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2024 Independent Challenge
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Pat's 2024 Independent Challenge
12 & 4 Challenge*1) The Prisoner of Heaven (Cemetery of Forgotten Books) finished 4/15; 4 stars
2) Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (Neopolitan Novels)
3) Blackout (Oxford Time Travel)
*4) Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake) finished 4/25; 5 stars
5) The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy)
6) Bleeding Heart Yard (Harbinder Kaur)
*7) Oh William!(Amgash) finished 1/9; 4 stars
8) Into the Narrowdark (The Last King of Osten Ard)
*9) Smoke and Ashes finished 5/15; 3 stars
*10) A Line to Kill finished 2/11; 4 stars
*11) The Winners finished 3/19; 5 stars
12) Devil's Brood
Alternates:
13) A Bone of Contention (Matthew Bartholomew)
14) The Mirror & the Light (Thomas Cromwell)
15) Exiles (Aaron Falk)
*16) A Death in Tokyo (Kyoichiro Kaga #9; #3 in English translations) finished 1/23; 4 stars
Motley Challenge1. A humorous book
2. An autobiography/ biography
3. A locked room mystery
4. A children’s classic
5. A fairytale/retelling
6. A Nordic noir
7. Banned or challenged book
8. A survival or nature story
9. About a historical figure
*10. A book with indigenous people Warrior Girl Unearthed finished 2/10; 4 stars
11. A holiday or celebration story
*12. A novella under 100 pages Bruno and the Carol Singers finished 1/2; 4 stars (audio)
*13. Snow/Winter in the title A Winter in New York finished 2/23; 4 stars
14. Any color in the title
15. A title with more than 4 words
16. An animal on the cover
17. A house on the cover
*18. An authors debut Florence Adler Swims Forever finished 1/12; 4 stars
19. A book you meant to read in 2023
20. A place you always wanted to visit
*21. Book has four or more stars on GR The Twist of a Knife finished 2/29; 5 stars
*22. Winner of the GR awards of 2023 Yellowface finished 2/13; 4 stars
*23. Bought from a second hand store or borrowed from library Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide finished 2/3; 4 stars
*24. First book in a series Ovid finished 1/26; 4 stars
*25. A book translated from another language A Death in Tokyo finished 1/23; 4 stars
Mystery Book ClubJanuary: The Only One Left finished 1/3; 4 stars
February: Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide finished 2/3; 4 stars
March: The Twist of a Knife finished 2/29; 5 stars
April: The Rising Tide finished 3/31; 4 stars
May: The Kingdoms of Savannah finished 5/5; 4 stars
June: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone finished 6/3; 2 stars
Books & Banter
*January: Our Missing Hearts finished 1/7; 3 stars
*March: Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine finished 3/10; 4 stars
April: Lucy by the Sea finished 4/8; 3 stars
Anchored Women
February: A Shadow in Moscow
March: Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Elisabeth’s Later Years finished 4/6; 5 stars
Popsugar--at least 3015/50
1 A book with the word "leap" in the title
*2 A bildungsroman book Normal People finished 1/16; 4 stars
*3 A book about a 24-year-old Midnight at the Blackbird Café finished 1/7; 4 stars
*4 A book about a writer Lucy by the Sea finished 4/8; 3 stars
5 A book about K-pop
6 A book about pirates
7 A book about women's sports and/or by a woman athlete
*8 A book by a blind or visually impaired author The Bullet That Missed finished 3/6; 4 stars
9 A book by a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing author
10 A book by a self-published author
*11 A book from a genre you typically avoid A House with Good Bones (horror) 3/3; 4 stars
12 A book from an animal's POV
13 A book originally published under a pen name
14 A book recommended by a bookseller
15 A book recommended by a librarian
16 A book set 24 years before you were born
17 A book set in a travel destination on your bucket list
*18 A book set in space Project Hail Mary finished 3/18; 4 stars
19 A book set in the future
*20 A book set in the snow Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone finished 6/3; 2 stars
21 A book that came out in a year that ends with "24" Piglet 6/7; 3 stars
22 A book that centers on video games
23 A book that features dragons
24 A book that takes place over the course of 24 hours
25 A book that was published 24 years ago (2000)
26 A book that was turned into a musical
*27 A book where someone dies in the first chapter Florence Adler Swims Forever finished 1/12; 5 stars
28 A book with a main character who's 42 years old
29 A book with a neurodivergent main character
30 A book with a one-word title you had to look up in a dictionary
*31 A book with a title that is a complete sentence This Bird Has Flown finished 4/16; 4 stars
*32 A book with an enemies to lovers plot Play for Me finished 3/15; 4 stars
33 A book with an unreliable narrator
*34 A book with at least 3 POVs Bleeding Heart Yard finished 5/29; 4 stars
*35 A book with magical realism What the River Knows finished 5/24; 4 stars
36 A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person
37 A book written during NaNoWriMo
38 A cozy fantasy book
39 A fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author
40 A horror book by a BIPOC author
41 A memoir that explores queerness
*42 A nonfiction book about Indigenous people Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI finished 1/14; 5 stars
*43 A second-chance romance Happy Place finished 4/3; 4 stars
44 An autobiography by a woman in rock 'n' roll
45 An LGBTQ+ romance novel
46 A book in which a character sleeps for more than 24 hours
47 A book with 24 letters in the title
48 A collection of at least 24 poems
*49 The 24th book of an author James 7/16; 4 stars
50 A book that starts with the letter "X"
#wolfcrawlWolf Hall
*Week 1, January 7: pp. 1-34
*Week 2, January 14: 35-64
*Week 3: January 21: 65-99
*Week 4: January 28: pp. 108-153
Week 5: February 4--pp. 142-182
Week 6: February 11--pp.183-218
Week 7: February 18--pp. 218-250
Week 8: February 25--pp. 251-282
From the Front PorchLonesome Dove
*January: Chapters 1-7
February: Chapters 8-15
March: Chapters 16-25
April: Chapters 26-40
Nonfiction1) Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI finished 1/14; 5 stars
2) Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist finished 2/7; 4 stars
3) Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine finished 3/10; 4 stars
4) Judges: Such a Great Salvation finished 3/16; 5 stars
5) Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Elisabeth’s Later Years finished 4/6; 5 stars
6) The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession finished 4/26; 4 stars
7) Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World finished 5/6; 4 stars
Audio Books1) Bruno and the Carol Singers finished 1/2; 4 stars
2) The Bookshop at Water's End finished 1/20; 2 stars
Mod
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Good luck and happy reading! :)
This is going to be soooo interesting, I can't wait to see what you pick. Happy reading!
Thanks, Bill, Alondra, & Ioana! I'm ready to get started!
There are some interesting challenges here! Just curious, where did the Pop Sugar one come from?
Karol wrote: "There are some interesting challenges here! Just curious, where did the Pop Sugar one come from?"There is a website: Can't remember how I first heard about it. But there's also a goodreads group for those only interested in the challenge: /group/show/...
They have links for books that fit all the prompts which is very helpful.
I like the idea of getting all your challenges together - you are sure to read a lot of diverse books. I'm so interested in seeing all the books you're reading. Best wishes!
Lea wrote: "I like the idea of getting all your challenges together - you are sure to read a lot of diverse books. I'm so interested in seeing all the books you're reading. Best wishes!"Thanks, Lea!
Patricia wrote: "Karol wrote: "There are some interesting challenges here! Just curious, where did the Pop Sugar one come from?"There is a website: Can't remember how I first heard about it."
Thank you! I looked it over - really great ideas for a challenge. I'll stick a pin in it . . . maybe next year.
I'm in 3 of your challenges for next year too. Good luck.
Mid-January report: I've finished 9 books so far this month.1) The Thief Gen is in a dirty prison; not just for stealing but for bragging that he could steal anything. When the king’s scholar (the magus) gets him out to steal a treasure, Gen is happy to be out but skeptical of anything good to come of it. Still, he knows he can steal anything and is only happy to prove it. Accompanied by a soldier and the magus’s two apprentices, the group makes their way to a secret place guarded by gods of old. First in a series and winner of Newbery Medal in 1997. 4 stars
2) Bruno and the Carol Singers (Bruno, Chief of Police #5.5) (audio) Martin Walker.
This is 5.5 in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. I don't always read these, even when trying to read through a series, but I read #5 some time ago; saw this audio was available on Hoopla, so decided to download it. Obviously, I didn't get around to it until after Christmas. If you enjoy this series & want something short, you will probably enjoy this. Or if you want a taste of what the Bruno series is like, give it a try. 4 stars
3) The Only One Left A rich, yet isolated family, was involved in a horrific crime in 1929. Three family members murdered and the only one left has to be the guilty murderer. Doesn’t she? Since it couldn’t be proven, the daughter Lenora, is never charged and now lives in her crumbling mansion on a cliff; all but helpless. It’s 1983 and Kit McDeere arrives to serve as a health aide. Only because she has little choice. When Lenora offers to tell her the truth of that night—only by typewriter and over time—Kit is intrigued, yet also on edge. Obviously, there is more to this story but learning about it may put her in danger. Though I enjoyed this, it created quite a stir in my library reading group. Most of us liked it, but several pretty much hated it. (Basically, the book snobs in our group). 4 stars
4) Our Missing Hearts I will start by saying I don’t read dystopians gladly, but this was a book club choice, so I went with it. Twelve-year old Bird’s mother left him and his father several years ago. He doesn’t know what happened to her or why his father won’t speak of her or allow Bird to ask any questions. In fact, he wants Bird to not ask questions about anything, to stand out in any way, and always come straight home. When Bird receives a letter with pictures of cats, he knows it’s from his mother and means something, but what? He knows his mother told him a story once about a boy and some cats, so he wants to find the book. Not a easy quest in a world where books have been pulled and asking questions can a child removed from his home. But, Bird is determined to figure out the message his mother sent him and what happened to her. 3 stars
5) Midnight at the Blackbird Café Anna Kate’s mother left the small town of Wicklow when she was pregnant with her and never returned. Anna Kate’s grandmother, Granny Zee, visits often and when she dies, she leaves her Blackbird Café to Anna Kate with the caveat that Anna Kate must run the café for three months before she can sell it. Anna Kate plans to do just that and leave for medical school in the fall. But meeting her father’s family and making friends with others makes the decision more difficult. But should it? And what’s the secret of the blackbird pies? Do they really give people special dreams? 4 stars
6) Oh William! (Amgash #3). The third book featuring the writer, Lucy Barton. Her husband has recently died and her ex-husband, William’s wife has just left him. Lucy and William have remained friends, so it is Lucy who tries to cheer him up. Not only has his wife left him, William has recently discovered a secret of his mother’s which leaves him reeling from what seems to be another betrayal. 4 stars
7) Death of a Bookseller First published in 1956 and reprinted by British Library Crime Classics, this is a mystery based on books and booksellers. Sergeant Wigan has a friend who is a bookseller and who begins to teach him a bit about collecting books. When the friend is found murdered, Wigan must use what knowledge he has of the book world to help solve the crime. I enjoyed this rather slow moving book, both for the mystery and for the look into the book world of that time. 4 stars
8) Florence Adler Swims Forever Though this book is full of sadness, I enjoyed reading about this family and what they did to handle their grief and protect their children. It’s 1934 and Esther and Joseph Adler have rented out their house to vacationers and staying in their apartment over the bakery where they started their lives. Their daughter, Florence, is home from and training to swim the English Channel. Fannie is pregnant and on bedrest because she lost her last baby. Joseph is trying to help an old friend emigrate from Nazi Germany and has already brought over her daughter. Though this book is full of sadness, I enjoyed reading about this family and what they did to handle their grief and protect their children. The author’s note at the end is not to be missed. 5 stars
9) a book by Grann - {Killers of the Flower Moon} (3.4.2018) Paperback The true story of how the Osage nation began to mysteriously die (i.e. murdered) in an obvious attempt to take over their rights to the oil in their land. Also the story of the beginnings of the FBI under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover. The research done by Grann is fascinating even as he tells a horrific story. 5 stars
9 books, such a great start to the year. It looks like you picked some good ones too. I have only read Killers of the Flower Moon, but want to read many of the others. :-)
This year has started with a bang! Your lower raring is a 3 stars, now that's amazing! I haven't read any of these books, but I know I need to read at least one of them: Killers of the Flower Moon. Others sound interesting too, so I might add more to my TBR 😱
Thanks, Lea & Iona! Yes, some good books & even my 3 star would probably be higher for many. It's a good book; just not what I wanted to read though I know all our ratings reflect our personal taste.
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Bill wrote: "You've had an excellent month so far. I've got to get back to Bruno."Thanks, Bill! Yes, I just started the sixth one. Kind of glad I have quite a few left to read.
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Kudos on all of your progress, Patricia!! Woot!
Alondra wrote: "Okay, I added Death of a Bookseller! I mean, it doesn't hurt to add books, right?? LOLKudos on all of your progress, Patricia!! Woot!"
Of course not! (Or we'd all be in trouble!)
Thanks!
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Thanks, Bill! Yes, I just started the sixth one. Kind of glad I have quite a few left to read."
It's always nice to have a few to look forward to when you enjoy a series.
Finished January with 16 books.10) Normal People . A love story, sort of. A coming of age story, definitely. Connell is a popular soccer player in high school, in spite of living with only a single mother who works as a cleaner. One of the people she cleans for is Marianne’s mother. Marianne is smart and has money, but is not popular at high school as she is considered a bit odd. Connell and Marianne are attracted to each other but keep it a secret. When they end up at the same college, their statuses are reversed, but they still have difficulty deciding on what kind of relationship they should have. I like Rooney’s writing; the way you see and hear the characters� thoughts, confusions, desires. 4 stars
11) Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2) Martha Wells. I listened to the audio for the first Murderbot and had a hard time following it. Reading it in print was a better format for me. And, yes, you should read the first in whatever format suits you. In this episode, Murderbot (his own name for himself; he is officially a robotic security unit) is both trying to escape and to find out if he really did what he has been accused of. He sneaks on a transport vessel to return to the mining facility where his problems began. ART (the transport vessel) is onto him, but turns out to be more of a help than a hindrance. Though this is the second of seven, don’t let the length of the series deter you. For one thing, it is completed. For another, they are all short enough to be considered novellas, so it is like reading a long scifi book, one section at a time. 4 stars
12) The Bookshop at Water's End (audio) I’ve read a couple of other books by Henry which I enjoyed, but this one just didn’t do it for me. Part of it was the audio—even though there were several narrators, I didn’t enjoy any of them. Plus, the characters just seemed too whiny to me. They made mistakes or something had happened in their past, and they constantly moaned about their guilty souls. 2 stars
13) The Kingdom of Copper (The Darvabad Trilogy #2) 609 pp. Second in a series in which you do need to read the first and you will want to read the third. In the first book, The City of Brass, Nahri accidentally summoned Dara, a djinn. He takes her from her home in Cairo and brings her to Daevabad where she is taken in by the royal court and learns about her ancestors. After a battle ends the first book, Nahri has now been forced to marry a prince because the king has plans for her and her gifts. The other prince, Ali, has been exiled though many think he is dead. He is not the only one not dead as many think, and they all have plans for Daevabad. Full of myths, magic, political intrigue, and family drama, I enjoyed this almost as much as the first and look forward to the third. (This was from my 12 & 4 list from last year. Wasn't able to finish it in December, but have the third on my new list, so needed to finish it!) 4 stars
14) A Death in Tokyo A policeman sees a man staggering and assumes he is drunk. As it turns out, he is not drunk but has been stabbed and collapses on a famous bridge of Tokyo. A young man is found near the scene of the crime, but when he runs from the police, he is hit by a truck. The police seem to think (and hope) the case is closed, but Detective Kaga is unconvinced that this young man is guilty. I have read several mysteries by Higashino and have found them all to be well-written with characters whose motives may be suspect and with relationships that may not be all that they seem. This is actually the ninth in this series, but the third to be translated into English. 4 stars
15) Ovid The first in a mystery series that takes place in Rome when Tiberius was emperor. Marcus Corvinus is approached by a young woman who was the stepdaughter of the poet, Ovid. She reminds Corvinus that his grandfather was the poet’s patron. Ovid has died in exile and Perilla wants to bring his ashes home. Unfortunately, not only has this not been allowed, to even speak of what had Ovid exiled can put a person in danger. Entranced by the lovely Perilla, Corvinus is determined to find out the truth behind Ovid’s exile and to bring his ashes home. Even when he is continually warned to mind his own business. Especially when he is warned, even by his own father. Corvinus is an amusing and tenacious, and just a fun character to follow. His attraction to Perilla leads to complications, but nothing he can’t handle. This series started in 1995 and is going strong some 20 books later. I look forward to reading more. 4 stars
16) Mastering the Art of French Murder Murder (The American in Paris #1). Colleen Cambridge. The war is over and France is just beginning its recovery from being an occupied land. Tabitha Knight has come from Detroit to stay with her French grandfather in Paris. She has made a friend in another ex-pat, Julia Child, and is learning from her how to cook; much to the delight of her Grandpere and Oncle Rafe. Their cozy world is upended when Tabitha and Julia return from the market one day to discover a dead body in the cellar of Julia’s building. They recognize her as having been at a party at Julia’s the night before. They also recognize the murder weapon as a knife from Julia’s kitchen. 3 stars
And from my two year-long read alongs:
Wolf Hall pp-1-140
Lonesome Dove Chapters 1-7
16 books! What a great month! Plus, you are tackling some really long books to be read over the year.
Great progress, Pat! With only one 2 stars, hope the rest of the year will go the same way!
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Lea wrote: "16 books! What a great month! Plus, you are tackling some really long books to be read over the year."Thanks! It is fun to read some long ones this way. Not so much pressure.
Ioana wrote: "Great progress, Pat! With only one 2 stars, hope the rest of the year will go the same way!"Yes, thanks, Ioana! That 2 star was a disappointment, but can't all be ones we like.
Bill wrote: "You've had a good month. I enjoyed Artificial Condition too. Looking forward to reading #3. The Rome mysteries look interesting."Thanks, Bill. I think I should pick #3 up soon. Especially since I'm reading so many "3's" this year. I think you would like Wishart's books.
Alondra wrote: "Great progress. I am so glad you are enjoying the Murderbot series. it is fantastic.!"Thanks! I do think I will continue to like them. Nice to read a series where the books aren't so mammoth. (Though I do like those too!)
Mod
Thanks! I do think I will continue to like them. Nice to read a series where the books aren't ..."
Yes, and the 5th book is the only full-length novel, so far.
Well, I left out a book. First month of the year & my bookkeeping is already a mess. The Resistance Man is the 6th book in Bruno, Chief of Police series which takes place in France. 4 stars
Mod
Great series.
Bill wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Well, I left out a book. First month of the year & my bookkeeping is already a mess. The Resistance Man is the 6th book in Bruno, Chief of Police series which takes..."I agree!
Mod
I only read the first book; but really enjoyed it. Glad you enjoyed it too. :)
Alondra wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Well, I left out a book. First month of the year & my bookkeeping is already a mess. The Resistance Man is the 6th book in Bruno, Chief of Police series which takes..."It's a good series, Alondra. Hope you can get to that 2nd book!
Mid-February: 7 books completed1) Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide Chosen for a book club, this book has a strange concept that I wasn’t too sure I could get behind. However, the dark humor drew me in and though one hopes that no such place exists (The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts), this turned out to be an enjoyable read filled with puns, unsavory characters, and several opportunities for revenge. Set in the 50’s, the book begins with Cliff an electrical engineer with a sadistic boss. After the death of two close friends and a potential disaster in the making, Cliff decides he must do away with his now former boss. Unfortunately, he is unskilled in the art of murder and bumbles the job. Fortunately, he is taken in by two policeman who take him to a school where murder and how to get away with it are taught to specially chosen students. Students who have an ethical reason for needing to delete a member of society who is only causing harm and has no remorse for doing so. This is the first novel by the talented songwriter, Holmes, who is quite famous for the song, “Escape�. (Better known to most of us as the “Pina Colada Song�). 4 stars
2) The Other Half . Rupert’s 30th birthday party is a black-tie dinner at the Kentish Town McDonald’s because Rupert is, well, Rupert. The party flows with champagne and cocaine rather than burgers and fries. His girlfriend, Clemmie, never shows up, but Rupert isn’t overly worried. He plans to break up with her anyway. While out jogging, Detective Caius Beauchamp sees a stiletto heel under a bush. Not surprisingly, the heel is still on a foot. Beauchamp’s investigation takes him into the world of the rich and privileged. It’s only coincidence that his last name is the same as the main suspect, Rupert. They pronounce their last name differently and live in vastly different worlds. An entertaining mystery with quite a few characters to love and to hate. This is to be the first in a series. I look forward to the next one. 4 stars
3) Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist The biography of a woman who has been mostly forgotten, though in her day (18th century) she used her writing to change the opinions and ideas of Britain’s upper classes, especially concerning slavery and education. More was one of five sisters and their father was unusual in that he believed women should be educated and not live in ignorance. Prior does an excellent job in showing how More grew and became involved in society. She spent some of her early days writing plays and socializing in high society. As her faith grew, she became more interested in helping others and using her writing to shape and conform ideas. She became friends with many influential people, including Wilbur Wilberforce and David Garrick. Along with her sisters, she began the first Sunday Schools which were designed to teach poor children to read and write. Something many of the upper class found unnecessary and even dangerous. More lived just long enough to see slavery outlawed in England. A fascinating woman who lived a very interesting and complex life. 4 stars
4) Warrior Girl Unearthed Perry Firekeeper-Birch does not want to spend her summer working, but when she wrecks her Jeep, she has to spend the summer as an intern learning about different parts of her community of the Ojibwe. Attending a meeting at a university, she sees how bones and artifacts of her ancestors are kept and decides to learn all she can about how to have them properly returned. Perry is impulsive and makes decisions based on what she sees is right; not always considering the consequences. Her twin sister is seen as the smart and more self-controlled one, but she has her own issues as well. A murder is thrown in which didn’t really add to the overall plot or what seemed to be the main message of the book. It took me a bit to get into this one, but overall, I enjoyed learning more about this community and their values. 4 stars
5) A Line to Kill Though they are in-between books, when Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and author, Anthony Horowitz are invited to a literary festival on the island of Alderney, their editor thinks it would be a good idea for them to go. Horowitz thinks he knows what to expect, but murder was not on the agenda. Although they do need an idea for a new book. With a motley cast of characters and everyone stuck on an island, you have a locked-door mystery worthy of the best of Agatha Christie. 4 stars
6) Yellowface This book is set in the publishing world where success is only as good as your next book. June and Athena are friends, sort of. Athena has been enjoying the publishing success that June can only dream of. When Athena dies in a strange accident, June takes her unpublished manuscript and decides to sell it as her own. She loves the success and the spotlight, but can she live with the guilt and her constant justifications? 4 stars
7) The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories An interesting collection and nice mix of authors. The stories were divided into themes (Japan and the West; Modern Life and Other Nonsense; The Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Meltdown are three examples) and a long introduction is written by Haruki Murakami. If you’re interested in getting a glimpse into Japanese culture and history, this is a good book to pick up. 4 stars
I enjoyed reading Warrior Girl Unearthed and Yellowface with you. How are you enjoying War and Peace? I'm getting tempted to read it this year. I really should read Bleak House as my grand tome this year since I put it on my list, but the heart wants what the heart wants, and I'm just not in the mood for Dickens at the moment.
Lea wrote: "I enjoyed reading Warrior Girl Unearthed and Yellowface with you. How are you enjoying War and Peace? I'm getting tempted to read it this year. I really should read Bleak House as my..."
I enjoyed reading them with you all as well, though I always felt behind. My daughter had bought Yellowface, so she brought it to me when she finished. The library line is a bit ridiculous.
I read War & Peace last year. I did enjoy it, though at times
my eyes were glazing over. I actually read it years ago & really liked it. I think I was smarter then. This year I'm reading the Cromwell trilogy, starting with Wolf Hall & Lonesome Dove. Both are rereads but I'm enjoying reading with a group.--Yes, Dickens can be tough. I did read Bleak House, but I think that was when I was younger & smarter as well. :)
Patricia wrote: "I enjoyed reading them with you all as well, though I always felt behind. My daughter had bought Yellowface, so she brought it to me when she finished. The library line is a bit ridiculous.I read War & Peace last year. I did enjoy it, though at times
my eyes were glazing over. I actually read it years ago & really liked it. I think I was smarter then. This year I'm reading the Cromwell trilogy, starting with Wolf Hall & Lonesome Dove. Both are rereads but I'm enjoying reading with a group.--Yes, Dickens can be tough. I did read Bleak House, but I think that was when I was younger & smarter as well. :)"
How funny that you referred to being smarter when you read previous books. I could not get the writer's voice for Wolf Hall at first, I really struggled with the third person limited tense, until I realized that "he" was almost always Cromwell. But I found it very hard going. For some reason, I thought Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror & the Light went easier, but I kept saying that I wasn't sure if the author wrote differently or if I had just gotten smarter/used to the way she wrote. We will see how I do with War and Peace; maybe it will slow me down and I won't be racing through future buddy reads. :-)
Patricia wrote: "2) The Other Half It’s only coincidence that his last name is the same as the main suspect, Rupert. They pronounce their last name differently and live in vastly different worlds."These sentences are why this book has been added to my list 😂
Great first half of February!
Lillie wrote: "Patricia wrote: "2) The Other Half It’s only coincidence that his last name is the same as the main suspect, Rupert. They pronounce their last name differently and live in vastly d..."Hope you enjoy it, Lillie!
On The Same Page
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The Children Return (other topics)Daily Treasure: 366 Daily Readings from Spurgeon's Treasury of David (other topics)
Blackout (other topics)
The Night We Lost Him (other topics)
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (other topics)
More...
I will set my overall goal of reading at 120 books. I have been reading more the past few years (having more time on my hands & listening to more audio books), but this is a good number to me & I don't want to feel like I'm in a race or a contest.
I am in three book clubs. Two with my local library & one I just joined online. These are Mystery Book Club; Books & Banter; & Anchored Women. Even though we don't always read books I would have chosen, it expands my reading & it is always fun to discuss with others.
I will join several challenges which I have enjoyed in the past. The 12 & 4 challenge & Motley Challenge here; as well as a few buddy reads.
The Popsugar Challenge. There are 50 prompts & I will try to do 30 of them. Usually not interested in all of them, but again, it's for fun & helps me to look for books in categories I might not have considered on my own.
I read War & Peace with an online group this year & next year, we're doing the Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel. (#wolfcrawl) I've been a little on the fence about this as I have read the first two, but think it would be fun to do it with a group. Plus, I have The Mirror & the Light on my 12 & 4 list anyway.
One more challenge I'm considering is with the podcast "From the Front Porch". With "conquer a classic", they read a different classic each year & discuss it with paterons. In 2024, they're reading Lonesome Dove. I read this well over ten years ago, but again, it sounds like fun, so I will probably join in.
Goals!
All Books:
1) The Thief finished 1/2; 4 stars
2) Bruno and the Carol Singers (audio) finished 1/2; 4 stars
3) The Only One Left finished 1/3; 4 stars
4) Our Missing Hearts finished 1/7; 3 stars
5) Midnight at the Blackbird Café finished 1/7; 4 stars
6) Oh William! finished 1/9; 4 stars
7) Death of a Bookseller finished 1/10; 4 stars
8) Florence Adler Swims Forever finished 1/12; 5 stars
9) Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI finished 1/14; 5 stars
10) Normal People finished 1/16; 4 stars
11) Artificial Condition finished 1/18; 4 stars
12) The Bookshop at Water's End 1/20; 2 stars
13) The Kingdom of Copper finished 1/21; 4 stars
14) A Death in Tokyo finished 1/23; 4 stars
15) Ovid finished 1/26; 4 stars
16) Mastering the Art of French Murder finished 1/29; 3 stars
17) The Resistance Man finished 1/27; 4 stars
18) Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide finished 2/3; 4 stars
19) The Other Half finished 2/7; 4 stars
20) Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist finished 2/7; 4 stars
21) Warrior Girl Unearthed finished 2/10; 4 stars
22) A Line to Kill finished 2/11; 4 stars
23) Yellowface finished 2/13; 4 stars
24) The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories finished 2/14; 4 stars
25) Norwegian Wood finished 2/19; 4 stars
26) A Shadow in Moscow finished 2/21; 4 stars
27) A Winter in New York finished 2/23; 4 stars
28) A Dangerous Collaboration finished 2/23; 4 stars
29) Dark Matter finished 2/24; 4 stars
30) The Twist of a Knife finished 2/29; 5 stars
31) Dinosaurs finished 3/3; 4 stars
32) A House with Good Bones finished 3/3; 4 stars
33) The Bullet That Missed finished 3/6; 4 stars
34) Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine 3/10; 4 stars
35) Play for Me finished 3/15; 4 stars
36) Judges: Such a Great Salvation finished 3/16; 5 stars
37) Project Hail Mary finished 3/18; 4 stars
38) The Winners finished 3/19; 5 stars
39) Loved and Missed finished 3/22; 4 stars
40) Parable of the Sower finished 3/24; 4 stars
41) The Prisoner’s Throne finished 3/26; 5 stars
42) The Peach Seed finished 4/30; 5 stars
43) The Rising Tide finished 3/31; 4 stars
44) The Premonition finished 4/2; 3 stars
45) The Plot finished 4/2; 4 stars
46) Happy Place finished 4/3; 4 stars
47) Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Elisabeth’s Later Years finished 4/6; 5 stars
48) Lucy by the Sea finished 4/8; 3 stars
49) Norwegian by Night finished 4/9; 3 stars
50) The Prisoner of Heaven finished 4/15; 4 stars
51) This Bird Has Flown finished 4/16; 3 stars
52) Wolf Hall finished 4/20; 4 stars
53) Gather finished 4/21; 4 stars
54) The Winter Sea finished 4/24; 4 stars
55) Sovereign finished 4/25; 5 stars
56) The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession finished 4/26; 4 stars
57) City Under One Roof finished 4/27; 4 stars