2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Gail's 2021 Reading Corner
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B. READING BY MONTH*** JAN ***
2 books; x nook; 5 audio; 2,111p
1. b The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab-442p
2. b Spring Break by Gerald Elias-212p,m
3. a Murder Comes to Call by Jessica Ellicott-304p
4. a The Fatal Flying Affair by T.E. Kinsey-315p,m
5. a Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer-320p,m
6. a The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein-368p,m
7. a Parker: Selected Stories by Dorothy Parker-150p
*** FEB ***
x books; x nook; 5 audio; 1,695p
8. a Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Hyde-366p
9. a The Murmur of Bees by SofÃa Segovia-471p,t
10. a Cherringham - Still Dead: A Cosy Crime Series by Matthew Costello, 150p, m
11. a The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah-464p
12. a Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman-244p
*** MAR ***
x books; 1 nook; 5 audio; 2,016p
13. a Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters-310p
14. a Dust tracks on the road by Zora Neale Hurston-324p
15. a The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson-414p, m
16. a Hidden in Plain Sight by Jeffrey Archer-289p, m
17. a The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis-229p, m
18. n This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger-450p, m
*** APR ***
2 books; x nook; 4 audio; 2,165p
19. a The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer-448p
20. a A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde-384p
21. a A Purely Private Matter-379p
22. b An Extravagant Death by Charles Finch-288p,m
23. a Turn a Blind Eye by Jeffrey Archer-342p, m
24. b The King's Justice by Susan Elia MacNeal-324p
*** MAY ***
1 books; y nook; 5 audio; 1,606p
25. a A Little Night Murder by Matthew Costello-119p, m
26. a London Calling! by Matthew Costello-147p, m
27. a The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell-448p, m
28. b Triple Jeopardy by Anne Perry-352p
29. a Deadly Cargo by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards-140p, m
30. a Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce-400p
*** JUN ***
2 books; 6 nook; 3 audio; 3,214p
31. a Murder Wore a Mask by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards-127p, m
32. n Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn-304p, m
33. a A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher-365p, m
34. n Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers-260p
35. b Happiness, as Such by Natalia Ginzburg-176p
36. n Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled by Dorothy Gilman-208p
37. n The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell-303p
38. n The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce-326p
39. n Beach Read by Emily Henry-361p
40. a And Dangerous to Know by Darcie Wilde-352p
41. b That Summer by Jennifer Weiner-432p
*** JUL ***
6 books; y nook; 1 audio; 1,820p
42. b Evan Help Us by Rhys Bowen-224p
43. b Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose by Rachel Marie Watson-233p
44. b If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin-197p, m
45. a Dreaming in Irish by Sarah-Jane McKenna-276 p
46. b Us Against You by Fredrik Backman-448p, m
47. b Vernon Downs by Jaime Clarke-164p, m
48. b Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce-278p
*** AUG ***
9 books; 1 nook; 1 audio; 3,374p
49. a Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley-496p
50. b Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan-527 p
51. b Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi-305p
52. b The Friend by Sigrid Nunez-212p
53. b Piranesi by Susanna Clarke-245p
54. b The Stationery Shop-322p
55. b Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-324p, m
56. b And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer-76p, m
57. b Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga-352p
58. b The Push by Ashley Audrain - 307p
59. n The Circular Staircase-208p
*** SEP ***
6 books; 4 nook; 2 audio; 3,447p
60. b Dearly by Margaret Atwood-124p
61. b The Dutch House by Ann Patchett-337p
62. b While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams-337p
63. b Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty-453p
64. a Peace Like a River by Leif Enger-312p, m
65. b London Rain by Nicola Upson-336p
66. n The Bombay Prince3] by Sujata Massey-360p
67. n The Moonstone Castle Mystery by Carolyn Keene-178p
68. n Murder Most Pemberley by Jessica Berg-288p
69. n The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie-230p,m
70. b My Sweet Orange Tree by José Mauro de Vasconcelos-182p,m,t
71. a Search the Dark by Charles Todd-310p
*** OCT ***
2 books; 5 nook; 4 audio; 4,034p
72. a When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain-370p
73. a The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle-288p
74. b Five Equations That Changed the World by Michael Guillen-277p, m
75. b The Fifth Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks-384p, m
76. a Killer Track by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards-146p, m
77. n The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths-338p
78. n The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths-318p
79. n Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger-315p
80. a Tender Is the Bite by Spencer Quinn-272p,m
81. n Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith-944p
82. n The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman-382p
*** NOV ***
7 books; 3 nook; 2 audio; 3,033p
83. n The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi-256p
84. b All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders-313p
85. b Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth-338p
86. b The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie-268p
87. n A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith-194p,m
88. a Murder in an English Glade by Jessica Ellicott-304p
89. n The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos-288p,m
90. b Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie-198p
91. b Lamb to the Slaughter and Other Stories by Roald Dahl-90p
92. a Over My Dead Body by Jeffrey Archer-384p
93. b Faithful by Alice Hoffman-258p
94. b Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories by Truman Capote-142p,m
*** DEC ***
8 books; 4 nook; 2 audio
95. b The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby-338p
96. b Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds-306p, m
97. b The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott-247p
98. b Songs of Willow Frost"The Songs of Willow Frost" by Jamie Ford-338p, m
99. b The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor-338p
100. b Dead of Autumn by Sherry Knowlton-221p
101. b Dead of Summer by Sherry Knowlton-268p
102. a A Lady Compromised by Darcie Wilde-304p
103. n The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier-320p
104. n The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr-432p
105. n The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry-370p
106. a Death in the English Countryside by Sara Rosett-250p
107. b Digging Up The Bones by Dale Marlowe-144p
108. n Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg-336p
C. GCAC CHALLENGE ..........completed 11/3/2021/topic/show/...
Part 1: 10 / 10 from 2020
Part 2: 9 / 5 from previous years
2020
Magic Lessons read in 2020
The Book of Lost Friends read in 2020
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Beach Read
Piranesi
Anxious People
Dearly
Confessions on the 7:45
Troubled Blood
The Death of Vivek Oji
Previous
This Tender Land-2019
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell-2018
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry-2012
Us Against You-2018
Homegoing-2016
Other Words for Home-2019
The Dutch House-2019
Nine Perfect Strangers-2018
Songs of Willow Frost-2013
D. AROUND THE YEAR ............. completed 10/2021Items completed: 52/ 52
/topic/show/...
[X] 1. A book related to “In the Beginning...â€�: The Murmur of Bees by SofÃa Segovia: first book by this author to be translated into English.
[X] 2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y: C.S. Lewis: The Last Battle
[X] 3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music: The Death of Bees
[X] 4. A book with a monochromatic cover:
[X] 5. A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read: If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
[X] 6. A love story: Beach Read
[X] 7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list: A book with a "heroic" character: Hidden in Plain Sight
[X] 8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited: Jordan: Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist
[X] 9. A book you associate with a specific season or time of year: That Summer
[X] 10. A book with a female villain or criminal: This Tender Land : Mrs. Brickman, aka "Black Witch"
[X] 11. A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum: Borrower of the Night
[X] 12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation: Happiness, as Such
[X] 13. A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020: Sujata Massey: The Bombay Prince
[X] 14. A book set in a made-up place: Murder Comes to Call-Walmsley Parva, England
[X} 15. A book that features siblings as the main characters: [book:The Dutch House|44318414]
[X] 16. A book with a building in the title: The Stationery Shop
[X] 17. A book with a Muslim character or author: Other Words for Home
[X] 18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - PAST: The Four Winds
[X] 19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - PRESENT: The Friend
[X] 20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - FUTURE: A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World
[X] 21. A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u": The Push by Ashley Audrain
[X] 22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads: Anxious People
/list/show/1...
[X] 23. A cross genre novel: When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain
[X] 24. A book about racism or race relations: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
[X] 25. A book set on an island: New Caledonia: Miss Benson's Beetle
[X] 26. A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author: Vernon Downs by Jaime Clarke
[X] 27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
[X] 28. A book connected to ice: Us Against You
[X] 29. A book that you consider comfort reading: The Fatal Flying Affair
[X] 30. A long book: Crazy Rich Asians -527p
[X] 31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years: Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer
[X] 32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people: A Useful Woman
[X] 33. A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry: Parker: Selected Stories
[X] 34. A book with a travel theme: Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled
[X] 35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer: Nine Perfect Strangers
[X] 36. A book with six or more words in the title: The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
[X] 37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list: Homegoing
[X] 38. A book related to a word given by a random word generator: ( DAUGHTER: London Calling!
[X] 39. A book involving an immigrant: Dreaming in Irish
[X] 40. A book with flowers or greenery on the cover: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
[X] 41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author: Dust Tracks on a Road: A Memoir by Zora Neale Hurston
[X] 42. A mystery or thriller: Cherringham - Still Dead: A Cosy Crime Series
[X] 43. A book with elements of magic: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
[X] 44. A book whose title contains a negative: The Things We Cannot Say
[X] 45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet: Yankee: The King's Justice, the main character is a Yankee female who has been working for the British during WW2.
[X] 46. A winner or nominee from the 2020 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
[X] 47. A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir: Five Equations That Changed the World
[X] 48. Used Wild Card here: Readers Choice: Say Goodbye for Now
[x] 49. A book with an ensemble cast: Turn a Blind Eye
[X] 50. A book published in 2021: An Extravagant Death
[X] 51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name: Firekeeper's Daughter
[X] 52. A book related to "the end": Spring Break by Gerald Elias. Last book of series.
Can use a "Wild Card" and read something else for this week (reader's choice or past suggestions).
E. OUR UNSOLVED CASES.........completed 9/2935/31
/topic/show/... Message 63
WHO: 7/5
Solve cases featuring a main character (sleuth, perp, victim, or suspect) with a unique profession. Be sure they’re distinct; a chef, baker, caterer, and pastry chef are all in the culinary profession.
[X] 1. An American Adventurer in England: Murder Comes to Call
[X] 2. An American Widowed Housewife who works as a CIA courier: Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist
[X] 3. An English Lord: Deadly Cargo; Unnatural Death
[X] 4. A down-on-her-luck member of the Tonne: And Dangerous to Know
[X] 5. Author: London Rain
[Y] 6. Buddhist monk turned PI: The Fifth Rule of Ten
[Y] 7. Guitar Technician: Killer Track
WHAT: 5/5
[X] 1. Has a punny title: Heart of Barkness
[X] 2. Written by an author of color: While Justice Sleeps
[X] 3. Has a four-word title: The Fatal Flying Affair
[X] 6. Has a plant or animal on the cover: Stag: Borrower of the Night
[X] 7. Related to the yearly or quarterly theme: Peace Signs: 9.10. Read a book
WHEN: 5/5
When did the dastardly deed take place or get reported?
[X] 2. In the 1800s or earlier: 1817: A Useful Woman
[X] 4. Between nightfall and sunrise: A Purely Private Matter
[X] 5. During a special event (festival, convention, party, etc.): Firekeeper's Daughter
[X] 6. Reported (original publication or reprint) in your birthday month: Turn a Blind Eye
[X] 7. Reported (published) in 2021: The Bombay Prince
WHERE: 6/5
Where did the dastardly deed take place?
[X] 1. In the capital city of your country of residence: Washington DC: Triple Jeopardy
[X] 2. In a different capital city: Nothing Ventured
[X] 3. “At home": Unnatural Death
[X] 4. At a workplace: Cherringham - Still Dead: A Cosy Crime Series
[X] 5. Inside or on the premises of a public venue (hotel, restaurant, airport, etc.): airport: Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled
[X] 6. In a Nordic country: Anxious People
HOW: 6/5
For this category, each means of murder must be distinctly different.
For example, pistols and rifles are both firearms; knives and daggers are too similar.
[X] 1. Mushroom: Spring Break
[X] 2. Flask: An Extravagant Death
[X] 3. Syringe: Murder Wore a Mask; Unnatural Death
[X] 4. Rock: Evan Help Us
[X] 5. Pushed: The Push
[X] 6. Strangled: The Postscript Murders
7.
WHY: 6/5
What motivated you to choose a particular case?
[X] 2. Your favorite mystery subgenre: detective: Hidden in Plain Sight
[X] 3. Appears in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ listopia: 100 Mysteries and Thrillers to Read in a Lifetime: Readers' Picks: The Circular Staircase as included in the book "The Complete Books of Mary Rinehart"
[X] 4. Won a literary prize for crime fiction (which one?): Edgar Award 2020 The Stranger Diaries
[X] 5. Read by a fellow participant in this challenge: Amy (msg 89): Murder Most Pemberley
[X] 6. A cold case (among your TBRs for over a year): A Little Night Murder
[X] 7. Average Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ rating of 4 stars or above:4.05: The King's Justice
RANK: *Special Agent in Charge (30 cases): 5 cases in each category
F. GLOBAL VOICES . . . . . . . . . . completed 9/202112/12
/topic/show/... message 12
Read a book featuring a protagonist who identifies as _____ by an author who is also _____.
Voices From Around The World
[X] 1. African: Homegoing
[X] 2. Asian: Crazy Rich Asians
[X] 4. Indigenous: Firekeeper's Daughter
[X] 5. Latin American: The Murmur of Bees
[X] 6. Middle Eastern: Iran: The Stationery Shop
[X] 7. Oceanic: Nine Perfect Strangers
[X] 10. Black or Multiracial: Dust tracks on the road
Diversity of Beliefs
[X] 14. Muslim: Other Words for Home
Every Body Has Value
[X] 26. Living with a Mental Health Condition, Cognitive/Intellectual Disability, or Addiction: Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
[X] 30. Victim of State-Sponsored Violence or Institutional/Systemic Discrimination: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
Bonus & Advanced Prompts
[X] 32. Read a book translated from a language other than English: Italian: Happiness, as Such
[X] 34. Read a “classic,� award-winning, or scholarly #ownvoices book that also meets the criteria for one of the above prompts: If Beale Street Could Talk
G. Reading Women ..........completed 11/10/20219 / 9
/topic/show/...
All books read for this challenge must be by women or people of other historically marginalized genders who are comfortable being included in feminine-coded initiatives. Try for international authors
[X] (5) A Book with a Protagonist Older than 50: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
[X] (9) A Book by a Neurodivergent Author: Charlie Jane Anders: All the Birds in the Sky
[X] (10) A Crime Novel or Thriller in Translation: Will and Testament
[X] (14) A Book with a Biracial Protagonist: Firekeeper's Daughter
[X] (15) A Muslim Middle Grade Novel: Other Words for Home
[X] (16) A Book Featuring a Queer Love Story: The Death of Bees: Lennie and his deceased partner
[X] (18) A Book with a Rural Setting: Murder Comes to Call by Jessica Ellicott
[X] (19) A Book with a Cover Designed by a Woman: Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
[X] (21) A Book by a Trans Author: Akwaeke Emezi: The Death of Vivek Oji
H. SERIES ..........completed 10/27/2021/topic/show/... message 64
books read = 46 / 35
series started= 11 / 3
series continued = 30/29
series finished = 4/ 3
series stopped = 1/0
ONGOING
*Alexa Williams: Dead of Autumn (#1); Dead of Summer (#2)
Armand Gamache (#1-15): All the Devils Are Here (#16)
* Beartown (#1): Us Against You (#2)
* Beryl & Edwina (#1-3): Murder Comes to Call (#4); Murder in an English Glade (#5)
Cemetary of Forgotten Books (#1-2):
* Charles Lenox (#1-13): An Extravagant Death (#14)
* Cherringham Shorts:(#1-37): Cherringham - Still Dead: A Cosy Crime Series (#38); Killer Track (#39)
Cherringham Novels:
* Cormoran Strike (#1-4): Troubled Blood (#5)
* Daniel Pitt (#1): Triple Jeopardy (#2)
* Evan Evans (#1): Evan Help Us (#2)
* Harbinder Kaur: The Stranger Diaries (#2)
* Inspector Ian Rutledge (#1-2, 5): Search the Dark (#3)
Inspector Lynley (#1-5, 7, 10-13, 15-20): Something to Hide (#21-expected 2021)
* Isabel Dalhousie (#1-10): A Distant View of Everything (#11), also have 12 and 13
* Josephine Tey (#1-2, 4-5,8): London Rain (#6); Nine Lessons (#7)
* Lady Emily Hardcastle (#1-6): The Fatal Flying Affair (#7)
Laetitia Rodd (#1-2):
The Lady Janies (#1-2):
* Lord Peter Wimsey (#1-2): Unnatural Death (#3)
* Maggie Hope (#1-9): The King's Justice (#10)
Maisie Dobbs (#1-16):
Mary Russell (#1-10, 12-15): Riviera Gold (#16)
Practical Magic (3):
* Preveen Mistry (#1-2): The Bombay Prince (#3)
* Rosalind Thorne (#1): A Purely Private Matter (#2); And Dangerous to Know (#3); A Lady Compromised (#4)
The Giver (#1): Gathering Blue (#2)
Washington Whodunit (#1-3): K Street Killing (#4)
* William Warwick: Hidden in Plain Sight (#2); Turn a Blind Eye (#3); Over My Dead Body (#4)
Zoe Chambers (#1-2):
STARTED
* Agatha Christie: Tommy and Tuppence: The Secret Adversary (#1)
* Crazy Rich Asians: Crazy Rich Asians (#1)
* Eliza Darcy: Murder Most Pemberley (#1)
* Harbinder Kaur: The Postscript Murders (#1)
Inspector Rudd: Not One of Us (#1)
* Mrs. Hudson and Mary Watson Investigation: The House at Baker Street (#1)
* Murder on Location: Death in the English Countryside (#1)
* Rosalind Thorne: A Useful Woman (#1)
* Thursday Murder Club: The Thursday Murder Club (#1)
* William Warwick: Nothing Ventured (#1)
Phyllis Bowden: London Spies
* Vicky Bliss: Borrower of the Night
READ THE FIRST; THE REST ?
Aaron Falk (#1):
Chief Inspector Barnaby (#1):
Churchill and Pemberley:
Detective Galileo (#1):
Dread Nation (#1):
Dublin Trilogy (#1):
Hawthorne (#1):
Her Royal Spyness (#1-2):
Herring Street:
Hogarth Shakespeare (Vinegar Girl):
Hugo Marsten (#1):
Irish Village (#1):
Kate Waters: (Fiona Barton):
Kopp Sisters (#1):
Legend (#1):
Mason: (#1):
Max Tudor (#1):
Molly Murphy (#1):
Pennyfoot Hotel (#1):
Ruth Galloway (#1):
Verity Kent (#1):
FINISHED
* Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle
* Daniel Jacobus (#1-5): Spring Break (#6 and final)
Jackson Brodie (#1-5):
* Mrs. Pollifax (#1-12): Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist (#13); Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled (#14)
* Tenzing Norbu (#1-4): The Fifth Rule of Ten
STOPPING
Amos Decker (#1-2)
Bess Crawford (#1-2)
The Blackbird Sisters (#1-4)
Charlotte Anthony Mysteries (#1-3)
* Chet and Bernie (#1-8): Heart of Barkness (#9); Tender Is the Bite (#10)
Culper Ring (#1-2)
Dido Kent (#1-3)
Don Tilman (#2):
Inspector Hannasyde & Hemingway (#1-2)
Irish Country (#1-3, 5, 7)
Mary Handley (#1-2)
* Mydworth Mysteries (#1): A Little Night Murder (#2); London Calling! (#3); Murder Wore a Mask (#4); Deadly Cargo (#5) Narration is not good, too difficult to distinguish the different voices. Back story got old rather quickly.
I. NEW TO ME AUTHORS1. V.E. Schwab: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
2. Richard Rothstein: The Color of Law:
3. Dorothy Parker: Parker: Selected Stories
4. SofÃa Segovia: The Murmur of Bees
5. Zora Neale Hurston: Dust Tracks on a Road
6. Jonas Jonasson: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
7. Kelly Rimmer: The Things We Cannot Say
8. Darcie Wilde: A Useful Woman; A Purely Private Matter
9. Robert Dugoni: The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
10. C.A. Fletcher: The Boy and His Dog at the End of the World
11. Natalia Ginzburg: Happiness, As Such
12. Lisa O'Donnell: The Death of Bees
13. Emily Henry: Beach Read
14. Jennifer Weiner: That Summer
15. Rachel Marie Watson: Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
16. James Baldwin: If Beale Street Could Talk
17. Sarah-Jane McKenna: Dreaming In Irish
18. Jaime Clarke: Vernon Downs
19. A.J. Pearce: Dear Mrs. Bird
20. Angeline Boulley: Firekeeper's Daughter
21. Kevin Kwan: Crazy Rich Asians
22. Yaa Gyasi: Homegoing
23. Sigrid Nunez: The Friend
24. Jasmine Warga: Other Words for Home
25. Ashley Audrain: The Push
26. Mary Roberts Rinehart: The Circular Staircase
27. Stacey Abrams: While Justice Sleeps
28. Leif Enger: Peace Like a River
29. Jessica Berg: Murder Most Pemberley
30. Sherman Alexie: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
31. José Mauro de Vasconcelos: My Sweet Orange Tree
32. Rebecca Serle: The Dinner List
33: Michael Guillen: Five Equations that Changed the World
34. Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club
35. Akwaeke Emezi: The Death of Vivek Oji
36. Charlie Jane Anders: All the Birds in the Sky
37. Vigdis Hjorth: Will and Testament
38. David Foenkinos: The Mystery of Henri Pick
39: Michelle Birkby: The House at Baker Street
40. Jason Reynolds: Long Way Down
41. Alice McDermott: The Ninth Hour
42. Mary Ellen Taylor: The Union Street Bakery
43. Sherry Knowlton: Dead of Autumn; Dead of Summer
44. Robyn Carr: The House on Olive Street
45. Ellen Berry: The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane
46. Sara Rosett: Death in the English Countryside
47. Dale Marlowe: Digging Up The Bones
K. 2021 RELEASES1. The Four Winds
2. An Extravagant Death
3. Turn a Blind Eye
4. That Summer
5. Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
6. Firekeeper's Daughter
7. The Push
8. While Justice Sleeps
9. The Bombay Prince
10. Murder Most Pemberley
11. When the Stars Go Dark
12. Killer Track
13. The Postscript Murders
14. Murder in an English Glade
15. Tender Is the Bite
16. Over My Dead Body
L. SPELL A BETTER WORLD.......................completed 7/21/topic/show/... message 56
9/ 9
INTEGRITY
I: Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist
N: Nothing Ventured
T: Dust tracks on the road
E: An Extravagant Death
G: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
R: Beach Read
I: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
T: This Tender Land
Y: Us Against You
M. Modern Mrs. Darcy .......... completed 10/24/2138 / 38
/topic/show/...
Cultivate Community - 12 / 12 completed
[X] 1. A book beloved by a good friend: Cindy: And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
[X] 2. A book “everyone� has read but you: Anxious People
[X] 3. A book recommended by someone with great taste: Kelly T: The Push
[X] 4. A book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller: Confessions on the 7:45
[X] 5. A book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child, or BFF: Celia: The Dutch House
[X] 6. A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than your own: Sweden: Us Against You
[X] 7. A book that’s currently on the bestseller list: The Four Winds; The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
[X] 8. An immigrant story: Other Words for Home
[X] 9. A book by a local author: The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart (Pittsburgh, PA)
[X] 10. A book you don’t want to admit you’re dying to read: Beach Read
[X] 11. A book with a reputation for being un-put-downable: to me at least: Dear Mrs. Bird
[X] 12. A book in a genre you don’t typically read: Romance: The Dinner List
Read for Comfort - 9 / 9 completed
[X] 1. A book from your childhood: The Moonstone Castle Mystery by Carolyn Keene
[X] 2. A book by a favorite author: An Extravagant Death by Charles Finch
[X] 3. A book you can finish in a day: Murder Wore a Mask
[X] 4. A book about a topic or subject you already love: books and reading: The Stationery Shop
[X] 5. A book about books or reading: The Stranger Diaries
[X] 8. A book recommended by a source you trust: Ronda: That Summer
[X] 9. A book you own but have never read: Dreaming in Irish
[X] 10. A book you chose because of the cover: The Murmur of Bees
[X] 12. A book that’s more than 500 pages: Crazy Rich Asians
Learn New Things - 8 / 8 completed
[X] 2. A book in translation: Happiness, as Such
[X] 3. A book set somewhere you’ve never been but would like to visit: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
[X] 4. A book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection: Dearly
[X] 5. A book of any genre that addresses current events: If Beale Street Could Talk
[X] 8. A book that intimidates you: Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
[X] 10. A book published before you were born: The Last Battle
[X] 11. A Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award winner: National Book Award 2018: The Friend
[X] 12. A book by an author who is new to you: A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
Read with a Literary Lens - 5 / 5 completed
[X} 1. A book that was banned at some point: [book:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian|693208]
[X] 2. A book with an unreliable narrator or ambiguous ending: Vernon Downs
[X] 3. Three books by the same author: London Calling!, Cherringham - Still Dead: A Cosy Crime Series, Deadly Cargo by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards
[X] 4. A book nominated for an award this year: Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021: Piranesi
[X] 6. A debut novel: Firekeeper's Daughter
Don’t Overthink It - 4 / 4 completed
[X] 1. A book you’ve been meaning to read: Homegoing
[X] 4. A book you previously abandoned: Peace Like a River
[X] 5. A book in the backlist of a new favorite author: SofÃa Segovia: My Sweet Orange Tree
[X] 6. A memoir, biography, or book of creative nonfiction: Dust Tracks on a Road
P. 2021 BEST OF: .......... Thanks Emily! ...... and, yes, some have more than 1
BEST FICTION
BEST HISTORICAL FICTION
BEST YA or MIDDLE GRADE
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
BEST NONFICTION
Five Equations That Changed the World by Michael Guillen
BEST ON AUDIO
The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
BEST SERIES
Sujata Massey - Preveen Mistry
Charles Finch - Charles Lenox
BEST TRANSLATED
The Murmur of Bees by SofÃa Segovia
What are the Blind Men Dreaming? by Noemi Jaffe
BOOK THAT EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS
Lamb to the Slaughter and Other Stories by Roald Dahl
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Dead of Autumn by Sherry Knowlton
BOOK THAT DID NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
MOST RECOMMENDED
The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
BOOK THAT GOT ME MOST OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Digging Up The Bones by Dale Marlowe
BEST LGBTQIA+
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
BEST CHARACTERS
Book whose characters stuck with me long after I finished the book
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
BEST COVER
Faithful by Alice Hoffman
BOOK SET IN AN INTERESTING ENVIRONMENT
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING
Book that made me think the most
The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
BEST SHOCK
Book that made my jaw drop in surprise
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
BEST FOR EMOTIONS
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
BOOK THAT BROKE MY ROUTINE OF MISERY AND HEARTBREAK IN BOOKS
The Fatal Flying Affair by T.E. Kinsey
WORTH THE PAGES
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
Did you (or will you) reach your 2021 reading goal?Yes. Had a goal of 80 and am currently at 106. Might get 1 more done before 12/31.
Will you be increasing or decreasing your goal for 2022?
Yes, to 90. My commute will go from 2 hours/day to 30 min/day - so I will miss out on a huge accessibility of time for audio.
What were your favorite books this year?
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Murmur of Bees
The Four Winds
The Things We Cannot Say
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
Miss Benson's Beetle
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World
Homegoing
When the Stars Go Dark
Long Way Down
... too many? ....
What were your least favorites?
The Last Battle
Unnatural Death
Will and Testament
Digging Up The Bones
What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
The Four Winds
Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
Did you discover any new genres or authors?
46 new authors
If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I was doing a number of challenges, but my all-time favorite is the "Magical Mystery Tour"
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man (other topics)Digging Up the Bones (other topics)
Digging Up the Bones (other topics)
Digging Up the Bones (other topics)
Digging Up the Bones (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Fannie Flagg (other topics)Dale Marlowe (other topics)
Dale Marlowe (other topics)
Dale Marlowe (other topics)
Sara Rosett (other topics)
More...
108 /
758032,727 pages
BOOKS:
Genre/Type
Biography/Memoir: 2
Other Nonfiction: 2
Children's: 1
Collection (essays/poems/shorts): 1
Fantasy/Mythical: 2
General Fiction: 36
Historical Fiction: 9
Magical Realism: 1
Middle Grade: 1
Mystery: 44
Romance: 2
Science Fiction: 1
Suspense/Thriller: 4
YA: 2
Length:
Very Short (<70 pages):
Short (<250 pages): 31
Medium (250-500 pages): 75
Long (501-800 pages): 1
Very Long (>800 pages): 1
Media
Book: 45
.......gave away: 29
Nook: 24
Audio: 39
Series: 46
Banned/Challenged: 2
Debut: 9
Translated: 9
Publication Date
<1900:
<1940: 5
'40's / '50's: 3
'60's / 70's: 5
'80's / 90's: 7
2000-10: 3
2011-2019: 52
2020: 18
2021: 16
AUTHOR:
* New to Me: 47
*Gender
** Female: 68
** Male: 40