Reading Challenge 2022

[melk]

12/35 The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Perkanen

Perfect, wealthy Washington professionals, the Bishops, are the perfect golden couple until it is revealed that the wife has been unfaithful. They go to Avery for help, a therapist who lost her professional license because of her unorthodox methods. But in uncovering their secrets it puts them all in danger.

I really liked this book, definitely some twists and turns.

 

[willowsnn3]

#18/50 Faithless by Karin Slaughter
The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods–then killed in a horrifying fashion. When Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver stumble upon the body, both become consumed with finding out who killed the pretty young woman. For them, a harrowing journey begins, one that will test their own turbulent relationship and draw dozens of life into the case.

Fifth in the Grant County series

 

[Walt's Dream]

Catching up!

19/75 The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey. Three friends who join the Red Cross Clubmobile program and are sent to England and then the continent after DDay. Enjoyable read, but not great, IMO.

20/75 A Family Affair by Robyn Carr. Just okay

21/75 Sunrise by the Sea by Jenny Colgan. Part of the Little Beach Street Bakery series. Set in a small Cornish seaside village. I love her books and this did not disappoint.

22/75 Disney World at 50: The Stories of How Walt's Kingdom Became Magical in Orlando by Orlando Sentinel. History of WDW from articles by the Orlando Sentinel. Okay read, great photos.

23/75 Looking for Betty MacDonald: The Egg. the Plague, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and I by Paula Becker. Biography of Northwest author Betty MacDonald. For fans of her works. Ms Becker had full access to Betty's archives and this bio shows the story behind the memoirs and the differences between her literary persona and the real Betty MacDonald. Really enjoyed it.

24/75 Audrey Hepburn by Barry Paris. Very detailed portrait of the actress - especially her youth in Holland during WW2 and her work with UNICEF.

25/75 The Late Child by Larry McMurtry. Sequel to The Desert Rose. Harmony is an ex-showgirl from Vegas who comes to terms with her estranged daughter's death. Full of typical McMurtry's quirky characters, adventures, and life's discoveries. Liked it a lot.

26/75 Hour of the Hunter by J.A. Jance. One of her earlier suspenseful novels, set in Southern Arizona and involving the murder of a young Native American girl. Fast forward to when the murderer is released from prison. He continues his murders and is out for revenge on the woman who put him behind bars. This was great - I love her books!

 

[KevM]

End of the month update time for me. I read 18 books this month, bringing my total for the year to 52. I did a theme for this month. Evey book was in one way or another related to music.

35) Music Is History by Questlove – Non-Fiction/Music/History. Starting in 1971 and going into the early ‘00s, Questlove picks out a song and a historical event from a year and looks at how the 2 connect. 3.75/5.

36) The Rice Room: Growing Up Chinese American from Number Two Son to Rock 'n' Roll by Ben Fong-Torres – Memoir. Fong-Torres is a well-known Rolling Stone writer, so going in I had expected this o be about his time there. But this is a family memoir looking at growing up 1st generation Chinese American. 3.5/5.

37) The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl – Memoir. Grohl’s memoir on his life as a musician. He does a great job laying his life out. 5/5.

38) Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout by Laura Jane Grace & Dan Ozzi – Memoir – Grace is the lead singer of Against Me. This memoir is both of her life as a musician as well as her journey to becoming her true self. 4.5/5.

39) Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life by Jonathan Gould 0 Biography. While I knew Redding’s music before picking this up, I knew very little about his life. This wasn’t only an interesting read on his life, but also on the southern music scene of the ‘40s-’60. 4/5.

40) The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce – Contemporary. Set in 1988 London, Frank owns a slowly dying vinyl only music store on a street of slowly dying shops that a developer is looking to buy up. He has an uncanny ability to connect person with just the right song they need at that time. This even though he has no real close personal connections himself. Then a mysterious woman walks into his shop and asks him to teach her about music. 3.5/5.

41) Stories I Might Regret Telling You: A Memoir by Martha Wainwright – Memoir. Wainwright’s memoir of being born into a musical family and her life as a musician. 3.5/5

42) Cool Gardens by Serj Tankian – Poetry. The debut poetry collection for the System of a Down’s lead singer. 3.5/5.

43) We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix – Horror. In the early ‘90s, Kris was a member of an up-and-coming band about to make it big. Then one night something happened that she can’t remember. Now 20 years later she’s beginning to put the pieces of that night together and figure out what Terry, the one member of the band to make it big, did. 4/5.

44) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn – YA Romance. Two strangers meet and grow closer over one night set against NYC’s indie-rock scene. I saw the movie based off this year’s ag, but this is my first time reading the book. I liked the movie, but as is generally the case the book is better. 3.75/5

45) Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Historical Fiction. Written as an oral history detailing the meteoric raise and shocking breakup of a hit 70’s rock band. It’s easy to see the Fleetwood Mac inspiration here but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I will see, I listed to this one as an audiobook and that format was fantastic for this. 4.75/5

46) I Would Leave Me If I Could: A Collection of Poetry by Halsey – Poetry. Halsey’s debut poetry collection. Covering topics ranging from family to sexuality to her bipolar disorder. 4/5.

47) I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee – YA Contemporary/LGBTQA+ Romance. High schooler Skye Shin in a huge K-Pop fan. When a K-Pop competition show comes to LA looking for new talent she decides to try out for it. A body positive/fat positive romance. As for the LGBTQA+ rep, Skye and another character are both bi and a lesbian couple are major side characters. 4.25/5.

48) Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente – Sci-Fi/Humor. Sci-Fi in the vein of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. A century ago, interstellar war almost wiped out all intelligent space faring life. When the war ended the surviving races created the Metagalactic Grand Prix (Eurovision in Space!) to come together in peace and harmony. Every sentient race competes, and this year Earth has discovered they are not alone in the universe. 3.5/5.

49) Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life by Ruth Padel – Poetry. An exploration of Beethoven’s life through poetic form. 3.75/5.

50) The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith – Contemporary/Romance. After publicly breaking down on stage shortly after her mother’s death, Greta James is laying low until her bother convinces her to go with her estranged father on the Alaskan cruise which was supposed to be her parents 40th anniversary celebration. A nice story of grief and love. 4.25/5.

51) Lady Sings the Blues: The 50th Anniversary Edition – Memoir/Autobiography. Billie Holiday’s autobiography. 3.75/5.

52) Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce – Historical Fiction. Jumping between 2015 & 1925 Chicago unraveling the mystery life of Honoree Dalcour. 3.75/5

 

[RUDisney]

10/25: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

This was recommended earlier in this thread. I loved it! Such a good story that took us back to 1914 and then up to 1993 and back and forth again. Based in the NYC library, generations later, people in the same family have high ranking positions within the library. Both generations are embroiled in separate robberies. This isn't a book I'd have picked up on my own, but once I started reading it, I knew that I had to download the rest of the book to my kindle. Thank you to those who recommended it.

11/25: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

The 6th book of the Bridgerton series and I hated it. I trudged through it to finish it, because I was already up to Francesca's story and I want to complete the rest. If book 7 is the same as this one, I won't continue. The story was boring to me. I truly didn't like Michael in this story.

 

[threeboysmom]

10/25: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

This was recommended earlier in this thread. I loved it! Such a good story that took us back to 1914 and then up to 1993 and back and forth again. Based in the NYC library, generations later, people in the same family have high ranking positions within the library. Both generations are embroiled in separate robberies. This isn't a book I'd have picked up on my own, but once I started reading it, I knew that I had to download the rest of the book to my kindle. Thank you to those who recommended it.

11/25: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

The 6th book of the Bridgerton series and I hated it. I trudged through it to finish it, because I was already up to Francesca's story and I want to complete the rest. If book 7 is the same as this one, I won't continue. The story was boring to me. I truly didn't like Michael in this story.

I love love love Fiona Davis! One of my favorite authors. Reading her newest one right now - the Magnolia Palace - so good!

 

[RUDisney]

I love love love Fiona Davis! One of my favorite authors. Reading her newest one right now - the Magnolia Palace - so good!

I’ve been searching for something else. I’ll give that a try. Thank you.

 

[mrs. magoo]

11/30 - Jaws by Peter Benchley - Just wanted to reread this book as I loved it as a teen. Rereading it I was struck by some of the racial undertones of the book. It is still a great story and book.

12/30 - The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley - I read The Guest List earlier this year and I really enjoyed it so I picked up this one from the library last week. It was good and I stayed up way too late to finish it off last night but I definitely liked the Guest List better. The Hunting Party was a good mystery that definitely had twists and turns.

 

[bobbiwoz]

21/50. State of Terror…I gave it 4/5, and decided to read it after reading your post, largely because I like Louise Penny’s novels, and I smiled when I came upon the Three Pine references.

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.

 

[RangerPooh]

14/20 Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Book 9 of the Hannah Swenson series.

15/20 Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Book 10 of the Hannah Swenson series.

 

[drwitz]

And three more down...

49. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Another of Shirley Jackson's phenomenal tales, this one tells of two children surviving a family tragedy and the town that surrounds them. A beautiful written tale of suspense with a narrator who is at best very unreliable, this is a worthwhile read. There was a recent movie adaptation which is also worthwhile viewing (on Netflix).

50. Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub

A sequel to The Talisman, this novel features a grown up Jack Sawyer brought back into the picture to help solve a series of horrible murders of children, and a words-spanning evil. Again, Stephen King's worlds of fiction intersect here, and this book provides a bridge between "The Territories" of The Talisman and the End-World of The Dark Tower with other references thrown in (to Hearts in Atlantis and others). The book is clearly an amalgam of both writers' style. Some of the prose was harder to get through (and more in Straub's style) but as usual for King books, the ending sped up and I couldn't put the book down. Fun to revisit this one as I move closer to the final three books in The Dark Tower series.

51. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

One of our local public school districts has decided to ban several books from their school libraries, and so I decided I immediately needed to run right out to read them. Here is the first one. Set in East Texas in 1937, this story tells of an interracial relationship between a young girl of Mexican descent and an African-American young boy. While the story has some content which may not be appropriate for very young readers (elementary and potential middle school - although I could argue that too), the underlying story and important opportunity to learn about racism and sexism in the 1930s were so powerful and vastly outweigh any concerns about content. I highly recommend this book for young adults (and older ones too)!

And on we go...

52. Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King

Another collection of short stories by King, including the novella "The Little Sisters of Eluria" which is a story from the Dark Tower universe. This book also contains 5 of the 6 stories originally featured in Six Stories (which is one of the Stephen King books I don't have, and would love if anyone is offering). A masterful collection, the stories are a hodgepodge of horror, dark fantasy, western, and Americana. I adore King (as you know by now) and love sinking my teeth (hah) into a full novel; sometimes the lighter fare of short stories can be kind of like a tapas meal (filling but leaving you wanting more).

53. From a Buick 8 by Stephen King

This is... a weird one. And weird in a good way. The story of a Buick abandoned in a rural Pennsylvania community and the state police who take over custody of it, the tale is part the retelling of a father's story to his son (by his living colleagues), part a tale of mystery and alien forces, and part an exploration of the supernatural. Is this story connected to the Dark Tower series and part of the King metaverse? Maybe. It certainly is weird though... And I loved it.

54. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

Another banned book from our local school district, this is a memoir-manifesto about growing up Black and Queer. Johnson shares his young adult story in a brave and moving way. I thoroughly enjoyed his stories, and completely disagree with banning the book. The only possible content that may cause concern is his sharing his first experience of sex (and the abuse he faced), as well as his first consensual experiences as an adult. I have read more and worse in the Bible, let alone in romance novels or other so-called classic literature. This was certainly a book which offered a window for me into a subculture I would not have been able to explore on my own, and I appreciated the honesty, care and love the book expresses. Definitely worth a read (and a fight to keep available to students who deserve to see a book that reflects their lived experience).

 

[bobbiwoz]

22/50 It’s Better This Way by Debbie Macomber
After her marriage ends, one woman’s struggle to pick up the pieces finally leads to a new beginning-but is the past truly behind her?

4/5. It was an easy read, and I understand things like this do happen.

 

[Simba's Mom]

22/50 It’s Better This Way bu Debbie Macomber
After her marriage ends, one woman’s struggle to pick up the pieces finally leads to a new beginning-but is the past truly behind her?

4/5. It was an easy read, and I understand things like this do happen.

I read that one too. I find it so refreshing when sometimes the romance is between two actual grown-ups-I remember that both the man and the woman involved had grown children.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I read that one too. I find it so refreshing when sometimes the romance is between two actual grown-ups-I remember that both the man and the woman involved had grown children.

Yes! I enjoyed the different romance.

 

[mrs. magoo]

13/30 - The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee - I picked this up at a book exchange and I had high hopes. Historical fiction is my jam and World War 2 seems to be my first choice. So I was intrigued about a book set in Hong Kong during Japanese occupation. The story was very confusing. I really don't understand the role Claire played in the book. I mean she was not really needed to tell the story in my opinion. The parts of the book that took place in 1940's both before and after the occupation were interesting but the whole 1953 story line was boring and confusing. I almost gave up on it multiple times but I pushed through to the ending. I will be dropping it in a little free library maybe someone else will enjoy it more than I did.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Haven’t read all that much as I was dealing with covid.
9/30 - Following the Evidence by Lynn Shannon. Romantic suspense. Good book.

10/30 - The Amish Teachers Wish by Tracey Lyons. It was ok.

11/30 - The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams.
Cozy mystery. Loved it!

 

[bobbiwoz]

18/50 Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart

Amy Stewart has written a series of books based on the Kopp sisters real life adventures in the 19teens. This was when the idea of female cops was forming and beginning to happen. 3.5/5 I will probably read one more, but I’m not that impressed with this story.

I read another one, Miss K-pop’s Midnight Confessions and I liked it a bit more. Interesting stuff, the way girls/women were treated in the 19teens. Wow!4/5

23/50

 

[threeboysmom]

22/45 - Home Before Dark by Riley Sager - Oooh I really liked this one even though I typically stay away from anything horror ESPECIALLY "haunted house horror" but that was this book to a T and I LOVED it! Maggie grew up in a "haunted house" made famous by her dad who wrote a bestselling novel (think Amityville Horror - that book scarred me in my teens lol). Maggie inherits this house when her father dies and goes back to renovate and resell. Book alternates between present day Maggie who is now staying in this house (overnight! you couldn't pay me!) and chapters from her dad's book about what happened in that same house when she was a child (and currently staying in!). Did her father make up the stories in that book, as Maggie believes, or did they really happen?

23/45 - The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron - I keep hearing about enneagrams (9 different personality types) and wanted a good introduction book. I don't think this was it for me. I'm going to keep looking. Anyone have a good one to recommend??

24/45 - Matrix by Lauren Groff - another book getting a lot of buzz, but I didn't care for it all that much. I really enjoyed the beginning, then sort of lost my way through the 2nd half. It's VERY character driven. Absolutely nothing happens other than the beginning when 17 yo Marie gets banished from the royal court (too coarse & unmarriable) to live her life out as prioress of a convent. But.... I also didn't love A Gentleman in Moscow so there ya go....

25/45 - Verity by Colleen Hoover - just going to admit it - I loved this book! I read another Hoover book (can't even remember the name now) a few years back and didn't understand the hype at all and vowed I wouldn't bother reading another. Well, this one is getting continual buzz (and I got a strong push from my 30 yo nephew, ha, so I picked it up. Surprisingly, I couldn't put this one down. It's very easy reading, does have quite a bit of sex (so skip if that's not your sort of thing), and a great twist that I'm still mulling over in my mind. Did everything make sense? Not really. But I love a book that is "unputdownable"!

26/45 - The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny - my continual quest to read through her entire series so that I can get to her current books. This one was okay. Wasn't a fan of the plot (and I missed Three Pines!). Could be because I was reading this one at the same time as reading Matrix, both of which are set in similar settings: convent and monastery so I kept confusing them. I do LOVE the characters though - the more books I read in this series, the more "real" and precious these characters become to me.

 

[tiggrbaby]

April:

#25/90: These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant (4/5) (suspense)

Cooper and his young daughter Finch live in an isolated cabin in the Appalachian woods. Only two people know that they are there: a suspicious neighbor and Cooper’s military buddy, who brings them provisions once a year. When the buddy doesn’t show up, a chain of events occurs that puts them in danger of being discovered.

It started slow for me, but I ended up enjoying the book.

#26/90: The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1) by Richard Osman (3.5/5) (mystery)

A group of four residents in a fancy British retirement village meet every week to discuss unsolved crimes. When a developer turns up dead, the group has their first current case. Can they find the killer before it’s too late?

#27/90: The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain (3.5/5) (historical fiction)

Kayla Carter and her husband designed a beautiful home on the edge of the woods, but after his tragic death, someone wants to prevent Kayla and her young daughter from moving in. Ellie Hockley has returned to the area, after leaving when she was witness to horrors during the Civil Rights Movement. Secrets from the past will be revealed.

#28/90: The Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman (4/5) (mystery)

Shelby Lake is a deputy in the town where she was raised by her adoptive father, the Sheriff. When a young boy goes missing, secrets are uncovered that change lives. Ten years later, clues arise that change the course of that investigation.

#29/90: Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict (3/5) (historical fiction)

Rosalind Franklin is a scientific genius, working in the post WWII world of men. While working on a project with DNA, she believes she can solve the mystery. But she will be betrayed by the men around her.

#30/90: Defending Britta Stein (Taggart and Lockhart #6) by Ronald H. Balson (3/5) (historical fiction/courtroom drama)

Catherine Lockhart’s newest client is a ninety year old woman who admits to spray painting damaging words on the restaurant of a man who is about to be honored for his heroism in Denmark during WWII. It is up to Catherine and her husband Liam to find the proof that the man was actually a traitor, and clear the woman of defamation.
The information about Denmark during the war was interesting. But even the characters in the book commented on how long it was taking to get the woman’s story!

#31/90: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (3/5) (suspense)

When Joy Delaney goes missing, her husband Stan’s refusal to share details paints him as the prime suspect. The four adult Delaney children are divided in support of their father. Everyone has secrets to hide, including the mysterious woman who showed up at the Delaneys after a violent fight with her boyfriend.

I didn’t really like any of the characters in this book.

#32/90: The Outcast Dead (Ruth Galloway #6) by Elly Griffiths (4/5) (mystery)

Ruth has just unearthed the bones of a Victorian child murderess. Harry is investigating a kidnapper known as the Childminder. A young mother just lost her third child to crib death…or is she responsible?

#33/90: The Ghost Fields (Ruth Galloway #7) by Elly Griffiths (4/5) (mystery)

A downed WWII plane with the body of a murdered man leads Ruth and Nelson to investigate a wealthy family.

#34/90: A Duty to the Dead (Bess Crawford #1) by Charles Todd (4/5) (mystery)

WWI nurse Bess Crawford has just returned to England after almost losing her life in the sinking of her hospital ship. While she recovers, she fulfills a promise she made to a special patient before his death. But the family has secrets that Bess becomes involved in.

#35/90: The Ursulina (Shelby Lake #2) by Brian Freeman (4/5) (mystery)

The Ursulina is a mythical creature to most people, but not to Rebecca Colder. A serial killer has taken on the persona of the Ursulina. As Rebecca works to solve the crimes, she must make decisions that will change her life.

This is a prequel to The Deep, Deep Snow.

 

[willowsnn3]

I try to wait for chapter or page breaks but 2nd or 3rd time I doze off & the book smacks me in the face then I have to stop where I am.