Reading challenge 2021

[drwitz]

Well, I finished the Cixin Liu series (see the post quoted above) and it was WONDERFUL. And I immediately requested all of his other work (so those will be coming in a future post). But for now, something completely different.

35. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

So this is a very densely packed but short book. Lots to process and think about here. Eckhart essentially argues that the past and the future are essentially figments of our imagination and the only real time is now. He also makes the point that we are not our feelings and our thoughts. Instead we are essentially timeless and our mission is to focus on the power of now. The book is really deep and interesting (and very Zen in its approach). Worth a re-read eventually as well. Very spiritual without being preachy.

36. Nightmare scenario: inside the Trump administration's response to the pandemic that changed history by Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta
37. "Frankly, we did win this election": the inside story of how Trump lost by Michael C. Bender

My policy in these posts is to list books that I read that are overtly political but not to review them publicly. These are both written post election and transition and are part of a group of books that have been published since Trump left office. If you want my candid opinion on them, feel free to connect through the message feature, but note that I do not want to have a political debate (which is why I am not offering a review).

Moving on to some Tarot books, some more history books, and more sci-fi! Will I ever get back to my Stephen King re-read?

38. The Magic Begins With Me: A Happiest Celebration of Earth Keepsake by Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Well, this one is interesting. It's a book I probably should never have been able to read, but it is really wonderful. This was given out to cast members at Disney Parks for the 50th anniversary (of DL which was 2005). The book is a collection of letters of appreciation from guests, and highlights the work that cast members do in keeping the magic alive. Some of these letters brought me to tears, and I am glad to have had a chance to read this. This book isn't for sale anywhere that I can see, but if you can track it down it is worth a read.

39. Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 Updated Edition by Eric Foner

I've never really learned the history of the Reconstruction period. As I went to high school in South Carolina, the period following the Civil War was always taught from the perspective of the Southern voice, with scalawags and carpetbaggers as the villains of the story, and the south at the victim of ongoing Northern aggression. Well, it turns out this was the way the story was framed by historians for many years following the end of Reconstruction. Eric Foner has done an amazing job of turning this notion on its head by doing a deep dive into documentary history and by explaining and expanding upon historic events to paint a much more authentic history. Be prepared, this is a text book, but it is required reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the tumultuous years that followed the Civil War, and by extension to better understand our present reality.

40. Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency by Michael Wolff

Keeping to my policy of listing but not reviewing political books. Feel free to private message me for a candid review.

 

[Tiggerish]

The Lighthouse by Jessie Newton. Part of the Fire Island Cove series. About 5 woman who grew up together on various of on a group of five islands. They return for a funeral and old and new secrets are revealed. Lots of drama.

The Wounded Heart by Adina Senf. Part of the Whinburg Township Amish series. Young widow is diagnosed with MS as she struggles with keeping her late husband's business going in order to care for her children. She is torn about selling the business to an outsider and seeking a radical treatment in Mexico or accepting the elders decision that she should accept the illness as God's will and sell at a much lower price to an Amish man. It had a surprise twist and a happy ending.

The Trespasser by J.E.B. Spremann. Part of the Amish Country Brides series. During an intense storm an Englisher and her child take refuge in an empty house in an Amish community. The Amish man who is caretaking the house finds her and takes her under his protection.

Newport Harbor House by Cindy Caldwell. An elderly woman who lives in a run down that once was a famous inn, has a stroke. Her neighbor tracks down the person who is listed as her emergency contact who claims to not know who the woman is. But curious as to why he is listed, he shows up and eventually it is discovered that he is her grandson. Of course he and the neighbor fall in love and undertake to restore the inn. This was the first in series.

Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers. Christian fiction that was recommended here. It had a twist that made it not a happily ever after romantic fiction and more interesting.

Disability Visibility - First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong. Also learned about this one here. I struggled through this book. As a "disabled person" who has a chronic, progressive neurological disorder that was invisible until it put me into a complicated looking power wheelchair, you would think I would relate. I just did not.

64-69 of 104

 

[mini22]

31/30 Legacy by Danielle Steel

 

[bobbiwoz]

50/50

“The Stills“ by Jess Montgomery. This is the third in Kinship series, thats set in the late 1920’s in southeastern Ohio. The historical subject is Prohibition, in earlier books, mining, racial integration, women’s rights have all been part of the stories. Good series. 4/5, but I thought the second book was 4.5/5!

 

[PollyannaMom]

+4:

Smart Change, by Arthur Markman - a great book if you're looking to form better habits (weight loss, household routines...any goal you have in mind). It's well-organized and explains things in just the right way - enough background information to be interesting, but not so wordy as to be overwhelming.

Recognizing Microaggressions, by Nadra Nittle - the title kind of says it all. It's geared toward middle and high schoolers, so it was quick read, and I'm glad I checked it out.

plus two more in the Alvin Maker series (which someone mentioned waaaaay upthread) - The Red Prophet and Prentice Alvin, both by Orsen Scott Card.


Current Total: 23/21 (two over goal )

 

[melk]

32/35 The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth

When Alice is diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer all she can think about is her teenage daughter, Zoe, who suffers from crippling social anxiety. Zoe’s father is not in the picture and Alice has no family, no close friends, no support system. She’s got to figure out a plan for her daughter all while battling her disease.

This was a quick read, with the most interesting parts being Zoe’s struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. It gave some insight to what people struggling with disorders like this go through on a daily basis. Overall I liked the book but there were a few loose ends that could have been resolved more clearly.

 

[MGMmjl]

19/30 - The Storm by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown

Description:
"In the middle of the Indian Ocean, a NUMA research vessel is taking water samples at sunset, when a crew member spots a sheen of black oil ahead of them. But it is not oil. Like a horde of army ants, a swarm of black particles suddenly attacks the ship, killing everyone aboard, while the ship itself goes up in flames.

A few hours later, Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are on their way to the Indian Ocean. What they will find there on the smoldering hulk of the ship will eventually lead them to the discovery of the most audacious scheme they have ever known: a plan to permanently alter the weather on a global scale. It will kill millions . . . and it has already begun."

This is the first Clive Cussler book I have read, and I really liked it! I just happened to see it at the store the other day on their clearance rack, and thought I would give it a try. It looks like my library has quite a few of his books available digitally, so I will likely read more of his that way.

 

[drwitz]

38. The Magic Begins With Me: A Happiest Celebration of Earth Keepsake by Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Well, this one is interesting. It's a book I probably should never have been able to read, but it is really wonderful. This was given out to cast members at Disney Parks for the 50th anniversary (of DL which was 2005). The book is a collection of letters of appreciation from guests, and highlights the work that cast members do in keeping the magic alive. Some of these letters brought me to tears, and I am glad to have had a chance to read this. This book isn't for sale anywhere that I can see, but if you can track it down it is worth a read.

39. Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 Updated Edition by Eric Foner

I've never really learned the history of the Reconstruction period. As I went to high school in South Carolina, the period following the Civil War was always taught from the perspective of the Southern voice, with scalawags and carpetbaggers as the villains of the story, and the south at the victim of ongoing Northern aggression. Well, it turns out this was the way the story was framed by historians for many years following the end of Reconstruction. Eric Foner has done an amazing job of turning this notion on its head by doing a deep dive into documentary history and by explaining and expanding upon historic events to paint a much more authentic history. Be prepared, this is a text book, but it is required reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the tumultuous years that followed the Civil War, and by extension to better understand our present reality.

40. Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency by Michael Wolff

Keeping to my policy of listing but not reviewing political books. Feel free to private message me for a candid review.

Wow. This was a very reading-ful week. Three more books to add to my completed list.

41. I Alone Can Fix It: Donald Trump's Catastrophic Last Year by Carol D. Leonnig and Philip Rucker

Again, no review of this book given its political bent. If you would like a candid assessment, reach out to me by messenger.

42. Better to Have Gone: Love, Death and the Quest for Utopia in Auroville by Akash Kapur

This was a page turner. I had never heard of Auroville which is a utopian community created in India. This non-fiction memoir, history, and work of investigatory journalism tells the story of Diane and John, the author's in-laws, who were part of the creation of Auroville and also died as victims of its utopian ideal. The author himself grew up in the community and the book describes the history of its formation, the subsequent "civil war" between the hippies who settled there and the autocrats who managed the community, and he and his wife's return to the community. I heard the author interviewed on "Fresh Air" and wanted to read the book as a result of the interview. I am glad I did!

43. The Devil, the Lovers, and Me: My Life in Tarot by Kimberlee Auerbach

Also part-memoir, this non-fiction work tells the story of a Tarot reading which led the author to a transformative journey of self-exploration and growth. This is a fun introduction to the Major Arcana told through an entertaining mix of personal vignettes. Fun, quick and easy read.

 

[willowsnn3]

41/60 The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous.
When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.
Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.

 

[Gramingo]

Just finished We Were Never Here. Wow! Excellent story with lots of twists and turns

 

[bobbiwoz]

51/50
So I have read more than I thought I would this year. We’ve been home more.

Reunion Beach is filled with stories be various authors that have been inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank. I enjoyed some of the short stories.
Gave the book a rating of 3.5/5

 

[chickapin parterre]

51/50
So I have read more than I thought I would this year. We’ve been home more.

Reunion Beach is filled with stories be various authors that have been inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank. I enjoyed some of the short stories.
Gave the book a rating of 3.5/5

how many books this year earned a 5 from you and what was the genre?

 

[OKW8297]

53. The Whistler by John Grisham it’s been a long time since I’ve read one of his books. It was good-a nice change of pace.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

21/30 - The Jam and Jelly Nook by Amy Clipston. Amish widowed parents with challenging teenagers find love. Really liked it.

22/30 - Sedona Sunset by Tanya Stowe. Arizona setting where wealthy young woman and musician fall in love at her father’s financed art school. It was ok.

23/30 - Under the Radar by Annette Dashofy . Cozy mystery. Very good story.

 

[KevM]

My August reads.

63) The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang – YA Fantasy. The first book in The Poppy War Trilogy. Mix elements of the Song dynasty, the second Sino-Japanese War, and magic to create the world of The Poppy War. It was a very interesting story, but man were the characters hard to like (which I do believe was the point, as opposed to bad writing). 4/5

64) Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yu/Morgan Giles (Translator) – Magical Realism. Tells of the life of Kazu, our narrator, beginning with his death living among the homeless population of Ueno Park. It’s a mournful and angry look at the life of the less fortunate in Japan. 3.75/5

65) “Prisons Make Us Safer”: And 20 Other Myths About Mass Incarceration by Victoria Law – Non-fiction/Social Justice. An excellent and very accessible guide for anyone at all interested in learning about all the issues with the U.S. prison system. 4.75/5

66) The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams – Contemporary. Told in alternating POVs of Mukesh, a widower grandfather and Aleisha, a lonely young woman working in a library during the summer and their unlikely friendship bonding over a mysterious reading list found tucked into a book. A very good debut novel and a nice read for bibliophiles. 4.25/5 Prompt 40 Found via #booksagram

67) A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – YA Mystery/Thriller. Set at a boarding school in the Catskill mountains with a history of witchcraft. Felicity has a returned a year after leaving following her girlfriend’s death and some very od thing are occurring. Felicity is a very unreliable narrator and it’s used to good effect hear. 4.5/5 Prompt 23 An ending that surprised you. Could also be used for prompt 1 set in a school.

68) A Girl’s Story by Annie Ernaux/Alison L. Strayer (Translator) – Non-fiction/Memoir. Ernaux, a Man Booker International Prize shortlisted author of 20 or so books, reflects back nearly 60 years to when she was 18. A time of shame, humiliation, and betrayal but also of self-discovery and self-reliance. 4/5 Prompt #14 Wrotten by an author over 65 (when published). Ernaux wrote this at age 76.

69) The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz/Elisabeth Jaquette (Translator) – Dystopian Fiction/Satire. Set in an unnamed Arab country after an Arab Spring like uprising failed, this dark satire examines the sinister nature of authoritarianism. 4/5

70) Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge/Jeremy Tiang (Translator) – Magical Realism. Set in a fictional Chinese city where man lives alongside creatures, some of whom look almost like regular people. Each chapter, looking at a different creature, is written by the unnamed narrator who along the ways begins to uncover some unknown facts about herself. 4.5/5 Prompt 36 A nameless narrator.

71) American Sonnet for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes – Poetry/Social Justice. A stunning collection of 70 sonnets, all of which share the same title as the book. 5/5

72) Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani Perry – Non-fiction/Biography. Having died young, at only 34, Hansberry hasn’t always gotten her due and recognition as being so much more than just the written of A Raisin in the Sun. This multi-dimensional and illuminating biography goes a long way in helping to rectify that. 4.75/5

 

[MGMmjl]

20/30 - Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton

Description:
"Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.

As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.

Attending an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.

When Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm and their hearts. Hurricane Season is the story of one family’s unconventional journey to healing—and the relationships that must be mended along the way."

This is another novel that I really liked!

 

[OKW8297]

54. Glimpsing Heaven by Judy Bachrach a book about near death experiences.

 

[willowsnn3]

#42/60 You Can Go Home Now by Michael Elias
Nina is a tough Queens detective with a series of cold case homicides on her desk – men whose widows had the same alibi: they were living in Artemis, a battered women’s shelter, when their husbands were killed.
Nina goes undercover into Artemis. Though she is playing the victim, she’s anything but. Nina knows about violence and the bullies who rely on it because she’s experienced it in her own life.
Nina, who became a cop so she could find the man who murdered her father, there is only revenge.

Could have been so much better had this male author had a clue as to how to write a female character. All of the characters in this book were very shallow with no depth, making it hard to care about them at all. Can't recommend this one & I won't be reading this author again.

 

[melk]

33/35 Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Heidi spots a homeless young girl with a baby at the train station and reaches out to help her. To her husband‘s dismay Heidi brings them home. But clues to the girl’s mysterious past start to surface and things go from bad to worse.

I saw this as a recommendation from Sally Hepworth, whose books I really like. I thought it was just okay. I was expecting a suspenseful page turner but I really only stuck with it to see how things would be resolved in the end.

 

[mini22]

32/30 All That Glitters by Danielle Steel