Reading challenge 2021

[OKW8297]

Wow that surprising that there wasn’t more about the actual earthquake. I went to a few of her facebook live events for this book. It seems she did a lot of research for the book such as a map with actual street names from the time period of the event. I think she mentioned people living in tents etc. I know she kept emphasizing Templeton also.

without giving too much away, the earthquake occurred more than halfway through. Templeton was not there. I guess I was just overall disappointed and truth be told, I found Templeton annoying.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Read 20 books in October, which brings my total for the year to 105. My original goal was 52. I then revised it to 104. For will need to revise it again for the remainder of the year. The books I read this month were:


86) Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica/Sarah Moses (Translator) – Dystopian/Horror. In the future a virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Now there are humans breed specifically for human consumption. But what happens when a meat processor begins falling for one of them? Yeah, talk about dystopian. 3.5/5

87) Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland – YA Alternate History/Horror. The sequel to Dreed Nation. A nice follow up that picked up right where the first one left off before having the second half jump ahead a year. 4.5/5

88) The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins – Urban Fantasy/Horror. Yeah, I really don’t know how to summarize this one. A missing god, a library with the knowledge of the universe, focusing on on of the god’s apprentices/adopted children. Weird and bizarre but interesting enough. 3.5/5

89) Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson – Nonfiction/Autobiography. Cassandra gives an in depth look at her life from childhood to now. And she led a very interesting life. 4.75/5

90) The Turn of the Screw by Henry James – Classic Horror/Classic Gothic. To a new governess’ horror so discovers that there is something horrific stalking the estate. To her greater horror she soon realizes her charges are welcoming to whatever is out there. 4.25/5

91) Anoka by Shane Hawk – Horror/Anthology. Short horror stories all taking place within the same small town. 4/5

92) The Book of Dragons edited by Jonathan Strahan – Anthology. Over 25 short stories and poems about dragons across various genres. 3.75/5

93) Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang – Historical Fiction/Mystery/Thriller. NYC, 1899. Tillie’s sister has just been murdered; her body drained of blood. Are vampires real or is something more human but equally sinister going on? 4.25/5

94) The Wages of Sin by Katie Welsh – Historical Fiction/Mystery/Thriller. Edinburgh, 1892; Sarah is in the first class at the University of Edinburgh’s medical school to admit woman. When a young lady of the night that Sarah helped treat turns up dead, she seems to be the only one that things there is more to the death than just another fallen woman dying. 1st in a series. Interesting enough that I’ll check out the next. 3.75/5

95) My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite – Thriller. Korede’s sister, Ayoola, has just killed her third boyfriend in self defense and Korede has helped cover them each up. But when Ayoola starts dating a colleague, and crush, of Korede’s, she begins wondering; each incident had been in self-defense, right? A quick, fun read. 4/5

96) Reprieve by James Han Mattson – Horror/Mystery. When only the second group ever makes it to the final cell of a “full contact haunted escape room” a fatal incident occurs. This was not what I was expecting it to be. Most of the book was actual flashbacks to the characters lives before the invent. Frankly I didn’t care for most of the characters either. 3/5.

97) The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole – Classic Gothic. Published in 1764, this is considered the first Gothic novel. It takes place in a haunted castle in roughly 13th century Sicily. 3.5/5

98) This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron – YA Urban Fantasy. Briseis has a power over plants. When an unknown aunt, her birth mother’s sister, dies and wills her an estate in upstate New York, Briseis and her moms decide to check out the estate for the summer. While there Briseis will find answers she has about her powers while gaining a whole lot more questions as well. This started out a bit slow, but by the end I am looking forward to the sequel being published next summer. 4.25

99) Projected Fears: Horror Films and American Culture by Kendall R. Phillips – Nonfiction/Film Criticism. Selecting 10 Horror movies from across the decades Phillips looks at what makes horror a popular genre and what cultural influences might go along with what type of horror movie is popular. This was written back in 2005, so the last movie looked at is the Sixth Sense. I’d be very interested in an updated version. 3.5/5.

100) Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow – Cozy Mystery. When the puppy mill breeder Mimi gets into a shouting match with ends up dead the police focus on her as their prime suspect. Now with only the help of a talking cat that only Mimi can hear, she needs to solve the case and clear her name. All while trying to keep her new pet grooming business a float. A fun quick read. It’s the first in a series and I’ll most likely check out the next one. 4/5.

101) Apple and Knife by Intan Paramaditha/Stephen J. Epstein (Translator) – Horror/Short Story collection. Inspired by horror stories, fairy tales, and Indonesian myths. A good short story collection. Some of the stories though are more than a bit unsettling. 4.25/5

102) The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky – Classic Russian Lit/Psychology. As Golyadkin is walking home in a snowstorm, after being kicked out of a party, he runs across a man that looks exactly like him and has all the charm and social skills he lacks. Slowly the other Golyadlin begins taking over his life. 3.5/5

103) The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio De Maria/Ramon Galzov (Translator) – Horror/Mystery. Set 10 years after a series of violent events that never were really resolved an unnamed narrator decides to investigate what really happened. 4/5

104) Underworld Lit by Srikanth Reddy – Poetry. Prose poetry journey through several different cultures’ realms of the dead. 4.5/5

105) Noctuidea by Scott Nicolay – Horror. Sue-Min, her boyfriend Ron, and Ron’s friend Pete are hiking a remote trail in Arizona. When Ron disappears, Sue-Min needs to figure out if Pete’s a killer or if there’s something else out there with them. 3.5/5

I read ”Mimi Lee gets a Clue” after I read your review. I agree, a fun read! 71/90

 

[MGMmjl]

24/30 - The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

Description:
"The morning of January 12, 1888, was unusually mild, following a punishing cold spell. It was warm enough for the homesteaders of the Dakota Territory to venture out again, and for their children to return to school without their heavy coats—leaving them unprepared when disaster struck. At the hour when most prairie schools were letting out for the day, a terrifying, fast-moving blizzard blew in without warning. Schoolteachers as young as sixteen were suddenly faced with life and death decisions: Keep the children inside, to risk freezing to death when fuel ran out, or send them home, praying they wouldn’t get lost in the storm?

Based on actual oral histories of survivors, this gripping novel follows the stories of Raina and Gerda Olsen, two sisters, both schoolteachers—one becomes a hero of the storm and the other finds herself ostracized in the aftermath. It’s also the story of Anette Pedersen, a servant girl whose miraculous survival serves as a turning point in her life and touches the heart of Gavin Woodson, a newspaperman seeking redemption. It was Woodson and others like him who wrote the embellished news stories that lured northern European immigrants across the sea to settle a pitiless land. Boosters needed them to settle territories into states, and they didn’t care what lies they told these families to get them there—or whose land it originally was.

At its heart, this is a story of courage, of children forced to grow up too soon, tied to the land because of their parents’ choices. It is a story of love taking root in the hard prairie ground, and of families being torn asunder by a ferocious storm that is little remembered today—because so many of its victims were immigrants to this country."

This was a good read, but it was sad and tough to read about the conditions experienced by the characters. I recommend it if you like historical fiction.

 

[mgarbowski]

Book 21 of 24 The Little Way of Ruthie Leming: A Southern Girl, a Small Town, and the Secret of a Good Life by Rod Dreher

*****
The author grew up in a small town in rural Louisiana and could not wait to leave to make his way in the wider world. He became a successful writer, built a family, moved from city to city, and was happy. His sister loved her hometown, remained, became a beloved teacher, built a family, and was happy. Crisis brings them closer when she is diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
The book is a biography of his extended family, interwoven with his developing thoughts on community, remaining in place, faith, love, and mercy.

 

[melk]

38/35 The Boys by Ron & Clint Howard

A look back at the Howard brothers childhoods growing up on tv. It talks about their parents efforts as actors and how their young family broke into show business. Takes it through Ron’s time on Happy Days and his break into directing.

This was an enjoyable read with the narration alternating between Ron and Clint. Clint‘s narration is actually pretty funny, although he does talk seriously about his battle with addiction. Their parents kept them well grounded, not typical Hollywood stage parents.

 

[willowsnn3]

#56/60 Another Kind of Eden by James Lee Burke
The American West in the early 1960s appears to be a pastoral paradise: golden wheat fields, mist-filled canyons, frolicking animals. Aspiring novelist Aaron Holland Broussard has observed it from the open door of a boxcar, riding the rails for both inspiration and odd jobs.

Jumping off in Denver, he finds work on a farm and meets Joanne McDuffy, an articulate and fierce college student and gifted painter. Their soul connection is immediate, but their romance is complicated by Joanne’s involvement with a shady professor who is mixed up with a drug-addled cult. When a sinister businessman and his son who wield their influence through vicious cruelty set their sights on Aaron, drawing him into an investigation of grotesque murders, it is clear that this idyllic landscape harbors tremendous power—and evil. Followed by a mysterious shrouded figure who might not be human, Aaron will have to face down all these foes to save the life of the woman he loves and his own.

This one got excellent reviews on Goodreads but I didn't really care for it at all. Had it been a longer book, I would have put it down.

 

[drwitz]

It's been a while, and I've been busy busy busy with work, but it's time to update my reading list:

47. To Hold Up the Sky by Cixin Liu

This is a fantastic collection of short stories written by the author of the Three Body Problem which I reviewed previously. Each of these short stories is a beautiful work of speculative fiction geographically centered in China, and global (dare I say universal) in their application. These stories show the early work and evolution of this amazing author and while very modern they are also very close in spirit and heart to what I imagine the 50s and 60s science fiction magazine stories were. Very worth the read, and wonderfully evocative.

48. Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa

No review here in keeping with my policy but happy to share my opinion if you want to private message me.

49. Higher Education Rulemaking: The Politics of Creating Regulatory Policy by Rebecca S. Natow

Read this for work. I am part of a negotiated rulemaking effort and wanted to get an understanding of the history and practice. Likely would not be of interest unless you also use this practice with the Federal government, but it was of interest to me.

50. Cotton Capitalists: American Jewish Entrepreneurship in the Reconstruction Era by Michael Ralph Cohen

An interesting historical review of the history of Jewish merchants and mercantile exchange in the anti- and post-bellum periods. The author makes the case that Jews were very successful as merchants post Civil War due to bonds of common heritage as well as outreach and work with freedmen. A very detailed review which looks at the relationships between these Southern merchants and the big houses in NYC and Europe, this is a short but dense read, Added to my understanding of Reconstruction era history.

51. Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN by Tara Brach

An interesting approach to mental wellness and healing. I was exposed to this for a retreat with work and I appreciate the lessons and the practice. The acronym RAIN refers to Recognize, Allow, Investigate and Nurture. A quick read, but will take a long time to master.

Time for another update, and time to speed up my reading if I hope to reach my goal of 60 by year's end.

52. A Planet of Viruses: Third Edition by Carl Zimmer

This is a short collection of essays written by the author on the study of viruses. This third edition, updated since the COVID pandemic, does a great job of discussing how viruses work, why they likely are the building blocks of life, and how they have both negative and positive effects on their hosts (depending on the virus and the host). Very approachable for someone without a scientific background, and very educational.

53. The Redemption of Time by Baoshu translated by Ken Liu

This is a wonderfully written piece of fan-fiction which "completes" The Three Body Problem series by Cixin Liu I mentioned in a previous post. This is a wonderful read and - while written by a different author - was authorized by the main series author. Fun and really completes the story. More science fiction from a very Chinese perspective (and wonderfully inventive).

54. Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu translated by Joel Martinsen

Another of this Chinese science-fiction author's work, and not connected to the previous series. This novel tells the story of a teenager whose parents are one day killed instantly by ball lightning, and the journey he takes to try to understand and harness this unexplained phenomenon. A worthwhile read, especially given the plot, pacing, and perspective. As you can see I am working my way through Cixin Liu's work and have not been disappointed yet.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Only 6 more to finish out the year!

 

[Allison Joy]

20/15.... not 20/50... I accidentally like tripled my goal (plus a bit more) in my last post. Anyway... #20 was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

This is the third time I've read these books, and I know the character that redeems himself in the end, but my goodness. This character is so entrenched in "the other side" (or seems to be) that I cannot, for the life of me, remember the redemption part. But I think it means I'll enjoy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows even more, since the redemption part will be somewhat of a surprise to me.... Well, the "hows" of the redemption. I already know it "who."

I hope that made sense.

 

[OKW8297]

72. One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

 

[RangerPooh]

24/25. Welcome to Serenity by Sherryl Woods

25/25. College (un)Bound: The Future of Higher Education by Jeffrey J. Selingo

 

[melk]

39/35 The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper

When a teenage girl disappears without a trace it turns out everyone in the building is harboring secrets.

I got this title from a previous poster. I liked it, I thought the mystery unfolded well. I looked to see if this British author had written anything else but her second book isn’t out until next July.

 

[KevM]

Another month down. This month I read 7 books, bringing my total for the year to 112. This month's reads were:

106) Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger – YA Magical Realism. In a world where Indigenous folklore, the fae vampires and all other magic/magical beings co-exist in the contemporary world, Elatsoe’s cousin dies in a car accident. But something about the accident just doesn’t sit right with Elatsoe. 4/5

107) The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth by The Red Nation – Non-Fiction/Environment/Social Justice. Part visionary platform, part practical toolkit, this looks at how decolonization and Indigenous liberation are essential in climate justice strategies. 4.5/5

108) Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption by Susan Devan Harness – Non-Fiction/Memoir. Harness’s story of growing up as the adopted daughter to two white parents with nio connection to her Indigenous roots to trying to reconnect to her birth family and her Salish roots later in life. 4.25/5

109) The School Days of an Indian Girl, and an Indian Teacher Among Indians by Zitkala-Sa - Non-Fiction/Memoir. Short vignettes of Zitkala-Sa’s life of being forced to attend a Quaker missionary school and then later teaching at an Indian school. 3.5/5

110) What the Chickadee Knows by Margaret Noodin – Poetry. Noodin first wrote the poems in Anishinaabemowin and then translated them into English. The left-hand page has the poem in Anishinaabemowin and the right-hand page has the poem in English. 4.75/5

111) A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger – YA Urban Fantasy. Nina is a Lipan Apache and Oil is a cottonmouth from the land of spirits. When a catastrophe happens on Earth at the same time Oil’s best friend becomes sick, Oil’s and Nina’s worlds will meet like they haven’t in centuries. 4.25/5

112) Poet Warrior: A Memoir by Joy Harjo – Non-Fiction/Memoir. Harjo is the first Native American poet Laureate. In this her second memoir (her first Crazy Brave is also excellent) to beings us along on her looking back on the road that brought her to becoming a poet warrior. 4.5/5

 

[willowsnn3]

#57/60 Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger
She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love?
But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.

Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she's looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she's not sure whether she's the predator—or the prey.

 

[PollyannaMom]

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future - Michael J. Fox
A recommendation from here - thank you!

So this is love : a twisted tale - Elizabeth Lim
This is part of set (not a series really - there's no particular order) of familiar stories, but where they change one important detail and then follow the heroine on a different journey. (This one is Cinderella.) I enjoyed it.

Where am I now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame - Mara Wilson
Couldn't put it down!

39/21


I also started but didn't finish:
The Second Mountain, by David Brooks - It's probably really good, just not the right time for me to read it.

 

[MGMmjl]

25/30 - A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth by Kevin M. Kern, Tim O'Day, and Steven Vagnini

Description:
"Walt Disney World honors its fiftieth anniversary with "The World's Most Magical Celebration," an incredible 18-month event that begins October 1, 2021. As part of the festivities, this must-have coffee table book paints a robust portrait of the Florida resort, through vibrant voices and rare Disney theme park concept art, photographs, and ephemera.

Walt Disney's vision for the "Florida Project" begins with Disneyland and the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. After an imaginative and expansive design, a unique land acquisition process, and an innovative construction period, Walt Disney World celebrated its opening in 1971. It featured a theme park dubbed the Magic Kingdom and three exquisitely themed resorts: Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

As Walt Disney World consistently grew and evolved through the five decades that have followed, certain themes keep reverberating: there's an appreciation for nostalgia, a joy in fantasy, a hunger for discovery, and an unending hope for a better tomorrow. Inspirational and memorable theme parks, water parks, sports arenas, recreational water sports options, world-class golf courses, vast shopping villages, and a transportation network unlike any other in the world resulted in fun and familiar characters, traditions, spectacles, merchandise, and so much more. The resort has come to represent the pulse of American leisure and has served as a backdrop for life's milestones both big and small, public and private.

A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth serves as a treasure trove for pop culture enthusiasts, students of hospitality, artists, art collectors, and Disney fans."

I liked this coffee table book and am glad I have it in my collection. I'll enjoy going back and looking at all the photos and concept art in the book. I wish there was a little more about the history of WDW, but overall, I enjoyed reading it.

 

[OKW8297]

73. One Charmed Christmas by Sheila Roberts

 

[luvmarypoppins]

27/30 - The Walnut Creek Wish by Wanda Brunstetter.
An English couple with a strained marriage is guided with wisdom, advice and friendship from an elderly Amish couple who owns an antique shop.

28/40 - Minding the Amish Baby by Carrie Lighte
Single Amish girl offers to watch her landlords niece while they try to locate the baby’s mom, his missing sister. This journey turns into a budding romance.

29/30 - The Christmas Village by Annie Rains
Such a fun book! Local small town deputy and midwife who share a past find love again during the holiday season.

30/30 - Unpacking Christmas by Beth Vogt
Christmas novella that follows a three book series about the three sisters who face a totally different holiday celebration than what they expected. Family drama and love.

 

[OKW8297]

74. Christmas at Cozy Holly Inn by Meredith Summers

 

[MGMmjl]

26/30 - Memory Man by David Baldacci

Description:
"Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice.

The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect--he can never forget anything.

The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare--his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered.

His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can.

But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice."

This is the first Baldacci book I've ever read, and I liked it!

 

[willowsnn3]

26/30 - Memory Man by David Baldacci

Description:
"Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice.
This is the first Baldacci book I've ever read, and I liked it!

Love the Memory Man series. I need to check see if there are any new ones I haven't read.