Annual Reading Challenge 2019

10/50 Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty I didn’t like this book as much as her others. It was slow and, for most of the book, I couldn’t quite figure out where the story was going. The last 10 or so chapters redeemed it some, but I would recommend reading any other Liane Moriarty book over this one.

11/50 China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan 2nd book in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. This was a fun, light read.
 
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Sandhill Dreams by Cara Putman. Christian romantic fiction set in a WWII Army camp where they are training dogs.

Last Call by Libby Kirsh - murder mystery set in an unusual "dive" bar run by a young woman and her computer whiz live-in boyfriend.

Where Home Is by Karen J. Hasley. Set between 1910 and 1936 about a woman doctor. The book starts with the doctor doing a year long fellowship at the Hull House run by Jane Adams in Chicago. It ends with her having returned to her family in Wyoming and opening her own practice.

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20/75. Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince
It’s one of a series. Fantastic ghost writes her thoughts in a book, believe it or not, it’s an interesting story.
 
#31/130 - Improper Relations by Juliana Ross

A short Victorian romance, very sexually-driven without a whole lot of character development or even much of a plot. Which was too bad, because there was real potential to both of the main characters and the scenario, but instead of building on the promise of the initial introductions and occasional glimpses, the author went in a very two-dimensional direction where sex was pretty much the only thing driving the connection between the characters and their eventual happily ever after.

#32 - Dogs and Demons:Tales from the Dark Side of Modern Japan by Alex Kerr

I have very mixed feelings about this one. It is a really brutal cultural critique of modern Japan, particularly from the 1980s to present, written by an American who has lived much of his life in Japan. And a lot of his points echoed commentary I've read from other sources, particularly about the oppressive nature of Japanese bureaucracy and conformity-based culture, so his basic thesis wasn't entirely unfamiliar or unexpected. But at the same time, I felt like he stretched some of his supporting facts well beyond the point of their logical conclusions, and his bitterness and almost love-hate relationship with the country could be a bit off-putting at times. It is also an older book, published in 2001, and he incorporated quite a few worst-cast projections into his analysis of economic trends, birth rates and tourism patterns that time has already disproven to varying degrees, which distracted from the broader point. I'd love to see an updated version, actually, to see how or if the analysis would change in light of the events of the last two decades.
 


I do not have a number in my mind. However, I do have one goal.

I would like to finish "College Physics: A Strategic Approach" before the end of 2019. I took this up only last month, and I realized very soon that I was out of my depth. It's not part of course work. I was just feeling bad about how little attention I paid in high school, especially to Physics and Mathematics. I remember being introduced to quadratic equations. That's all. I never bothered to pay attention since that point. I don't know why. Now I'm trying to teach myself some basic Physics, solely out of personal interest. It's harder than I thought.

At the same time, I'm trying to finish Nicholson Baker's "The Mezzanine" this month. I'd read The Anthologist earlier, and I really liked it. The Mezzanine, however, is more challenging, especially since the edition I have has really small type, which is also clustered. I feel out of breath reading this edition on account of its poor layout. I'd like to finish this one by the end of this month, though.

That's all, really.
 


9/24 - Merry & Bright by Debbie MacComber. Again, this one was available immediately for download from my library. I picked it mainly because there are a bunch of Hallmark Christmas movies that are labeled "Debbie MacComber's...." and I am not sure if I've ever seen any of them. I know I haven't read any of her books. It was a pretty cute story. Definitely an easy read. I'd read another if I came across one.

10/24 - The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. I checked this one out because I previously read one of her other books and gave it a mediocre review. Several people on this thread said they thought this one was better. I think I agree, but it still seemed to take a long time to get going. I enjoyed it once it did though.

We're going on Spring Break next week and I had hoped that I'd come to the top of the reserve list for "The Code Girls." According to their original time estimate, I should have come to the top of the list this week. However, the hold list is still showing "about 3 weeks" for me, so I'm guessing I won't be reading that one on spring break!
 
Update Time
#8-My Life among the Underdogs, Tia (?)-4 stars-the lady from the TV show "Pit Bulls and Parollees. I hadn't watched it, but I am now.
#9-Sold on a Monday, McMorris-2 Stars-not at ALL what I thought-it was advertised as about the Great Depression and I was looking forward to reading about it, but it was much more about the newsroom and the reporter who took the photo.
#10-Little Fires Everywhere, Ng-4 stars-interesting
#11-I'll Be Your Blue Sky-3 stars. For lovers of romance, they may enjoy it, but for me, who thought I liked romance, it was too sappy.

Somewhere I must have miscounted, because Goodreads says I've read 12 books.
 
#33/130 - Sin & Salvation by K.F. Breene

The final installment in an fantasy-romance series set in a world where all manner of magical creatures, from the spawn of the Greek gods to kraken and djinn, are not only real but living among humans in cities they've established as strongholds and safe havens for magical beings, I have been waiting for this one for a long time after really enjoying the first two. Unlike a lot of series, I found the second book more enjoyable than the first and the third continued that trend. The shift in action away from the romance, which though still an element isn't as much the focus as in the first book, and toward a truly epic adventure/fantasy showdown make it a very quick read that I didn't want to put down because I had to know what comes next.

#34 - Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff

I read Beautiful Boy, written by Sheff's father, last year when it was all over the book pages and NPR ahead of the movie release, and I've been waiting for this one to become available on one of my e-readers for a long time because I really wanted to hear the story from the other side. I wasn't disappointed. An unflinching, almost confessional memoir about life in the grips of addiction, I found this book to be incredibly compelling, impossible to put down, and, as the sister of an addict who lost his battle, extremely hard to read. Sheff's honesty is both admirable and repellent, and at times it is easier to empathize with his family's anger and disappointment than with his own struggles against his inner demons. And although he gets clean in the end, his story is a deeply discouraging one for anyone who has ever loved an addict... because it reveals that even with all the resources in the world, parents willing and able to pay for one expensive rehab stay after another, sobriety is a steeply uphill battle. It makes one wonder if addicts without his resources and advantages stand a chance at all, or if they're destined to end up like my brother, dead of a relapse while waiting for an appointment in an overburdened system.
 
9/75
Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

A friend recommended this series, so I began with the first. I am not a fan.

If you’re willing, try at least the second in the series. Relic is a bit of an outlier in terms of plot and style.
 
I’m late to the challenge this year because I’ve been reading like crazy! I had a busy and stressful 2018, so didn’t read as much as I normally do. My main goal this year is to fulfill the Pop Sugar reading challenge, which involves 50 prompts. I’m also reading a bunch of 80s/90s YA fiction to listen to the Teen Creeps podcast. Teen horror was my jam back then!

Here’s what I’ve read so far this year listed by prompt (if applicable) and generally in order from best to worst.


1. A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

2. Two books that share the same title - #1 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

3. A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie – The Shining by Stephen King

4. A book by two female authors – The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

5. A reread of a favorite book – Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

6. A book published posthumously – I’ll Be Gone in the Dark

7. A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction) - Seth’s Broadway Diary, volume 2 by Seth Rudetsky

8. A book with LOVE in the title – The Last Girlfriend on Earth: And Other Love Stories by Simon Rich

9. A book author from Asia, Africa, or South America – Love, Loss, and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi

10. A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent - The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

11. A book revolving around a puzzle or game – Click Here to Start by Denis Markell

12. A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover – People Like Us by Dana Mele

13. A book with POP, SUGAR, or CHALLENGE in the title – In Watermelon Sugar

14. Unqualified by Anna Faris

15. A book you meant to read in 2018 – My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews

16. A book that makes you nostalgic – Paperback Crush by Gabrielle Moss

17. Cheerleaders: The First Evil by R L Stine

18. Goosebumps: The Haunted School by R. L. Stine

19. Goosebumps: The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena by R. L. Stine

20. Goosebumps: Beware, The Snowman by R.L. Stine

21. Nightmare Hall: The First Scream by Diane Hoh

22. Cheerleaders: The Second Evil by R. L. Stine

23. A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title – Sweet Valley High #40

24. The Dead Girlfriend by R. L. Stine

25. Secret, Silent Screams by Joan Lowery Nixon

26. Beautiful Creatures: The Manga by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

27. A choose your own adventure book - My Lady’s Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran

28. Captive of the Labyrinth: Sarah Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune by Mary Jo Ignoffo

29. Goosebumps: Calling All Creeps by R. L. Stine
 
9/50 - Barbara Bush: A Memoir by Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush endures as one of America’s most popular First Ladies. She has won worldwide acclaim for her wit, compassion, and candor as both a presidential wife and mother. In this fascinating memoir, Mrs. Bush offers a heartfelt portrait of her life in and out of the White House, from her small-town schoolgirl days in Rye, New York, to her fateful union with George H.W. Bush, to her role as First Lady of the United States. Here, she writes candidly about her early years with George Bush in West Texas and the tragic death of their young daughter, Pauline. She also discusses the world of Washington politics and the famous figures she’s met, as well as the disappointment of the 1992 presidential campaign—and the mixed blessing of regaining her private life, including her role as the nation’s leading literacy champion.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very easy to read and her style of writing made it seem like she was carrying on a conversation with me.
 
#17/50

"L" is for Lawless by Sue Grafton

Good. Slowly working my way thru the alphabet.

Heading to the library this morning on way to work as I have NOTHING on hand to read. o_O
 
Decided to reread two classics I hadn't read in a very very very long time.
4/25 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, love this story so much.
5/25 My all time favorite To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Now I remember well why it was my favorite book as a kid, was lifechanging read for me.
 
The Looking Glass Goddess by Amanda Hughes. Romantic, historical fiction. It was just okay but it was a free download so. . . The weather is finally starting to show signs of spring so will be able to take my power chair to the library soon. That will greatly expand my reading potential.

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#18/50
The Extra Large Medium by Helen Slavin
Ever since she was a child, Annie Colville has been talking to the dead. She knows they’re dead because for some reason they’re always dressed in chocolate brown. They appear to Annie because they’re worried about life’s unfinished business, like where they left the key to the shed or who should inherit the family tea set.

But Annie’s grown up now and thing begin to get serious after she falls for Evan Bees. It’s hard enough to lose a loved one, but what if you know he could come back to you and he just…doesn’t? As she waits for her missing husband’s return, in chocolate brown or not, Annie searches through her mother’s vast collection of lovers for the other missing man in her life—her father—and struggles with the questions her gift asks of her.

Picked this one up at the library when I was browsing the other day. I'm not sure if I liked it or not. Started slow, got pretty good then confusing ending. Reading the Goodreads reviews seems like I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Probably would not recommend.
 
Bed and Breakfast and Murder by Patti Larsen. A cozy mystery. A quick, fluffy read.

Discovering Home by Carol Moncado. Christian romantic fiction with the happily ever after ending.

Inheriting Edith by Zoe Fishman. This was an excellent book. Maggie, despite her college degree in English, works for New York city's elite as a house cleaner. She is also raising a toddler as a single mother. Everything changes when a former client dies, leaving her a house in Sag Harbor and the money to maintain it. But there is a catch, the house comes with the woman's 82 year old mother who is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's. How they bond into a family makes an interesting read.

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