Reading challenge 2021



21. I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon done is reverse chronological order. Interesting.
 
7/30 - Blizzard by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard

Description:
"Everyone laughs at what Southerners call a “snowstorm.” A half-inch of the white stuff, and Atlanta panics.

No one’s laughing this time.

For Atlanta executive J. C. Riggins, the epic storm is only one of the killers he’ll have to face as he undertakes a desperate journey.

There’s also conflict behind the scenes at The Natural Environment Television Network (NE-TV) in Atlanta.

Do they go public with a prediction of a historic snowstorm (social media is already atwitter)? Or do they follow a more conservative, meteorologically responsible route?"

This was a fun read. I really enjoyed it!
 
16/35 All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot

The continuation of Herriot‘s story as an English country vet, after his marriage to Helen until he enters the Air Force during WWII.

The follow up to All Creatures Great and Small, and just as engaging and charming.
 


40-41/100 Suspense and Sensibility and North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris

Suspense and Sensibility is the second Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery and is set in the world of the Dashwoods. Thye are trying to find Kitty Bennet a husband and manage to meet many of the Dashwoods, Ferrers, and Steeles. I found it cute and clever and really enjoyed the relationship between Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam. It was interesting to see them in a different "world" than Pride and Prejudice. 4/5

North by Northanger is the third in the series and is set mostly at Pemberley. They are expecting a baby and much of the story involves a mystery about Fitzwilliam's mother. Plus, Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a major presence in this one and she is one of my all time favorite "love to hate" characters. 4.5/5
 
42/100 Beyond the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

I had been meaning to read this for a while and finally got around to it. This review is tough because the book is beautifully written but so full of heartbreak. It is a work of non-fiction but reads almost like the novel. At the end, I had learned more about an area of the world and a group of people that I had little knowledge of. But, I was also frustrated as I felt the book had a sense of hopelessness. I don't know if the world can really become more equitable. We have such inequalities in the US and India has even more challenges. The goal is to have a life like that of most Americans and Europeans, but that level of consumption is not sustainable. I guess I am glad I read it, and I need to work harder in my own life to do what I can. 4/5
 
10. "If It Bleeds" by Stephen King. I enjoyed this set of 4 short stories. It's King all the way through. The title story "If It Bleeds" was the best. If you like King, you will love these stories.

11. "Redhead by the Side of the Road" by Anne Tyler. I really liked this character driven story. Not much happens but the main character Micah is likable and relatable. The story is a bit quirky but I thought it was a fun book.

12. "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel. I thought I was done with Post-Apocalyptic fiction but I'd wanted to give this a try for awhile. It was a very well written story that blended the before and after times really well. It was not as bleak as "The Road" or "Parable of the Sower" for example. It kind of makes you appreciate what you have before it's gone.
 
#20 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Nothing like post-apocalyptic fiction about a plague-ravaged world for a little light reading during a pandemic. I really liked this one. The premise of the traveling symphony was unique among the dystopian literature I've read (and I've read a lot) and I loved the idea of this group of people traveling through the new, dangerous world to keep art and music alive despite all of the chaos. The rest of the plot was fun and nicely paced, and it really was quite a nice, engrossing bit of fiction.

Just read this one too. I thought it was great and not as bleak as a lot of other books/movies in this genre.

28/100 Tropic of Stupid by Tim Dorsey

This is the newest novel in the Serge Storms series. All of Dorsey's stories are set in Florida, primarily south Florida. And his lead character Serge is intelligent, charismatic, lovable, hilarious, while also being an occasionally psychopathic serial killer who has his own version of what justice should be. For instance, anytime he finds a person taking advantage of senior citizens, he tends to think that the appropriate punishment for that is execution. That being said, he also has an incredible amount of trivia knowledge about the history and geology of Florida. And I learn something new with every book. I particularly like listening to them because the artist who does the audiobooks does such a great job with the characters. This book, like most of the series, is both laugh out loud funny and sometimes shockingly violent. 5/5

Sounds a lot like Dexter--South Florida setting as well! The show was good but I loved the first two books in the Dexter series!
 
2/35 No Time Like The Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J.
Fox

In his latest book he describes his latest health struggle. Not Parkinson’s but
rather a tumor on his spine that threatened to leave him permanently in a wheelchair. More than that, it threatened his usually optimistic view of the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was a quick read, but I find Fox to be very likable and down to earth. I enjoyed reading about his supportive family, his health struggles and all he has done and continues to do through his foundation for Parkinson’s research. I never read either of his previous books but I may now. I believe he narrates the audiobooks so I may go that route.

19/50
Just finished the book “No Time Like the Future” by Michael J. Fox, and it a good one. Finished in 2020, the Epilogue covers how his family gathered to live together in 2020, and how his youngest daughter graduated from high school virtually.
 
43/100 Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

This was a really fast read. Oliver has committed a crime that seems surprising. The book is about the backstory and how it led to this particular crime. The book was OK, it was told from different characters perspective so jumped around a little bit. No big surprises, you could see the ending coming a mile away. None of the characters were particularly likable except one good guy, but the story isn’t enough about him. 3/5
 
Update time!
12. Her Best Friend's Secret-Anna Mansell-4 stars
13. Olive, Mabel, and Me, Andrew Cotter-3 stars-about 2 dogs who are internet sensations
14. The Girls With No Names, Serena Burdick-Historical fiction, 3 stars
15. Murder With Clotted Cream, Karen Rose Smith-3 stars, supposedly a cozy mystery but more time was spent on family issues (post-partum depression) than the murder.
 
#21/60 You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley
Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too — unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn’t think much of them, until a relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too.

Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question—what if?

Pretty good. I enjoyed it.
 
44/100 The Art of Star Wars:The Mandalorian by Phil Szostak

I should start by saying that I really love the Mandalorian. I liked the storyline, I liked the effects, I loved Grogu. One of the things that I have always enjoyed about Star Wars is the inventiveness of the locations, and the costumes, and the characters. This book focuses on the art behind the series. One of the things that was nice about it was that it wasn’t just images but also lots of descriptions and processes of how the series was created. There are also lots of amazing images. I especially enjoyed the part about the character development of Grogu. Some of the early ideas were not great, so I think their final design was the right one. If you enjoy Star Wars and the Mandalorian, you would probably enjoy this book. You might also enjoy it if you’re interested in how science-fiction films are made or just like pretty things to look at. 4.5/5
 
3) Playing Nice by J.P Delaney
Kind of a familiar theme (children being switched by mistake in a Nicu) taken to the next level. A very good psychological thriller.

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.
 

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