Category: READING CHALLENGES 2010

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

REVIEW: Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Tara

Hold Tight
by Harlan Coben

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 477
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 1-6, 2010
Challenge:  2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Celebrate the Author Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 1

First Line: Marianne nursed her third shot of Cuervo, marveling at her endless capacity to destroy any good in her pathetic life, when the man next to her shouted, “Listen up, sweetcakes: Creationism and evolution are totally compatible.”

Mike and Tia Baye know that they are losing touch with their teenage son, Adam. After losing his best friend to suicide, Adam has become more and more withdrawn. He spends all his time in his room on the computer. They decide that their best option to finding out what is going on with their son is to install some software on his computer that will tell them every website that he visits and logs all of his e-mails and instant messages. But what they end up finding and what it implies and eventually leads to is beyond anything that either Mike or Tia would ever have thought possible. Adam is in over his head and what he is involved with could end up taking the whole family down in the end.

I always love Harlan Coben’s books. They are always fast paced and enjoyable. This one was definitely no exception. There were many twists and turns, and even at the end I was kind of surprised by what really started everything that happened in motion. I think a lot of parents today can relate to how their children spend so much time on the internet and they don’t really know what’s going on at all. I personally liked how Mr. Coben made it really obvious that a lot of people don’t really understand how quickly children are growing up nowadays, but with Adam’s sister, Jill’s character, he really made it obvious. I’m a huge Harlan Coben fan, so it’s hard for me to not to rave about every book of his I read (although I do prefer is stand-alones to his Myron Bolitar series).

READING CHALLENGES 2010

CHALLENGE: Finish That Series Challenge

Tara

Royal Reviews is hosting Finish That Series Challenge. This challenge focuses on finishing up the challenges that you have started. Well trust me – this is something that I desperately need! I have so many challenges started that it’s not even funny anymore. And I have kind of decided that 2010 would be the year that I would really work on making progress on my favorite series’. So here are the guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don’t need a blog to participate.
–Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:

— Curious – Finish 2 series.

— Fascinated – Finish 3 series.

— Addicted – Finish 5 series.

— Obsessed – Finish 10 series.

3. Any genre counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

So there are the rules. I am going to commit to Fascinated: 3 series. I have 5 series on my list that I made up that I would really like to get finished, but I’m only going to commit to 3 with the possibility of upping my level later on. Here are the series that I would really like to work on:

The others that I have in consideration for this challenge are:

  • P.J. Parrish’s Louis Kincaid series (I have read 3 of the 10)
  • Keith Ablow’s Frank Clevenger series (I have read 1 of the 6)

So there it is. That is what I’m going to work on. I hope I really do well with this series because I love reading books that are part of a series and I really want to be caught up with my favorites.

READING CHALLENGES 2010

CHALLENGE: Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010

Tara

So Book Chick City will be hosting the 2010 Thriller & Suspense Challenge this year. I signed up for the 2008/2009 challenge but not the 2009 one because I was still working on the previous one. So I was glad to see that someone took this one over for J. Kaye. Thriller/Suspense is one of my very favorite genre of books. It’s probably what a good 90% of my books are. So this one will be a good challenge for me. The rules are simple: Read 12 books between January 1st and December 31st, 2010. No lists are required and crossovers with other challenges are okay. There are many different sub-genres within the realm of Thriller/Suspense books. You will choose your books from that list, but don’t worry it’s easy to fit books into the categories. . There is a list of the sub-genres which can be found here. I will be keeping my list here:

  1. Exposed by Alex Kava (Eco-Thriller)
  2. Four Blind Mice by James Patterson (Police Procedural)
  3. Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer (Conspiracy Thriller)
  4. Final Breath by Kevin O’Brien (Stalker Thriller)
  5. 18 Billion by Jack Gresham (Terrorist Thriller)
  6. Hotshot by Catherine Mann (Romantic Thriller)
  7. All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell (Serial Killer Thriller)
  8. The Dying Game by Beverly Barton (Private Detective Mystery)
  9. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen (Medical Thriller)
  10. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry (Historical Mystery)
  11. The Alexandria Letter by George R. Honig (Religious Thriller)
  12. The Spire by Richard North Patterson (Psychological Thriller)
READING CHALLENGES 2010

CHALLENGE: RYOB 2010

Tara

I am looking forward to doing this challenge again! I’m not going to meet my 2009 goals, but that’s okay. I relied too much on the library this year because I wanted to read more than a few new releases (and I refuse to buy hardbacks). It’s silly, I have what seems like a gazillion books on my shelves and I browse the library like I have no books at home. So, once again I’m going to be setting a goal of 50 books: 25 of those have to be on my shelves prior to 2010. I would prefer to have all of them on my shelves before 2010, but I like to leave myself a little leeway for new books to get read 🙂 You can click on the button above to go to the post about the challenge. The rules are simple: You set a goal of how many books off of your shelves that you want to read and you choose as you go. However, re-reads cannot count.  I will be keeping up with my list on this page.

  1. Hold Tight by Harlan Coben (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  2. Exposed by Alex Kava (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  3. Four Blind Mice by James Patterson (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  4. Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  5. Final Breath by Kevin O’Brien (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  6. Hotshot by Catherine Mann (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  7. Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  8. All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  9. Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  10. The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  11. From Potter’s Field by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  12. Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  13. The Dying Game by Beverly Barton (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  14. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  15. Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  16. Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  17. The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  18. The Camel Club by David Baldacci (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  19. Victim Six by Gregg Olsen (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  20. Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  21. Blood Test by Jonathan Kellerman (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  22. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  23. The Spire by Richard North Patterson (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  24. Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  25. The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  26. London Bridges by James Patterson (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  27. Pacific Vortex by Clive Cussler (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  28. The Next Killing by Rebecca Drake (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  29. The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  30. Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  31. The President’s Assassin by Brian Haig (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  32. Step on a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  33. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  34. From Love Field by Nellie Connally (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  35. The Black Sun by James Twining (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  36. Run For Your Life by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  37. Crimson Rain by Meg O’Brien (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  38. The Collectors by David Baldacci (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  39. Predator by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  40. 14 by J.T. Ellison (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  41. Cross by James Patterson (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW
  42. The General by Patrick A. Davis (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  43. Worst Case by James Patterson (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  44. Stone Cold by David Baldacci (Acquired in 2010) REVIEW
  45. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2010) REVIEW

On shelf before 2010: 31
Acquired in 2010: 14

READING CHALLENGES 2010

CHALLENGE: Celebrate the Author 2010

Tara

So I have signed up for the Celebrate the Author Challenge hosted by Becky the past two years. Of course I couldn’t resist signing up once again. I know I stated that I wanted to be a little less restrictive in my challenges this year, but I just had to make an exception for this one! It’s been one of my favorite challenges, and it’s always easy to do as long as you pay attention to what month you’re in, lol! You can click on the image above to take you to Becky’s page regarding sign-ups. The rules are simple: you choose 12 books (no lists required) and you essentially “celebrate” the author’s birthday. Take Harlan Coben, for example. His birthday is in January, so you would read a Harlan Coben book in January to fulfill January’s requirement. You choose one author for each month and read what you want. Pretty much any type of book goes. I will be keeping my list here.

January: Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
February: The Spire by Richard North Patterson
March: The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson
April: Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer
May: The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver
June: The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen
July: Pacific Vortex! by Clive Cussler
August: The Camel Club by David Baldacci
September:
October: The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry
November:
December: The Dying Game by Beverly Barton

READING CHALLENGES 2010

CHALLENGE: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge

Tara

So, J. Kaye might be cutting back in 2010 but thankfully she is still hosting this challenge! I was not signed up in 2008, but almost made 100 coming in at 97 I believe. In 2009, I haven’t done quite as well, only currently sitting at 61. But I’m going to try again in 2010. You can click on the button above to go to the sign-up page on J. Kaye’s blog. The rules are really simple: read 100 books between January 1st and December 31st, 2010. There are no necessary lists beforehand and crossovers with other challenges are allowed. Pretty much any kind of book and/or format of book can count. I will be keeping my list here:

  1. Hold Tight by Harlan Coben (Finished: 1/6/10) REVIEW
  2. Exposed by Alex Kava (Finished: 1/10/10) REVIEW
  3. Four Blind Mice by James Patterson (Finished: 1/22/10) REVIEW
  4. Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer (Finished: 1/26/10) REVIEW
  5. Final Breath by Kevin O’Brien (Finished: 2/3/10) REVIEW
  6. 18 Billion by Jack Gresham (Finished: 2/7/10) REVIEW
  7. Black Friday by Alex Kava (Finished: 2/11/10) REVIEW
  8. Hotshot by Catherine Mann (Finished: 2/16/10) REVIEW
  9. Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 2/23/10) REVIEW
  10. All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 3/14/10) REVIEW
  11. Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 3/17/10) REVIEW
  12. The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 3/23/10) REVIEW
  13. From Potter’s Field by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 3/26/10) REVIEW
  14. The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello (Finished: 3/28/10) REVIEW
  15. Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy (Finished: 3/31/10) REVIEW
  16. Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 4/8/10) REVIEW
  17. The Dying Game by Beverly Barton (Finished: 4/13/10) REVIEW
  18. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen (Finished: 4/18/10) REVIEW
  19. Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 4/21/10) REVIEW
  20. Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass (Finished: 4/27/10) REVIEW
  21. The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson (Finished: 4/30/10) REVIEW
  22. The Camel Club by David Baldacci (Finished: 5/7/10) REVIEW
  23. Victim Six by Gregg Olsen (Finished: 5/12/10) REVIEW
  24. Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 5/19/10) REVIEW
  25. The 9th Judgment by James Patterson (Finished: 5/22/10) REVIEW
  26. Never Let You Go by Erin Healy (Finished: 5/28/10) REVIEW
  27. Blood Test by Jonathan Kellerman (Finished: 6/1/10) REVIEW
  28. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen (Finished: 6/5/10) REVIEW
  29. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry (Finished: 6/8/10) REVIEW
  30. The Alexandria Letter by George R. Honig (Finished: 6/11/10) REVIEW
  31. The Spire by Richard North Patterson (Finished: 6/14/10) REVIEW
  32. Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 6/23/10) REVIEW
  33. The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver (Finished: 7/4/10) REVIEW
  34. London Bridges by James Patterson (Finished: 7/10/10) REVIEW
  35. Pacific Vortex! by Clive Cussler (Finished: 7/14/10) REVIEW
  36. The Next Killing by Rebecca Drake (Finished: 7/25/10) REVIEW
  37. Damaged by Alex Kava (Finished: 7/27/10) REVIEW
  38. The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 7/31/10) REVIEW
  39. Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell (Fiished: 8/6/10) REVIEW
  40. The President’s Assassin by Brian Haig (Finished: 8/13/10) REVIEW
  41. Step on a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge (Finished: 8/21/10) REVIEW
  42. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen (Finished: 8/25/10) REVIEW
  43. Death on the D-List by Nancy Grace (Finished: 8/29/10) REVIEW
  44. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen (Finished: 9/3/10) REVIEW
  45. From Love Field by Nellie Connally (Finished: 9/4/10) REVIEW
  46. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen (Finished: 9/5/10) REVIEW
  47. 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan (Finished: 9/11/10) REVIEW
  48. The Black Sun by James Twining (Finished: 9/19/10) REVIEW
  49. The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund (Finished: 9/21/10) REVIEW
  50. Run For Your Life by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (Finished: 9/25/10) REVIEW
  51. Crimson Rain by Meg O’Brien (Finished: 9/28/10) REVIEW
  52. The Collectors by David Baldacci (Finished: 10/5/10) REVIEW
  53. Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen (Finished: 10/9/10) REVIEW
  54. Predator by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 10/14/10) REVIEW
  55. The Fun of Dying by Roberta Grimes (Finished: 10/15/10) REVIEW
  56. 14 by J.T. Ellison (Finished: 10/24/10) REVIEW
  57. Cross by James Patterson (Finished: 10/29/10) REVIEW
  58. City in Shadow by Evan Marshall (Finished: 10/31/10) REVIEW
  59. The General by Patrick A. Davis (Finished: 11/9/10) REVIEW
  60. The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer (Finished: 11/25/10) REVIEW
  61. Damaged by Pamela Callow (Finished: 11/30/10) REVIEW
  62. When No One is Watching by Joseph Hayes (Finished: 12/4/10) REVIEW
  63. Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge (Finished: 12/6/10) REVIEW
  64. Stone Cold by David Baldacci (Finished: 12/16/10) REVIEW
  65. Defending the Enemy by Elaine Fischel (Finished: 12/21/10) REVIEW
  66. At the Crossroads of Terror by Lenny Emanuelli (Finished: 12/24/10) REVIEW
  67. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell (Finished: 12/27/10) REVIEW