Reading challenge 2021

[Simba's Mom]

#48/60 Find You First by Linwood Barclay
Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of—except time. He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and there is a fifty percent chance that it can be passed on to the next generation.
Two decades ago, a young, struggling Miles was a sperm donor. Somewhere out there, he has kids—nine of them. And they might be about to inherit both the good and the bad from him—maybe his fortune, or maybe something much worse.
One by one, Miles’s other potential heirs are vanishing—every trace of them wiped, like they never existed at all. Who is the vicious killer—another heir methodically erasing rivals? Or is something even more sinister going on?

How was it? Sounds like it could be very interesting.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Update time!

36. "The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah, 5 stars-lots of people here have read it and almost universally we've all given it 5 stars. If you haven't read it yet, I hope you do-SOON!
37. "Skink-No Surrender" by Carl Hiassen, 4 stars-humorous, I was biased about it because I love environmental issues, and the controversy about the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, which was mentioned.
38. "The Black Swan" by Karen Robards, 3 stars. It pains me to give a historical fiction book only 3 stars, but I felt it was really much more focused on the deceptive activity of spies at any time.
39. "The Woman with the Blue Star" by Pam Jenoff, 5 stars-another well-deserved 5 star read about the plight of Jews during WWII.
40. "Later Gator", by Jana Deleon, 4 stars-a cozy mystery, but not about a murder, it was about poaching. Funny and cute!

I enjoyed the wacky “Skink no Surrender!” Thanks for mentioning it.

58/50

 

[KevM]

This month I read 13 books, bringing my total for the year to 85. This month I read:

73) Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism by Harsha Walia – Non-Fiction/Social Justice. Disputing easy explanations for the migrant & refugee crises, Walia shows how they are the inevitable outcomes of conquest, capitalist globalization, & climate change and how those same things also bring about the rise of right-wing nationalism around the world. 5/5.

74) Home Again by Kristin Hannah – Romance. A perfectly fine Lifetime/Hallmark Channel movie in book form. Not really my cup of tea, but a reading challenge I’m doing had “Read a Kristin Hannah book” prompt. So I picked up whatever the library had available. 3/5.

75) Vernon Subutex 1 by Virginie Despentes – Satire. 1st in a series of a down on his luck former owner of an infamous music store. He’s life begins to change when an offhand post he once made about having personal tell all videos recorded by a now dead famous musician gains life. 3.5/5

76) A History of America in Ten Strikes by Erik Loomis – Non-Fiction/Labor History. From the Lowell Mill Girls Strike of the 1830’s through the Justice for Janitors strikes of 1990, Loomis examines how 10 specific strikes shaped both the labor movement and the ountry as a whole. 4.25/5

77) The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen – YA(MG?)/Disability/Sports. Jessica was a star of her track team until an accident left her an amputee. She begins putting her life back together, in part with being a friendship with Rosa, a girl with Cerebral Palsy. 4/5

78) Dread Nation by Justina Ireland – YA Alternate History/Horror. Set close to two decades after the civil war ended after the Battle of Gettysburg due to the dead rising, African Americans and Native Americans are sent to specialized combat schools so they can fight on the front lines against the dead. It’s at one of these schools where Jane McKeene begins to learn that the fight against the ead may not be going as well as people are being lead to believe. 4.5/5.

79) The Price of Justice: A True Story of Greed and Corruption by Laurence Leamer – Non-Fiction/Law. Traces the 14-year long battle of two specific lawyers and a group of associates to bring justice to Don Blanckenship, America’s most powerful coal baron. 4.25/5

80) Misfits: A Personal Manifesto by Michaela Coel – Non-Fiction/Essay. Expanding upon her Edinburgh Festival MacTaggart lecture Coel argues for greater transparency and how speaking ones truth and owning their differences can transform your life. 4.75/5

81) The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – YA Contemporary. Coming of age novel written in verse about a young Harlem girl finding herself through Slam poetry. 4.5/5

82) The Sisters of Auschwitz: The True Story of Two Jewish Sisters' Resistance in the Heart of Nazi Territory by Roxane van Iperen/Joni Zwart (translator) – Non-Fiction/History/Biography. First released in the Netherlands in 2018, the international bestseller has finally been translated into English. Van Iperen began writing the book after her family moved and she discovered the forgotten history of a house that was central to the Jewish resistance in the occupied Netherlands. 4.75/5

83) Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – YA Fantasy. The first in a new series by Aveyard. A young woman discovers she and the rag tag group assembling around her are the only hope left against an ancient darkness. It took a while to get into, but by the end I’m interested enough to see where the second book goes. 3.75/5

84) The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010 by Lucille Clifton – Poetry. All 11 of the acclaimed poets published collections as well as over 50 unpublished poems. 5/5

85) The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura/Lucy North (translator) – Psychological Fiction. A tale of envy and the desperate desire to be seen as told from the obsessive pov of the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan looking into the life of the Woman in the Purple Skirt. 4/5.

 

[willowsnn3]

How was it? Sounds like it could be very interesting.

Mmmm, well, Barclay is hit or miss with me. I love some of his books, others not so much. This one was just ok to me. But got lots of good reviews on Goodreads.

 

[bobbiwoz]

59/50. Another short novel that‘s set in Cape May. Christmas in Cape May by Claudia Vance 3.5/5 .

 

[tiggrbaby]

57/50
The Cape May Garden by Claudia Vance. Set in Cape May County, local to me, it’s a light hearted small novel. I give it 3.5/5, but am set to place a hold on the next in the series.

I was just in Cape May this past weekend! I will have to check this out!

35/35 Forever Young by Hayley Mills

Memoir by the former Disney child star covering her childhood up to the birth of her second child.

The most interesting portions of this book were her interactions (all positive) with Walt Disney and the making of The Parent Trap and Pollyanna. Being from England most of it takes place there and she‘s always name dropping old British actors, I had no idea who they were. Then she covers her marriage to a much older man and birth of her son. The book pretty much ends with her divorce and the remark that then she had another son. I was like what? Who’s the father, lol?
But I enjoyed the Disney portions, especially her first visit to Disneyland, with Walt as her tour guide.

Just put in a request for this; thanks!

 

[OKW8297]

61. Where We Belong by Emily Giffin a favorite author. Didn’t disappoint.

 

[PollyannaMom]

You're Not Listening, by Kate Murphy
I read this because I don't think I'm a particularly good listener, and I loved it! I found it very helpful, without being judgy. - It gave me simple tips I can actually use to get better at listening, while at the same time making me feel better about why I'm not good at it already.

Furiously Happy, by Jenny Lawson
I can't say I enjoyed this one. I got through it, and took a few good pieces of understanding out of it, but much of it just wasn't my kind of humor.

30

 

[luvmarypoppins]

24/30 - Murder At The Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah. Cozy mystery. Good story.

25/30 - Santa’s Sweetheart by Janet Dailey.
Single school teacher, widowed sheriff and his 6 year old matchmaker daughter find love at Christmas.

26/30 - The Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm. Four women bond when their parents die of cancer. One parent survives and the young women try to move on with life as they grieve. As a two time cancer survivor I have mixed feelings about this book.

 

[Allison Joy]

17/15 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (didn't realize I hadn't updated with this one)
18/15 -- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -- Finished this one on vacation. Which leads me to this...

Conversations from vacation:
Mom: This backpack is heavy!
Me: Well, you see, the problem is, I'm in the middle of a Harry Potter book, and I'm afraid I'll finish it during the trip, and the next one is just as big. (So yes, just to confirm, I was carrying both Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, hardbacks, in my backpack.)

 

[bobbiwoz]

Before Green Gables - Budge Wilson
Loved this! The title pretty much says it all. - It's a story about Anne's life before she arrived at Green Gables. I enjoyed it a lot.

Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter - Blaize Clement
OK. About an ex cop who left the force after a personal tragedy and now takes care of animals. She finds a murder victim and gets re-involved in investigating. I really wanted to like this series, but it didn't quite fit what I'd hoped for.

Nine, Ten: a September 11 Story - Nora Raleigh Baskin
A fictional account of four middle schoolers in the days leading up to and on September 11th. Geared young, but well worth the quick read for adults as well!

Decluttering at the Speed of Life - Dana K. White
The best decluttering book I've ever read!! If you've got too much stuff, get borrow this book from the library.


I'm up to 27/21.

I listened to you about decluttering, and read “Decluttering at the Speed of Life. “. It’s a good one. I have one bag of clothes to bring to a donation center, tomorrow. 60/50

 

[PollyannaMom]

17/15 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (didn't realize I hadn't updated with this one)
18/15 -- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -- Finished this one on vacation. Which leads me to this...

Conversations from vacation:
Mom: This backpack is heavy!
Me: Well, you see, the problem is, I'm in the middle of a Harry Potter book, and I'm afraid I'll finish it during the trip, and the next one is just as big. (So yes, just to confirm, I was carrying both Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, hardbacks, in my backpack.)

No judgement here - I once took a hardcover copy of Deathly Hallows to a water park!

You see, our whole extended family went every year. - We'd split up in various mixed groups to go do different types of rides throughout the day, but we always took it in turns to have someone stay at the picnic site - to keep the tables and watch all the gear. DH had just come out, so I was reading it for the first time, and there was no way I was going to just sit and twiddle my thumbs on my shift if I could be reading!!

 

[JayMass]

Hello Everybody! It's been a month plus since I last updated. The fam and I did an August trip to WDW and then the school year started and it's been a blur!

Here's what I've read:

31/50: Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay. A college student's family is killed during a vacation to Mexico leaving only him and his incarcerated brother. This was a relatively interesting mystery with a few turns but nothing overwhelming. I liked the writing and it moved at a good pace. If you are looking for a page turner, this might fit the bill.

32/50 On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. I thought this was going to be a sequel to The Hate U Give but instead it was a different story about the same fictitious city in the wake of the events of The Hate U Give. It was a pretty predictable story that brings up several issues. This is a YA novel that will certainly be liked by teens. I didn't think it held the same power as her first book.

33/50 Revival by Stephen King. Well, it took long enough for King to get into the fantastical elements of this story. It seemed like a pretty standard straight-forward drama for about 2/3rds of it. Don't get me wrong, it was interesting and has some great characters. However, because it's King, I was turning each page expecting something supernatural to happen. Despite this, it was a good story and I enjoyed it.

34/50 A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet. Several families rent a large house together and the kids are pretty much left alone as the parents neglectfully drink, dance, talk, and sex their way through the vacation. This novel was nowhere near what I expected. It takes a really dark turn about a 1/3 of the way through. The bible references were abundant and I felt like they hit me over the head a little too much. The characters, though, were well developed but the parents were almost unbelievably deplorable--but that, of course, has some deeper meaning that I won't spoil for anyone who wants to read it. It was a hard read, but it definitely had a huge impact on me. I don't know if I LIKE it, but I APPRECIATE it.

35/50 No Heaven for Good Boys by Keisha Bush. Such a heartbreaking story but an amazing debut novel. In Senegal young boys from poor families are often sent to live with a Marabout who is to teach them the Quran and help make them into men. These boys, the Talibe, are sent out into the streets with empty tomato cans to beg for money. Frequently the Talibe are told to bring home a certain amount of money and if they fall short they are beaten. The story is really well written and gives you a lot of insight into who the boys are, who their families are and what traditions exist within Senegalese culture that promote this. Definitely worth reading. While Bush is not from Senegal, she spent four years there and I believe wrote about the people and culture with respect and reverence yet also challenged what many see as clear human rights abuses. You totally feel for Ibrahimah and his family.

 

[mrs. magoo]

23/24 - Smitten by Colleen Coble - This was not my type of book. It was a Christian romance. When I picked it up at the library sale I thought it was a cheesy romance and it was but so cheesy it was not for me.

24/24 - The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett - I love Ken Follett so I loved this book. It is written during medieval times - Viking Raids - and centers on the corruption in the church.

25 - The Rose Code by Kate Quinn - Absolutely loved it. It had me guessing up until the end.

26 - The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland - Elyssa Friedland It was ok. I wanted the book to spend more time with the hey day of the Catskills. Think Ms. Maisel but it was about whether or not the hotel was going to close and be sold. There were some secrets in the family but overall it was just ok .

 

[OKW8297]

62. The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

 

[mmouse37]

Its been since April that I have updated! I don't know if I will make my goal this year. Too many things popped up but I will keep trying....

13/50
The Magdalen Girls by V.S. Alexander
Dublin, 1962. Within the gated grounds of the convent of The Sisters of the Holy Redemption lies one of the city’s Magdalen Laundries. Once places of refuge, the laundries have evolved into grim workhouses. Some inmates are “fallen” women—unwed mothers, prostitutes, or petty criminals. Most are ordinary girls whose only sin lies in being too pretty, too independent, or tempting the wrong man. Among them is sixteen-year-old Teagan Tiernan, sent by her family when her beauty provokes a lustful revelation from a young priest.

14/50 -
The Color of Air: A Novel
by
Gail Tsukiyama
From the New York Times bestselling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai's Garden comes a gorgeous and evocative historical novel about a Japanese-American family set against the backdrop of Hawai’i's sugar plantations.

Daniel Abe, a young doctor in Chicago, is finally coming back to Hawai'i. He has his own reason for returning to his childhood home, but it is not to revisit the past, unlike his Uncle Koji. Koji lives with the memories of Daniel’s mother, Mariko, the love of his life, and the scars of a life hard-lived. He can’t wait to see Daniel, who he’s always thought of as a son, but he knows the time has come to tell him the truth about his mother, and his father. But Daniel’s arrival coincides with the awakening of the Mauna Loa volcano, and its dangerous path toward their village stirs both new and long ago passions in their community.

15/50
The Miracle & Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets
by
Sarah Miller (Goodreads Author)
In this riveting, beyond-belief true story from the author of The Borden Murders, meet the five children who captivated the entire world.

When the Dionne Quintuplets were born on May 28, 1934, weighing a grand total of just over 13 pounds, no one expected them to live so much as an hour. Overnight, Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie Dionne mesmerized the globe, defying medical history with every breath they took. In an effort to protect them from hucksters and showmen, the Ontario government took custody of the five identical babies, sequestering them in a private, custom-built hospital across the road from their family--and then, in a stunning act of hypocrisy, proceeded to exploit them for the next nine years. The Dionne Quintuplets became a more popular attraction than Niagara Falls, ogled through one-way screens by sightseers as they splashed in their wading pool at the center of a tourist hotspot known as Quintland. Here, Sarah Miller reconstructs their unprecedented upbringing with fresh depth and subtlety, bringing to new light their resilience and the indelible bond of their unique sisterhood.

16/50
The Opium Prince
by
Jasmine Aimaq (Goodreads Author)
3.72 · Rating details · 424 ratings · 75 reviews
Jasmine Aimaq’s stunning debut explores Afghanistan on the eve of a violent revolution and the far-reaching consequences of a young Kochi girl’s tragic death.

Afghanistan, 1970s. Born to an American mother and a late Afghan war hero, Daniel Sajadi has spent his life navigating a complex identity. After years in Los Angeles, he is returning home to Kabul at the helm of a US foreign aid agency dedicated to eradicating the poppy fields that feed the world's opiate addiction.

But on the drive out of Kabul for an anniversary trip with his wife, Daniel hits and kills a young Kochi girl named Telaya. He is let off with a small fine, not only because nomad tribes are all but ignored by the law, but because a stranger named Taj Maleki intercedes on his behalf. Wracked with guilt and visions of Telaya, Daniel quickly unravels, running from his crumbling marriage and escalating threats from Taj, who turns out to be a powerful opium khan.

This groundbreaking literary thriller reveals the invisible lines between criminal enterprises and fragile political regimes—and one man’s search for meaning as his country is pulled into chaos.

17/50
A Song For The Void: A Historical Horror Novel
by
Andrew C. Piazza
1853. South China Sea. While on patrol between the Opium Wars, the crew of the steam frigate HMS Charger pursues a fleet of pirates that have been terrorizing the waters surrounding Hong Kong.

But now the hunters have become the hunted. Something else has come to the South China Sea, something ancient and powerful and malevolent. Now, the crew of the Charger must face their worst nightmares in order to survive the terrible creature they come to know as the Darkstar.

A Song For The Void is a haunting, terrifying historical horror novel that will keep you turning the pages and jumping at the shadows.

18/50
Mexican Gothic
by
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Goodreads Author)
3.70 · Rating details · 175,273 ratings · 27,365 reviews
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

19/50
Auschwitz Lullaby
by
Mario Escobar
In 1943 Germany, Helene is just about to wake up her children to go to school when a group of policemen break into her house. The policemen want to haul away her gypsy husband and their five children. The police tell Helene that as a German she does not have to go with them, but she decides to share the fate of her family. After convincing her children that they are going off to a vacation place, so as to calm them, the entire family is deported to Auschwitz.
For being German, they are settled in the first barracks of the Gypsy Camp. The living conditions are extremely harsh, but at least she is with her five children. A few days after their arrival, Doctor Mengele comes to pay her a visit, having noticed on her entry card that she is a nurse. He proposes that she direct the camp’s nursery. The facilities would be set up in Barrack 29 and Barrack 31, one of which would be the nursery for newborn infants and the other for children over six years old.

20/50
The Architect's Apprentice
by
Elif Shafak
From the acclaimed author of The Bastard of Istanbul, a colorful, magical tale set during the height of the Ottoman Empire

In her latest novel, Turkey's preeminent female writer spins an epic tale spanning nearly a century in the life of the Ottoman Empire. In 1540, twelve-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter, Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history. Yet even as they build Sinan's triumphant masterpieces - the incredible Suleymaniye and Selimiye mosques - dangerous undercurrents begin to emerge, with jealousy erupting among Sinan's four apprentices.

21/50
Montana 1948
by
Larry Watson
From the summer of my twelfth year I carry a series of images more vivid and lasting than any others of my boyhood and indelible beyond all attempts the years make to erase or fade them…

So begins David Hayden’s story of what happened in Montana in 1948. The events of that cataclysmic summer permanently alter twelve-year-old David’s understanding of his family: his father, a small-town sheriff; his remarkably strong mother; David’s uncle Frank, a war hero and respected doctor; and the Haydens’ Sioux housekeeper, Marie Little Soldier, whose revelations turn the family’s life upside down.

22/50
Hostage
by
Clare Mackintosh (Goodreads Author)
You can save hundreds of lives. Or the one that matters most.
A claustrophobic thriller set over twenty hours on one airplane flight, with the heart-stopping tension of The Last Flight and the wrenching emotional intensity of Room, Hostage takes us on board the inaugural nonstop flight from London to Sydney.

Mina is trying to focus on her job as a flight attendant, not the problems of her five-year-old daughter back home, or the fissures in her marriage. But the plane has barely taken off when Mina receives a chilling note from an anonymous passenger, someone intent on ensuring the plane never reaches its destination. Someone who needs Mina's assistance and who knows exactly how to make her comply.
It's twenty hours to landing. A lot can happen in twenty hours.

 

[tiggrbaby]

September:

#67/90: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (4/5) (fiction)

1953 North Dakota: Thomas is the night watchman at the first factory near his reservation. He is also a councilmember for his tribe who is working to understand the impact of a new bill on its way to Congress that will affect their lives.

Pixie is a young woman on the reservation who works in the factory to support her family. She makes a trip to Minneapolis to try and locate her missing sister.

The author used her grandfather’s experiences as a basis for the story.

#68/90: The Madness of Crowds (Three Pines #17) by Louise Penny (5/5) (mystery)

Gamache and his family are back in Three Pines, celebrating the holidays post-pandemic. A request comes for him to provide security for a visiting professor’s lecture at a nearby university. But as Gamache looks into her agenda, he begs the university to cancel. Their refusal sets off a chain of events that lead to a murder.

#69/90: Sweet Revenge (Goldie Bear #14) by Diane Mott Davidson (4/5) (culinary mystery)

Goldie is excited about all the holiday catering jobs she has...until she is convinced that she has seen Sandee Brisbane, the woman who killed Goldie’s ex-husband and was presumed dead. When a prominent citizen is found dead in the library where Goldie is getting ready to cater a meal, she sets out to prove that Sandee is responsible.

#70/90: Dream Girl by Laura Lippman (3.5/5) (suspense)

Author Gerry Andersen is bedridden due to a severe injury. He is cared for by his assistant and night nurse. But neither of them will acknowledge his terror: he is being contacted by a woman who claims to be the main character in his most popular novel, who does not exist.

I prefer her Tess Monaghan books.

#71/90: The Guest List by Lucy Foley (4/5) (suspense)

Guests are arriving on a remote island off the coast of Ireland for the wedding of Will and Jules. But not all will go well for this wedding, as someone turns up dead.

This is told in before and during timelines through the eyes of different characters.

#72/90: The Woman With the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff (4/5) (Holocaust fiction)

Sadie is living in the Polish ghetto when they need to go into hiding. She and her mother end up in the sewers with another family. While looking through the grate, she sees a young woman.

Ella lives with her stepmother, who entertains Nazis to keep up a comfortable lifestyle. Lonely, she befriends Sadie and begins to help her.

But the Nazis are closing in, and both young women are forced to make choices that will affect them in ways they did not expect.

 

[bobbiwoz]

61/50. I was on the waitlist for about two months, but The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny was worth it!

 

[tiggrbaby]

61/50. I was on the waitlist for about two months, but The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny was worth it!

Agreed!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Agreed!

I hadn’t realized you just read it and summarized it nicely!!