ŷ������

I saw The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle while browsing though amazon today

The Adventures of China Iron by Argentinian author Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is an exuberant queer retelling of the 1872 epic poem about gaucho Martín Fierro starring his young wife China Iron who runs away across the pampas with redheaded Scottish Liz on a series of adventures. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

I'm reading in order (in theory, lol) so I have some time to choose what I'll be reading for this prompt, but here are some thoughts so far:

Harry Potter:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~ home library/hardcover
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ home library/hardcover

Laura Ingalls Wilder:
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder ~ public library

Beatrix Potter:
Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature ~ home library/hardcover

John Muir:
The Wilderness World of John Muir ~ public library
Rediscovering National Parks in the Spirit of John Muir ~ public library

Ansel Adams:
Ansel Adams in the National Parks: Photographs from America's Wild Places ~ public library

Frederick Law Olmsted:
A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the 19th Century ~ home library/paperback

Bunny Williams:
An Affair with a House ~ public library

Bunny Mellon:
Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend ~ public library
The Gardens of Bunny Mellon ~ public library
Garden Secrets of Bunny Mellon ~ public library

I recommend the Harry Potter series, Hercule Poirot's Christmas and Anne of Green Gables.

What I would love reading:
Re-read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer by Joël Dicker
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake is one of my all time favourite novels, and I cannot recommend it enough!

I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab for this prompt. I enjoyed it enough, and rated it 4 stars, but I do think it could have been 100 or so pages shorter as I felt like it dragged on a little

i went the non fiction route for this one and read The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey: A True Story of Sex, Crime and the Meaning of Justice.

It was very readable but a bit repetitive and long winded. 10 pages of acknowledgements with footnotes took me a little over the edge

I read Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano and I recommend the first book of the series.

I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I read Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry. I liked it but I loved the book Hannah Coulter.

EDIT: I also read the book Daisy Darker, a thriller by Alice Feeney.

I also recommend:
These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
David Copperfield
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

For this prompt, I read:
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell - 5* - My Review

I read Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia by Gattaldo.

This is a picture book aimed at children, telling the story of the journalist harassed and eventually murdered for trying to uncover corruption in her native Malta.

I liked the artist's style, and the way he contrasted colour and black and white to illustrate his theme.

It's apparently aimed at 7-9 year olds, but I would think slightly older children would benefit more (9 to 12ish). It would be helpful to read and discuss with an adult.

It makes good points about journalistic ethics which could be taken in by some media I can think of here and elsewhere.

For this one I read Daisy Jones & The Six. It's amazing how many books I have that fit this prompt. I was really glad I read this one however. I rated it 5 stars. I loved the interview format. It was probably the best book I've read this year so far.

Jonathan Swift: The Reluctant Rebel - 4 stars

for this I read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.

This year, I read and liked:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (children)
Adam Bede by George Elliot (classic)
Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde (friendship, a major character with a disability)
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (fiction, sports)
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney (literary fiction, retrospective on a life)

Added in June - I'm still thinking about Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. I really loved it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 4 stars.

I read Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, which was fantastic. I also had Shuggie Bain on my list for this prompt as well.

I read Daisy Darker. I am beginning to wonder if I am picking bad books or if I am not enjoying reading but everything is just ok or bad these days. This isn't a bad book the middle just felt a little slow.

A few that I enjoyed:
Carrie Soto Is Back
The Unsinkable Greta James
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

What are you reading for this one?
I read A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre

Very slow start, but picks up after that

I read the Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

I really enjoyed it, apart from a bit in the middle. If I could cut that part out it would be 5 stars.

Yesterday I finished Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans for this one. I wish I knew how to link it or add to the listopia! It is YA, about a teen discovering their identity while making friends and solving a murder.

I read the invisible Life Of Addie Larue.

I read ...


The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina �� Zoraida Córdova �� 3.5***
This is unlike anything I’ve read before. Part family saga, part paranormal horror, part fantasy, part historical fiction, part quest, part love story. I’m so grateful that there is a family tree in the beginning, as I referred to it several times to clarify relationships of Orquídea’s many descendants. I was fascinated by the story but I think I need to re-read it to fully absorb the magic of Córdova’s storytelling.
LINK to my full review

I started reading Moll Flanders, then realized "Moll" isn't a first name, oops! Oh well, I can't really fit it in anywhere else at this point so I'm just going to roll with it. The point is to read books, not get hung up on interpretations, right? :)

After what felt like seven or eight months' worth of reading, I just finished The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames. The family drama featuring two Calabrian sisters grabbed me at the start, although I often found the novel tedious, redundant and depressing. Three stars for this one.

Stacey wrote: "After what felt like seven or eight months' worth of reading, I just finished The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames. The family drama featur..."

I felt the same way about this book.

Book Concierge wrote: "Stacey wrote: "After what felt like seven or eight months' worth of reading, I just finished The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames. The fami..."

To me, it was really heavy reading. Some books are light - not this one.

I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I have avoided Taylor Jenkins Reid because all her books (or the ones I was familiar with anyway) seem to focus on celebrity, which I am not interested in. Well, I was wrong, about this book anyway. Celebrity is certainly part of it, but it's more about the "real" people who happen to be celebrities.

I have to thank my son's girlfriend for getting me to read this, as I'm sure she's behind my son gifiting me this book for my birthday.

Other books I considered (and read for other prompts):
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
(26. A book related to pride - this is a queer sequel to Peter Pan)

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
(8. An author's debut book)

Tracy wrote: "I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I have avoided Taylor Jenkins Reid because all her books (or the ones I was familiar with anyway) seem to focus on c..."

I read this book because my daughter recommended it to me, and I am so glad I did. I loved it. My older daughter is reading right now, and she is also really enjoying it.