. Back in May, I posted about my progress when I first learned about this challenge. 

Summary: 2017 is the fifth annual challenge, and it is hosted Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer. There is also a group on Goodreads called Audiobook Junkies and is managed by Jonetta and Jennifer at The Book Nympho, the original hosts of the challenge. 

The rules are simple:

• Runs from Jan. to Dec. 31, 2017
• Goal is to listen to more audiobooks this year than last year
• Must be in audio format - i.e. mp3, CD, Audible
• Any genre counts
• No need to be a book blogger - progress can be tracked on Goodreads, Facebook, etc.
• Bloggers are asked to use the button (the audiobook challenge image) in a blog post mentioning their participation in the challenge. Others can post about the challenge on social media. The purpose is to spread the word about the challenge.
• Check-in, if possible, in June and in December for updates from Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer for giveaways. Enter the giveaways by visiting their blogs and signing up via the update post. 

Challenge progress: I've listened to a total of 11 audiobooks so far this year, putting puts me at the Stenographer level - up one level since May.

Levels:

Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5

Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10

Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15

Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20

Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30

My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50

Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+

These are the books I listened so far this year, which are linked to my reviews as applicable:

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
3. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and the first review
4. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
5. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
6. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
7. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
9. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
10. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
11. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand

Currently, I am listening to Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery for book club discussion in January, and also All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I will still be at Stenographer when I've finished these books, unless I listen to more!

Goal for remainder of 2017: nothing set at the moment, though it's possible I could finish 2-3 audio books over the next 2 weeks.

2018 Goal: I didn't have a goal set for 2017, and I don't think I'm going to set a goal for 2018 either. It's kind of a "whatever happens, happens" fun challenge for me to see how I end up doing. 

Check back tomorrow for part 3! Interested in joining the challenge next year? Be on the lookout for the link-up post in January with our wonderful hosts, Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer. You can also create a challenge shelf on Goodreads through the group I mentioned above, Audiobook Junkies, or track it through a Goodreads shelf with no challenge, through your blog, or social media site. The hosts need some kind of online list to see where keep track of your progress.

Part 1 of 3: Year in Review of 2017 Reading Challenges

This is Part 1 of a 3-part series of posts reviewing the year-long reading challenges I participated in 2017. In this post, you will see a recap of my progress on the Goodreads Reading Challenge and also My Personal Reading Challenge.

In Part 2, you will find a recap of the 2017 Audiobook Challenge, hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer. I posted about my progress back in May, at roughly the half-way point when I first learned about this challenge.

In Part 3, you will see a recap of my progress on 2 challenges from the Goodreads group called Read Women. Those challenges are aptly called Read Women 2017 and Read Women Around the World. 

In March, I participated in a challenge that was only for the month. That was the Take Control of Your TBR Pile, and won't be recapped in this series which is focused solely on my year-long challenges.

Goodreads Reading Challenge

Summary: If you remember my 2017 Reading Challenge post from January, I set myself a pretty lofty goal of reading 55 books this year on Goodreads. As much as I love to read, 55 is a high number for me.

Challenge progress: I'm at 17 books out of 55, with 9 that I'm currently reading. See below for my read list, and currently reading list. Some readers will change their goal throughout the year. I'm not changing my goal this close to the end of the year because that's just not fair and I'd feel like I'm cheating. I had a year to complete this goal or adjust it as needed and since I failed to do either, I'll do the best I can to get as close as possible to it. I also just really want to see how close I can get to reaching this 55 goal with 2 weeks left.

Goal for remainder of 2017: I'm shooting for 25 total for this year, or 8 books in the next 2 weeks!

2018 Goal: I'll set the bar a little lower to a yet to be determined number that I think will be a bit more attainable, and I also won't limit myself to specific books. Reading is supposed to be fun!

Check my Goodreads 2017 Year in Review to see my progress: https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2017/

My Personal Reading Challenge

Summary: I challenged myself to read a set list of books that I currently own, plus the selections for book club. View the complete list here: 2017 Reading List Challenge. This set list ended up being a detrimental to my success because it made reading become a chore. Having "assigned" reading was like homework hanging over my head so I procrastinated on reading or didn't enjoy it.

Challenge progress: 15 out of the 17 books I've read this year were on the list, or 15 out of 55! Only 2 were unplanned. I could say that 8 were unplanned, but that 8 counts the book club ones that I knew I'd read but didn't know the titles of yet since we pick about a month ahead.

Goal for remainder of 2017: however many of my currently reading pile I can complete.

2018 Goal: Lesson learned! I won't be doing "assigned reading" any more!

Read as of 12/14/17 - This list is in order of dates read starting in January, and I've linked them to my own review (no link means no review). Visit Part 2 and Part 3 of this series to see which sub-challenges these books fall into. 

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Educator Sexual Abuse by Andrea Clemens
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and the first review
5. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
6. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
7. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
8. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
9. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
10. Home Front by Kristin Hannah
11. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
12. Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise by Thich Nhat Hanh
13. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
14. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
15. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
16. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand
17. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Currently Reading - see Part 2 and Part 3 of this series to see which shelves/sub-challenges these books will end up in if I finish them this year.

1. Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel
2. Pursuing Gold: A Novel of the Civil War by Cynthia L. Simmons
3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
4. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
6. The Dharma of Star Wars by Matthew Bortolin
7. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
8. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
9. Rokitansky by Alice Darwin

Check back for the next posts in the series!

Reading Challenge: Audiobook Challenge 2017

Earlier this year, I participated in the March Take Control TBR Challenge with Caffeinated Book Reviewer, which was not very successful on my part. It was my first monthly reading challenge on my own as a blogger and not directly related to Goodreads and so I lost momentum. Then, today I came across the fifth annual Audiobook Challenge 2017 that Caffeinated Book Reviewer is co-hosting with Hot Listens. I've already listened to four audiobooks this year, and am on my fifth so I am already at the Newbie level and very close to Weekend Warrior status so I thought, hey why not join? The challenge started earlier this year and runs through December 31 to either find a new love for audios or outdo yourself by listening to more audiobooks this year than in 2016. There are two updates the hosts will be doing - one on June 30 and one on December 15, 2017, which is when I plan on doing a progress update of my own of which books I've listened to so far and which level I've reached for the challenge.

The levels are:

• Newbie (I'll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I'm getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don't talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

I listen to the majority of my audiobooks on OverDrive through my library membership because it's free. Some books I listen to on Audible, but since I am also trying to save money I have temporarily put my account on hold until further notice, but not before downloading two books that I will check out at some point this year.

Other paid subscription audio resources include Audiobooks.com, Downpour.com, Tantor.com, and Ambling BookPlayer, and one that Caffeinated Book Reviewer doesn't mention is Libro.fm.

In addition to OverDrive, other free audio resources include LibriVox (public domain books), Audiobook Jukebox and Hoopla. 

While I don't have a set number of audiobooks I plan to listen to, I am tracking them on my Goodreads shelf called 2017-audiobook-challenge. So far I have listened to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance, and I am currently listening to Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult.

Be on the lookout for more reviews and updates to come!

Results: Take Control TBR Challenge 2017

Well, the challenge didn't go nearly as well as I'd hoped. I only managed to finish 2 books in March, when my goal was to finish my currently reading pile of 7 books at the beginning of the month. My original post of the challenge was published on March 1st.

The books I planned to read or finish reading were:

1. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (completed March 4)
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (completed March 4)
3. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (since completed, but too late for the challenge)
4. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (book club book that of course I didn't finish in time for the discussion)
5. Rokitansky by Alice Darwin
6. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
7. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Take Control TBR Challenge 2017

As I mentioned in my 2017 Reading List post earlier this year, my goal this year is to read 55 books. I'm already 6 books behind schedule because 55 books translates to about 1 book a week! So, I have decided to participate in Caffeinated Book Reviewer's Fifth Annual March Take Control of your TBR Pile Challenge for some accountability. I'm competitive by nature so by having something an incentive, challenging and competitive will keep motivated.

2017 Reading List Challenge

This year I plan to do a lot of reading to keep up with my love of reading, blogging, and getting out of debt. The logic behind picking these books is to read some things that will help me in different ways, such as getting out of debt and career advice, and also to clear off my bookshelf. There are a handful of books on this list that I got in swaps with my book club and have been collecting dust. If I don't like them, then I'll gift them to a new and better home.

To start, I have hyperlinked the book titles to the Goodreads description and will update the links to my reviews when they are moved to the Read list. The section for Book Club Books will remain as such, and you can assume that if the month has passed the link will be updated to the blog post.

Read

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (January book)
3. Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Education Abuse by Andrea Clemens (February book, post pending)
4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
5. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (March book)
6. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
7. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein (April book)
8. Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance (May book)
9. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
10. Home Front by Kristin Hannah (not originally planned to read this year)
11. Silence by Thich Nhat Hanh
12. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
13. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
14. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (June book, post is pending as of Dec. 2017)
15. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (Nov. book)
16. The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand (not originally planned to read this year)
17. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Currently Reading

as of May 2017

1. Rokitansky by Alice Darwin
2. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
3. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

To-Read

Alphabetical order by author last name

1. Quitter by Jon Alculf
2. Rhinoceros Success by Scott Alexander
3. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
4. Dodgers by Bill Beverly
5. The Art of Waiting by Belle Boggs
6. The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
7. The Dharma of Star Wars by Matthew Bortolin
8. Alec: How to be an Artist by Eddie Campbell
9. Deadly Heat by Richard Castle
10. Raging Heat by Richard Castle
11. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
12. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
13. Sweetness #9 by Stephan Erik Clark
14. Love Your Life Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze
15. The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant by Terry Felber
16. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
17. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
18. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
19. The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
20. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
21. Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand
22. A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand
23. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
24. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
25. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
26. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
27. Travel Writing: Expert Advice from the World's Leading Travel Publisher by Lonely Planet
28. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
29. Son of A Witch by Gregory Maguire
30. Under The Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
31. The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu
32. Six Characters in Search of an Author and Other Plays by Luigi Pirandello
33. Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money: The Handbook of Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey
34. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness (Classic Edition) by Dave Ramsey
35. EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey
36. Learning Curves by Gemma Townley
37. Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram

Vermont Books 'n' Brews Book Club Books

I will add to this list as we decide each month's books, and the links are to Goodreads descriptions unless otherwise noted.

January
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - audio-book review, August 2016.
Another Review of The Nightingale - March 2017 review

February
Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Education Abuse by Andrea Clemens (read, post pending)

March
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

April
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein

May
Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

June
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (post pending as of Dec. 2017)

July
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
*I did not read this book or attend the discussion so this book is still on my to-read list as of 12/14/17

August

September
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah (post pending as of Dec. 2017)
*A re-read for me. This is the book that got me hooked on Kristin Hannah.

October

November
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

December
We don't read for book club in December because it's so hectic with holiday festivities.

If I get to them

The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
1. Outlander (completed April 3, 2016 - post pending)
2. Dragonfly in Amber (currently reading)
3. Voyager
4. Drums of Autumn
5. The Fiery Cross
6. A Breath of Snow and Ashes
7. An Echo in The Bone
8. Written in My Own Heart's Blood
9. Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (not yet published)

In Conclusion

In all, my goal is to finish reading 55 books by the end of 2017. This list shows more than that, and that's okay! It gives me some flexibility. With your encouragement and involvement in my blog posts, I'm sure I can complete it! Thanks for reading.