Reading Challenge 2022

[willowsnn3]

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Allison Joy]

16/20 -- I just finished "Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card, which is a parallel book to Ender's Game. It was a re-read, but there was much I'd forgotten. I really enjoyed it. It got into a lot of details that Ender's Game didn't get into, and I liked that. I own (somehow?) the third book in the series. I've started it twice and never got past the first chapter. But I didn't realize it was the third book in the series. So I figure if I read the first two books, maybe I'll get past the first chapter of the third book.

I won't quite make my goal this year. But that's okay.

 

[Simba's Mom]

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.

Sounds great!

Updated to add: I just found out today that it's the selection for January for our church's book club!

 

[willowsnn3]

#49/50 Dear Little Corpses by Nicola Upson
1 September, 1939. As the mass evacuation takes place across Britain, thousands of children leave London for the countryside, but when a little girl vanishes without trace, the reality of separation becomes more desperate and more deadly for those who love her.
I enjoyed this one. Didn't realize it was #10 in a series (Josephine Tey) & I never read the first 9, lol. Probably won't go back & read them either at this point.

#50/50 Fairy Tale by Stephen King
From Goodreads: Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

What can I say? One of King's best. Loved it.

 

[bobbiwoz]

74/75
“Death on a Winter Stroll” by Francine Mathews. I decided to read books designated by a Candy Cane during Christmas time, but this was definitely more a mystery that took place around Winter Stroll time on Nantucket. Pretty good mystery, I would read more by this author. 4/5

 

[drwitz]

#50/50 Fairy Tale by Stephen King
From Goodreads: Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

What can I say? One of King's best. Loved it.

Cannot wait! It is on my bookshelf waiting as my reward for the end of my re-read.... Only 20 something more books to go (lol).

 

[drwitz]

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

You've been missed!!! Welcome back!

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.

Interesting how your read on this is so different than what @willowsnn3 said. Hoping I love it... but I am a rabid King fan.

 

[KevM]

My November reads:

192) Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer – Memoir/Nature/Science. 5/5

193) The Death of Sitting Bear: New and Selected Poems by N. Scott Momaday – Poetry. 4/5

194) Future Home of the Living God: A Novel by Louise Erdrich – Dystopia/Speculative Fiction. 3.5/5

195) Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez – Nature/Science. 4/5

196) Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty – Short Stories/Literary Fiction. 4/5

197) The Round House by Louise Erdrich – Mystery/Historical Fiction. 4/5

198) Every Day Is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women by Wilma Mankiller – Feminism/Essays. 4.5/5

199) White Horse by Erika T. Wurth – Horror/Mystery. 4/5

200) In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience by Eden Robinson and Helen Knott – Memoir. 4.75/5

201) How It Is: The Native American Philosophy of V. F. Cordova by V. F. Cordova – Philosophy. 4.5/5

202) Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis – Folklore. 4/5

203) Her Land, Her Love by Evangeline Parsons Yazzie – Historical Fiction/Romance. 4.25/5

204) The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer – History. 4.25/5

205) New Poets of Native Nations edited by Heid E. Erdrich – Poetry. 4.5/5

206) Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden – Mystery/Thriller. 4.25/5

207) The Sentence by Louise Erdrich – Contemporary. 4.25/5

208) A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt – Contemporary. 4.25/5

209) Red Nation Rising: From Bordertown Violence to Native Liberation by Nick Estes, Melanie K. Yazzie, Jennifer Nez Denetdale, & David Correia – Politics/History 4.5/5

210) The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions by Paula Gunn Allen – Feminism/History. 4/5

211) American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Sa – Classic/Memoir/Short Stories. 3.75/5

212) Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice – History/Literary Criticism. 4.5/5

213) Scratching River by Michelle Porter – Memoir. 4/5

214) My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones – Horror. 4.25/5

 

[willowsnn3]

You've been missed!!! Welcome back!


Interesting how your read on this is so different than what @willowsnn3 said. Hoping I love it... but I am a rabid King fan.

Me too! Not much of King's work that I haven't really enjoyed.

 

[bobbiwoz]

75/75 A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril.
I planned on only reading Christmas themed stories to end the year. This was about two murders in a Montana town. 3.5/5

 

[melk]

32/35 West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Seventeen year old Woody Nickel escaped the dust bowl alive but now lands himself a job driving two giraffes, who just crossed the Atlantic during the hurricane of 1938, from the east coast to the west. He’s accompanied by his boss, a crusty old man, and a young female photographer who has secrets of her own.

I must be on a roll of good books at the moment because this was the third in a row that I’ve loved. The characters were so endearing, especially the two giraffes, Boy and Girl. I found myself holding my breath during some of the scrapes they found themselves in, rooting for them to get the giraffes to safety. I felt like I was on the road trip with them.

 

[willowsnn3]

#51/50 The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
I enjoyed this one. Lots of plot twists.

 

[Shellsbutt]

I'm falling behind, yikes. I've only read 3 more books since last update and my goal is 25 for the year.
20/25-Reputation by Sarah Vaughan-this was different but I liked her previous book better.

21/25-The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan-another book by this author-loved the descriptions of all the baked goods. Follows women and one man in a cooking competition similar to great british bake off. I found this hard to keep track of the different characters though, too much back and forth.

22/25-Diana, William, and Harry: The Heartbreaking Story of a Princess and Mother by James Patterson-I do not recommend this one. I thought it was going to be a biography. It was some sort of fictionalized account of her life with her sons pulled from all sorts of articles, interviews, etc. It was bizarre.

 

[bobbiwoz]

76/75 Another Christmas themed, or one that takes place near Christmas. “Bones of Holly” by Carolyn Haines about a publicity prank that nearly turns deadly. 3.5/5

 

[RangerPooh]

I started with a smaller goal, and surpassed it. Not sure I'll make my current goal, but that's ok.

36/40 Backcountry (Sam Westin Mysteries #4) by Pamela Beason.
This one was good. There was a slight twist that I did not see coming which was nice.

 

[bobbiwoz]

77/75 I liked “A Cat Café Christmas “ by Codi Gary. A fun story about a cat cafe and the cat people who run it. 4/5

 

[drwitz]

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)!

I bet this will surprise absolutely no one, but I read some more Stephen King books... LOL... I've been sick with COVID for the last week or so (a very mild case) so I have also been catching up on some SK TV, and for those who haven't yet seen it, I highly recommend the series "Castle Rock" on Hulu. A fun Stephen King mash-up of stories but new content set in the town constant readers know well. As for my next three books:

94. Velocity by Dean Koontz

I started this group with a suspense / horror novel not by King. This is a book of Koontz's from a few years ago, so you may already have read it, the novel begins with the story of a bartender caught in an ultimatum which will lead to the death of one of two strangers. If he goes to the police, an elderly woman will die. If he doesn't go to the police, a schoolteacher in Napa will die. He has six hours to decide. From there, the pace accelerates as he takes the law into his own hands and begins a race to the finish of the novel to see who will survive and who will die. Short chapters, great prose, and a captivating story mean that this one is a page turner. Fun to read, but be careful if you are a bit squeamish; there are some gory details.

95. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Be prepared, these are dark stories. This collection of four novellas (1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension, and A Good Marriage) allow King to explore some dark topics - serial killers, the impact of murder, a deal with the "devil" and violence against a spouse. Each is a captivating tale and much like Different Seasons or Four Past Midnight, King excels in the novella form. I particularly enjoyed the last story - "A Good Marriage" - as it explores a wife discovering who her husband really is, and the revenge she plans and executes. Some stories have a slight element of the supernatural ("1922" specifically), but generally these are just examinations of how dark the human soul can be.

96. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Imagine you could go back and change history. Imagine you had a doorway to 1958 and could stop by Kennedy assassination from happening. And further imagine that history throws everything it can to stop you from making that change. This novel is one King wanted to write since 1977 but he didn't have the literary chops to do it. And then in 2011, he tackled it as his 60th book published. The resulting novel (at more than 800 pages long) is a beautiful tribute to the late 50s and early 60s, and a love story that -- oh yeah -- is also an exploration of the Kennedy assassination. It is quite a beautiful book, and I loved reading it again. Now I want to go watch the Hulu series with James Franco because I hear it is pretty good.

Only 11 (almost 12) more years of King works to go before I finish my re-read. It's been an awesome project which I hope I will finish in early 2023... Speaking of which, who is hosting next year's post?

 

[RUDisney]

24/25

Many of you have sparked my holiday reading... I have just finished A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

5/5 rating. What a wonderful book! I don't always enjoy Dickens because he can be superfluous in the use of his words. This book was amazing! So much better than every interpretation I've seen in movies.

 

[jerrywilliams]

I read only 13 books from my 50 book list. Not gonna make it probably this year.
Of course i have an accuse for that - my studies. With the essay writing service https://writinguniverse.com/free-essаy-examples/internet/ it wasn't too bad actually, but still not much free time left for me.

 

[willowsnn3]

I read only 13 books from my 50 book list. Not gonna make it probably this year

There's always next year! Just enjoy what you do read.