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I find I enjoy reading most when I float naturally from book to book. Letting one book lead me to another. That's what this year's challenge is. Read as I want not as led by challenges or dictated by my hold list. Hopefully, that will lead to more relaxed and enjoyable reading.

I read 138 books and 17070 pages last year. So my only goal for this year's challenge is to read 125 books and/or 20,000 pages whichever comes first. I'm going to participate in other challenges and I will post my ongoing President's Challenge on this thread but no pressure to achieve multiple goals just 125 books or 20,000 pages. I'll report the books and make commentary as I go.

I hope your plan works for you Michelle

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I hope your plan works for you Michelle"

Thanks! Read what you want always seems to be my best plan Desley so I think I can make it work.

Ann_R wrote: "Enjoy your reading in 2022, Michelle."

Thanks Ann :)

American Presidents Challenge

1. George Washington 1. The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon completed 3/16/20 2. Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy 3/31/22
2. John AdamsFirst Family: Abigail and John Adams completed 8/6/20
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. James Madison
5. James Monroe
6. John Quincy Adams
7. Andrew Jackson
8. Martin Van Buren
9. William H. Harrison
10. John Tyler
11. James K. Polk
12. Zachary Taylor
13. Millard Fillmore
14. Franklin Pierce
15. James Buchanan
16. Abraham LincolnTeam of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln completed 9/25/20
17. Andrew Johnson
18. Ulysses S. Grant Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant: All Volumes Volumes 1 & 2 only completed 10/11/22
19. Rutherford B. Hayes
20. James Garfield
21. Chester A. Arthur
22. Grover Cleveland
23. Benjamin Harrison
24. Grover Cleveland
25. William McKinley
26. Theodore RooseveltThe Rise of Theodore Roosevelt completed 11/15/21
27. William H. Taft
28. Woodrow Wilson
29. Warren G. Harding
30. Calvin Coolidge The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge: Authorized, Expanded, and Annotated Edition completed 12/30/21
31. Herbert Hoover
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt
33. Harry S. Truman
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower
35. John F. Kennedy
36. Lyndon B. Johnson
37. Richard M. Nixon
38. Gerald R. Ford
39. Jimmy Carter
40. Ronald ReaganAn American Life completed 4/28/22
41. George H. W. Bush
42. Bill Clinton
43. George W. Bush
44. Barack ObamaA Promised Land completed 2/17/21
45. Donald TrumpThe Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir completed 4/6/21
46. Joe Biden

Lots of room for progress on the President's Challenge but I'm giving myself a decade so no worries.

Michelle wrote: "Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I hope your plan works for you Michelle"

Thanks! Read what you want always seems to be my best plan Desley so I think I can make it work."

I do find reading what you want rather than what you should read is so much better - an ex colleague was quite surprised at what I read, he thought I was a serious reader who would read lots of classics and the like as I was dismissive of 50 Shades of Grey, but I just think the important thing is reading, even if you only read one book a year!

125 books and/or 20,000 pages is a nice goal. Happy reading, no matte what you will decide to read, have fun!

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I hope your plan works for you Michelle"

Thanks! Read what you want always seems to be my best plan Desley so I think I can make it work."

I do find..."

Yes Desley, I agree. I have always been an active reader from day one but I don't know if I would say a serious reader. I'm the type of reader who would read the classic and then a book like Shades of Grey and then some contemporary fiction because I saw the film version on netflix and then a nonfiction on a side topic mentioned in the contemporary fiction and then an apocalypse novel because it turned cold outside and then a YA coming of age to lighten up and then another classic and on and on. It's the way I like to read but most nonreaders don't really get it. I've just been letting my library hold list dictate what I read a little too much lately, so I'm trying to shake free and get back to my stream of consciousness style of reading.

Ioana wrote: "125 books and/or 20,000 pages is a nice goal. Happy reading, no matte what you will decide to read, have fun!"

Thanks Ioana! Happy reading to you too!

Good luck on your challenge, Michelle. I hope you are able to find books on each president.

Bill wrote: "Good luck on your challenge, Michelle. I hope you are able to find books on each president."

I'm not having trouble at the moment since I haven't read too many. The bigger problem seems to be finding books about each one that come in somewhere under 1000 pages.

Michelle wrote: "Bill wrote: "Good luck on your challenge, Michelle. I hope you are able to find books on each president."

I'm not having trouble at the moment since I haven't read too many. The bigger problem see..."

Yeah, that could become a weighty problem

Michelle wrote: "I find I enjoy reading most when I float naturally from book to book. Letting one book lead me to another. That's what this year's challenge is. Read as I want not as led by challenges or dictated ..."

I, of course, love this idea. Free to read what you want, when you want and how much or little, you want.

Good luck and happy reading

Bill wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Bill wrote: "Good luck on your challenge, Michelle. I hope you are able to find books on each president."

I'm not having trouble at the moment since I haven't read too many. The b..."

LOL

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I find I enjoy reading most when I float naturally from book to book. Letting one book lead me to another. That's what this year's challenge is. Read as I want not as led by challe..."

Thanks Alondra!

Time to post my first reads of the year. I wish, somehow, that they were more consequential, but I guess fluff is what I need now. There has been a lot going on in my real life so my reading life has been light and limited.

#1 A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking A light YA Fantasy. A young, magical baker has to solve a murder mystery and save a kingdom. This was a fun one! ebook. 3 stars. YA/Fantasy.

#2 Sweet Sorrow A young man from a troubled home finds friendship and first love in a summer Shakespeare production. Aptly named this was a sweetly romantic look back at a formative love. The book did indulge a little too much in teenaged angst in some parts but other than that a nice read. ebook/audiobook. 3 stars. YA Romance.

#3 Bloody Rose The sequel toKings of the Wyld this book dealt with what happened to Rose after her infamous rescue by her father. This book was a fun fantasy adventure. I enjoyed the humor but I did not enjoy the characters as much as I did the characters in the first book. Also, I felt the main character's reasons for the adventure fell short. Funny but a little underwheming compared to book 1. audiobook. 3 stars. Fantasy.

3 books/1265 pages

Current:
Goodnight Nobody paperback
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art ebook
High Fidelity audiobook

Michelle wrote: "#3 Bloody Rose (The Band, #2) by Nicholas Eames Bloody Rose The sequel toKings of the Wyld this book dealt with what happened to Rose after her infamous rescue by her father. This book was a fun fantasy adventure. I enjoyed the humor but ..."

I agree; I didn't even like Rose in book 1!! I loved the band in the first book and miss them. I can't wait for book 3, though.

Yes the parts of book 2 that involved the original band were my favorite.

I love this new challenge, Michelle! It sounds like a great idea! I might try to do a similar one next year; I like to read as you want and not have to rush through them. My challenge for this month may end up falling short as things not related to reading seem to be slowing me up. Good luck with this fun challenge! 🐾

Thanks Emily. Best of luck with your challenge. Just keep it fun.

#4 High Fidelity Rob's latest break up sends him on a journey of introspection. In spite of his general ineptness, I loved this character with his observations about music and life, his lists, and his mixtapes. audiobook. 4 stars. Contemporary Classic.

#5 Goodnight Nobody I always enjoy Jennifer Weiner's characters. They are so real. A reluctant stay at home mom tries to solve a local murder between carpooling and play dates. paperback. 4 stars. Mystery.

#6 Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change An inspirational collection of quotes and short essays about dealing positively with life's setbacks. audiobook. 4 stars. Inspirational.

#7 Sourdough Not as good as Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by this author but still a lot of fun. Like MP24HB, this book juxtapositions current technology with ancient skills (in this case breadmaking) for a zany little tale. Yes, it was farfetched but like I said - fun. My favorite line: “Here’s a thing I believe about people my age: we are the children of Hogwarts, and more than anything, we just want to be sorted.�� hardback. 3 stars. Contemporary/Mystical Realism?

7 books/1900 pages

Current:
Jade Dragon Mountain audiobook. Very interesting so far.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art ebook. Still learning the oh so many ways that I am breathing wrong.
The Current Hardback. I think this one is next but I haven't actually started it so it's not written in stone. You know ... Squirrel!

Michelle wrote: "#4 High Fidelity Rob's latest break up sends him on a journey of introspection. In spite of his general ineptness, I loved this character with his ..."

You're off to a great start. Glad you are enjoying Jade dragon Mountain so far.

Bill wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#4 High Fidelity Rob's latest break up sends him on a journey of introspection. In spite of his general ineptness, I loved this ch..."

Thanks Bill! I am appreciating it more and more as I get further into it. I like the mystery but the setting is great.

Michelle wrote: "Bill wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#4 High Fidelity Rob's latest break up sends him on a journey of introspection. In spite of his general ineptness, I ..."

That's often part of the enjoyment, isn't it? Visiting new places, new periods of history.

Bill wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Bill wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#4 High Fidelity Rob's latest break up sends him on a journey of introspection. In spite of his gene..."

So true! Especially when you find one so well written that it really transports you there. This is one of those.

#8 Jade Dragon Mountain I can't say enough good things about this book. An excellent closed door mystery set in ancient China. The book was so descriptive and well written that the reader has no trouble visualizing the story. audiobook. 5 stars. Mystery.

#9 The Final Revival of Opal & Nev The story of a fictional rock n roll duo and the controversy that surrounds their beginnings. Rock n roll glamour with a strong dose of social justice make this book both entertaining and thought provoking. Great full cast audio production. audiobook. 4 stars. Contemporary Fiction.

9 books/ 1900 pages

Currently reading:
The Current hardback. Nice mystery.
The Premonition: A Pandemic Story ebook. Back from library limbo. Picking up where I left off. Fascinating.
The Secret of Snow audiobook. Just started this one so not yet sure if I will stick with it.

Michelle wrote: "#7 Sourdough Not as good as Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by this author but still a lot of fun.


#9 The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton The Final Revival of Opal & Nev The story of a fictional rock n roll duo and the controversy that surrounds their beginnings. Rock n roll glamour with a strong dose of social justice make this book both entertaining and thought provoking. Great full cast audio production. audiobook. 4 stars. Contemporary Fiction."

Looks like a good reading month.

Yay! Glad you liked The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. It was a favorite last year. Still think about it.

And Sourdough/Mr Penumbra’s 24 hour Bookstore - for some reason it never registered with me that they were written by the same author. They felt like such different writers to me.

Lillie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "#7 Sourdough Not as good as Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by this author but still a lot of fun.


#9 The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton The Final Revival of Opal ..."

The two books were very different and enjoyed the whimsy and weirdness of Sourdough but Penumbra was definitely the better book.

Whew! so much to update. Here goes!

#10 The Secret of Snow A middle aged woman has to face her past in order to move forward in life. This was more than a romance but it was still a little shallow and not that interesting. Not terrible but... audiobook. 3 stars. Contemporary Fiction.

#11 The Current Wow! I loved Descent by Tim Johnston and I loved this one too. A suspenseful, psychological thriller. It's the writing that gets me. The characters are so well written and the descriptions are perfection. hardback. 4 stars. Thriller.

#12 The Premonition: A Pandemic Story A fascinating overview of what happened (or didn't) in our country at the beginning of the pandemic. ebook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

#13 Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy The true story of one of the most prolific Russian spies of our time and she was never caught. This wasn't edge of your seat exciting but it was pretty amazing. audiobook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

#14 Moon of the Crusted Snow An indeginous community reacts to an apparent apocalypse with a return to traditional ways. The focus is on one young family and you will be totally drawn in by them. The writing was incredible and the peaceful approach to the apocalypse refreshing. audiobook. 5 stars. Apocalypse Fiction.

#15 The Jane Austen Society If you love Jane Austen read this one. A group of villagers band together to create a memorial for their favorite author. Not only is this book filled with Austen-esque characters and romances, it does a thorough job of discussing Austen and her books. Interesting and fun. A book about books. paperback. 4 stars. Historical Fiction.

The books below demonstrate what can happen when your reading life falls down the wellness rabbit hole. You don't have to tell me, these are a little on the weird side. For all that they were interesting and maybe I picked up a couple of tips.

#16 The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative A study of what happens when we encounter nature and what it does for us. You don't have to read it. I can give you what you need to know. Everyone needs to get outside (the further away from the city the better) for at least 5 hours per month. Even 5 minutes will help but 30 minute increments are ideal. audiobook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

#17 Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art James Nestor explores the act of breathing as a health measure. Yes, breathing can cure your ills, extend your life, help you lose weight etc. But beware you are probably not doing it right. Weird and sometimes entertaining. The breathing exercises at the end of the book were probably the most helpful part of the whole thing. ebook/audiobook. 3 stars. Nonfiction.

17 books/3263 pages

Current:
Fit Soul, Fit Body: An Ironman and a Shaman Put You on the Path to Lasting Health and Happiness That's right I haven't made it out of wonderland yet. You know one book leads to another. That's what my challenge is all about. ebook.
Crosstalk I always enjoy Connie Willis audibook.
The Light Between Oceans paperback.

Three more audiobooks.

#18 Crosstalk by Connie Willis. I always enjoy this author and this book highlights her strengths. When a young woman tries to connect to her soon to be fiancé telepathically a comedy of errors ensues. audiobook. 4 stars. Fantasy/Romance.

#19 The Last Chance Library A young librarian joins the library patrons in an attempt to save their library from closure. Nice story. Nice book about books. audiobook. 4 stars. Contemporary Fiction.

#20 We Ride Upon Sticks This was a weird, funny little book with an 80's theme. The Danvers, MA high school women's field hockey team calls on their town's witch trials history to help them have a winning season. I was on the fence through most of this book about whether it was funny with something deeper to say or just kind of a hot mess (there were lots of characters and a lot of things going on). The ending though pulled it together and gave it a women's empowerment vibe. Also, it was amusing overall. I'll even admit that thanks to the 80's theme and the female empowerment vibe, I did listen to some Janet Jackson (Gimme a beat!) after I finished the book. audiobook. 3 stars. Contemporary Fiction/Fanstasy.

20 books/3297 pages

Current:
Fit Soul, Fit Body: An Ironman and a Shaman Put You on the Path to Lasting Health and Happiness My tolerance for wierd wellness books is fading. This one returned to the library hold list. Maybe I'll be ready to take it on when it gets back to me.
The Light Between Oceans Paperback. Still working on this one. I'm enjoying the writing but not the sad topic.
The Santa Suit ebook. I wanted to read this at Christmas but it just now worked its way to me from the hold list. I'm enjoying it anyway.
The Long Flight Home audiobook. Just started this one but good so far.

Closing out February

#21 The Santa Suit a short novel by Mary Kay Andrews. A young woman moves into a new home and finds a letter to Santa among the previous owner's belongings. She tries to locate the letter writer and finds friendship and love. An enjoyable little Christmas novel. I actually planned to read it before Christmas but it took me this long to get the book from the library waiting list. Still fun to read. It read like one of those Hallmark Christmas movies. ebook. 3 stars. Contemporary Fiction/Romance.

#22 The Light Between Oceans This was a wonderful, well written book with really heavy subject matter. The story follows a young lighthouse keeper and his family. The setting and the circumstances were vividly portrayed, and the story was an emotional one. I was mesmerized. paperback. 4 stars. Historical Fiction.

#23 The Long Flight Home A delightful historical novel that centers around the use of homing pigeons by the British in WWII. The story was unexpected in many ways, particularly the ending but I enjoyed it a lot. audiobook. 4 stars. Historical Fiction

23 books/3855 pages

Current:
Firekeeper's Daughter ebook.
Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy paperback.
Mickey 7 audiobook.

Awesome progress Michelle. I'm glad you've been enjoying what you read. That makes it mo' betta! :)

Alondra wrote: "Awesome progress Michelle. I'm glad you've been enjoying what you read. That makes it mo' betta! :)"

Sure does! We've had a lot of rainy winter weather and I have loved the chance to curl up under a blanket with a good book.

You've had a great month! I'm having book envy - you've read some interesting books.

How is Firekeeper's Daughter going for you? I'm hoping to read that book sometime soon.

I wouldn't say historical fiction was one of my favorite genres but I have read several since the beginning of the year and I have to say I have enjoyed them a lot. I wonder why when I read the book synopsis for a book set in the past, I don't get really excited about reading it but when I read a synopsis for a book set in some imaginary future world I'm all in. I really need to do something about this. Maybe I just need to choose my books a little more carefully. It seems when I find a story that intrigues me the genre is secondary. Do you find yourself gravitating toward or away from a particular genre?

Lea wrote: "You've had a great month! I'm having book envy - you've read some interesting books.

How is Firekeeper's Daughter going for you? I'm hoping to read that book sometime soon."

My latest books have been interesting and I've really liked them. I am only a couple of chapters in to Firekeeper's Daughter but I am really enjoying it so far. The writing is good which is sometimes not the case in YA.

Michelle wrote: "Three more audiobooks.

#18 Crosstalk by Connie Willis. I always enjoy this author and this book highlights her strengths. When a young ..."

I have two of Connie Willis's time travel books. They seem interesting.

Oh man! I knew I shouldn't have started looking at what everyone finished in February, especially with being so far behind on my own list. But here we are and now I've added Moon of the Crusted Snow, The Last Chance Library, We Ride Upon Sticks and Crosstalk on to my "forget what's on my list cause I need to borrow these from library asap" list. Sigh.

(Great reading month by the way! 🙂 )

Michelle wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Awesome progress Michelle. I'm glad you've been enjoying what you read. That makes it mo' betta! :)"

Sure does! We've had a lot of rainy winter weather and I have loved the chance ..."

I'll remember that next time we have bad weather, it seems to make me read less!

Bill wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Three more audiobooks.

#18 Crosstalk by Connie Willis. I always enjoy this author and this book highlights her strengt..."

You should give Connie Willis a try Bill. Her storylines are always interesting and funny. The only one of her time travel stories I have read was To Say Nothing of the Dog (loved the title and the classical book reference) but I did enjoy it.

Lillie wrote: "Oh man! I knew I shouldn't have started looking at what everyone finished in February, especially with being so far behind on my own list. But here we are and now I've added Moon of the Crusted Sno..."

All great choices Lillie. Moon on the Crusted Snow may actually go on my favorites list and the others well worth the read.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Awesome progress Michelle. I'm glad you've been enjoying what you read. That makes it mo' betta! :)"

Sure does! We've had a lot of rainy winter weather and I have ..."

LOL! The only thing that makes me read less is other people taking up my valuable reading time. I sometimes fantasize about uninterrupted reading. Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's the book lover's dilemma. We need both the family, friends and activity of our real world and the quiet, friends and solitude of our book world.

#24 Mickey 7 A fun little scifi book about a clone or "expendable" attached to a colonization expedition for the express purpose of handling all the dangerous missions. If he is killed he is regenerated and carries on until the next fatal mission. The overall concept was interesting but the author seemed more interested in how multiple versions of the same person would affect eating and sex than in some of the more interesting plot twists that he could have used. As a result there was little action and at times I was bored. Also I found Mickey 7 & 8 to be more than a little annoying. audiobook. 3 star. SciFi.

#25 We Are Inevitable A young man struggling with loss discovers the value of friendship, books, and music among other things. This book also gives a new meaning to the term unreliable narrator. This is YA but like #26 it is so much more. I enjoyed this book and this young man's journey so much. audiobook. 4 star. YA/Coming-of-age.

#26 Firekeeper's Daughter The author says she set out to write an indigenous Nancy Drew and she was successful but there was so much more. Mainly she wrote a smart, strong, contemporary young woman who would not be broken by the tragedies she encountered. Good story, well written. A must read IMO. ebook. 4.5 stars. YA/Coming-of-age.

#27 Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future I her newest book Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, explores man's attempts to "fix" nature which have resulted in a lot of problems and a version of nature which is not actually natural at all. An extremely readable book and one that will make you think. audiobook. 3 stars. Nonfiction/Conservation?

27 books/4351 pages

Current:

52 Ways to Walk: The New Science and Timeless Joy of How, When, Where, and Why Audiobook. Yes, its common sense. Yes, I am still wandering in the world of wellness.
The Maid ebook. Halfway but not sure how I feel about this one. I guess it will depend on the ending.
Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy Paperback. Just taking it slow and enjoying this one.

Yay, I have Firekeeper's Daughter on my individual list too. I'm looking forward to reading it. As always, I love to see what you've been reading - you always have such interesting choices.

Lea wrote: "Yay, I have Firekeeper's Daughter on my individual list too. I'm looking forward to reading it. As always, I love to see what you've been reading - you always have such interesting choices."

Thanks Lea! I think this is what happens when I let myself choose by interest or mood not the library hold list. I hope you love Firekeeper's Daughter. I really thought it was going to be more YA than it was so I was pleasantly surprised.

As always, an interesting set, Michelle. Mickey 7 is on my TBR, should I reconsider?
Firekeeper's Daughter was not on my radar, but I guess it should be.

I have both Mickey 7 and Firekeeper’s Daughter on my list for this year. Excited to read them now.

Ioana wrote: "As always, an interesting set, Michelle. Mickey 7 is on my TBR, should I reconsider?
Firekeeper's Daughter was not on my radar, but I guess it should be."

Obviously Ioana I would choose Firekeeper's Daughter over Mickey 7 but there's no reason not to read them both if you like. Mickey 7 was light and funny at times. I just felt like the author missed a lot of opportunities with the plot. I think there was no meat to it and I wasn't in the mood for vegan.

Lillie wrote: "I have both Mickey 7 and Firekeeper’s Daughter on my list for this year. Excited to read them now."

I hope you enjoy both of them Lillie!