Reading challenge 2021

[bobbiwoz]

15/35 The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson

Takes you from John’s early years, pre-Beatles, through the Beatle years, through his politics, life with Yoko, his solo work, last album and his death.

I must have put this book on hold last December at the 40th anniversary of his death and then forgot about it. It’s a very quick, easy read. The most interesting parts are his years with the Beatles and how things went south. The mention of many songs reminded me just how many great songs they had. The chapters written from the point of view of Mark David Chapman felt more like a fiction book to me, as it often gave his innermost thoughts and motivations. But at the time of his death I was just a young teenager and didn‘t remember the details of why he did it.

45/100 The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson

This book was recommended to me because I’m a big Beatles fan. If I had realized who the James Patterson was, I would never have picked it up. The book was terrible. It wasn’t about the last days of John Lennon, really. It rehashed some old Beatles stuff, none of which was new or insightful. The focus on Mark Chapman had nothing new or insightful there either. There were quite a few “conversations” that were obviously just made up. This book was a waste of time, so I’m glad it was a quick read. I’m giving it a half a point for having some nice pictures. .5/5

I am more of the early Beatles fan, and was raising our sons for the last part of their music, and the breakup and subsequent events were familiar to me only through headlines. I read the book based on “melk”’s review. I am glad I read it, and thought it was 3.5 out of 5.

It was my 21/50 read this year!

 

[mgarbowski]

7/24 The Mercy of Snakes (Nameless #5) by Dean Koontz

This is more of a novella or long short story than a full sized book. It is part of a series available on Amazon Prime Reading (the benefit that is included with Prime membership and sometimes confused with Kindle Unlimited which is a separate subscription). Many of the Prime Reading books are the first in a series, offered in the hope you enjoy the free book and then buy the rest, which is fair enough. But it's nice to have an entire set available, as this six mini-book Nameless series by Koontz is provided.

This is something of a revenge fantasy series, in which a literally nameless protagonist whose memories and fingerprints have been removed puts an end to a crime spree by people who are generally reputable, and able to use their standing in the world to avoid official consequences. I have read most of them in 1-2 days, so there is a a very satisfying payoff for each one, though somewhat light.

 

[melk]

18/35 The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer

Memoir recounting the author‘s childhood being raised by his single mom. He looks to his uncle, a bartender, as a male role model as well as the other men who hang out in the bar. The book takes you through his graduation from Yale and his early adulthood.

Interesting enough, I mostly wanted to read it because I heard they’re making it into a movie.

 

[mmouse37]

6/50 The Ghost & Mrs. Muir R.A. Dick
7/50 Little Bones N. V. Peacock
8/50 Orphan #8 Kim van Alkemade
9/50 The Absinthe Earl Sharon Lynn Fisher
10/50 Tell Me Why Sandi Wallace
11/50 The Boy at the Gate Danny Ellis


MJ

 

[JayMass]

14/50--"Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline. This was quite a ride! Very fun and engaging. Some people consider it YA, not sure about that. Does a teenage protagonist always mean it's YA? The basic premise is that in the not so far off future the world has been through some pretty serious problems and people are now escaping them through a virtual reality world called the Oasis. It's creator has died and left his fortune and the future of the Oasis to the first person who can find his hidden "easter egg." There are the good guy "Gunters" who are trying to find it and then the evil IOI employees who are also looking. The IOI company wants to control the Oasis and make what is currently a free platform something everyone will have to pay for--they are basically your typical full-on evil corporation. It's a bit of a David and Goliath story that's full of fun 80s references. Definitely a good read.

15/50-"The Outsider" by Stephen King. I started the TV series on HBO last year but for some reason stopped watching. After getting back into my classroom after remote learning I found this on my shelf and brought it with me on my recent trip to the Catskills. I finished this 500 plus pager in three days. It was really a page turner. Sometimes King takes forever to get into his novels, but this was great from page one. The premise of this one was that a child was brutally murdered and the apparent killer is a well respected teacher and baseball coach. There are numerous witnesses and his fingerprints are all over the the crime scene. Here's the problem, the man was away at a teacher conference at the time of the murder with fingerprints and witnesses to claim he was there. How can a man be in two places at once? This was part supernatural, part crime/mystery story. It also gets at some bigger questions about who we really are. King has been producing stellar fiction since the 70s and I think he just keeps getting better. This one was tight and paced well. It actually read more like one his short stories. He didn't attempt to shove too much into this one and it made for fun vacation read.

 

[OKW8297]

24. A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. Third in his Kingsbridge series. An outstanding book.

 

[Tiggerish]

Murder on the High Tide by Lee Strauss & Norm Strauss. A Rosia Reed Mystery set in the '50's in California. Rosa is a British police woman visiting family in the States. It was a light read but I did enjoy the descriptions of Rosa wearing the "latest fashion trends".

Murder (and Baklava) by Blake Pierce. A European Voyage Cozy Mystery. A freebie as the first book in the series but it did not make me feel I need to buy any of the others.

The Widow by Karen Ann Hopkins. Book 9 of the Serenity Plains series. Serenity is the Sheriff for an rural area with a large Amish population. I have read most of this series.

Fort Point by Susan Page Davis. Book 2 of the Maine Justice series. Christian police procedural fiction.

34-37 of 104

 

[RangerPooh]

#8/10 Under the Christmas Tree (Virgin River series)
-Enjoyed this book, but not one of my favorites. Continued to explore characters never mentioned before in the greater Virgin River community.

#9//10 Forbidden Falls (Virgin River series)
-Ok book. Not too interested in the main characters story, but did enjoy learning more about a set of characters that have remained in the background since book 1. Also had a continuation of characters story that were focused on in an earlier book.

While the series formula doesn’t seem to vary from book to book, at least not all characters are one and done. Some reoccur and grow throughout the series.

 

[OKW8297]

25. Weekends at Bellevue by Julie Holland MD

 

[OKW8297]

26. Love is the Way by Bishop Michael Curry. Love the book and love him!

 

[willowsnn3]

#25/60 Run Me To Earth by Paul Yoon
Alisak, Prany, and Noi—three orphans united by devastating loss—must do what is necessary to survive the perilous landscape of 1960s Laos. When they take shelter in a bombed out field hospital, they meet Vang, a doctor dedicated to helping the wounded at all costs. Soon the teens are serving as motorcycle couriers, delicately navigating their bikes across the fields filled with unexploded bombs, beneath the indiscriminate barrage from the sky.
In a world where the landscape and the roads have turned into an ocean of bombs, we follow their grueling days of rescuing civilians and searching for medical supplies, until Vang secures their evacuation on the last helicopters leaving the country. It’s a move with irrevocable consequences—and sets them on disparate and treacherous paths across the world.

Interesting, but just ok to me.

 

[OKW8297]

27. The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict. I love this author but not her best. Fictional insight into Hedy Lamar

 

[MGMmjl]

9/30 - Stargazer by Anne Hillerman

Description:
"Murder, deception, Navajo tradition, and the stars collide in this enthralling entry in New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, set amid the beautiful landscape of the American Southwest.

What begins as a typical day for Officer Bernadette Manuelito—serving a bench warrant, dealing with a herd of cattle obstructing traffic, and stumbling across a crime scene—takes an unexpected twist when she’s called to help find an old friend. Years ago, Bernie and Maya were roommates, but time and Maya’s struggles with addiction drove them apart. Now Maya’s brother asks Bernie to find out what happened to his sister.

Tracing Maya’s whereabouts, Bernie learns that her old friend had confessed to the murder of her estranged husband, a prominent astronomer. But the details don’t align. Suspicious, Bernie takes a closer look at the case only to find that nothing is as it seems. Uncovering new information about the astronomer’s work leads Bernie to a remote spot on the Navajo Nation and a calculating killer.

The investigation causes an unexpected rift with her husband and new acting boss, Jim Chee, who’s sure Bernie’s headed for trouble. While she’s caught between present and past, Chee is at a crossroads of his own. Burdened with new responsibilities he didn’t ask for and doesn’t want, he must decide what the future holds for him and act accordingly.

Can their mentor Joe Leaphorn—a man also looking at the past for answers to the future—provide the guidance both Bernie and Chee need? And will the Navajo heroes that stud the starry sky help them find justice—and the truth they seek?"

This is the 24th novel in the Leaphorn, Chee, and (now) Manuelito series started by Tony Hillerman, and the 6th novel Anne Hillerman has written since she took over the series after her father's death. I really enjoyed this entry! Hopefully Anne will continue to write more books in the series.

 

[willowsnn3]

#26/60 The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
THE WIFE: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house.
HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan's arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved.
HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced . . .

This one started out a little slow, that I even put it down & read a couple short books before picking it back up. Glad I decided to finish it! Lots of twists/turns.

 

[tiggrbaby]

April:

#29/90: All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage (3/5) (suspense)

After the tragic death of their parents, three brothers are left homeless. The farm is auctioned off to a young couple who have a young daughter but a troubled marriage.

One afternoon the husband says he returned from work to find his wife murdered. Although the locals blame him, the murder remained unsolved.

This is going to be a Netflix film, Things Seen and Heard.

#30/90: The Barbizon by Paulina Bren (4/5) (nonfiction)

A history of the famed Barbizon Hotel for women in New York City. It also covers the intern program at Mademoiselle magazine.

#31/90: Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta (4.5/5) (suspense)

A teen boy witnessed a murder and is now being pursued by the killers. He is sent to a wilderness camp, but the killers are in pursuit.

This is now a film starring Angelina Jolie.

#32/90: Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts (5/5) (historical fiction)

When Maud Baum discovers that her late husband’s book is becoming a motion picture, she immediately works to make sure that they stay true to her husband’s vision. But along the way, she gets caught up in protecting the young actress who plays Dorothy.

This alternates between Maud’s life and the studio.

Many thanks to the DISer who recommended this book!

#33/90: The Consequences of Fear (Maisie Dobbs # 16) by Jacqueline Winspear (4.5/5) (historical fiction)

A young boy witnesses a murder while on a delivery, and is shocked to discover that the murderer is the recipient of the delivery. While the police chalk it up to an overactive imagination, Maisie believes the boy and tries to find the killer while working for the Special Operations Executive.

#34/90: The Bitterroots (Cassie Dewell #4) by C.J. Box (4/5) (thriller)

Cassie now works for herself as a private detective. She reluctantly investigates the case of a man accused of raping his young niece. But as Cassie looks into this family, things don’t seem to add up. And Cassie is now a target.


#35/90: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimand (4.5/5) (mystery)

Finlay’s life is a hot mess. She is in a battle with her ex-husband and his fiance, she’s behind in her bills, and her new novel is going nowhere. But after her conversation with her agent in a coffee shop, she discovers that she has been mistaken for a contract killer.

This was a funny book!

#36/90: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis (4/5) (historical fiction)

In 1913, Laura Lyons is living with her husband and two children in the New York Public Library. But she wants more out of life, and when she is accepted to journalism school, she meets a group of women who have progressive ideas that make Laura rethink her traditional life. Meanwhile, thefts of valuable books at the library threaten to upend their living arrangements.

In 1993, Sadie is working in a job she loves at the same library. She has hidden the fact that she is the granddaughter of Laura Lyons. But disappearing rare books threaten to upend her life.

The library and the apartment are real, but the families are fictional.

#37/90: Super Host by Kate Russo (3/5) (contemporary fiction)

Bennett was once a rising artist, but his work no longer sells, his wife has left him, and he struggles without an income. So he moves into the art studio in the back garden of his West London home and lists the main residence on AirBed.

 

[KevM]

April read:

27) Life in a Country Album: Poems by Nathalie Handal – Poetry. In this collection Handal, who is Palestinian and grow up in many different countries, looks at life and home on a global cultural landscape. Specifically American and French, with poems being written in both English and French. 4.5/5

28) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton – Historical Fiction. As the fictious 70’s duo Opal and Nev discuss the possibility of a reunion tour a reporter with a connection to Opal sets out to tell their story. 4/5

29) Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – Young Adult Fantasy. The first in a series of a world in which there or two types of blood the normal Reds and the ruling Silvers, who’s blood gives them powers. It took a while for me in get interested in the story, but by the end I was interested enough to continue to the next book in the series. 3.5/5.

30) Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner – Memoir. Michelle Zauner’s (of Japanese Breakfast) moving story of losing her mother and finding comfort and cultural connection in food. 5/5

31) Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi, Marilyn Booth (translation) - Historical Fiction. Winner of the 2019 International Man Booker Prize, it tells the tale of three sisters in the rapidly changing Oman. 3.5/5

32) The Tradition by Jericho Brown – Poetry. The winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for poetry and the 2021 selection for One Book, One Philadelphia. This is a beautiful collection, that looks at all the different types of terror that we have become all to accustomed to. But as he says in his poem Duplex, “I begin with love, hoping to end there.” 4.5/5

33) Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil – Non-Fiction/Music/History. A who’s who of Punk music lend their voices to telling the oral history of the Punk movement. 4/5

34) When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen – Poetry. This collection looks at love and family, from an Asian American, immigrant, and queer perspective. 4.25/5

 

[Tiggerish]

A Single Spark by Liwen Y. Ho. The Spark Brothers Series - Book 1. Christian romantic fiction with the happy ending.

Knocking by Robin Merrill. Book 1 of the New Beginnings series. Christian fiction about people starting over when bad things have happened. Book includes a group of older women where the church they have attended for a lifetime, closes; a junior high girl and her mother trying to escape an abusive father/husband; and, a reclusive, former concert pianist.

A Mersey Killing by Brian L. Porter. British police procedural. When a skeleton is found during the renovation of an abandoned building, the police try to solve a thirty year old murder. The 'Mersey' in the title refers to an area of London that in the 1960's was a hotbed for the new music sound which included the Beatles.

38-40 of 104

 

[melk]

19/35 Shiver by Allie Reynolds

A reunion of five former snowboarders turns deadly as they discover someone has stranded them at their remote mountain resort during a snowstorm and someone is seeking revenge for what happened ten years ago.

I felt like reading something suspenseful, and this was.

 

[OKW8297]

28. Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn The first book in the series. Delightful easy read. I will definitely read more in the series.

 

[melk]

20/35 The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

Rose and Fern are twin sisters who share a dark secret from their childhood. As adults, Rose cares for Fern as she has sensory issues, but when Rose can’t have a child Fern sees a way she can repay her. As things progress their secret from the past comes into play.

This was a really quick but really good read. The characters were well developed and there are twists. I couldn’t put it down. I really liked the character of Fern, it’s like I miss her already, lol.