Annual Reading Challenge--2020

[bobbiwoz]

86/80 28 Summers by Elgin Hilderbrand

It’s about secret love affair that lasted for 26 years, from the beginning to the end. Others here have read and commented, and I was interested, and read it over 3 days!

 

[Simba's Mom]

86/80 28 Summers by Elgin Hilderbrand

It’s about secret love affair that lasted for 26 years, from the beginning to the end. Others here have read and commented, and I was interested, and read it over 3 days!

What did you think of it? I didn't really see how any sane person could do that, but I do love Elin Hildebrand,so I kind of enjoyed the book

 

[bobbiwoz]

What did you think of it? I didn't really see how any sane person could do that, but I do love Elin Hildebrand,so I kind of enjoyed the book

I gave it a 4 out of 5 in my records! With the very rich lovers, the one night stands, the incredible inheritance, the brothers marriages, and actually most of the rest of the circumstances, I considered it pure fantasy!

 

[bobbiwoz]

87/80 The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

Five people get a chance to rewrite their stories. I enjoyed the book, 4/5.

 

[willowsnn3]

#68/60 Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.
Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges—how to get relative with the inevitable—you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching greenlights.”
So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

12 We Are Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Jay Fowler
Really enjoyed and very well written
A quiet girl enters college as you learn about her family life and strange experiment that shaped her greatly.

If anyone is interested in reading any of my works I would gladly send kindle gift versions of any of them: “Written for You”, “Three Twigs for the Campfire”, “Cemetery Girl” or “Reigning”.
You can see them all reviewed on Goodreads (click on link to view books). If you are interested in reading any of them please message me here or at Goodreads. I would greatly appreciate the effort.

 

[OKW8297]

73. Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini. One of the best Christmas books I’ve read. Combines Christmas and historical fiction. Already gave copies to my Mom and best friend.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Ok I quit updating a while back, but I upped my goal to 40 and hit that last month.

29/40--Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods

30/40--Long Bright River by Liz Moore

31/40--The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (I really disliked this book and it was my most disappointing read of the year)

32/40--How To Stop Losing Your S--- With Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent by Carla Naumburg

33/40--Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

34/40--Troubles in Paradise --Elin Hildebrand

35/40--Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (One of the greatest books I have ever read. Seriously why did I wait so long????)

36/40--The Institute by Stephen King

37/40--The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

38/40--The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

39/40--The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg

40/40--Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery


I decided to re-read Lord of the Rings and the Winter Street series by Elin Hildebrand this month, but I might sneak another new one in!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Update time!

48 "More Then We Remember", C Nelson 4 stars
49 "Small Steps, The Year I got Polio", P Kehret 5 stars A fascinating story that had come out of my mother's dropping the fact that there'd been another pandemic, one I knew little about, polio, that had happened when I was a baby I vowed to learn more about it and so far, this is the only book I've been able to find about it Very interesting story
50 "The Liberator" by A Kershaw 3 stars I was hoping for more focus on the liberation of dachau but that was a small part of the story
51 "A Hundred Summers" 3 stars
52 " Secrets of Cedar Cabin" 4 stars
53 "The Silent Woman" 3 stars
54 "Channel of Peace" 5 stars The true story about the plane that was grounded after 9/11 in Canada, and how everyone volunteered to help them The book that the Broadway Musical "Come From Away" was based on

Somewhere I must have miscounted, because goodreads says that I've read 56 books, not 54, so they claim I've finished my challenge Hope I can read 2 more books before the end of the year, just to be sure!

 

[Colleen27]

#116/156 - Walking to Listen by Andrew Forsthoefel

I had mixed feelings about this one. It is the memoir of a man who walked from Philadelphia to San Francisco, meeting random people and listening to their stories and advice along the way. At times it was fascinating in the sheer variety of people he met and the generosity he experienced on the road, but at other times it was a little heavy on the navel-gazing and reflection on the troubles of the author's mostly privileged upbringing. When he was focused outward, on the journey and the people along the way, it was really enjoyable; when he was rehashing his feelings about his parents' divorce when he was a teenager, not so much.

#117 - 120 - Darkness Dawns, Night Reigns, Phantom Shadows, Darkness Rises by Dianne Duvall

The first four books in the Immortal Guardians series, these started out promising with an interesting premise for a supernatural world - vampires are real, but there is also a race of vampire hunters that are essentially the "light side" of the immortal coin - but the stories themselves were pretty formulaic (even for romance/thrillers) and got repetitive pretty quickly. There are more books in the series but I've lost interest.

#121 - Famine by Laura Thalassa

The third in a series about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse that I started a while ago, this is another series that is starting to lose my attention. While I can usually overlook some of the questionable male behavior that features in a lot of romance stories, particularly in historical or supernatural titles, each of the horsemen in this series is deliberately worse than the last and this one crossed over into too much sadism for the eventual romantic element of the book to feel anything but icky. And since the building up of each horseman to be worse than the last is intentional and woven throughout the first titles, I don't expect I'd find much to like about the last book when it does eventually come out.

#122 - 123 - Born to Be Wilde, Wilde in Love by Eloisa James

Two more semi-trashy historical romances in a series I discovered on Libby last month, and my review of these remains basically the same as it was for the first: the characters are fun and the stories entertaining, if somewhat less than plausible. I've already requested the next titles in the series from the library.

#124 - Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

Somewhat dated but still a good primer on the idea of long-term travel. Much of the content was stuff I knew already, but articulated as a philosophy as much as a set of how-to tips and resources. The most helpful part is that the author maintains a website where he provides updated links and advice that keeps the book relevant despite it being published more than a decade ago. Still, it was an inspiring read for a moment when planning for the eventual time when we can travel again more widely is the next best thing to actually being on the road.

 

[drwitz]

64. Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

This was another amazing read. Fair warning in that it does start out with a political bent but then she moves to the crux of her argument: that rather than talk about race in America, we should be looking at our troublesome history as one of caste. She compares three systems of caste: the American history of slavery and Jim Crow leading to today's situation, the case of the way Nazi Germany treated Jews, and the system of caste in India with the stratification of society including the so-called Untouchables (or Dalit). This was a powerful book and I highly recommend it.

65. Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of my Friendship with the First Lady by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff

In keeping with my previous policy, I won't discuss or review this book here, but if you would like a candid opinion, let me know via private message.

As the year comes to an end, I am reflecting on what a joy it has been to read with you all and to share this literary journey. While it was my first year in the group, it will definitely not be my last. I started the year with a series on a plague (Alex Scarrow's Plague series), spent lots of time re-reading my Stephen King library in publication date order (starting in 1974 and making it as far as 1993), educated myself on politics, culture, and history, and took an active role in learning about racism and how to make changes for the better in our society.

It was quite a journey, and next year will be a wonderful continuation.

I especially want to thank @willowsnn3 (Susan) for all of the hard work in keeping the list updated. You are my reading angel, and if it were up to me, I would nominate you to do it again (and to be a guest on a DIS podcast).

For now, my final two books for the year (unless I can sneak one more in):

66. The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Struggle for American Freedom by H.W. Brands

This historical retelling of John Brown's life and featuring moments from Abraham Lincoln's life, is a fascinating study of the run-up to the Civil War, the abolitionist movement in America, and Lincoln's thoughts about slavery. With real life anecdotes from Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Jefferson Davis, John Wilkes Booth and other secondary characters, one gets a real taste of the times, and I left understanding much more about Lincoln's mixed history on slavery and racism. This was an education, and helped reframe my understanding of the times. I always knew John Brown was an interesting and troubled figure; this book helped me learn so much more about his struggle and his stated purpose.

67. A Promised Land by Barack Obama

This is a beautifully written memoir of the first half of Obama's presidency. A real page turner (and - wow - how many pages it is; more than 700), the book is a must read for anyone who has an interest in politics, regardless of your political beliefs. While some may read this and disagree with his characterizations, the book presents a very intimate look into the life of this former president. Each president in modern times has written a memoir; and this one does not disappoint. Looking forward to finishing it by December 31 (I am in the 500s right now), and looking forward to reading part 2 whenever it comes.

Thanks again to each of you for being a community of readers with me, and I look forward to our next year together.

 

[willowsnn3]

As the year comes to an end, I am reflecting on what a joy it has been to read with you all and to share this literary journey. While it was my first year in the group, it will definitely not be my last. I started the year with a series on a plague (Alex Scarrow's Plague series), spent lots of time re-reading my Stephen King library in publication date order (starting in 1974 and making it as far as 1993), educated myself on politics, culture, and history, and took an active role in learning about racism and how to make changes for the better in our society.

It was quite a journey, and next year will be a wonderful continuation.

I especially want to thank @willowsnn3 (Susan) for all of the hard work in keeping the list updated. You are my reading angel, and if it were up to me, I would nominate you to do it again (and to be a guest on a DIS podcast).

For now, my final two books for the year (unless I can sneak one more in):

66. The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Struggle for American Freedom by H.W. Brands

This historical retelling of John Brown's life and featuring moments from Abraham Lincoln's life, is a fascinating study of the run-up to the Civil War, the abolitionist movement in America, and Lincoln's thoughts about slavery. With real life anecdotes from Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Jefferson Davis, John Wilkes Booth and other secondary characters, one gets a real taste of the times, and I left understanding much more about Lincoln's mixed history on slavery and racism. This was an education, and helped reframe my understanding of the times. I always knew John Brown was an interesting and troubled figure; this book helped me learn so much more about his struggle and his stated purpose.

67. A Promised Land by Barack Obama

This is a beautifully written memoir of the first half of Obama's presidency. A real page turner (and - wow - how many pages it is; more than 700), the book is a must read for anyone who has an interest in politics, regardless of your political beliefs. While some may read this and disagree with his characterizations, the book presents a very intimate look into the life of this former president. Each president in modern times has written a memoir; and this one does not disappoint. Looking forward to finishing it by December 31 (I am in the 500s right now), and looking forward to reading part 2 whenever it comes.

Thanks again to each of you for being a community of readers with me, and I look forward to our next year together.

Oh, thank you! As they say at Chic fi la---it is my pleasure to be here, lol.
I have soooo much on my many reading lists thanks to all of you that have posted.

 

[willowsnn3]

Hey everyone, Wendy1985 has started a new reading challenge thread for next year.
The title is: Reading Challenge 2021.
Y'all know I am not too tech savvy so it would be great if someone could post a link to the new thread so we can keep the pages turning.
I won't be on the boards much if at all for a few days. Leaving for WDW late Tuesday for a few days so hope everyone has a great holiday!

 

[OKW8297]

Hey everyone, Wendy1985 has started a new reading challenge thread for next year.
The title is: Reading Challenge 2021.
Y'all know I am not too tech savvy so it would be great if someone could post a link to the new thread so we can keep the pages turning.
I won't be on the boards much if at all for a few days. Leaving for WDW late Tuesday for a few days so hope everyone has a great holiday!

Can’t help with the link but thank you for handling the thread this year! Well done! Have a wonderful time at Disney and Happy Holidays!

 

[drwitz]

Here is the link. Annual Reading List 2021.

 

[melk]

Hey everyone, Wendy1985 has started a new reading challenge thread for next year.
The title is: Reading Challenge 2021.
Y'all know I am not too tech savvy so it would be great if someone could post a link to the new thread so we can keep the pages turning.
I won't be on the boards much if at all for a few days. Leaving for WDW late Tuesday for a few days so hope everyone has a great holiday!

Thank you for organizing and keeping up with the 2020 list!

Have a great time in WDW

 

[willowsnn3]

Thank you for organizing and keeping up with the 2020 list!

Have a great time in WDW

Thanks!

 

[willowsnn3]

Can’t help with the link but thank you for handling the thread this year! Well done! Have a wonderful time at Disney and Happy Holidays!

Thank You!

 

[willowsnn3]

Here is the link. Annual Reading List 2021.

Yay! Thank you!

 

[JayMass]

So, I'm an overachiever...

31/30--Reverie by Ryan La Sala
This was a really cool YA book. As a parent of two LGBTQ teens, I truly loved the gay main character, the Drag Queen villain and the fact that they just WERE and it wasn't ABOUT their identity (or was it on a more meta level??). Cool idea about how we slip into daydreams but they are actually real and we don't know it. Only a select few have the ability to be aware of these daydreams or "reveries" and take action when they turn dark and dangerous.

32/30--Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
I just watched the new Shirley Jackson movie and realized this was a hugely popular book that I just never read. I saw the HBO series, but that was a totally different animal than this book. Absolutely loved it. Very scary!

33/30-The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
This was on so many "best of 2019" lists that I had to give it shot. I thought it was fantastic. Lerner is such a talented writer. The fact that it is about our personal relationships, mistakes, the way we are raised, and ultimately how that impacts our culture was spot-on. I won't get political here but understand that on a very real level it is all about how we got to this place where DT becomes president.

34/30-Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark
This was creepy beyond belief. The KKK is real but they have been infiltrated by monsters that masquerade as "Ku Kluxes." A rag-tag band of fighters are the only ones that know the truth and have to fight these monsters. There's a description of The Butcher that just makes me squirm--it rivals anything in a Stephen King novel. One of my favorite books of the year!

So I'm in the middle of reading the fifth book in King's Dark Tower series "The Wolves of Calla." So far I love the inclusion of long lost character from Jerusalem's Lot!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Please stay safe, wear a mask, social distance, and stay home. This pandemic is sure to end soon!!