Reading Challenge 2022

[Nora03]

Thanks to this thread, and the Libby library app, I have read 46 books this year. I had predicted ten books. I’m reading number 47 and will likely read 50 by the end of the year. So many good books to read, and I’m grateful for all your suggestions.

 

[Caseheidi]

#48/50 The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
From Goodreads:
Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries. Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories. But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.
Sounded interesting but took me forever to finish and it was just under 300 pages so not a long book.
I would give it a low 2 out of 5 stars.

My DD 13 just picked this book up. I am curious what you didn’t like about it?

 

[melk]

30/35 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Elizabeth Zott is unique in the 1960’s as a brilliant female chemist. But with all the challenges that brings, by a series of events she finds herself as a single mother hosting a tv cooking show, Supper at Six, which is doing more than teaching housewives to cook.

I loved this book! Definitely my favorite of the year so far. I hated for it to end, I loved the characters. The book has everything, a unique story, likeable characters, despicable characters, sadness, and at times is laugh out loud funny.

 

[bobbiwoz]

71/75 “A Truth to Lie For” by Anne Perry. 4/5…this was much better than the last. Took place in Germany and the job was to get German scientists out who were working on germ warfare. These men were Jews and would be killed once their work was finished.

 

[bobbiwoz]

30/35 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Elizabeth Zott is unique in the 1960’s as a brilliant female chemist. But with all the challenges that brings, by a series of events she finds herself as a single mother hosting a tv cooking show, Supper at Six, which is doing more than teaching housewives to cook.

I loved this book! Definitely my favorite of the year so far. I hated for it to end, I loved the characters. The book has everything, a unique story, likeable characters, despicable characters, sadness, and at times is laugh out loud funny.

You’re not the only one who loved this book. There are 22 active requests for a hold on this book. I went to the library web site as soon as I read your report!

 

[drwitz]

85. Just After Sunset by Stephen King

King is a consummate short story writer. His tales enchant, and this volume is no exception. Collected stories include "N." which is a psychological analysis of a mental break (or is it?), and "The Things They Left Behind" which tells the story of a 9/11 survivor and his experience of survivor's guilt. This book is filled with standout stories, and it is well worth a read.

86. Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

Set during the 1600s in England, this novel tells the story of housemaid named Anna Firth, and the village she resides in during an outbreak of the black death. The novel is steeped in the times and reads beautifully (some of the words I did have to look up). Another great read.

87. Poster Art of the Disney Parks: Second Edition by Danny Handke and Vanessa Hunt

This beautiful coffee table book is newly released and well worth the cost. The books features replicas of posters used to advertise the park's attractions throughout history. The posters are beautiful, and the book is a worthwhile exploration of how posters were used from the beginning of the park's history to draw visitors in, to inspire curiosity and to share information about the attractions. A great addition to my Disney collection.

As we approach the end of the year, I am realizing that the King-read-through will take me into 2023. This becomes especially true when I add some DIsney-related books into the list. Oh well!

88. and 89. Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life by Don Bluth and Part of My World: What I've Learned from The Little Mermaid about Love, Faith, and Finding My Voice by Jodi Benson

I placed these two together because - yes, I did read them back-to-back - but more because they are both very similar to each other. As memoirs, they both are entertaining reads: Don talks about his childhood and his introduction to animation, and Jodi shared stories about her performances and how her family and upbringing influenced her. Both speak about their times working for Disney, Bluth as an animator, and Benson as a performer; and both speak of how their work influences the experience of animated films. Both are passionate about their faith, and this comes through in their work; neither are preachy or proselytizing, but both connect their success to their faith. And both were very entertaining reads. For someone Disney obsessed (and if you are on this forum, aren't you?), they were another insight into Disney's World.

90. Under the Dome by Stephen King

This one is a massive tome. At over 1070 pages long, reading it is a commitment, but a hugely enjoyable one. The story of Chester's Mill, a town that is suddenly cut off from the rest of the world when an impenetrable clear dome suddenly appears, and what happens to its people, the novel is full of characters (so many that King provides a cast of characters in the book's beginning). Ultimately part science fiction, part political intrigue, part small town daily life, the story is captivating and draws you in. If you've seen the miniseries, the stories are very different from each other (and, in my opinion, the book is better). Another great read in my King re-read (and so much better the second time around when I could savor it rather than racing through the last 300 pages to try to find out how it ended).

See you next time!

 

[OKW8297]

17. Hasty Retreat by Kate Gallison. Another in the series of mysteries with an Episcopal priest on the case. Easy reading and very entertaining

 

[Simba's Mom]

You’re not the only one who loved this book. There are 22 active requests for a hold on this book. I went to the library web site as soon as I read your report!

And many of us who grew up around then (the 60s) will really identify with her-women in science, math, engineering? Gasp!

 

[bobbiwoz]

And many of us who grew up around then (the 60s) will really identify with her-women in science, math, engineering? Gasp!

From one math person to another!

 

[willowsnn3]

My DD 13 just picked this book up. I am curious what you didn’t like about it?

Re: Book Eaters. Can't really pinpoint why I didn't care for it when I usually like weird books, lol. I think I just don't like when the story is going on with no explanation as to how things that got way, then a few chapters later the author goes back in time to fill in the gaps.
It was interesting enough that I did want to complete it so maybe your DD with like it better than I did. Let me know.

 

[willowsnn3]

As we approach the end of the year, I am realizing that the King-read-through will take me into 2023. This becomes especially true when I add some DIsney-related books into the list. Oh well!

Ahh, Disney & Stephen King. What's not to love about that?
I just picked up King's "Fairy Tales" from the library a couple days ago but haven't started it yet.

 

[jlud57]

1/12 The Queen’s Accomplice (Maggie Hope Series 6) by Susan Elia MacNeal
2/12 The Paris Spy (Maggie Hope Series 7)
3/12 The Prisoner in the Castle (Maggie Hope Series 8)
4/12 The King's Justice (Maggie Hope Series 9)
5/12 The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope Series 10)
All the above is a mystery series featuring Maggie Hope, a British-born American math whiz now living in London, who works as a codebreaker and spy during WWII, aiding Britain in the war against the Nazis. It's a series of 10 books, each one with a new mystery. It's a historical mystery with historical references. Overall I enjoyed the series and thought it was a fun, easy read.

6/12 Kingom Keepers 6 (The Dark Passage) by Ridley Pearson
7/12 Kingdom Keepers 7 (the Insider)
About 5 teens battling the villians to save the parks, read with my kids-I thought it was an OK series, been reading the series with the kids (they seemed to enjoy it).

8/12 Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is about Coriolanus Snow, when he was a child and basically how he became president. It follows Coriolanus as he prepares to mentor District 12's female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird. I thought is was a good prequel book to the series.

9/12 Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
10/12 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Not much needs to be said about this series, I love the movies and have never read the books, just getting around to reading them.

11/12 Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Sutanto
When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. This book was such a fun, entertaining and fast read.

12/12 Masie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Set in England between 1910 and 1929, it features the title character Maisie Dobbs, a private investigator building her business in the aftermath of the First World War.
I've only read the first book in this series, thought it was good. Someone else on this board recommended it-hoping it will be like the Maggie Hope series. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Sorry for the long post, I have just put off logging the books. I've been so busy with kids my reading time isn't what it used to be, glad I can say I actually will surpass my goal this year.

 

[RangerPooh]

34/40 Bear Bait (Sam Westin Mysteries #2) by Pamela Beason.

35/40 Undercurrents (Sam Westin Mysteries #3) by Pamela Beason.

 

[mrs. magoo]

28/30 - The Ways we Hide by Kristina McMorris - If it is historical fiction and about WWII, I am in. I stumbled upon this one and really enjoyed it. The book opens with the tragedy at the Italian Hall in Calumet, Michigan and continues onto War time England and Holland. It also involves how magic was used during the War to disguise maps and other things. It was a fascinating read and caused me to go down many rabbit holes on google as I researched the events mentioned. I would give this one 4 stars.

 

[drwitz]

As we approach the end of the year, I am realizing that the King-read-through will take me into 2023. This becomes especially true when I add some DIsney-related books into the list. Oh well!

88. and 89. Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life by Don Bluth and Part of My World: What I've Learned from The Little Mermaid about Love, Faith, and Finding My Voice by Jodi Benson

I placed these two together because - yes, I did read them back-to-back - but more because they are both very similar to each other. As memoirs, they both are entertaining reads: Don talks about his childhood and his introduction to animation, and Jodi shared stories about her performances and how her family and upbringing influenced her. Both speak about their times working for Disney, Bluth as an animator, and Benson as a performer; and both speak of how their work influences the experience of animated films. Both are passionate about their faith, and this comes through in their work; neither are preachy or proselytizing, but both connect their success to their faith. And both were very entertaining reads. For someone Disney obsessed (and if you are on this forum, aren't you?), they were another insight into Disney's World.

90. Under the Dome by Stephen King

This one is a massive tome. At over 1070 pages long, reading it is a commitment, but a hugely enjoyable one. The story of Chester's Mill, a town that is suddenly cut off from the rest of the world when an impenetrable clear dome suddenly appears, and what happens to its people, the novel is full of characters (so many that King provides a cast of characters in the book's beginning). Ultimately part science fiction, part political intrigue, part small town daily life, the story is captivating and draws you in. If you've seen the miniseries, the stories are very different from each other (and, in my opinion, the book is better). Another great read in my King re-read (and so much better the second time around when I could savor it rather than racing through the last 300 pages to try to find out how it ended).

See you next time!

The next three went MUCH more quickly. Probably accounted for by the fact that I didn't have a 1000-page Stephen King book in the mix!

91. Origins of the Wheel of Time: The Legends and Mythologies that Inspired Robert Jordan by Michael Livingston

I am a HIGE fan of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (and finished by Brandon Sanderson). In fact, once I finish my Stephen King re-read, this amazing fantasy series is next on my list for a reread. I own hard covers of all of the books as well as the prequel, the companion guide and the concordance, so when I saw this book featured in an email newsletter from Tor Books, I knew it was destined for my bookshelf. This novel dives into the story of the creation of the series and explains Jordan's (really James Rigney, Jr.) process in creating the characters, lands, stories and legends of the Third age. Part glossary and part biography, this is an amazing resource and reference for the committed fan of the series and the world that Jordan created.

92. Blockade Billy by Stephen King

So after Under the Dome, it was nice to read a much shorter King novel (lol). This novella tells the story of a baseball team and its surprise star catcher. There appears to be something not quite right about Billy (and with a King novel you know what that means... surprises coming)! The novella is a tribute to baseball and a fun quick read. It is also paired with another short story (Morality) that explores the question of what you would do for money, and the repercussions of sin. A short and interesting read as well.

93. The Secretary of Dreams: Volume Two by Stephen King with illustrations by Glen Chadbourne

This is the second (and so far, final) volume in this series. A lavishly illustrated collection, oversize and in a hard case, this is a keepsake. The book contains 6 of King's short stories (which you can read in other collections) but what makes this edition so special are the illustrations. Three of the stories ("Gray Matter", "One for the Road", and "Nora") have been turned into graphic novels, and the other three ("The Monkey", "Strawberry Spring" and "In the Deathroom") are presented with full-page illustrations and spot-art. A treasured addition to my King collection, this and Volume 1 were gifts to me from a dear friend and are long-since sold out. Copies are available through resale but are quite pricey.

Now off to some more King (maybe with a Koontz thrown in)!

 

[bobbiwoz]

72/75 “A Song of Comfortable Chairs” by Alexander McCall Smith. This is in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. A good one. 4/5

 

[JayMass]

It's been a while and I have 11 book updates:

1. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. A young girl from a troubled home calls herself an "outlaw" and doesn't let anyone push her around. Sherrif Walk looks out for her. This one took a bit to get into but I enjoyed it by about the halfway mark.
2. Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena. Rich parents are murdered after an Easter Dinner. Who did it? The adult children? The housekeeper? A decent read.
3. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. An 18 year old boy returns home from a reform school. His father has died and he and his younger brother decide to go find their estranged mother in San Fransisco. Before they get on the road, some friend from the reform school show up and plans keep getting derailed. This was a good read. Not as impactful as A Gentleman in Moscow but definitely worth reading.
4. The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly. Your basic detective mystery. A tough case and a youngish flawed detective who doesn't like to play by the rules needs help from a older retired detective. It was good, not great.
5. Anxious People by Fredrik Bachman. A bank robber takes refuge at an apartment's open house and ends up taking everyone there hostage. But everything isn't what it seems. Bachman is a great, thought provoking author. Loved Beartown but this might be my favorite.
6. We Were Never Here by Andrea Bratz. Two best friends who are growing apart keep up a tradition of an annual trip to an exotic location. Things happen and someone winds up dead. They agree that they "were never there." But on the next trip a similar tragedy occurs. Can they keep it a secret? Do they really know each other? Cool premise for a book that is mostly successful. I enjoyed it.
7. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. After a horrible marriage a man and his two young daughters relocate to Newfoundland where his family has roots. It's a quirky tale with quirky characters that I found really intriguing. Definitely recommend!
8. Fairy Tale by Stephen King. A teen befriends an older gentleman in the neighborhood who is hiding a secret in his shed. I won't give anything away. I liked this, but didn't love it. The first quarter of the book is much better than the rest. If you like King, you'll probably like it but it isn't one of his best.
9. Lost Boy by Christina Henry. A retelling of Peter Pan. Capt. Hook is actually Jamie--Peter's first friend. It's a creative origin story that will have you questioning Peter Pan. Not sure I can do the ride anymore without thinking that Peter is the real villian!
10. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison. A young man is trying to find his way in the world. He and his family struggle to pay bills and he floats from one job to the next with the dream of writing the great American landscape novel. He is talented at landscaping, writing not so much. It's a great story with some great characters. It found its way onto the list of the top 10 banned books for a few years in a row due to LGBTQ content and references to some underage sex acts. Loved this book and the controversial content actually makes sense in the context of the story.
11. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. At age 50 the actor recounts stories from his life and gives advice on living. It was ok. I listened to the audiobook and McConaughey narrates it. I liked the beginning of it much more than the end of it. He pontificates a bit too much, though, and some of his points were lost on me.

 

[bobbiwoz]

73/75
I read a Christmas themed book. “snowed in for Christmas “ by Sara Morgan. It was predictable, but totally entertaining.4/5

 

[Caseheidi]

60/60 Low Midnight (Kitty Norville Book 13) by Carrie Vaughn
Low Midnight spins out of the series on the wave of popularity surrounding Kitty's most popular supporting character, Cormac Bennett, a two-minded assassin of the paranormal who specializes in killing lycanthropes.

In his first solo adventure, Cormac, struggling with a foreign consciousness trapped inside him, investigates a century-old crime in a Colorado mining town which could be the key to translating a mysterious coded diary… a tome with secrets that could shatter Kitty's world and all who inhabit it.

With a framing sequence that features Kitty Norville herself, Low Midnight not only pushes the Kitty saga forward, but also illuminates Cormac's past and lays the groundwork for Kitty's future.

61/60 Kitty Saves the World (Kitty Norville Book 14 - and the last) by Carrie Vaughn
It’s all come down to this, following the discoveries made by Cormac in Low Midnight, Kitty and her allies are ready to strike. But, when their assassination attempt on the evil vampire Dux Bellorum fails, Kitty finds herself running out of time. The elusive vampire lord has begun his apocalyptic end game, and Kitty still doesn’t know where he will strike.

Meanwhile, pressure mounts in Denver as Kitty and her pack begin to experience the true reach of Dux Bellorum’s cult. Outnumbered and outgunned at every turn, the stakes have never been higher for Kitty. She will have to call on allies both old and new in order to save not just her family and friends, but the rest of the world as well.

I really enjoyed this series, but I really should have broken it up more. I will give it a few weeks (or months) before I start on the Cormac and Amelia series. Plus I now have a list of books I want to read!

62/60 I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.

I found this book really interesting, and sad. People so often think they know everything about public persona's, and this just goes to show that we do not.

So, I have reached my goal (and beyond!) for the year. I am interested to see how many more books I can read in the remaining 5 weeks of the year. Since I just began a new job, and the Holidays and all, I am guessing not many more. I will have to start thinking of what my goal for next year will be. Since I was not working most of this year, I may need to decrease the number.

 

[melk]

31/35 The Storyteller of Casablanca

In 1941 Morocco, twelve year old Josie is awaiting safe passage to America with her family as the effects of WWII encroach on them all around. Seventy years later Zoe lives in the house Josie occupied and finds her diary and several unrelated objects. As Zoe reads the diary she is caught up in Josie’s life and is helped to deal with her own demons.

Another winner, this is another of my favorites this year. Being set in Morocco it gave a bit of a new perspective for a WWII novel. The characters were relatable and likable and although I guessed ahead of time a couple of the twists it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the book.