Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I'm new to the group so I'm going to limit myself to just three of the yearly challenges for now. I'm doing the Listopia, Popsugar and the Around the World challenge.

I've only read one book so far that fit into each category-- The Goldfinch

I've added another challenge - the Every Year Challenge. I started on message # 297

For that one I'm going to read from books published from 1990 to 2016

so far: 14/27


1990 Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 4.0 Stars
1991
1992
1993
1994 The Alienist by Caleb Carr 4 Stars
1995
1996
1997 Bad Chili by Joe R. Lansdale 4 Stars
1998
1999
2000
2001 Dead Sleep by Greg Iles 3.5 Stars
2002
2003 The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø 5 Stars
2004
2005 Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill 3.5 Stars
2006 The Cleaner by Paul Cleave 3.0 Stars
2007
2008 Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith 5 Stars
2009
2010
2011 Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 2.5 Stars
2012 Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 2.5 Stars
2013 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 4 Stars
2014 North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo 2.0 Stars
2015 The Whites by Harry Brandt 3.5 Stars
2016 The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian 3.0 Stars

Listopia Challenge started on message #110 (page 3)

13/25 Completed

Best Humorous Books

1. Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill - 1/31/2016 -3.5 Stars
2. Bossypants by Tina Fey - 3/2/2016 - 3.5 Stars
3.
4.
5.

Foreign Lands

1. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini read 1/22/2016 3.5 Stars
2. Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian finished 1/23/2016 4.0 stars
3.
4.
5.

Best Literary Mysteries

1. The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø 5.0 stars
2. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith - 2/2/2016 - 5 Stars
3. North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo - 2/21/2016 - 2 Stars
4. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - 2/26/2016 - 3 Stars
5. The Alienist by Caleb Carr - 2/28/2016 - 4 Stars


Best Beach Reads 2015

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - read 1/16/2016 2.5 stars
2. Circling the Sun by Paula McLain - 1/28/2016 3.0 stars
3. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter - 2/6/2016 2.0 Stars
4.
5.

Best for Book Clubs

1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt-read 1/8/2016 4.0 stars
2.
3.
4.
5.

Popsugar challenge started on message 436 (page 9)

12/40

1. A book based on a fairy tale
2. A National Book Award winner Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 2/16/2016 2.5 Stars
3. A YA bestseller
4. A book you haven't read since high school
5. A book set in your home state
6. A book translated to English The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø finished 1/10/2016 - 5 Stars
7. A romance set in the future
8. A book set in Europe The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty finished 1/25/2016 - 4 stars
9. A book that's under 150 pages
10. A New York Times bestseller - Circling the Sun by Paula McLain 1/28/2016 - 3 stars
11. A book that's becoming a movie this year - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes read 1/16/2016 2.5 stars
12. A book recommended by someone you just met
13. A self-improvement book
14. A book you can finish in a day
15. A book written by a celebrity
16. A political memoir
17. A book at least 100 years older than you
18. A book that's more than 600 pages The Goldfinch finished 1/8/2016 - 4 Stars
20. A science-fiction novel Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 2/4/2016 - 5 Stars
21. A book recommended by a family member
22. A graphic novel
23. A book that is published in 2016 The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian 2/1/2016 - 3.0 Stars
24. A book with a protagonist that has your occupation
25. A book that takes place during summer
26. A book and its prequel
27. A murder mystery The Whites by Harry Brandt Finished 1/12/2016 - 3.5 Stars
28. A book written by a comedian Bossypants by Tina Fey - 3/2/2016 - 3 Stars
29. A dystopian novel
30. A book with a blue cover
31. A book of poetry
32. The first book you see in a bookstore
33. A classic from the 20th century
34. A book from the library
35. An autobiography
36. A book about a road trip
37. A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with - Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian finished 1/23/2016 - 4 stars
38. A satirical book
39. A book that takes place on an island - Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton 2/8/2016 - 4.5 Stars
40. A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy

Around the world challenge started on message 241 (page5)
based on author's nationality

9/20

1. USA - Donna Tartt - The Goldfinch
2. Norway - Jo Nesbø - The Devil's Star
3. UK - Jojo Moyes - Me Before You
4. Afghanistan - Khaled Hosseini - And the Mountains Echoed
5. Kuwait - Aline Ohanesian - Orhan's Inheritance
6. Ireland - Adrian McKinty - The Cold Cold Ground
7. New Zealand - Paul Cleave - The Cleaner
8. Italy - Umberto Eco - The Name of the Rose 2/26/2016 3 Stars
9. Denmark - Lene Kaaberbøl - Death of a Nightingale 3/7/2016 3 Stars

My latest book is Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Lots of people loved it so my opinion that it was predictable, mediocre and exploitive is in the minority.

On paper the standard romantic tropes are there--rich handsome man meets poor single girl and transforms her and saves her etc etc. Just add in the disability and the not so happy ending but the message is no different than your basic Fifty Shades of Gray or Twilight movie where the girl is waiting for her prince to save her.

It's funny but i ran across an article Moyes wrote in 2010 about how women's fictions aren't taken seriously when it's sweet and fluffy and never considered for serious literary awards and that's why Romances were becoming more & more about misery. She forecast the reason why she wrote this story:

But will those RNA prizewinners receive half the coverage that the Orange Prize will get? No. Because such fiction � with its humour, wit and affairs of the heart � is still not taken seriously, except by its legions of readers.

"That, Ms Goodwin, is why you can probably expect an awful lot more doom and gloom among your literary prize entries. And why my next book, incidentally, is about the right to die.

It seems Moyes was on a quest to be taken seriously as a romance writer--hence the misery pile up in this story and may explain why it felt a little hollow.

All that being said, the book did manage to fit into all the challenges.

Just finished And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

This started off well and I was really interested in the story of the brother and sister of Abdullah and Pari. Unfortunately the story veers off after that into little vignettes of other characters. Interesting but not cohesive enough so it ended up feeling like a series of short stories.
3.5 Stars

This fit two of the challenges - Listopia for Foreign lands and Around the World for the author being from Afghanistan

Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian

4.0 Stars

A young man returns to his home in Turkey due to his grandfather's death. He subsequently learns that his grandfather has left the family home to a woman no one knows about. He flies out to California to meet her and learns the truth about his family.

This story involves flashbacks to a time of the Armenian genocide during WW I.

A book that can have you speaking Irish:
The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty

4.0 Stars

It's humorous, it's historic (taking place in 1981 Ireland at the height of the troubles, ethno nationalistic fighting, bombings & a major hunger strike) and it's a mystery involving gay men getting killed.

The Detective is Sean Duffy, a catholic minority in his police department and in his neighborhood. Good story that's part of a series with this particular storyline being the first of a trilogy.

(will add to Around the World and PopSugar challenge)

Added a monthly challenge for February (history) and will attempt 3 (Msg 8)

CHALLENGE COMPLETED
3/3 read

9. Read a book takes place during the time of the Cold War until the turn of the century.
1945 to 2000

1. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith - 1953 Soviet Union Cold War era mystery thriller - 2/2/2016 - 5 Stars

5. Read a book that takes place during the Dark or Middle Ages

2. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - 2/26/2016 3 Stars
Setting is Medieval Italy --1327

6. Read a book that takes place during rise of colonization around the world.
about 1500 A.D. to 1900 A.D.

3. The Alienist by Caleb Carr 4.0 Stars
Setting is 1896 New York

Will add challenges from other group - Crazy Challenge Connection
16 x 16 challenge

Option B - 16 books in each of 8 categories

15/128

Mystery Dance - Any type of Mystery
1. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 2/6/2016 2 Stars
2. Dead Sleep by Greg Iles 2/20/2016 3.5 Stars
3. North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo 2/21/2016 2.0 Stars
4. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 2/26/2016 3.0 Stars
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love- Romance
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Shiny Happy People - humor/ light hearted or books by/ about comedians
1. Bossypants by Tina Fey - 3/2/2016 - 3.5 Stars
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

My Hometown - Set in where I've lived in the US - IL, MI, FL, NY or visited - GA , CA, NV, AZ, WI, IN, IA, TN, LA, MO, OH
1. The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian - 2/1/2016 - 3 Stars - New York
2. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward - 2/16/2016 - 2.5 Stars - Louisiana
3. The Alienist by Caleb Carr - 2/28/2016 - 4 Stars - New York
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

My First, My Last, My Everything - Series -first, last or in between
1. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - 2/4/2016 4 Stars (book # 1)
2. Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl (book#3) - 3/7/2016 3 Stars
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

It's a Man's World - Stories about/for men
1. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood 3 Stars - 2/10/2016
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

I'm Every Woman - Stories about/for women
1. This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison - 2/9/2016 2 Stars
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Been Around the World - International Set outside the U.S.
1. Soviet Union - Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith - 2/2/2016 - 5 Stars
2. Falkland Islands - Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton 2/8/2016 4.5 Stars
3. New Zealand - The Cleaner by Paul Cleave 2/22/2016 3.0 Stars
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

LET'S CELEBRATE!
DURATION: Feb. 1 - 29, 2016

Challenge Completed 2/22/2016
8/8



FEBRUARY 5 IS NATIONAL WEATHERMAN'S DAY
* Read a book with some sort of inclement weather on the cover (must be visible in the GR thumbnail; post the cover)
North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo 2.0 Stars 2/21/2016
inclement weather -fog on cover

FEBRUARY 8 IS CLEAN OUT YOUR COMPUTER DAY
* Read a book with a main character who cleans or organizes for a living
The Cleaner by Paul Cleave 3.0 Stars 2/22/2016
Main Character Joe Middleton is a police department cleaner/janitor by day (serial killer by night)

FEBRUARY 13 IS GET A DIFFERENT NAME DAY
* Read a book by an author who writes under more than one name
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 4 Stars 2/4/2016
(Michael Crichton's other pen names: John Lange, Jeffery Hudson & Michael Douglas)

FEBRUARY 15 IS SINGLES AWARENESS DAY
* Read a book with a main character who is single (not engaged/married) from the start of the book to the end
A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood 2/10/2016 - 3 Stars
George's lover/partner has just died and he's single from beginning to end of the story


FEBRUARY 19 IS NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MINT DAY
* Read a book whose cover is primarily chocolate brown or mint green (post the cover!)
This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison 2/9/2016 2 Stars
Mint Green book cover

FEBRUARY 22 IS WALKING THE DOG DAY
* Read a book with a dog on the cover (must be visible in the GR thumbnail; post the cover)
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward 2/16/2016 2.5 Stars
drawing of a dog (a pitbull) on cover

FEBRUARY 27 IS POLAR BEAR DAY
* Read a book set in a climate that is cold more often than not.
1. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith 5 Stars -- Set in the cold Soviet Union-- read 2/2/2016

FEBRUARY 29 IS LEAP DAY
* OR Read a book with the letters L, E, A and P in its title (do NOT have to be consecutive or in order)
Dead Sleep by Greg Iles 3.5 Stars -- Read 2/20/2016
deAd sLEeP

Yvonne wrote: "LET'S CELEBRATE!
DURATION: Feb. 1 - 29, 2016

I love these suggestions, very creative -- thanks!

I wish I could take credit Jules. Somehow I also think I may have over extended myself but we'll see.

Adding a new yearly challenge--The Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge (Message 174 page 4)

2/12

1. A Book Published this Year The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian - 2/1/2016 - 3 Stars
2. A Book You Can Finish in One Day
3. A Book You Have Been Meaning to Read
4. A Book Recommended by Your Local Librarian or Bookseller
5. A Book You Should Have Read in School
6. A Book Chosen For You by Your Spouse, Partner, Sibling, Child, or BFF
7. A Book Published Before You Were Born
8. A Book That Was Banned at Some Point
9. A Book You Previously Abandoned
10. A Book You Own but Have Never Read
11. A Book the Intimidates You - The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - 2/26/2016 - 3 Stars
12. A Book You Have Read at Least Once

Update of books --finished 1/28/2016

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

This is a historical fiction about a person previously unknown to me, Beryl Markham who per wikipedia "was a British-born Kenyan aviator (one of the first bush pilots), adventurer, racehorse trainer and author. During the pioneer days of aviation, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. She is now primarily remembered as the author of her memoir, West with the Night."

The author Paula McClain has written this fictionalized version of her life focusing more on her personal relationships, from her mother's abandonment of her in Kenya, her childhood friendships with an African boy to all her romantic entanglements including a love triangle involving Denys Finch Hatton (of Out of Africa fame)

There's more focus on her life as a horse trainer and it's only the final chapters that brings up her aviation side. I didn't fall in love with the story or the character, but it was an interesting story of a woman determined to create her own path.

3.0 Stars

Added to 2 challenges
Listopia challenge--Best Beach Reads 2015 - 7/25 read

Popsugar Challenge-- A New York Times Bestseller - 7/40 read

update of books - finished 1/29/2016

Bad Chili by Joe R. Lansdale - 4 Stars

Funny and dark humor abound in this buddy mystery story featuring Hap , working class white East Texas good ole boy and Leonard, fiery black and gay guy . They're best friends who have each other's back which they need as trouble seems to have an easy time finding them.

Not for sensitive readers as liberal use of the N word and the F word and multiple derogatory variations are in this as well as violent scenes. Still there's a lot of heart in this as well, especially in the main characters Hap and Leonard.

FYI--Sundance will be showing a limited TV series in March 2016, featuring the two main characters, Hap and Leonard.

Added to 1 Challenge
Every Year Challenge - 1997 5/27 Read

Update of books - finished 1/31/2016

Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill - 3.5 Stars

Dr. Siri Paiboun, National coronor of Laos is back with the same gentle good humor as in The Coroner's Lunch but with double the amount of mysticism and magical realism. There are bodies to examine, escaped bears, a Russian circus, communists, socialists and real and supernatural villains. It's a little messy but Siri and company makes for pleasant company.

Added to 2 challenges

Every Year Challenge - 2005 6/27
The Listopia Challenge - Best Humorous Books 7/25

Update - Finished 2/1/2016

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian - 3.0 Stars

A bachelor party goes wrong when the hired strippers end up killing their 'bodyguards'. The party host's work and personal life devolve and the girls, who turn out to be victims of sex slavery, try to avoid the police and the people who want to kill them. -- Not as exciting as that sounds as it's more family drama than thriller --An ok page turner.

Added to 3 Yearly Challenges
Every Year Challenge - 2016 7/27
Popsugar - A Book Published this Year 8/40
The Modern Mrs. Darcy - A Book Published this Year 1/12

Added to 16 x 16 Crazy Challenge Connection
My Home Town - Set in New York 1/128

Update - Finished 2/2/2016

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith - 5 Stars


The setting is the big thing in this novel where it's 1950's Soviet Union near the end of Stalin's reign and Leo Demidov is a former war hero turned member of MGB, the Ministry of State Security (the Secret Police) and an idealistic true believer in the state. His belief system begins to unravel when a child turns up dead near a railroad crossing and Leo is sent to the family to squash any talk of murder. When Leo starts questioning things and when he runs afoul of a personal enemy he ends up being punished and exiled.

See rest of review: Yvonne's Review

Added to Yearly Challenges:
Every Year Challenge - 2008
Listopia Challenge - Best Literary Mystery


Added to 16 x 16 Crazy Challenge Connection
Been Around The World - Soviet Union

Added to Let's Celebrate challenge*
Read a book set in a climate that is cold more often than not. - Soviet Union

Update - Finished 2/4/2016

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - 4 Stars

Yvonne's Review

Added to Challenges:
Every Year Challenge - 1990
PopSugar Challenge - A Science Fiction Novel

16 x 16 Challenge - My First, My Last, My Everything - Series
Let's Celebrate - Read a book by an author who writes under more than one name

Update - Finished 2/6/2016

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter - 2.0 Stars

Preposterous storyline ruins this book
My Review: /review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Listopia Challenge - Best Beach Reads 2015
16 x 16 Challenge - Mystery Dance

Update - Finished 2/8/2016

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton - 4.5 Stars


A slow build up to a story about missing children set amongst the natural landscape and wild life of the Falkland Islands a decade after the war in the 90's. This one had a few surprises up its sleeve as well

My Review: /review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Popsugar Challenge: A book that takes place on an island (Falkland Islands)
16 x 16 Challenge: Been Around the World (International)

Update - Finished 2/9/2016

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison - 2/9/2016 2 Stars

78 year old woman goes on a cruise after her husband's death and finds out her entire marriage has been a lie. She then reminisces about her life and there's zero happy memories. Then the daughter she's always conflicted with decides to join her on the cruise. Just when they're bonding she discovers there's some kind of ulterior motive.

Oh and in between all of this her dead husband pops in to talk to her for who knows what reason. The story also goes from one flashback to another in no particular order.

If this was your life you too would be depressed and want out.

Review: ttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1542372...

Added to Challenges:
16 x 16 Challenge: I'm Every Woman

Let's Celebrate: Read a book whose cover is primarily chocolate brown or mint green

Update - Finished 2/10/2016

by Christopher Isherwood - 3 Stars

/review/show...

Added Challenges:
16 x 16 : It's a Man's World

Let's Celebrate : Read a book with a main character who is single (not engaged/married) from the start of the book to the end

I did finish a monthly challenge recently. See Message 12 for the Let's Celebrate challenge!

I also added a new challenge, From Fiction to Reality, but haven't read any non fiction books for it as yet.

FROM FICTION TO REALITY
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016

You'll read books in pairs. Read any fiction book. Then, read a nonfiction book about any part of that fictional work. Or read a nonfiction book, then find a fictional work that's related to it.

I've signed up for 6 pairs

Updating 5 books today

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward - 2/16/2016 2.5 stars

Note to self, if there's a dog on the cover then maybe a book will spend a significant portion of time on the subject of dogs. But I was fooled by the blurb which implied this was about a hurricane (Katrina) barreling down the Mississippi. Spoiler alert--only the last couple of chapters deal with the hurricane in any significant. Before we get there we spend the time with the 14 year old pregnant narrator Esch and her three brothers, especially brother Skeetah and his considerable attachment to his pitbull China.

Warning for sensitive dog lovers--Skeetah is devoted to his dog and puppies but this is about breeding for dog fighting and there's one graphically described scene in here.

In fact, what this book spends a lot of time doing is describing things. For every action there were probably like 10 descriptions and asides letting us know what that blade of grass or pond of water signified. Now, it's very nice descriptions and very nice writing and no surprise this is an award winner. The author captured the feel very well of this motherless group of kids and their poverty stricken lifestyle. But, it made it tough going at times to slog through this one. For a short book at a little over 200 pages, this was very slow going.

/review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Every Year Challenge - 2011
Popsugar - A National Book Award winner
16 x 16 - My Hometown
Let's Celebrate (Feb) - Dog on the Cover

Update #2

Dead Sleep by Greg Iles - 2/20/2016 3.5 Stars

What an intriguing concept. Jordan Glass comes across a series of paintings taking the artworld by storm in Hong Kong. They are paintings depicting nude women in repose, asleep or are they possibly dead? Jordan is stunned to discover that one of the paintings features a woman that looks exactly like her. Could it be her twin sister who's been missing for over a year? Is she dead or alive.

/review/show...

Added Challenges:
Every Year Challenge - 2001
16 x 16 - Mystery Dance
Let's Celebrate (February) - Read a book with the letters L, E, A and P in its title

Update #3

North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo - 2/21/2016 - 2 Stars

Ok book that never seemed to find its footing. I'm not surprised it's a debut novel.

Our heroine Pirio Kasparov is all over the map from part time babysitter for the son of her alcoholic best friend to being in charge of her exotic parent's perfumery business and in her spare time she goes out on a lobster boat even though she's totally inexperienced, with her best friend's baby daddy, Ned. On that trip their boat gets hit and she returns but not Ned. When the authorities start stonewalling her, she decides to investigate on her own. Besides that, the FBI is interested in her because of her superhuman ability

Rest of Review : /review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Every Year Challenge - 2014
Listopia - Best Literary Mysteries
16 x 16 - Mystery Dance
Let's Celebrate (Feb.) - Book with inclement weather on cover

Update #4

The Cleaner by Paul Cleave - 2/24/2016 - 3 Stars

I tend to not be that fond of thrillers from the serial killer's point of view like this one does as this alternates between the Joe the carver killer and Sally a woman who has decided to rescue him. This is violent, weird, creepy funny and filled with one too many killers. If you like oddball mysteries starring your kooky, mother obsessed serial killer then maybe this is for you. This one also has a sequel which I'll probably pass on.

/review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Every Year Challenge - 2006
Around the World - New Zealand
16 x 16 - Been Around the World
Let's Celebrate (Feb) - Main character who cleans (was a janitor)

Update #5

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - 2/26/2016 - 2.5 to 3 Stars

Parts of this I enjoyed and parts just made this one of the most tedious and difficult books I've ever read. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

This has been out a long time so there's not much to add to the volume of reviews out there.I'd say this is more a medieval history, religious argument, ancient languages and other things blah, blah, blah wrapped up in a slight sliver of a mystery than a historical mystery. In other words, what Eco knows about medieval times and their numerous circular religious arguments ...more

/review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Listopia - Best Literary Mysteries
Around the World - Italy Umberto Eco
Februrary (History) Challenge -Book takes place during Middle Ages
Crazy Challenge 16 x 16 - Mystery Dance
Modern Mrs. Darcy - Book that intimidates you

I'm adding the Read Women challenge for the month of March and will be going for 6 for the month

3/6

For this challenge we would like you to explore women writers and pick books only written by women:

1. Re-read your favorite book.

2. Read a book new to you by an author you have previously read.
Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl- 3/7/2016 - 3 Stars

3. Read a book written by an author under 30.

4. Read a book about the Eastern Cultures.

5. Read a book by an author that is not White.

6. Read a book of essays.

7. Read a comedy book.
Bossypants by Tina Fey - 3/2/2016 - 3 Stars

8. Read a graphic novel written..

9. Read a book about women during war.

10. Read a book about an LGBTQIA issue.
All I Love and Know by Judith Frank 3/9/2016 - 4 Stars

11. Read a book sci-fi/ fantasy book.

Update

Read: 2/28/2016

The Alienist by Caleb Carr
4 Stars

t's a little talky, but I quite liked this historical fiction/mystery taking place in the New York of 1896 about a serial killer of young boy prostitutes and the group of men including an Alienist(psychiatrist, a reporter, a couple of early forensic investigators & Teddy Roosevelt and one woman, a frustrated detective wanna be, who are doing their best to catch him before he kills again.

It's obviously well researched and the New York of that time period really comes alive. A nice tense psychological thriller that in the same vein as the nonfiction The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

Added to Challenges:
Every Year Challenge : 1994
Listopia - Best Literary Mystery
16 x 16 - My Hometown NY

Update

Read: 3/2/2016

Bossypants by Tina Fey
3.5 Stars

I'm not sure how to describe this. It's not quite a memoir since it doesn't seem to go as deep but not quite an essay either. It seems to be a collection of thoughts.

It was also not quite as laugh out loud funny as I was expecting. Now I'm wondering if getting the audiobook wouldn't have been a better idea. Still no question the book was humorous and elicits smiles and giggles.

I did find myself interested especially when reading certain sections like about the photoshop magazine covers and especially the ones when she was doing SNL, 30 Rock and the section on Sarah Palin.

Some things she skimmed the surface on (understandably) like the origins of her scar and while she outs her parents as Goldwater Republicans her political stance is curiously left unsaid. There was also a chapter on her dad and his reaction to a black person that I found a little odd.

Overall a pleasant read and recommend if you're a fan and want to know a little about her life.

Added to Challenges:
Listopia - Best Humorous Books
PopSugar - Book written by a comedian
16 x 16 - Shiny Happy People
Read Women Challenge--Comedy

Update Message 10
Completed February Challenge : Time Gone By

3/3 Read

Update

Read: 3/7/2016

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl 3 Stars

Nina Borg is an interesting, complex and not always likable character despite or maybe because of being an excessive bleeding heart. We do get a hint however, on what happened in her past to make her this way.

In this edition of the series, Nina is separated or divorced from her husband who was fed up with her putting others needs above him and their children. She's still a Copenhagen Red Cross nurse working for the Coal House Camp for refugees with a special interest in protecting one little Ukranian girl they call Rina whose mother Natasha has been incarcerated for attempted murder. Things begin to go haywire when the mother escapes custody and comes looking for her daughter.

Full Review: /review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Around the World - Denmark
16 x 16 - Series
Read Women March Challenge - New book from author previously read

Update

Read: 3/9/2016

All I Love and Know by Judith Frank 4 Stars

I was almost immediately drawn into this story. Matt and Daniel are two gay men living a life of leisurely coupledom in the very lesbian friendly Northampton, Massachusetts. Matt, a former New Yorker, had left his high energy life of partiers and tweakers to settle into happy domesticity with his partner of 5 years, Daniel. All that is shattered when Daniel's twin brother and his wife are killed by a terrorist attack bomb on a cafe in Israel leaving behind two children, a 6 year old girl and a baby. In their will, they've left the custody of the children to Daniel and Matt.

Full Review: /review/show...

Added to Challenges:
Read Women March Challenge - LGBTQIA issue book