Reading Challenge 2022

[mrs. magoo]

8/30 - Sherlock Holmes The Christmas Demon by James Lovegrave

I love a good Sherlock Holmes mystery and this did not disappoint. It kept you guessing even though I had a feeling I had it all figured out.

 

[Caseheidi]

I have been continuing with the Chronicles of Elantra Series:

18/60
Cast in Courtlight
Chronicles of Elantra Book Two
by Michelle Sagara
No good deed goes unpunished… In Elantra, a job well done is rewarded with a more dangerous task. And so, after defeating a dark evil, Kaylin must enter a place of deceit and treachery. A world where silk and jewels hide deadly secrets… Kaylin goes before the Barrani High Court, where a misspoken word brings sure...

19/60
Cast in Secret
Chronicles of Elantra Book Three
by Michelle Sagara
Stolen goods were so much easier… Still avoiding magic whenever possible, Private Kaylin Neya relished investigating a run-of-the-mill theft. Until she found out the mysterious stolen box had been taken from Elani Street, where the mages and charlatans mingled, and it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two....

20/60
Cast in Fury
Chronicles of Elantra Book Four
by Michelle Sagara
To be or not to be… When a minority race of telepaths is suspected of causing a near-devastating tidal wave, Private Kaylin Neya is summoned to Court – and into a PR nightmare. To ease racial tensions, the Emperor has commissioned a play, and the playwright has his own ideas about who should be the focus… But Kaylin...

21/60
Cast in Silence
Chronicles of Elantra Book Five
by Michelle Sagara
A member of the elite Hawk force that protects the City of Elantra, Kaylin Neya has sacrificed much to earn the respect of the winged Aerians and immortal Barrani she works alongside. But the mean streets she escaped as a child aren’t the ones she’s vowed to give her life guarding....

22/60
Cast in Chaos
Chronicles of Elantra Book Six
by Michelle Sagara
Swirling Chaos… Kaylin Neya is a Hawk, part of the elite force tasked with keeping the City of Elantra safe. Her past is dark, her magic uncontrolled and her allies unpredictable. And nothing has prepared her for what is coming, when the charlatans on Elani Street suddenly grow powerful, the Oracles...

I am really enjoying this series. Currently on book 7 of 14.

 

[MGMmjl]

8/30 - Disney World at 50: The Stories of How Walt's Kingdom Became Magical in Orlando by The Orlando Sentinel

Description:
"Celebrating 50 years of The Most Magical Place on Earth

Since its opening in October 1971, Walt Disney World has continued to expand and evolve as the most visited vacation resort in the world. What hasn't changed over five decades is the incomparable sense of magic it bestows on all who pass through the arched entrance gates.

Disney World at 50 is a celebration of the park's rich and fascinating history, from its early development as "The Florida Project" to the ever spectacular present. Explore Walt's original utopian vision, the most incredible feats by Disney's Imagineers, and each of the individual theme parks.

Featuring historic coverage and over 100 photos from the Orlando Sentinel archives, the commemorative edition is a visually stunning chronicle of the place where dreams come true."

While I thought this book was a little short on content in some areas, I did enjoy it. It was neat seeing old Orlando Sentinel articles about WDW as they appeared at the time they were published in the papers, and the photos were nice as well.

 

[RUDisney]

4/25 - The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The first book in the Bridgerton Series.

 

[threeboysmom]

17/45 - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (real book) - loved! This book is getting a lot of controversy because the author is white, not Mexican. If that bothers you, then avoid. For me, it didn't matter. Story followed a Mexican mom and her young son who made the long dangerous trek from Mexico into the United States after their entire family was brutally murdered by the cartel. It was an emotional read for me and a real nail biter at times. Highly recommend!

18/45 - Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Serial app) - oh how I loved this book! I picked this up because of a discussion my husband and I had about the term "Uncle Tom" and how it's used in a derogatory way. I didn't remember Uncle Tom that way (read the book YEARS ago in high school) so decided to reread since apparently I must have missed something. Nope. Rereading left me even more confused. Uncle Tom is probably one of the finest fictional characters ever created - we rarely see that level of integrity & courage nowadays. He was a man of powerful faith, courage, integrity, and had a deep love for his God and all of God's people. Any book that inspires me to be a better person gets 5 stars from me.

 

[KevM]

It's the end of the month and I have 5 books to add, bringing my total for the year to 34.

30) Sultana's Dream by Begum Rokeya – Speculative Fiction/Feminism/Utopian. Written in 1905, a woman falls asleep and wakes up in a city ruled by women that shuns war and violence. Written in British India in what is modern day Bangladesh. 4/5

31) Open Book by Jessica Simpson – Memoir. Jessica Simpsons memoir. And wow, did the media/society ever do her dirty. I listened to the You’re Wrong About episodes that covered this book a couple months ago (which also do a great job of going into this) and decided I needed to read this. 4.5/5

32) Nobody’s Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong – Contemporary Fiction. A collection of three short stories about three Black women with albinism. The stories were good but felt a bit longer then they needed to be. 3.75/5

33) Poems by Emily Dickinson, Three Series, Complete by Emily Dickinson – Classic Poetry. A collection of about 140 of Emily Dickinson’s poems. 4.5/5

34) even this page is white by Vivek Shraya – Race/LGBT/Poetry. The debut poetry collection of Shraya’s, a trans woman of Indian descent living in Canada, focusing on race, racism, and being racialized. 4/5

 

[JayMass]

5/40 Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King. What a great book! I really liked how King was able to weave stories together that were different and distinct yet shared characters. The connection to the Dark Tower series was also fantastic!

6/40 The Five Wounds by Kristin Valdez Quade. It's amazing how I really couldn't get into this book at the beginning but then didn't want it to end. It's been said we always assume best intentions when thinking about our own actions and the worst intentions when thinking about others' actions. Quade used that theory to tell the story of a family in New Mexico that is struggling to get by. She does this in a way where we truly feel for each of the characters even when they are doing the wrong thing. I'm so glad my wife recommended this to me. It's up there with some of my favorite books of all time!!

I'm reading King's new book Billy Summers and I'm almost done with it. I'm going to try some Steinbeck that I never read, starting with Cannery Row. I also have The War for Gloria by Atticus Lish and Jonathan Franzen's new book, Crossroads, on deck.

 

[JayMass]

17/45 - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (real book) - loved! This book is getting a lot of controversy because the author is white, not Mexican. If that bothers you, then avoid. For me, it didn't matter. Story followed a Mexican mom and her young son who made the long dangerous trek from Mexico into the United States after their entire family was brutally murdered by the cartel. It was an emotional read for me and a real nail biter at times. Highly recommend!

18/45 - Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Serial app) - oh how I loved this book! I picked this up because of a discussion my husband and I had about the term "Uncle Tom" and how it's used in a derogatory way. I didn't remember Uncle Tom that way (read the book YEARS ago in high school) so decided to reread since apparently I must have missed something. Nope. Rereading left me even more confused. Uncle Tom is probably one of the finest fictional characters ever created - we rarely see that level of integrity & courage nowadays. He was a man of powerful faith, courage, integrity, and had a deep love for his God and all of God's people. Any book that inspires me to be a better person gets 5 stars from me.

Read American Dirt last year and really loved it! Give The Five Wounds a try. It's a totally different story but, aside from the Spanish language connections, these two are connected in my mind for some reason.

I remember reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and thinking, the contemporary use of the term doesn't fit the character. I did a little bit of research and found that there was a really racist minstrel show adaptation of the book that portrayed Uncle Tom in a way that would fit the current term and that is where it came from, not Stowe's book. Since then, others have countered that this may not be accurate and that the term is not related to the book at all. I agree that the character of Uncle Tom in Stowe's book is both powerful and courageous!

 

[drwitz]

A few to update:

32. The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker

Interesting book for those of us who lead meetings, plan conferences, or just simply invite friends over for drinks or dinner. As we come to (I sincerely hope) the waning days of the pandemic, this seemed an interesting and appropriate book as I begin to travel for work again and see more people in person. Lots of great lessons here (your guests - who to include and who not to, the lead up to the event, how to be a great host, how to end the meeting), and many of these are common sense, but the author does a great job of really tying together some wonderful ideas.

33. Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

Like The Tommyknockers, this is a story about aliens. But unlike that book, this one is also about sh*t weasels (I know, trust me). This novel was written in long hand by KIng as he was recovering from the accident which almost took his life. He has revealed he was addicted to pain killers while writing this, and as a result, doesn't remember much of the process. Well, all I can say is that he still writes a completely engaging and terrifying story. Part a celebration of a group of childhood friends who share a special bond (think It), part an alien body snatching novel (think Invasion of the Body Snatchers), part Alien the movie, this long novel (over 600 pages) does move. Especially as you get to the end, the pages fly by with a final confrontation which is breathtaking.

And now, more of the graphic novel Marvel Comics Dark Tower series:

34. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - Last Shots

This one is a collection of stand-alone stories bridging the gap between the two novels of the series, The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three. I really enjoyed reading Sheemie's continuing story and thought the way this was presented added something to the overall narrative of the series.

35. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The Prisoner
36. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - House of Cards

For anyone who has read the novel The Drawing of the Three, these first two books in the graphic novel series tell the backstory of Eddie Dean, and how Roland entered his life. This roughly corresponds with the first third of the novel, and does an excellent job of framing the story. What I appreciate most about the graphic novel adaptation is that the story is told from Eddie's perspective and in his voice. This is a beautifully illustrated and well scripted version of the story.

37. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - Lady oof Shadows
38. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - Bitter Medicine

Continuing with the second part of the novel, these two graphic novels introduce Odetta / Detta Holmes and tell her story and her meeting with the Gunslinger and Eddie. Again, the graphic novel shares the story from Susannah's perspective (I know, lots of different names, but it makes sense), and I appreciated the story, the art, and the pace. I do struggle a bit with the characterization of Detta, but the graphic novel is true to King's character as it was created. I will say that the graphic novel took great care to introduce a (well-needed) lens of racial equity in the story which may have been in King's original but was more muted there.

39. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The Sailor

Jake Chambers makes a confused and troubled return, both alive and dead, and Roland is not sure if there was a boy or wasn't a boy. This graphic novel correlates to the ending of the novel and all of what you would expect is here (including a stunning interlude with Shardik (the Bear Guardian). We learn more about the mythology of the Tower and the Beams, we connect back with Eddie's story (and his brother, Henry) and the climactic scene takes place in the "Haunted House" of our world where Roland and friends try to bring Jake to Mid-World to complete the ka-tet. A fitting conclusion to this part of the series, and I hope Marvel continues releasing books in the graphic novel series.

So a few more to update (and a shorter post this time):

40. Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything by Kelly Weill

I heard an interview with this author on TV and thought she was fascinating (as was her subject) and requested the book from the library. This is a deep dive into the history of the Flat Earth movement, and a review of its recent resurgence, as well as an exploration of why people believe deeply in things that are provably false. It was a quick read, but an interesting one. She did provide some suggestions on how to bring people back from the conspiracy abyss and given that this was released recently, it has a lot of modern relevance. A worthwhile read, but not a page turner.

41. Screamplays edited by Richard Chizmar

A collection of horror screenplays written by horror writers as well respected as Stephen King (whose contribution "General" was part of the "Cat's Eye" film), Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, and Joe Lansdale. The book features an introduction by Dean Koontz who pokes great fun at the screenwriting process, and all in all, this was a great read. Quick moving (since screenplays don't take up a lot of the page) and full of action. For horror fans, this was worth a read.

42. Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing by Stephen King

So I thought I owned all of the books King had ever published. I missed this one. It was released as a Book of the Month club exclusive and is billed as a companion piece to On Writing. This was an interesting collection of interview transcriptions, short fiction (including two short stories King wrote as a child), introductions to works of his own and other authors' works, and a meaty section from Danse Macabre where he analyzes the horror genre. As a collector, it is a great find (and you can find one too - at the usual places), but a number of these pieces can be found elsewhere. Some cannot, and for that reason, I am happy to have this copy and to have read it.

 

[drwitz]

8/30 - Disney World at 50: The Stories of How Walt's Kingdom Became Magical in Orlando by The Orlando Sentinel

Description:
"Celebrating 50 years of The Most Magical Place on Earth

Since its opening in October 1971, Walt Disney World has continued to expand and evolve as the most visited vacation resort in the world. What hasn't changed over five decades is the incomparable sense of magic it bestows on all who pass through the arched entrance gates.

Disney World at 50 is a celebration of the park's rich and fascinating history, from its early development as "The Florida Project" to the ever spectacular present. Explore Walt's original utopian vision, the most incredible feats by Disney's Imagineers, and each of the individual theme parks.

Featuring historic coverage and over 100 photos from the Orlando Sentinel archives, the commemorative edition is a visually stunning chronicle of the place where dreams come true."

While I thought this book was a little short on content in some areas, I did enjoy it. It was neat seeing old Orlando Sentinel articles about WDW as they appeared at the time they were published in the papers, and the photos were nice as well.

I bought this and it is on my bookshelf to read. For me, it was meant to be a keepsake, so I will get there eventually (smiles). Nice to read your review.

 

[drwitz]

5/40 Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King. What a great book! I really liked how King was able to weave stories together that were different and distinct yet shared characters. The connection to the Dark Tower series was also fantastic!

6/40 The Five Wounds by Kristin Valdez Quade. It's amazing how I really couldn't get into this book at the beginning but then didn't want it to end. It's been said we always assume best intentions when thinking about our own actions and the worst intentions when thinking about others' actions. Quade used that theory to tell the story of a family in New Mexico that is struggling to get by. She does this in a way where we truly feel for each of the characters even when they are doing the wrong thing. I'm so glad my wife recommended this to me. It's up there with some of my favorite books of all time!!

I'm reading King's new book Billy Summers and I'm almost done with it. I'm going to try some Steinbeck that I never read, starting with Cannery Row. I also have The War for Gloria by Atticus Lish and Jonathan Franzen's new book, Crossroads, on deck.

I love how connected all of King's work has been. Glad to know you enjoyed Hearts in Atlantis. I liked it so much more this re-read than I did when I first read it 20+ years ago (in my 30s). I think this is one that needs some age to appreciate. And I did appreciate it too!

Can't wait until I get to Billy Summers. This, and If It Bleeds are waiting for their first read until I finish my re-read. They are the treat I promised myself for the end of all of this.

 

[threeboysmom]

Read American Dirt last year and really loved it! Give The Five Wounds a try. It's a totally different story but, aside from the Spanish language connections, these two are connected in my mind for some reason.

I remember reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and thinking, the contemporary use of the term doesn't fit the character. I did a little bit of research and found that there was a really racist minstrel show adaptation of the book that portrayed Uncle Tom in a way that would fit the current term and that is where it came from, not Stowe's book. Since then, others have countered that this may not be accurate and that the term is not related to the book at all. I agree that the character of Uncle Tom in Stowe's book is both powerful and courageous!

I will definitely give The Five Wounds a try! Thanks for the recommendation!

And glad I'm not the only one confused by Uncle Tom's Cabin. Your explanation makes sense. People need to read the book and not go by screen or show adaptations.

 

[tiggrbaby]

March:

#13/90: State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny (3/5) (political suspense)

The newly inaugurated president has chosen a political rival, Ellen Adams, as the new Secretary of State. A series of terror attacks sends her and her team to investigate and stop it before it lands on American soil.

#14/90: The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard (3/5) (mystery)

West Point Academy, 1830: A cadet is found dead, suspected of having taken his own life. But the next day, his heart has been removed from his body. A retired detective is asked to discreetly look into the crime. He decides that he needs someone on the inside to help with the investigation, and chooses Cadet Edgar Allen Poe.

#15/90: Something to Hide (Inspector Lynley #21) by Elizabeth George (4/5) (mystery)

After a detective’s death is ruled a homicide, Acting Detective Superintendent Lynley is assigned to the case. He and his team must sort through the secrets of a culture that they are not prepared to understand.

The crimes involve female genital mutilation.

#16/90: The Hidden Child by Louise Fein (4/5) (historical fiction)

Eleanor Hamilton is a happy wife and mother. Her husband is involved in the 1920s Eugenics movement in England. But when her adored daughter develops seizures, Eleanor must take matters into her own hands to save her daughter.

#17/90: The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong (4/5) (historical fiction)

1926: Althea is a nursing student who witnesses premature babies dying, when there is a program at Coney Island that has had success in saving these fragile lives. She makes a quick decision that will change her life and the life of one of these babies forever.

1951: Stella is struggling with the recent death of her mother and the cruelty of the principal towards her special needs students. When Stella goes into the city to go through her mother’s belongings, she discovers secrets long kept.

#18/90: The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (4/5) (historical fiction)

Grace realizes her dream of moving to London in 1939 just as London prepares for war. Working in an old bookstore, Grace unleashes the power of storytelling to unite the community during trying times.

#19:90: The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of Women Who Changed the Course of WWII by Mari K. Eder (3/5) (nonfiction)

The stories of fifteen women whose heroic actions went unrewarded.

#20/90: Before She Disappeared (Frankie Elkin #1) by Lisa Gardner (4/5) (thriller)

Frankie Elkin is a middle-aged recovering alcoholic who spends her life looking for missing people. Her new case brings her to Boston to find a missing Haitian teenager.

#21/90: Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult (3.5/5) (romantic fiction)

Diana’s life has been going exactly as planned: she loves her job in the art auction world, and she suspects her boyfriend will propose on their upcoming trip to the Galapagos. But Covid is in its early stages, and her boyfriend must stay behind to work at the hospital. He encourages Diana to go without him. She arrives on the small island without her luggage just as everything shuts down - including the hotel where she planned to stay.

Be aware that much of the book is not in the Galapagos, but goes deep into the realities of the early days of Covid.

#22/90: Miss Kopp Investigates (Kopp Sisters # 7) by Amy Stewart (3/5) (mystery/historical fiction)

The Kopp sisters are all back in Jersey to help support their recently widowed sister-in-law. Fleurette begins working for one of Constance’s former colleagues, but the work would not be considered respectable by the rest of the family. The suspicious behavior of one of the clients leads to a much bigger crime.

#23/90: The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin (4/5) (historical fiction)

January 1888: The morning held unusually mild weather for the Dakota Territory, and many children went to school without their heavy coats. But a fast moving blizzard moved in just as many schools let out for the day.

Based on actual events.

#24/90: A Sunlit Weapon (Maisie Dobbs #17) by Jacqueline Winspear (4.5/5) (historical fiction)

A young female pilot is fired upon while delivering a plane. When she goes back to investigate, she discovers an American serviceman who has been bound and gagged. He is now considered a suspect in the disappearance of another soldier. When another female pilot goes down in that same area, Maisie Dobbs is asked to investigate. Clues that she finds may have a connection to her husband’s assignment to protect Eleanor Roosevelt on her visit to England.

 

[willowsnn3]

#14/50 Indelible by Karin Slaughter
An officer is shot point-blank in the Grant County police station and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver is wounded, setting off a terrifying hostage situation with medical examiner Sara Linton at the center. Working outside the station, Lena Adams, newly reinstated to the force, and Frank Wallace, Jeffrey's second in command, must try to piece together who the shooter is and how to rescue their friends before Jeffrey dies. For the sins of the past have caught up with Sara and Jeffrey -- with a vengeance ...

#4 in the Grant County series.

 

[melk]

10/35 Postcards From A Stranger by Imogen Clark

Cara is single-handedly taking care of her father who has Alzheimer’s. When she comes across a stash of old postcards in the attic she realizes her father may have been lying her whole life. She can’t get the truth from him now so she has to find out some other way.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s the second one I’ve read from this British author.

 

[drwitz]

So a few more to update (and a shorter post this time):

40. Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything by Kelly Weill

I heard an interview with this author on TV and thought she was fascinating (as was her subject) and requested the book from the library. This is a deep dive into the history of the Flat Earth movement, and a review of its recent resurgence, as well as an exploration of why people believe deeply in things that are provably false. It was a quick read, but an interesting one. She did provide some suggestions on how to bring people back from the conspiracy abyss and given that this was released recently, it has a lot of modern relevance. A worthwhile read, but not a page turner.

41. Screamplays edited by Richard Chizmar

A collection of horror screenplays written by horror writers as well respected as Stephen King (whose contribution "General" was part of the "Cat's Eye" film), Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, and Joe Lansdale. The book features an introduction by Dean Koontz who pokes great fun at the screenwriting process, and all in all, this was a great read. Quick moving (since screenplays don't take up a lot of the page) and full of action. For horror fans, this was worth a read.

42. Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing by Stephen King

So I thought I owned all of the books King had ever published. I missed this one. It was released as a Book of the Month club exclusive and is billed as a companion piece to On Writing. This was an interesting collection of interview transcriptions, short fiction (including two short stories King wrote as a child), introductions to works of his own and other authors' works, and a meaty section from Danse Macabre where he analyzes the horror genre. As a collector, it is a great find (and you can find one too - at the usual places), but a number of these pieces can be found elsewhere. Some cannot, and for that reason, I am happy to have this copy and to have read it.

Continuing on the "I thought I owned all of Stephen King's work, but I definitely did not", we come to book number...

43. Nightmares in the Sky text by Stephen King, photographs by f-stop Fitzgerald

This is an interesting collection of gargoyles and grotesques with an introductory essay by Stephen King which explains his perspective on gargoyles and how he came to write the text for the book. This is a beautiful coffee table book with striking photos, and the essay is typical King - fantastic and engaging non-fiction prose. Worth a read, and I will keep it for the photos (oh, yes, and also for the King).

44. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

King talks about this book in detail in Danse Macabre and in Secret Windows but I realized I had never read it. So, off to the library I went. It is a well-written gothic ghost story set in the late 1950s (and written then as well). A short tale (of less than 200 pages), it isn't scary so much as suspenseful. I enjoyed it, but it was mild in comparison to a lot of King's work. I could see how it shaped his perspective on horror and I am glad I read it.

45. Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

Wow, this was an amazing book. Chizmar is the editor of the horror magazine and publishing house "Cemetery Dance", and a collaborator with King on the Gwendy's series. This novel, though, is independent of all of that. This is a true-crime novel (and reads as such) which is really a work of fiction. Chizmar writes a memoir (which is all true) and then adds a fabrication about a serial-killer in his neighborhood when he was just out of college. The "true-crime" is accompanied by photos and very realistic interviews with characters in the book, and it reads very authentically. The talent and imagination is wonderful, and I highly recommend this. Not so much a horror novel (although there are a few small references to supernatural myths and Halloween things), this is a perfect book for any fan of true-crime or suspense novels or memoirs of growing up in the 1980s.

 

[RangerPooh]

13/20 Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Book 8 of the Hannah Swenson series.

 

[RangerPooh]

 

[bobbiwoz]

I never really know when to pull the plug on books I don’t like, even though I’ll ruthlessly turn off a movie at any point with

16/50. I wasted enough time on this one Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman. Only the first two chapters were about Wilderness! Duh

 

[willowsnn3]

44. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

One of my all time favorites & the original movie too.
Also, it is the main reason I will never, ever let any portion of my body hang over the side of the bed.....