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I've set my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ challenge for 60 books this year. My primary challenge is Around the Year in 52 books. I'm also in several book clubs and have an ongoing challenge to read the Pulitzer Prize winners in fiction and a book by an author from every country in the world. I like the ABC challenge and will probably try that one as well. I'm counting on most of these overlapping.
Ready, set, GO!

Overlapping or as we sometimes call them double dipping - are the best!

1. The Coldest War: A Memoir of Korea by James Brady

3.5 stars
It's difficult for me to rate nonfiction books because I generally dislike them. War memoirs are usually an exception. This one was just ok for me. My dad served on Guam during the Korean War, so I had a connection to it. The kindle edition was full of typos, which were distracting.

2. A Dyeing Shame by Elizabeth Spann Craig

4 stars
Cozy mysteries are a new genre for me, thanks to Dawn Michelle and my book club. I resisted reading mysteries of any kind for a very long time. My usual genres are classics, literary fiction, and historical fiction. I have finally found some of the appeal of cozies - they are perfect for a light read in between heavier books. This series has become my favorite.

Dawn Michelle has a lot of cozy mystery recs! I've added quite a few series to my TBR because of her! :)

Ssssshhhhhhhhh!!! No one is supposed to know of my secret superpower!!!! ;-)

Sorry, you've been outed

Dawn Michelle is always adding to my lists too Joy...hahah

3. An Ishmael of Syria by Asaad Almohammad

2 stars
I read this for NetGalley; this is the review I wrote: The book shows the angst and brutality of the political situation in Syria, specifically for innocent civilians. It is difficult for a Westerner to follow the many characters and references, and the tone of the book swings wildly between raw, graphic, disturbing imagery and prose that is highly cerebral and academic. Thematically, the concept makes sense, but in execution, it is difficult to read and comprehend.

4. The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis

3 stars
I didn't love or hate this one. I needed something light, so a cozy was in order, and I wanted an author whose name begins with D for the ABC challenge. This is the first in a series, and I may or may not read more of them.

5. LaRose by Louise Erdrich

5 stars
Louise Erdrich is one of my absolute favorite contemporary authors, and this is her latest book, published in 2016. It is a real winner! The way that Erdrich creates such depth of emotion and character while always highlighting the unique culture of her people (Ojibwe nation) is truly masterful.

6. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
4 stars
This is the current selection for my local book club, and it was chosen by my daughter. This is the second time I've read it with her. Years ago, when she was in junior high school, it was assigned reading; she liked it then and shared it with me. I remember liking it, but obviously I didn't remember everything about it because there were still significant events that surprised me this time around.

Joy wrote: "6. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
4 stars
This is the current selection for my local book club, and it was chosen by my daughter. This is the second time I've read it wi..."

Sounds like a good book! Adding to my TBR!

7. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
3.5 stars
I am one of the very few people, it seems, who are not in love with this book. The epistolary nature with so many characters seems a bit gimmicky to me, and I kept wondering why Elizabeth was not given some sort of protection because of her relationship with the German soldier. Perhaps a bit of a plot flaw. It was written well enough, though, and it moved quickly.

8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
4 stars
I was set on giving this book 3.5 stars because, while there is no denying that it is well done, I am just not a giant fan of allegory. However the ending was so good and reminded me so much of The Wizard of Oz that I had to bump it up to four stars.

Joy wrote: "8. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
4 stars
I was set on giving this book 3.5 stars because, while there is no denying that it is well done, I am just not a giant fan of a..."

Yes, that ending!

9. Remains of Life by Wuhe
1.5 stars
If this book hadn't been an ARC, I would have quit. I seriously considered quitting and writing the review anyway all the way through. The premise looks like it would be something right up my alley - cultural, historical, literary. HOWEVER, combine the cerebral nature of the writing with the translation gap and the experimental, artistic decision to write the entire thing without paragraph breaks and very little punctuation, and you have a very slow and painful read.

10. A Body in the Backyard by Elizabeth Spann Craig
3.5 stars
Not my favorite in the series, but I still love the main character enough to keep reading them.

11. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5 stars
Amazing. Just amazing. I chose this one because I needed a Hugo award winner or nominee for another challenge, and I hit the jackpot. I can't think of a single thing that I would change about this book. I loved the characters, the storyline, the creepy, unexpected twists and turns, the amazing Neil Gaiman writing, I could go on here for a long time.

Joy wrote: "11. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5 stars
Amazing. Just amazing. I chose this one because I needed a Hugo award winner or nominee for another challenge, and I hi..."

This is still in my TBR! Gaiman is growing on me. I started with American Gods and I really shouldn't have. lol

Elyse, AG is my least favorite of ALL of Gaiman's book. I thought it was just horrid [though I did like the end; I kind of thing the middle just wasn't needed] and didn't care if I EVER read him again. And then I watched Stardust and after the third watching saw the credits and that is was based on his book and I thought..."Huh. Maybe I will try again" and so I did and voila! I am a Neil Gaiman lover.

The Graveyard Book is truly the closest you will ever get to a perfect book.

Dawn Michelle wrote: "Elyse, AG is my least favorite of ALL of Gaiman's book. I thought it was just horrid [though I did like the end; I kind of thing the middle just wasn't needed] and didn't care if I EVER read him ag..."

I enjoyed Stardust and Coraline and Trigger Warnings! I kind of want to re-read American Gods because I want to watch the show, I love the guy playing Shadow. lol

I LOVE Neil Gaiman... but I haven't been able to get through AG either. Yet! (I haven't given up... I just assume it's a 'not the right time for this book yet' kind of thing)

12. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald.
3 stars
Well that was depressing. I was not expecting this one to be so Victorian-feeling, considering that it was first published in 1978. The book is well-written, but it just wasn't my cup of tea, so to speak, and the ending is a huge downer.

Coccyx!!!!

13. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
4 stars
I'm not much for graphic novels, but I've heard so much about this that I felt I needed to read it. I will definitely remember and recommend it to my students. It is impressive.

14. Crewel World by Monica Ferris
3.5 stars
I was in a cross-stitch group for a number of years when my kids were young, and the members were always gushing about this series. Since I wasn't reading mysteries at the time, I did not participate. When I started reading cozies about a year ago (totally Dawn Michelle's fault, by the way), I knew I needed to find these. It is the first cozy I've read that isn't humorous. I think I liked it, though. I will certainly read the next in the series.

15. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
4 stars
A book club read, and it fulfills the challenge category of a 2016 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice award. I don't generally read YA books, but this one was very good. I did find one flaw in the narrative, but I can't explain it without spoilers.

16. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
5 stars
I loved, loved, LOVED this book!

Joy wrote: "16. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
5 stars
I loved, loved, LOVED this book!"

Love all of Backman's books!

I will absolutely be reading the rest, including the new one that is coming out this year - yippee!

Joy wrote: "I will absolutely be reading the rest, including the new one that is coming out this year - yippee!"

Yes, Beartown comes out in May (in English)! Looks like his first book that isn't about an eccentric character...! I'm excited about it! Though I haven't read Britt-Marie Was Here yet. I have the audiobook.

17. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
4 stars
An excellent work of historical fiction that begins in Korea in 1910 and follows four generations to Japan in 1989. The view of an immigrant family's struggles with identity and cultural acceptance seems especially poignant for a reader in the USA of 2017.

18. Death at a Drop-In by Elizabeth Spann Craig
4 stars
This is #5 in the Myrtle Clover Mystery series. I really love Myrtle. She is a tough, feisty Southern senior. This book had quite a few lol moments.

19. The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
5 stars
A nostalgic jaunt back to my elementary days. I devoured these books when I was a kid, and I am amazed at the level of writing and complexity of ideas that used to be in books for young readers. It makes me feel like we have lost something.

LOTS of amazing books Joy!! �

20. Gone with the Twins by Kylie Logan
4.5 stars
I preordered this for the kindle, grabbed it when it arrived at midnight, and finished it in a little over 24 hours. It is safe to say that I am in love with this series. The narrator is witty, the core characters are likeable, and the premise of a twist on a classic book goes straight to my heart.

21. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
3.5 stars
The writing, imagery, and characters are top-notch in this one. The challenge lies in the design: each chapter beginning anew with another character from the family tree given at the beginning of the book. It is an interesting premise, but ultimately one that seems artificial in a way. Also, covering hundreds of years and thousands of miles in barely 300 pages forces Gyasi to just give a nod to each character and situation before moving on. Perhaps if it were marketed as a collection of interrelated short stories, it would feel better.

22. The Skeleton Takes a Bow by Leigh Perry
4 stars
The second in a series, and I am now totally hooked. Sid the Skeleton is my hero.

I � Sid.
Elyse, you should read Sid; you'd love him. ;-)

Dawn Michelle wrote: "I � Sid.
Elyse, you should read Sid; you'd love him. ;-)"

That series looks awesome!

23. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
4.5 stars
This has been on my TBR for quite a while, and this was my month to select a book for our book club, so I chose it. I absolutely loved it - an amazing example of magical realism that blends the two perfectly, all the way to the end. It is absolutely magical and heart-wrenchingly realistic. I may or may not have shed both tears of grief and tears of joy before I finished.

I think I own The Snow Child but I haven't read it yet! I've heard good things!

24. The Lauras by Sara Taylor
2.5 stars
An ARC from NetGalley, this book has moments when a skilled writing hand comes through. Those seem to be lost, however, among long, drawn-out sections of repetition and/or gratuitous vulgarity. I don't plan to read anything else by this author. Blech.

25. Beloved by Toni Morrison
4.5 stars (book)/5 stars (audiobook)
A deserving winner of the Pulitzer, this is a poetic story of the gut-wrenching everyday reality of African Americans in the years just before, during, and just after the Civil War. I highly, highly recommend the audiobook that is narrated by the author. Completely and utterly spell-binding.

26. Chasing Understanding In The Jungles of Vietnam: My Year as a Black Scarf by Douglas Beed
3.5 stars
This is an ARC from NetGalley. Here is my official review:
I'll start by saying that the quality of writing in this one is not stellar. There are passages that feel wordy and repetitive, and instances where the narrative is fairly mechanical (more "telling" than "showing"). However, my overall impression is still a positive one. I've read a good number of war memoirs, the majority being from the Vietnam War, and I have lamented the fact that they were primarily told from the perspective of a relatively high-ranking member of the military. I wanted the voice of the draftee, the "grunt," and this is what Beed delivers. I also appreciate his explanation of military terminology throughout to clarify elements of the story. A worthwhile read.

27. The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova
4 stars
Another ARC from NetGalley. I loved Kostova's first book, The Historian, but was less enamoured with The Swan Thieves. As I started The Shadow Land, I was looking for the dark underworld - perhaps some more vampires? It took me quite a while to let go of that idea and realize that this is just an absolutely captivating, suck-you-in-and-transport-you-to-a-different-world piece of historical fiction. The descriptions of 20th and 21st century Bulgaria are exceptional, and the characters are sympathetic from the first chapter. An excellent read.

28. Framed in Lace by Monica Ferris
4 stars
This is #2 in The Needlecraft Series, and I really enjoyed it. I TBR it was definitely better than #1. While there isn't the quirky humor od my favorite cozy series, I adore all of the needlework references.

29. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
5 stars
I loved this book. I loved the audio and the print versions, between which I bounced back and forth (car book and bedtime book 😃). The 11 year-old main character, Flavia de Luce is precocious and brilliant and hilarious. I can't wait to read of her further escapades in the other books of the series.

Joy wrote: "29. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
5 stars
I loved this book. I loved the audio and the print versions, between which I bounced back and fort..."

Looooove! :)