Annual Reading Challenge--2020

[mini22]

11/35 Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin

 

[KevM]

I read 6 books in February, bringing my total for the year to 11. Those 6 were:

6 Belles of Liberty: Gender, Bennett College and the Civil Rights Movement by Linda Beatrice Brown - Non-Fiction, History. A very interesting look at the role the women from Bennett College played in Greensboro’s Civil Rights Movement. The entire book was good, but the last chapter, in which ~50 alumni gave brief summer iris if their own experiences in the early 60s was especially interesting. 4.25/5

7 No Name in the Street by James Baldwin
Memoir. A wide ranging look covering everything from his childhood in Harlem, to his time in Europe, to his time in Hollywood, and his time in the South. 4.5/5

8 Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor - Young Adult, Fantasy. The sequel to Akata Witch. A wonderful YA fantasy series. 4/5.

9 Calling Out Liberty: The Stono Slave Rebellion and the Universal Struggle for Human Rights by Jack Shuler - Non-Fiction, History. On September 9th, 1739, a group of roughly 100 slaves rose up in South Carolina with the goal of making it to Spanish Florida and freedom. Using the Stono Rebellion as it’s center point, this book explores how human rights were seen in early America. 4.25/5

10 A Kind of Grace: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Female Athlete by Jackie Joyner-Kersee - Autobiography. As the tile says, the autobiography of Jackie Joyner-Kersee. 4/5

11 Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson - Memoir. Using the case of innocent death row inmate Walter McMillian as it’s central story this memoir is a strong look into our criminal justice system. 5/5

 

[melk]

7/25 The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

A 16-year old girl falls for an older guy who is able to get her to commit a crime. What unfolds that night affects her whole life. She lives with an unimaginable secret and years later when her former boyfriend is finally caught she has to make a decision that could ultimately destroy her family, career, everything.

This is an older book (2006) but I had just read Diane Chamberlain’s latest book and couldn’t remember if I had read this one or not. She is such a great storyteller and I was caught up right from the beginning and could not put it down. It really is a gripping story and she makes you feel empathy for the characters.

 

[monarchsfan16]

15/30: After Anna by Lisa Scottoline. This was a page-turner. A few chapters got a bit long, but overall the story progressed well, and there was a definite twist at the end. I wish the ending had been a little longer, but...very solid read overall. 4/5

16/30: I feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron: This was another one from the book challenge. The message was good, and there was some nice humor, but it just seemed a little disjointed at times. 3/5

 

[willowsnn3]

I am Storm of Swords

 

[MGMmjl]

View attachment 478456

I am Storm of Swords

I am your sequel (or prequel) Game of Swords.

 

[Disney_Alli]

13/75 - Pucked Up: Helena Hunting

This is the second book in the series I read the first earlier while on vacation. Light, fun, a typical "beach book" type. I will say the author's use of "puck" and it's derivatives "pucked" or "pucking" in place of the rhyming word that start with "F" is kinda dumb though I get that it's a play on the book and series titles and the fact that the main characters play hockey.

 

[drwitz]

I guess I am now starting a complete Stephen King reread. I own most of his books and haven't read many of them in years. My last book above inspired me to start from the beginning so:

9. Carrie by Stephen King.

10. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.

I own paperback copies of both of these novels from way back in the beginning of my Stephen King obsession (picked them up at a used bookstore in Mt. Pleasant, SC where I went to HS). These were the two books that made me fall in love with his writing style, and while they read as “of their time” today, so much of the power and beauty of King’s writing is evident in these early reads. Also they are a fun set to read together with the female lead of Carrie and Ben as the male protagonist in Salem’s Lot. I am going to enjoy this reread cycle, I can tell.

Moving on with the King re-read process:

11. The Shining by Stephen King.

It's been a while since I have read this, and my memory is colored by the Kubrick movie. I liked the movie but it is a different story than the book. Given King's struggle with sobriety until 1987 and his family's intervention due to his drug and alcohol abuse, the book also reads a bit like the negative doppelganger of King (moody writer, young wife and child, struggling with addiction). It was great though, and I loved the re-read.

12. Rage by Stephen King (published under the name Richard Bachman).

The first of the so-called Bachman books, this is a troubling book. King has taken it out-of-print now (and, in fact, it isn't even available anymore in the Bachman Book collection) given its portrayal of a school shooter. This was disturbing in large part because it puts you inside the mind of the perpetrator. As an older man reading it now (and in our current era), I understand why he has taken it out of circulation, but it is a powerful read (especially when you realize he began writing this in high school). It does express the alienation, discomfort, and anxiety of high school, but the lesson (that we all have a little evil inside of us waiting for the right time to emerge) is heavy-handed.

 

[Disney_Alli]

14/75 - Pretty Little Liars: Sara Shepard

This popped up as a library recommendation and as I've watched the first season or two of the show I figured what the heck... Goodness the entire first book is distilled into the first episode. I bet this book would be 1/3 the length if the author did not describe color, type and brand of every article of clothing every single character wears in every single scene! I enjoyed the story well enough (though holy cow I thought I read books with clueless parents when I was a teen but these characters might as well not have parents - other than as a source of HUGE income - for all the parenting they actually do) but due to the endless clothing descriptions which annoyed me constantly I'll never read any more in the series. It's prompted me to watch more of the show though.

 

[allenfane]

Finished 4/12 Tony Hillerman's 3rd Joe Leaphorn novel, Listening Woman.

AllenFane

 

[bobbiwoz]

18/75
Thistles and Thieves by Molly MacRae

I thought it a just alright mystery. It’s set in Scotland, so there is some interesting tidbits about Scottish life.

 

[willowsnn3]

#15/60 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.
Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

Really liked this one. It was a recommendation from this board.

 

[tiggrbaby]

#10/90: A Cruise to Die For (Alix London #2) by Charlotte and Aaron Elkins (3/5) (mystery)

Alix is now helping the FBI by joining a private cruise to get information on an art action that might involve forgeries.

#11/90: Tell No One by Harlan Coben (4/5) (thriller)

A young doctor has lived a lonely life since the brutal murder of his wife eight years ago. But a cryptic e-mail with information only she would know causes him to believe that she is still alive. As directed, he tells no one, but he is being pursued while he searches to learn the truth.

#12/90: Everywhere That Mary Went (Rosato and Associates #1) by Lisa Scottoline (3.5/5) (mystery)

Young widowed Mary is working very hard to become partner at her high powered law firm, so it is not surprising that she is ignoring the strange phone calls. But it becomes apparent that someone is stalking her – could it be someone close to her?

#13/90: Two Nights by Kathy Reichs (4/5) (suspense)

A former cop with a traumatic past is hired to locate a young girl who went missing after an explosion that killed her mother and brother.

This is a standalone book by the author of the Temperance Brennan series.

#14/90: Tailspin by Sandra Brown (3.4/5) (romantic thriller)

A pilot is sent on a mission to deliver a mysterious box. After crashing the plane, he ends up on the run with the beautiful doctor who he is not sure if he can trust.

#15/90: The Word is Murder (Detective Hawthorne #1) by Anthony Horowitz (3/5) (mystery)

A woman is murdered just hours after planning her own funeral. A former detective turned private investigator invites his biographer to help solve the mystery.

#16/90: The Sentence is Death (Detective Hawthorne #2) by Anthony Horowitz (3/5) (mystery)

A celebrity divorce lawyer is found murdered under mysterious circumstances. Hawthorne and his sidekick Anthony are brought in to solve the crime.

#17/90: MatchUp edited by Lee Child (4.5/5) (thriller short stories)

Stories written by two authors using their respective characters in one storyline. Each story has an introduction to the authors and their process.

A fun read!

 

[OKW8297]

9. Winter Cottage by Mary Ellen Taylor
Great story that goes between 3 time periods

 

[monarchsfan16]

17/30: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate: This was a really well written historical fiction novel that focuses on a piece of history (an adoption scandal in TN) that I'm not really surprised happened, but had never heard of. This is the 2nd book I've read by Lisa Wingate, and she is a master at switching back and forth between time periods. This was a VERY engaging read. 5/5

 

[bobbiwoz]

19/75 The Dog I loved by Susan Wilson

It’s basically about two women ....one in prison who gets to train service dogs and the woman soldier who got Shark, the first dog the woman in prison trained.....that’s the easy explanation! I really enjoyed the book!

 

[TammyNC]

3/20 - Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

This is the 14th book in this series that I had been reading off and on for while. I had started the E-book from the library several years ago and never finished. Discovered I could check out audio books from the library and listen on my phone so I decided to give this a try and just started the book over since it had been so long ago. Was great having it to listen to while doing tasks around the house or out running errands. The series is a fun and easy read. Will likely check out the next one as a E-book to read while on vacation later this month.

 

[Tiggerish]

#15/60 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.
Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

Really liked this one. It was a recommendation from this board.

This is my book 11 of 80 and agree that it was a good read. It was a bit of a slow start because I had to get into the author's style but worth sticking with.

 

[Tiggerish]

Looking For Clara by Simona Grossi. Romantic fiction with an interesting story line involving a woman who gave up her interest in piano to become a lawyer, then has a legal assignment in Italy that changes her life. Some mild adult content.

Casa Clara by Kate McCabe. Romantic fiction. This was fairly standard with mild adult content. A young woman in Ireland leaves her civil service job, a newly purchased apartment and boyfriend to escape from her overbearing sister who is trying to run her life. She ends up working at a small private hotel in Spain and changing her life.

On His Bended Knee by Shanae Johnson. Christian romantic fiction. Part of The Brides of Purple Heart Ranch series. It was a light read with a happy ending with plenty of foreshadowing of the next books in the series.

Paper Roses by Karen Ann Hopkins. Book 5 of the Serenity's Plains Secrets. The local female sheriff struggles to investigate crimes within the large Amish community in her jurisdiction. I have read two other books in this series. They are interesting light reading.

First Wave by Lisa Phillips. The1st book in the Northwest Counter-Terrorism Taskforce series. Christian fiction with lots of violent action and intrigue. I have read some of this author's WIT-SEC town series, about a secluded town for people in witness protection. The story line was improbable but clever enough to keep my interest and the Christian theming is present but not in your face.

12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of 80

 

[TammyNC]

4/20 - The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

A sweet story (which aren't most of his?). Thankful I had some time this afternoon to finish this one. Picked up a couple from the library today so will start fresh in the morning. Also started another audio book while I was out running errands today.