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2024 Independent Challenge
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Karol's 2024 Independent Challenge - Calling This One DONE
I'm constantly trying to read from the books on my TBR the longest, with only partial success. From your list I've only read The Scarlet Letter...and saw The Hunt for Red October movie. Does that count? :-)
Good luck in 2024, happy reading!
Mod
I do manage to read off of my States & ATW lists consistently. Thank God for that; because I can barely get through the individual list itself. I think I made more progress on states this year; so, I will be concentrating on ATW more.
Great ideas Karol; good luck!!📚📚
Good luck, Karol! I love the idea of making final decisions on some of the older books that I have to read. I only put books that I've been given as gifts on GR, and still I have books that I was given 13 years ago that I haven't read yet! Wouldn't it be lovely to either read them or decide to re-gift them? I haven't made a real push on my States or ATW challenges yet, maybe next year, after I see all the great books that you're reading. Happy reading! :-)
Ioana wrote: "I'm constantly trying to read from the books on my TBR the longest, with only partial success. From your list I've only read The Scarlet Letter...and saw The Hunt for Red October movie. Does that count ..."
LOL. I've seen the movie "The Hunt for Red October" probably 5 or 6 times. It will be interesting to read the book and see how it compares. Maybe I'll become a Tom Clancy fan (it's a shame I haven't tried to read any of his books). Or maybe I'll just stick to the films. We'll see!
Alondra wrote: "I always read from my TBR of books that I own. The problem is me buying more books...."I have that same problem. I'm motivated to read or get rid of the old stuff to clear room on my physical book shelves so I can buy more books! I just went to an wonderful book store that has thousands of used books no longer in print. So I can't wait to have enough room to pick up a few.
Lea wrote: "Good luck, Karol! I love the idea of making final decisions on some of the older books that I have to read..."Thanks. For me, it's definitely time to "clean house"!
Mod
Ooohh, love finding book stores! <3
Mod
Books that I have been given that I have not read yet. Thanks, Lea for that reminder. Karol, good luck with your tbr in 2024..
Great challenge! Yes, some books either need to be read or taken off that massive TBR list! I've been trying to do the same. Looking at my list on goodreads & if the library doesn't have it, decide if it's worth chasing down or not. Usually not.Happy Reading!
Patricia wrote: "Great challenge! Yes, some books either need to be read or taken off that massive TBR list! I've been trying to do the same."Well, I need to do something! If this works well for me in 2024 I might do it again the next year.
Got through one on my 50 to read or remove from TBR list.I loved The Hunt for Red October, which is not so surprising since I love the movie and have seen it quite a few times.
I'm glad you loved The Hunt for Red October. It reminds me that I do need to finish up that series. There are a lot of books, but they are such fun.
Lea wrote: "I'm glad you loved The Hunt for Red October. It reminds me that I do need to finish up that series. There are a lot of books, but they are such fun."How far have you gotten in the series? Red October happens to be #3 . . . not sure if I will go back to #1 or just take it forward to #4. I think #2 is Red Rabbit and I remember so many people reading it when it came out.
Karol wrote: "Lea wrote: "How far have you gotten in the series? Red October happens to be #3 . . . not sure if I will go back to #1 or just take it forward to #4. I think #2 is Red Rabbit and I remember so many people reading it when it came out."Strangely enough, I did realize it was a series when I started reading these books back in the day. I did read Patriot Games, the first book in the series, but I skipped around a little bit. I think the last book I read was #14, but I need to go back and read most of the middle books. The Jack Ryan series always starts out on my Filling in the Gaps Individual List, but other series line butt their way ahead of it and I end up having to remove them.
Without a Country, by AyÅŸe Kulin, finished 1/16/2024, 5/5 starsThis is very well written historical fiction covering 4 generations of a family after the 1st generation need to fled their German homeland in the 1930's. The patriarch and matriarch of the family were Jewish and found their way to a promising life in Turkey.
In Turkey, however, they were not entirely safe from anti-semitism but the generations did carve out meaningful and full lives there. I can't say much more without giving things away.
The story covered mostly the lives of the patriarch and matriarch and then the "daughter" of each new generation. It was interesting to see how these women coped with their times. Definitely a sweeping story with very individualistic characters and an interesting but often sad slice of life.
Bonus: this book counts for both Challenge #1 (clear my shelves) and Challenge #3 (read around the world).
The Knowledge, by Martha Grimes, finished 1/19/2024, 5/5 starsI loved in this book all the things I love about Martha Grimes: the way she poses and solves a mystery, the characters she has developed, and in particular the way she writes about very intelligent children.
This book was unique in the series, as it took me all the way to Nairobi, Kenya. (So - BONUS - I will include this completion in my "Around the World Challenge" also).
In this book, the author brings in a lot of things amongst Richard Jury and Melrose Plant's social circle that I found funny or touched my emotions in other ways because of how these characters have interacted and evolved over the prior 23 books. I still think this is a great stand-alone novel but I can't help thinking that it would be more enjoyable to someone familiar with the series than with a person reading the author for the first time.
DID NOT FINISH, removed from To Read list: Soon: The Beginning of the End, by Jerry B. Jenkins I got about 1/3 of the way through this book; as I progressed, I liked the story less and less and ultimately decided to take it off my To Read list. (Yay, for my Challenge #1)
The book starts out in a way that grabbed my interest: World War III has happened and the world is in its aftermath. What caused WWIII was a series of terrorist acts and military battles between various religious groups. As a result, the whole world is in a state of "Freedom FROM Religion" - which means that anyone who engages in religious practices is de facto a terrorist. So far, so good.
I have two problems after this, however. (1) Only evangelical Christians are being targeted. In a world of NO religion as per the author's premise, we should also be seeing the targeting of Muslims, Jews, Catholics, and other religious groups. (2) The book is basically an analogy as it retells the story of the apostle Paul in different times and circumstances. The analogy brings in a lot of other stuff, such as the character Balaam from the old testament of the Bible in a way that is "pure cringe" as my son would say. Believe me, Paul's story in the book of Acts is much more interesting than this version, at least to me.
Maybe I am missing something, because the overall reviews for this book exceed 4 stars. I personally found it disappointingly boring after the book had such a strong beginning.
The Tenth Island: Finding Joy, Beauty, and Unexpected Love in the Azores, by Diana Marcum, finished 1/26/2024, 3/5 starsSeveral trips to the Azores are described in this enjoyable book. What interested me most was how the author saw changes to this remote society on each visit. Some of the things that made the society unique on her first visit changed - but the depth of the culture remained. Also portrayed was the angst between those who stayed and those who left for a better life but returned to visit - and this angst seemed to match the author's feelings about where she belonged.
Another bonus: this one also works for my Around the World Challenge.
The Old Success, by Martha Grimes, finished 1/29/2024, 5/5 starsI loved this book. I'm sad only because I've reached the end of the series. What a joy it has been to read this series - it is one of my favorites.
The Old Success is wonderful in its storytelling as well as the mystery. I was surprised, this time, at how the mystery was solved. To me, this novel checked the box for "mystery".
But what makes the series delightful to me was very evident in this book: the character development, a bit of quirkiness, and a wonderful use of humor. I just loved it.
End of January update:Yesterday I removed two unfinished books from my To-Read:
Beautiful Exiles, and The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History.
- Beautiful Exilesis historical fiction about journalist Martha Gellhorn's career and her relationship with Ernest Hemmingway. Not far into the book I couldn't stand reading anything more about Hemmingway who treated her horribly.
- The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History felt boring. I might return to it in the future but it's off my official list now.
So, of the 50 books I want to read or removed from my To Read list, I have gotten through 8 in January. Five I read, and three I deleted.
One could say that I've removed 8 books from my To Read list. But then I added three new ones based on your posts on what y'all have been reading. (and so it goes). Thank goodness this doesn't count against my challenge, but these new adds could be fodder for a challenge next year:
- Horse, by Geraldine Brooks
- Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet, by Will Hunt
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
And - BONUS - three of the five books I read in January count towards my Read Around the World challenge so I am already 3/10 of the way complete on that one.
Karol wrote: "One could say that I've removed 8 books from my To Read list. But then I added three new ones based on your posts on what y'all have been reading. (and so it goes). "LOL, I know we all understand how it goes, we're in the same boat.
Miss Peregrine is a lot of fun, I hope you'll enjoy it.
Mod
Yesterday I removed two unfinished books from my To-Read:
Beautiful Exiles, and The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History.
- [book:Bea..."
I'm getting more impatient with some of my books too. Didn't finish a few last year. I've got Horse in my To Read folder and I really enjoyed Miss Peregrine... especially the photos... I'm hoping to read Book 2 this year.
Mod
Another did not finish: The Infinite Pieces of Us. It has some good points, but either I've finally outgrown Young Adult books, or this one was just a bit too crass for my taste.
One more off my To Read list: Gideon's Torch, by Charles W. Colson.I didn't finish this one . . . I really wanted to like it but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've set it aside on my physical book shelf so maybe some day? But I've taken it off my To Read list because most likely the only reason I'll keep it is because it's a signed first edition.
I think you've discovered why these books weren't meant to be for you and you can let them go finally. You're making good progress on those decisions. I am inspired by your challenge. Hope you find a few winners in there too! :-)
Lea wrote: "I think you've discovered why these books weren't meant to be for you and you can let them go finally. You're making good progress on those decisions. I am inspired by your challenge. Hope you find a few winners in there too!..."Thanks, Lea. I am finding some gems amongst the dust!
Valencia and Valentine, by Suzy Krause, finished 2/15/2024, 4/5 starsThe book drew me in with a great opening. After that, I got confused and then a bit enlightened as I started putting some pieces together. I didn't realize that the book involved mental health struggles before I started reading it. I don't want to give any more away, but while it seemed very lighthearted in the beginning, it had themes that were indeed very dark. It was engaging, but I admit there were two times I was so frustrated with one of the characters that I wanted to set aside and not finish reading it. But then hours later I wanted to pick it up again and keep going.
It is this desire to keep returning to the book that led me to rate it 4 of 5 stars.
(This book took place primarily in Canada which I had not encountered yet in my Around the World challenge - so I've added a read for that goal also).
Completed one for my Around the World Challenge:Poland, by James A. Michener, 2/24/2024, 5/5 stars
Long but interesting and insightful historical fiction. I understand the history of Poland a little better after reading this masterful book by James Michener.
Knocked two more off my 50 oldest To Read books as DNFs. Both of these were free books on Kindle.Uncommon Ground, by Joy Ohagwu
I didn't get past page 1 which had three serious grammatical errors or missing words that left me puzzled over what the author was trying to say. And then describing an earthquake, the author stated that the "earth shaked vehemently". That ended it for me.
The Unusual Suspects, by Dominic Carrillo
This book a somewhat interesting but after reading the first chapter and a half I was left uninterested in the main character who was 14 years old but thought more like an 10 - 11 year old.
You are killing your list, getting those old ones off and away!! =)
Alissa wrote: "You are killing your list, getting those old ones off and away!! =)"Yep, that's the goal! I'm feeling liberated!
February progress:For my first (and probably most important goal) of reading or removing the oldest books from my To Read list:
- I read one book (Valencia and Valentine) and DNF'd four books.
For the Around the world challenge, I was surprised that Valencia and Valentine also qualified for this. (It took place in Canada). I also read Poland, by James A. Michener. So I completed two more for this challenge.
Nothing I read this month took place in a "new" state for the Reading around the U.S. challenge. So far I've read -0- books for that challenge this year.
I just finished a book that is the first one read for my "Reading Around the USA" challenge: The Frozen River, by Ariel LawhonIntriguing novel - part murder mystery, and part historical fiction. It takes place basically during the winter of 1789 - 1790 in "Maine", which was still a territory of Massachusetts. Well worth reading.
3.5 stars
Homecoming, by Kate Morton - I read this one for the Around the World challenge. It takes place in Australia.I had high hopes for this book based what other folks have said about it. However, I found the story to be presented in a very frustrating way. First, I very much disliked the "book within a book" aspect of the story. Secondly, I found the switching back and forth between three time periods to be awkwardly done. Third, there were so many awful revelations during the course of the story that in became maddening to me and seemed far from believable. Rarely do I exclaim, "Oh, come on!" while reading a novel but this one provoked that to happen . . . twice. Finally, the pace was terribly slow.
I'm giving it 2 stars because despite its flaws, I was curious about how it would all come together and that curiosity did keep me reading to the end.
A Friend In Knead by Judith Jackson was either a free or low-price Kindle book. I liked this one pretty well.It's a cute cozy mystery with fun characters and the mystery itself is a pretty good one. I didn't find the humor very funny, though, and it didn't quite grab me enough to want to read more in the series.
3/5 stars
Checks off one for both the 50 oldest books in To Read Challenge, and my goal of 10 books for the Reading Around the USA challenge. (This book takes place in Vermont).
Knocking one more off my oldest "To Read" books with a Did Not Finish for Dead Eye by Alyssa Day. I was very confused by the first chapter and then figured out the main character is a shape-shifter. That's just not my particular cup of tea, I don't think.
I have a finish for my 50 oldest To Read books: The Wisdom of St. Patrick, by Greg TobinI timed the reading of this book to end on St. Patrick's Day.
St. Patrick left two main writings behind that have survived the centuries. Both are contained in this book and I gained a lot by reading them. In addition to these writings, the book contains a history of St. Patrick's life and several devotionals based on the writings.
I must say that I believe St. Patrick would be appalled at how his memory is celebrated today. We would do better in honoring him to practice humility, and service to others as a reflection of our devotion to God.
3.5 / 5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ranking)
Karol wrote: "Homecoming, by Kate Morton - I read this one for the Around the World challenge. It takes place in Australia.I had high hopes for this book based what other folks ..."
Sorry this one didn't work for you. I loved it! Your comments remind me of a discussion my book group had recently concerning Anthony Horowitz's The Twist of a Knife. I loved it as well, but several didn't for some of the reasons you mention. Book within a book; rambling style. Have you read any of Morton's other books? They all have two different time lines. A lot of people don't like that, but I usually enjoy it. I do hate it, though, when I like one timeline & don't care for the other. I thought Morton put hers together well though.
Here's to hoping you find other books you like better!
Patricia wrote: "Have you read any of Morton's other books? They all have two different time lines.."Thanks, Patricia. I think I'm one of the odd ducks when it comes to this book - most people love it. I've not read any of the author's other books and honestly I'm not sure I ever will.
Finished one more from my oldest 50 To-Reads:Deception, by Randy Alcorn, 3/5 stars
This book was multi-faceted and parts of it were outstanding. The detective aspect and the solving of a complex murder was quite well done.
I love Randy Alcorn as a non-fiction author. But this fictional story had some drawbacks for me. These were around how Christianity, heaven and hell were addressed. I didn't necessarily disagree with anything the author presented along those lines, but I did have issues with how they were included in the story telling. Seems like they could have been handled differently so as not to be such a huge distraction.
Three more books off addressed from my oldest 50 To-Reads:Shadows in the Salon by Kirsten Fullmer - Did Not Finish
Pushing Up Daisies and Berry Murderous, by Katherine Hayton
I read both of these over the weekend. They are very short, light and fun. Not great literature and being so short, not great character development. But these books are a nice change of pace. I bought a "boxed set" on Kindle of several books from this author and I will probably stick with the ones from this Tea Shop Cozy Mystery series at least. 2/5 stars for each . . . the second book was somewhat better than the first so I'm hoping the series will improve as it goes.
March progress50 oldest To Read list:
Did Not Finish: 2
Finished: 5
Year to date: 20 of 50 read or DNF and removed from To Reads
Read Around the USA: 2 of 10 books read, both in March
Read Around the World: 1 book read in March, 6 of 10 read year-to-date
I'm starting to feel like I will meet all of my challenges!
Mod
Deathbed of Roses and Orange Juiced, by Katherine HaytonContinuing in this quick-to-read series . . . # 3 and #4 are either a little better, or I'm getting used to the author. Enjoyed both.
3/5 stars
Keeping Mums and Hibiscus Homicide, by Katherine HaytonFinished reading the books in this series from my Kindle "boxed set". Got a few laughs, and for a switch enjoyed short novels where I could read each one in a day.
3/5 stars
Tangled Threads, by Sandy HillI think this was a free book on Kindle that I actually liked quite a lot. Definitely well written! It was a complicated story . . .
One aspect is historical fiction from a time when lives were very hard, which covered 1898 - 1918 amongst North Carolina mill workers. Working conditions were awful before the days of OSHA and child labor laws. Then there was World War I, and the Spanish Flu on its heals.
The other aspect involved an elderly woman in 1957, looking back to this town and the events there as she is given an opportunity to go back and confront someone from her past in her home town, if she chooses to do so.
I had a love/hate relationship with the book. Definitely loved the main character but felt that the looking back on the emotional past dragged out a bit too long. Didn't get frustrated with that enough that I wanted to quit reading, though.
3.5 stars
(This was for the oldest 50 on my To Read list challenge)
The Spice King, by Elizabeth CamdenHistorical fiction / Christian romance. On the historical fiction aspect I would rate this book very highly. There were some interesting sub-plots, too. The historical fiction included efforts to make sure processed food was safe in the late 1890's, in particular a push for labeling that included all ingredients. There was also some history around Cuba at that time. All of this was presented in a quite interesting way.
For me, the "romantic" nature of the book was melodramatic, and detracted from the rest.
3 stars
(This was for the oldest 50 on my To Read list challenge)
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The 50 books that have been on my To Read list the longest are:
1.
The Hunt for Red October, by Tom ClancyFinished 1/10/20242.
Without a Country, by AyÅŸe KulinFinished 1/16/20243.
The Knowledge, by Martha GrimesFinished 1/19/20244.
Soon: The Beginning of the End, by Jerry B. JenkinsDid Not Finish5.
The Tenth Island: Finding Joy, Beauty, and Unexpected Love in the Azores, by Diana MarcumFinished 1/27/20246.
Moses - Steps to a Life of Faith, by Bob SaffrinDid Not Finish7.
Beautiful Exiles, by Meg Waite ClaytonDid Not Finish8.
Gideon's Torch, by Charles W. ColsonDid Not Finish9.
The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, by Thomas E. Woods Jr.Did Not Finish10.
Deception by Randy Alcorn, by Randy Alcornfinished 3/24/202411.
The Wisdom of St. Patrick, by Greg Tobinfinished 3/17/202412.
Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography, by William Lee MillerDid Not Finish13.
Let God Be God: Life-Changing Truths from the Book of Job, by Ray C. Stedmanfinished 5/8/202414.
God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life, by Paul KengorDid Not Finish15.
When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan, by Peggy Noonanfinished 5/27/202416.
The Infinite Pieces of Us, by Rebekah CraneDid Not Finish17.
Valencia and Valentine, by Suzy Krausefinished 2/15/202418.
Leaving Blythe River, by Catherine Ryan Hydefinished 6/14/202419.
Rock Needs River: A Memoir About a Very Open Adoption, by Vanessa McGradyDid Not Finish20.
Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love, by Bret Baierfinished 5/2/202421.
Sold on a Monday, by Kristina McMorrisfinished 4/26/202422.
The Marvelous Misadventures of Ingrid Winter, by Janne S. Drangsholtfinished 7/14/202423.
The Mutual Admiration Society, by Lesley KagenDid Not Finish24.
Your Perfect Year, by Charlotte LucasDeferring - not a good book for me right now25.
The Iron Triangle: Inside the Liberal Democrat Plan to Use Race to Divide Christians and America in their Quest for Power and How We Can Defeat Them, by Vince Everett EllisonDid Not Finish26.
Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo, by Alan M. DershowitzDid Not Finish27.
The Spice King, by Elizabeth CamdenFinished 4/13/202428.
The Unusual Suspects, by Dominic CarrilloDid Not Finish29.
Dead Eye, by Alyssa DayDid Not Finish30.
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel HawthorneFinished 4/18/202431.
Rimrider, by L.A. KelleyDid Not Finish32.
Uncommon Ground, by Joy OhagwuDid Not Finish33.
A Shot in the Bark: A Dog Park Mystery, by C.A. NewsomeFinished 7/18/202434.
Tangled Threads, by Sandy HillFinished 4/9/202435.
A Friend In Knead, by Judith JacksonFinished 3/14/202436.
Shadows in the Salon, by Kirsten FullmerDid Not Finish37.
Pushing Up Daisies, by Katherine HaytonFinished 3/29/202438.
Berry Murderous, by Katherine HaytonFinished 3/30/202439.
Deathbed of Roses, by Katherine HaytonFinished 4/1/202440.
Orange Juiced, by Katherine HaytonFinished 4/2/202441.
Keeping Mums, by Katherine HaytonFinished 4/3/202442.
Hibiscus Homicide, by Katherine HaytonFinished 4/4/202443.
Cupcakes and Conspiracies, by Katherine HaytonFinished 5/12/202444.
Strawberries and Suffering, by Katherine HaytonFinished 5/14/202445.
Blueberries and Bereavement, by Katherine HaytonFinished 5/28/202446.
Pumpkin Spice and Poisoning, by Katherine HaytonDid Not Finish47.
Raspberries and Retaliation, by Katherine HaytonDid Not Finish48.
Cinnamon and Sinfulness, by Katherine HaytonDid Not Finish49.
The Old Success, by Martha GrimesFinished 1/29/202450.
The House on Tradd Street, by Karen WhiteFinished 6/5/2024