Reading Challenge 2022

[bobbiwoz]

I always say I'm going to read this but never seem to get around to it. Have seen several of the movies tho, lol.

Me too!

 

[willowsnn3]

I bet this will surprise absolutely no one, but I read some more Stephen King books... LOL... I've been sick with COVID for the last week or so (a very mild case) so I have also been catching up on some SK TV, and for those who haven't yet seen it, I highly recommend the series "Castle Rock" on Hulu. A fun Stephen King mash-up of stories but new content set in the town constant readers know well. As for my next three books:
I think I actually started watching Castle Rock last year maybe?? And forgot about it. Will have to go back & start over.

94. Velocity by Dean Koontz
I used to read a lot of Koontz' books but somewhere along the line it seemed his writing style changed & just wasn't as good. Loved most of his earlier work.

95. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
96. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Now I want to go watch the Hulu series with James Franco because I hear it is pretty good.
I don't normally pick up books of short stories altho I have read a lot of King's shorts/novellas. (The Long Walk will always be my favorite). I have read A Good Marriage & saw the series also. 11/22/63 is awesome & the series on Hulu is very, very good. I do recommend it.

 

[willowsnn3]

#52/50 Wife-in-Law by Haywood Smith
From Goodreads:
Neighbors Betsy Callison and Kat Ellis were oil and water when they met thirty-five years ago. Betsy was a prim, neat freak, Republican wife, and Kat was a wild, irreverent, hippie Democrat. But they soon discover common ground that creates a bond that lasts for decades. Until Betsy's husband leaves her for his secretary, then comes sniffing back around two years later and convinces newly widowed Kat to marry him! Not that Betsy wants him back, but it’s hard to move on when the newlyweds are flaunting their love right across the street. But there’s trouble brewing in Paradise, and no one knows philandering Greg better than his ex-wife Betsy. Can Betsy get involved in her best friend's marriage--even if it means helping her wife-in-law figure out the same man she shared a bed with for thirty years?
I did enjoy this. Quick read, not as intense as I usually like but still very good.

#53/50 Mr. Nicholas ( A Magical Christmas Tale)
Every town has its secrets. When it becomes known that Mr. Nicholas, the eccentric owner of the local hardware store, is somehow involved with reindeer, toys, and children, the town becomes more and more suspicious that this man is more than just a clerk on Main Street.
Quick Christmas read. Very sweet/enjoyable.

 

[evilmommie]

Just completed my stretch goal of 23 for 2022!

#21 - The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick 4 out of 5 stars
This book is delightfully sweet. I really enjoyed it. There were many things that touched my heart and I just loved Arthur Pepper. He made me think of myself and my parents all rolled into one.

#22 - The Stolen Book of Evelyn by Serena Burdick 4 out of 5 stars
Twisty, dual POV, mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. The story is told from two timelines: Abby’s story in 2006 and Evelyn’s story in the early 1900s.
I loved the plot of the book and how the story unfurled. The writing was good and I could hear a clear difference in the two narrators, which was great, as that is something that I feel is hard for a writer to pull off.

#23 - Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand 3.5 out of 5 stars
For the last several years one of my friends and I try to read one Christmas book together and this is the buddy read she picked for this year. Winter Street is the first book in the Winter Street series. The book takes place over 3 days and it's a quick read.

The first half was really slow for me, the second half was great until the ending. The ending packed a punch, but not the happy, heartwarming, Hallmark-movie style that I like in Christmas books. I will read the next book to hopefully get answers.

 

[Caseheidi]

63/60 Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (#29 Stephanie Plum Series) by Janet Evanovich

Monday mornings aren’t supposed to be fun, but they should be predictable. However, on this particular Monday, Stephanie Plum knows that something is amiss when she turns up for work at Vinnie’s Bail Bonds to find that longtime office manager Connie Rosolli, who is as reliable as the tides in Atlantic City, hasn’t shown up.

Stephanie’s worst fears are confirmed when she gets a call from Connie’s abductor. He says he will only release her in exchange for a mysterious coin that a recently murdered man left as collateral for his bail. Unfortunately, this coin, which should be in the office—just like Connie—is nowhere to be found.

The quest to discover the coin, learn its value, and save Connie will require the help of Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur, her best pal Lula, her boyfriend Morelli, and hunky security expert Ranger. As they get closer to unraveling the reasons behind Connie’s kidnapping, Connie’s captor grows more threatening and soon Stephanie has no choice but to throw caution to the wind, follow her instincts, and go rogue.

This series is always a light, fun read.

64/60 Open Book by Jessica Simpson

This was supposed to be a very different book. Five years ago, Jessica Simpson was approached to write a motivational guide to living your best life. She walked away from the offer, and nobody understood why. The truth is that she didn’t want to lie.

Jessica couldn’t be authentic with her readers if she wasn’t fully honest with herself first.

Now, America’s Sweetheart, preacher’s daughter, pop phenomenon, reality tv pioneer, and the billion-dollar fashion mogul invites readers on a remarkable journey, examining a life that blessed her with the compassion to help others but also burdened her with an almost crippling need to please. Open Book is Jessica Simpson using her voice, heart, soul, and humor to share things she’s never shared before.

First celebrated for her voice, she became one of the most talked-about women in the world, whether for music and fashion, her relationship struggles, or as a walking blonde joke. But now, instead of being talked about, Jessica is doing the talking. Her book shares the wisdom and inspirations she’s learned and shows the real woman behind all the pop-culture cliché’s — “chicken or fish,” “Daisy Duke,” "football jinx," “mom jeans,” “sexual napalm…” and more. Open Book is an opportunity to laugh and cry with a close friend, one that will inspire you to live your best, most authentic life, now that she is finally living hers.

I had heard that this was a good read, and I truly enjoyed it. It was also a quick read for me, and was very engaging. Always interesting to learn about the real person outside of their public persona.

I am currently reading Michelle Obama's Becoming. It is going slow for me as I have started working, and find that I am really tired by the end of the day. I seem to be on a kick with these autobiography's / Memoirs lately. I may need a break with a couple more fun light reads!

​

 

[mrs. magoo]

29/20 - Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin mystery by Marion Chesney. Picked this up from a little free library and enjoyed it. Good mystery story 3.5 out of 5.

30/30 - Storm in the Land of Rain by Silvia Foti. This was good non fiction book about world war 2 in Lithuania. The author's mother begins to write a book about her "hero" father when she becomes ill and entrusts her daughter to complete the book. Along the way the daughter uncovers much about her grandfather that does not make him a hero but a war criminal for his role in the death of thousands of Jews in Lithuania. I learned lots about Lithuania during World War 2. 4 out 5 stars.

31/30 - Christmas Everyday by Beth Moran - I downloaded on Audible thinking it was a Christmas book but it was a cute little rom com. Listening to it I could picture the movie. It was great to listen to on my morning walks. It has intrigued me to look up more by the author. 4 out 5 stars

I think I will complete my 2 current books by the end of the year but I won't count them yet

 

[drwitz]

I bet this will surprise absolutely no one, but I read some more Stephen King books... LOL... I've been sick with COVID for the last week or so (a very mild case) so I have also been catching up on some SK TV, and for those who haven't yet seen it, I highly recommend the series "Castle Rock" on Hulu. A fun Stephen King mash-up of stories but new content set in the town constant readers know well. As for my next three books:

94. Velocity by Dean Koontz

I started this group with a suspense / horror novel not by King. This is a book of Koontz's from a few years ago, so you may already have read it, the novel begins with the story of a bartender caught in an ultimatum which will lead to the death of one of two strangers. If he goes to the police, an elderly woman will die. If he doesn't go to the police, a schoolteacher in Napa will die. He has six hours to decide. From there, the pace accelerates as he takes the law into his own hands and begins a race to the finish of the novel to see who will survive and who will die. Short chapters, great prose, and a captivating story mean that this one is a page turner. Fun to read, but be careful if you are a bit squeamish; there are some gory details.

95. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Be prepared, these are dark stories. This collection of four novellas (1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension, and A Good Marriage) allow King to explore some dark topics - serial killers, the impact of murder, a deal with the "devil" and violence against a spouse. Each is a captivating tale and much like Different Seasons or Four Past Midnight, King excels in the novella form. I particularly enjoyed the last story - "A Good Marriage" - as it explores a wife discovering who her husband really is, and the revenge she plans and executes. Some stories have a slight element of the supernatural ("1922" specifically), but generally these are just examinations of how dark the human soul can be.

96. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Imagine you could go back and change history. Imagine you had a doorway to 1958 and could stop by Kennedy assassination from happening. And further imagine that history throws everything it can to stop you from making that change. This novel is one King wanted to write since 1977 but he didn't have the literary chops to do it. And then in 2011, he tackled it as his 60th book published. The resulting novel (at more than 800 pages long) is a beautiful tribute to the late 50s and early 60s, and a love story that -- oh yeah -- is also an exploration of the Kennedy assassination. It is quite a beautiful book, and I loved reading it again. Now I want to go watch the Hulu series with James Franco because I hear it is pretty good.

Only 11 (almost 12) more years of King works to go before I finish my re-read. It's been an awesome project which I hope I will finish in early 2023... Speaking of which, who is hosting next year's post?

It was a busy weekend (not much else to do when you are feeling fine but quarantined with COVID - day 10 here), so I got a lot more reading done. Among the books I read, I also watched the 11/22/63 miniseries on Hulu. It was good, but -- no surprise -- I liked the book better (lol).

I also pushed so I could reach book 100 with this update.

97. The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

This is a book in the Dark Tower series but written after the series was finished. In chronological order it is book 4.5, but it really can be read as a standalone. The story is really a story within a story within a story -- our heroes are stuck inside during a freak storm (a starkblast) and Roland tells the ka-tet a story from his youth (during which he tells a story to a young boy). Trust me, it works. I loved returning to these characters and the story is well constructed. If you enjoy the series (or just want an introduction to the Gunslinger), you could do worse.

98. The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation's Golden Age by Jake Friedman

I've read biographies of Walt where they have covered the labor strike at Disney and Walt's management of it (including his flight to South America to remove himself from the stress of the dispute) but most books have moved quickly over this period. This wonderful history dives deep into the conflict, introducing us to the real historical figures involved, providing an early history of animation, and diving into the struggle that brought the Walt Disney company to near collapse. A well-researched and fascinating read for anyone interested in Disney history.

99. Joyland by Stephen King

Wow. I love this book. And nothing I write here will do it justice. Just, please, do me a favor and read it. This short novel tells the story of a young man (college age) working at an amusement park in North Carolina in the late 1970s and his coming of age. It is memoir, murder mystery, and a treatise on living. What a beautiful novel that showcases King's stunning gift for character, memory, and emotion. I was in tears at the end. Yes, there is a little supernatural touch (with a ghost of a murdered young girl who may be appearing in a ride), but that is really beside the point. Come for the mystery, but stay (and enjoy) the beauty.

100. The Dark Man by Stephen King with illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne

Randall Flagg is King's essential villain, appearing in The Stand, The Dark Tower series, and other King work. This poem, which King wrote in college, was his first attempt at describing the Dark Man, and this short, illustrated version was the perfect way to end my 100 books (so far) for the year. "I have stridden the fuming way / of sun-hammered tracks and / smashed cinders; / I have ridden rails / and burned sterno in the gantry silence of hobo jungles: / I am the Dark Man".

 

[MGMmjl]

28/30 - The Amusement Park: 900 Years of Thrills and Spills, and the Dreamers and Schemers Who Built Them by Stephen M. Silverman

Description:
"Experience the electrifying, never-before-told true story of amusement parks, from the middle ages to present day, and meet the colorful (and sometimes criminal) characters who are responsible for their enchanting charms.

Step right up! The Amusement Park is a rich, anecdotal history that begins nine centuries ago with the "pleasure gardens" of Europe and England and ends with the most elaborate modern parks in the world. It's a history told largely through the stories of the colorful, sometimes hedonistic characters who built them, including:

Showmen like Joseph and Nicholas Schenck and Marcus Loew
Railroad barons Andrew Mellon and Henry E. Huntington
The men who ultimately destroyed the parks, including Robert Moses and Fred Trump
Gifted artisans and craft-people who brought the parks to life
An amazing cast of supporting players, from Al Capone to Annie Oakley
And, of course, this is a full-throttle celebration of the rides, those marvels of engineering and heart-stopping thrills from an author, Stephen Silverman, whose life-long passion for his subject shines through. The parks and fairs featured include the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, Coney Island, Steeplechase Park, Dreamland, Euclid Beach Park, Cedar Point, Palisades Park, Ferrari World, Dollywood, Sea World, Six Flags Great Adventure, Universal Studios, Disney World and Disneyland, and many more."

I thought this was a really good history of amusement parks, and I enjoyed reading about the many parks covered and the people associated with them.

 

[drwitz]

28/30 - The Amusement Park: 900 Years of Thrills and Spills, and the Dreamers and Schemers Who Built Them by Stephen M. Silverman

Description:
"Experience the electrifying, never-before-told true story of amusement parks, from the middle ages to present day, and meet the colorful (and sometimes criminal) characters who are responsible for their enchanting charms.

Step right up! The Amusement Park is a rich, anecdotal history that begins nine centuries ago with the "pleasure gardens" of Europe and England and ends with the most elaborate modern parks in the world. It's a history told largely through the stories of the colorful, sometimes hedonistic characters who built them, including:

Showmen like Joseph and Nicholas Schenck and Marcus Loew
Railroad barons Andrew Mellon and Henry E. Huntington
The men who ultimately destroyed the parks, including Robert Moses and Fred Trump
Gifted artisans and craft-people who brought the parks to life
An amazing cast of supporting players, from Al Capone to Annie Oakley
And, of course, this is a full-throttle celebration of the rides, those marvels of engineering and heart-stopping thrills from an author, Stephen Silverman, whose life-long passion for his subject shines through. The parks and fairs featured include the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, Coney Island, Steeplechase Park, Dreamland, Euclid Beach Park, Cedar Point, Palisades Park, Ferrari World, Dollywood, Sea World, Six Flags Great Adventure, Universal Studios, Disney World and Disneyland, and many more."

I thought this was a really good history of amusement parks, and I enjoyed reading about the many parks covered and the people associated with them.

Sounds terrific! Adding this to my wishlist...

 

[bobbiwoz]

78/75“Christmas at the Ranch” by Anita Hughes. Enjoyable enough. 3.5/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

79/75 “The Christmas Basket” by Debbie Macomber 4/5
I’ve not felt well today, so I downloaded this and read it. It’s a fast read.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Update-

50/56-"Shucked Apart", Barbara Ross-3 stars-cozy mystery set on the shore of Maine-Light, OK read

51/56-"The Reading List" Sara Nisha Adams-2 stars. Two people who don't know each other or like each other find a list of books to read and discuss. Perhaps, my low rating is because I'd not read any of the books on the list, so I couldn't form opinions.

52/56-"The Second Mrs Astor"Shana Abe-4 stars. Set in the very early 1900s where a very young bride is thrust into the spotlight of wealth and high society, culminating with being on the Titanic. Interesting read.

53/56-"The Nazis Knew My Name" Magda Hellinger-4 1/2 stars. Set in the concentration camps of WWII, how one woman saved many. As a former teacher, she often did what was BEST for people, not necessarily the most popular thing. Very interesting, and at times stretched believability.

54/56-"Before I Let You Go" Kelly Rimmer-5 stars. An addicted mother struggles with getting clean for her newborn baby, and meanwhile her sister struggles to care for the baby who was born addicted. Fascinating read, but then I've loved every book Kelly Rimmer has written.

55/56-"The Golden Couple" Greer Hendricks, 4 stars. A suburban family where the wife has cheated once enters therapy so they can save their marriage. Lots of twists and turns, and a surprise ending.

 

[willowsnn3]

#54/50 The Lottery by D. K. Wall
From Goodreads:
Still haunted by a deadly accident that severed his closest friendships, Nathan Thomas hopes his bad luck is well behind him. He is grateful for a loving family, a steady factory job in a town where work is scarce, and close friendships.
But a fresh betrayal and a shocking revelation strains his marriage to its breaking point, threatening to take everything he loves away, including his twelve-year-old son.

 

[bobbiwoz]

32/40 Rim to Rim by Jeanne Meeks.
An empty nester is served with divorce papers as she's about to embark upon a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon. Murder, mystery, self exploration, and friendship is discovered throughout this book.

I put a hold on this after I read what you said. It wasn’t in our library system, but they got it for me. I very much enjoyed this book. 80/75

4/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

81/75 Murder in the First Edition by Laurie Elliott. The first edition is a copy of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” and I rated it 3.5/5.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

38/30 - Dianna’s Dilemma by Donna Schlachter
News reporter discovers a big story and love in 1881 Colorado. I liked the spunk and outspokenness of the main character.

39/30 - Finding Her Way Back by Lisa Carter.
Cute therapy dog and his handler help a little girl overcome trauma. Along the way the handler finds love with the little girls widowed father.

40/30 - The Black Out Book Club by Amy Lynn Green.
A Book Club is formed to help local Maine townspeople deal with WWII restrictions. Fun characters, lots of classic book references, and secrets and mysteries are revealed and solved.

 

[mrs. magoo]

32/30 - Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss. I have always loved the Disney movie of the book and I will be honest the Treehouse in WDW is a must for me every trip. I know that it is boring for most people but I love it. I thought why not read the book - well little did a realize that the book was originally written in 1812 and read more like an encyclopedia than an actual story. I mean there is no way anyone knew as much as that father knew and the animals that are on their deserted island - again no way. But as I researched the history of the book I found that books like this were common - they were to teach children resourcefulness and piety as well. It was also based on the night time story the author told his children at bedtime. It reminded me of how bad at being a women I would have been in the past. I am reading along and yelling at the book when they find Jenny (Roberta in the movie). Jenny had been shipwrecked for 3 years and now she was seen as helpless - I was like she lived alone for 3 years don't you think she knows how to do stuff. It was an interesting read for the historical aspects of it. Three out of 5 stars. My next historical book will be Uncle Tom's Cabin but in the new year.

 

[bobbiwoz]

30/35 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Elizabeth Zott is unique in the 1960’s as a brilliant female chemist. But with all the challenges that brings, by a series of events she finds herself as a single mother hosting a tv cooking show, Supper at Six, which is doing more than teaching housewives to cook.

I loved this book! Definitely my favorite of the year so far. I hated for it to end, I loved the characters. The book has everything, a unique story, likeable characters, despicable characters, sadness, and at times is laugh out loud funny.

Loved this book! Read the 300+ pages in one day! I was the passenger in a car for much of the day!

82/75

 

[marker123]

I'm not an active user. I did however tell myself that I'd post in one of the annual reading challenge threads. I missed the boat in 2021, but it's December 2022 now, and I'm pretty happy that the pandemic didn't negatively affect my reading habit(s). 2020 was definitely slow on the reading front; last year was much better, and 2022 has been even better. I didn't give myself a target numbers-wise; just kept up the reading habit, alternating between fiction and non-fiction. I'll skip most of the details, and following are two books I began just this month.

1. Fiction: Margaret Atwood's Stone Mattress, the short fiction collection. I'd originally read her short story of the same title on the New Yorker, and absolutely loved it. Was more thrilled to find out that she has published an anthology featuring this story and other recent ones. Really admire the way she brings the literary and the ecological together, and it reminds me a lot of Mary Oliver's works.
2. Non-Fiction: Krauskof, Konrad, et al's Physical Universe (16th Ed) - The choice was inspired by Atwood's anthology and its seamless interweaving of the ecological. I thought I might as well read some non-fiction about the physical world while I'm curious and motivated enough. It's great that non-fiction is being written in accessible language today. I don't think I'd have liked the book had it been jargon-heavy.

 

[willowsnn3]

32/30 - Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss. I have always loved the Disney movie of the book and I will be honest the Treehouse in WDW is a must for me every trip. I know that it is boring for most people but I love it. I thought why not read the book - well little did a realize that the book was originally written in 1812 and read more like an encyclopedia than an actual story. I mean there is no way anyone knew as much as that father knew and the animals that are on their deserted island - again no way. But as I researched the history of the book I found that books like this were common - they were to teach children resourcefulness and piety as well. It was also based on the night time story the author told his children at bedtime. It reminded me of how bad at being a women I would have been in the past. I am reading along and yelling at the book when they find Jenny (Roberta in the movie). Jenny had been shipwrecked for 3 years and now she was seen as helpless - I was like she lived alone for 3 years don't you think she knows how to do stuff. It was an interesting read for the historical aspects of it. Three out of 5 stars. My next historical book will be Uncle Tom's Cabin but in the new year.

I love the Treehouse at WDW also. Just wish I could be the only one on there so I could just take my time & relish every detail. I think I tried reading Swiss Family Robinson once & just couldn't get into it.
Maybe I'll try Uncle Tom's Cabin also.