75 Books...More or Less! discussion

Hi, I'm going for 65+ books again in 2020, 1-1/4 books per week. That seems like a comfortable pace for me. I don't want to set my goal too high and then fall short. Hoping to branch out and read some new genres this year. Good luck to everyone in their 2020 reading! Happy New Year!

Good Luck - What new genre are your eyeing? I want to branch out also, but have such a hard time doing it. I realized how limited my scope was when I was unable to vote in so many categories of the GR 2019 Best Books.

Connie wrote: "Good Luck - What new genre are your eyeing? I want to branch out also, but have such a hard time doing it. I realized how limited my scope was when I was unable to vote in so many categories of the..."

Hi, Connie. I tend to read a lot of mysteries, and I'd like to branch out a bit to possibly read some nonfiction, some more diverse authors, maybe some memoirs or biographies of outstanding women. For Christmas, I received "Conversations With RBG" byJeffrey Rosen. Another on my list is "Mankiller: A Chief and Her People." i'll still read mysteries too, I'm sure!

Donna I feel the same way, I tend to read a lot of the same types of books. A couple of years ago I picked a couple of books from the list of winners in categories I wouldn't normally read. It helped me branch out a little.

Andrea wrote: "Donna I feel the same way, I tend to read a lot of the same types of books. A couple of years ago I picked a couple of books from the list of winners in categories I wouldn't normally read. It help..."

That's a good idea, Andrea! That's why I love all the input I can pick up from Goodreads and the groups I'm in!

If you want some encouragement we could pick one and do a buffy read together :)

Andrea wrote: "If you want some encouragement we could pick one and do a buffy read together :)"

Sure, I would be up for that!

1. 4/5

This is the first book of the Detective Murdoch series, which has been made into a TV series. Murdoch is a detective in late 19th century Toronto, and becomes involved in a case where the body of a young girl is found in the snow. She is naked, is discovered to be pregnant, and her death is by foul play! Murdoch uses the latest scientific techniques of the day to help in his investigations.

Great! I love how buddy read got translated to Buffy! What category would you like to pick from?

2. 4/5

The author, Jeffrey Rosen, first met RBG (may she live forever) on an elevator in the 1990s when he was a young law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals on the D.C. Circuit, and she was a judge on the same court. They struck up a mutual friendship over their love of opera and the law, and RBG officiated at his wedding. They discussed some of her favorite decisions, and I was impressed by her continuing optimism. "Young people should appreciate the values on which our nation is based and how precious they are and if they don't become part of the crowd that seeks to uphold them--recall something Judge Learned Hand said: if the spirit of liberty dies in the hearts of the people, no court is capable of restoring it. But I can see the spirit of my grandchildren and their friends, and I have faith in this generation just coming into adulthood."

3. 4/5

I got this one for the little grand-squirt, and it's a really sweet and encouraging book about being courageous and smart, strong and brave, and trying new things, all the things you want your little one to do and be. I like the overall message of the book, that maybe today didn't go so well, but that's alright, tomorrow is another day, and tomorrow I'll be brave. Good message for adults too.

4. 4/5

Kathy Khang is a Korean-American Christian whose book encourages readers to learn to speak out in word and deed on their own behalf and on behalf of others. She encourages readers to be informed and learn from people who are different from them. I especially like her challenge to "commit to reading books by authors of color" (which has been a goal of mine), and to "commit to reading books by authors who have a different viewpoint on issues than you do or come from a different racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic experience than you do." She also pointed out in a couple of places in the book that trusting in God does not absolve us of the responsibility to speak out against injustice or take action, for which I raise my voice to say, "Thank you!"

Donna wrote: "3. 4/5

I got this one for the little grand-squirt, and it's a really sweet and encouraging book about being courageous and smart, strong and brave, and ..."

I like that!

Donna wrote: "2. 4/5

The author, Jeffrey Rosen, first met RBG (may she live forever) on an elevator in the 1990s ..."

❤❤❤ RBG!! Please may she live forever! lol

Elyse wrote: "Donna wrote: "2. 4/5

The author, Jeffrey Rosen, first met RBG (may she live forever) on an elevator..."

Yes, fingers, toes and eyes crossed!!!

5. 3/5

This is #29 in the Agatha Raisin series. Well, this was kind of a mess, but out of loyalty to dear Agatha and M.C. Beaton, I want to finish out the series. Agatha convinces a bell ringer in the church in the village of Thirk Magna to hire her to investigate a cold case murder. Meanwhile, one of the other bell ringers is killed, and bodies begin to pile up. Agatha is unfocused, pursuing love and having mood swings. The book occasionally made me laugh out loud, but I miss the old Agatha's spunk.

6. 4/5

Another book I purchased for my favorite little guy. This book encourages empathy, kindness and compassion, so important for kids to learn in a world that no longer seems to value these qualities. A great gift book for any young child.

7. 4/5

This is #5 in the Baby Ganesh Agency series. A Parsee philanthropist is found murdered on holy burial grounds, and his daughter calls in Inspector Chopra to investigate. The glimpse into the secretive Parsee culture and burial ritual was interesting. Chopra's baby elephant sidekick is a charming character.

There was an exchange between Chopra's assistant investigator, Rangwalla, and Soman, a minor bureaucrat, that struck me. Soman:
"Misgovernment and corruption always go hand in hand." Do you know who said that? Rangwalla shook his head. "It was Gandhi. He knew, even then, that in this new country of ours there would be those who placed themselves first, their nation second, their fellow countrymen last. ... We are custodians, Rangwalla, mere custodians. The only real legacy we can pass on to our children is our integrity. They are the ones we must face one day, when they come of age. What will I say to my son then? What will you say to yours?"

So timely.

8. 5/5

I was just in the mood for a multi-generational saga, and this book fit the bill perfectly. It starts out with a young Korean girl, Sunja, in the early 1900s, the daughter of a poor, crippled fisherman, who is seduced by a rich man from Japan. She becomes pregnant, but finds out that he already has a family in Japan. She is married by a kind Korean Christian missionary, and they move in with his family in Japan. The story traces her family's struggles over generations, living in Japan as gaijin (foreigners), being Korean and never fitting in (even after living in Japan for generations), until they eventually make their fortune in the pachinko business, which is one of the few businesses that Koreans can get hired into. Pachinko becomes a metaphor of sorts of life for these Koreans, a game of chance that is always fixed against them, where the house always has the advantage.

Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "7. 4/5

This is #5 in the Baby Ganesh Agency series. A Parsee philanthropist is found murdered on holy burial grounds, and his daughter calls in Ins..."

Oh, Donna! I just got shivers from that quote. Timely, indeed!

This reminds me I need to start another Baby Ganesh book.

Carol wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "7. 4/5

This is #5 in the Baby Ganesh Agency series. A Parsee philanthropist is found murdered on holy burial grounds, an..."

I know--my mouth dropped open while I was reading it--I read it over and over! So true!

9. 5/5

I read this book as part of Sarah Bessey's excellent Field Notes Book Club and as part of my own commitment and desire to read books from more diverse authors. Jeff Chu, a gay Christian, goes on a cross-country pilgrimage, interviewing Christians of different backgrounds as he seeks to answer the question posed by the title. He isn't faint of heart, even spending time with the Westboro Baptist family and talking with Fred Phelps, the founder of the church, finding them to be surprisingly cordial in person. A fascinating book, and I found the concluding chapter to be challenging and helpful to my own faith; I read this chapter through several times. My own conclusion, in answer to the title is, Yes, of course, Jesus loves Jeff and other gay people. God created them they way they are, and what they decide to do with their sexuality is between them and God, and not my business, and no one should presume to interfere or restrict another person from becoming all that God wants them to be.

10. 4/5

Frieda and Claudia are young black girls growing up in abject poverty and with few expressions of love. Their friend Pecola is considered "ugly," and is a frequent target of bullying. Pecola's mother works as a housekeeper for a white family, and seems to lavish on the blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl in the family all the love that she denies to her own child. Pecola's self-loathing is such that she wishes she had blue eyes so that others would see her as beautiful and would love her. The book shows the effects of generational racism, neglect and poverty that create Pecola's sad self-loathing.

11. 4/5

This is the 4th book in the Inspector Gamache series. Armand Gamache and his wife are celebrating their anniversary at an inn near Three Pines, where the Finney family is having a family reunion. The Finneys are a pretty unlikable group, and not surprisingly, one of them winds up dead. Gamache investigates and has to face some unpleasantness from his past. I gave it 4/5 because the action took place away from Three Pines and its delightful characters.

Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "10. 4/5

Frieda and Claudia are young black girls growing up in abject poverty and with few expressions of love. Their friend Pecola is considered "ugly," and is a ..."

This sounds fascinating!

Juli wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "10. 4/5

Frieda and Claudia are young black girls growing up in abject poverty and with few expressions of love. Their friend Pecola is c..."

This is the first Toni Morrison book I've ever read--I definitely want to read more.

Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "Juli wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "10. 4/5

Frieda and Claudia are young black girls growing up in abject poverty and with few expressions of love. Their frien..."

I have to admit I've read zero books by here :/

Juli wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "Juli wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "10. 4/5

Frieda and Claudia are young black girls growing up in abject poverty and with few expre..."

Me toooo. I own a couple though!

Elyse wrote: "Juli wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "Juli wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "10. 4/5

Frieda and Claudia are young black girls growing up in abject poverty and w..."

Very good--worthwhile read!

12. 3/5

This is such a strange book that I can't recommend it unless you really enjoy books with extremely quirky characters and bizarre plotlines. Detective Varg is the head of the Department of Sensitive Crimes in Malmo, Sweden, where he investigates odd occurrences such as who would stab someone in the back of the knee. He also investigates the mysterious disappearance of a young woman's imaginary boyfriend. Detective Varg's job and his loneliness leave him time to muse and ponder vaguely on different subjects. This is the first in the Detective Varg series.

13. 5/5

I read this book also as part of Sarah Bessey's Field Notes Book Club, and there is just so much in this book to absorb. A couple of portions I marked: "My strongest conviction toward advocacy is that God wants people to live freely. This conviction has put me on a path to pursue racial justice." I love that!

Later in the book, the author writes: "To effectively build for the new kingdom, you must also educate yourself. Broaden your scope of reading and listening. If you are part of the majority culture, read books written by people of color and watch documentaries and movies written and produced by people of color. Then share what you have learned. Rally your peers and build a community of kingdom-minded people so that you can all purposefully grow in wisdom, knowledge, love, and service together." Great advice.

14. 4/5

This is #14 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series, and Mma Makutsi is expecting her first child! Mma Ramotswe helps to solve a mystery when someone is slandering the reputation of a local businesswoman and trying to put her out of business.

15. 4/5

This is #3 in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series. Dr. Paiboun is the head coroner in Laos in the 1970s, and he and his nurse head to the north to investigate a body that has been found in a cement walkway at the president's house. His investigation unearths a strange tale of forbidden love and ritual killing. Those who enjoy mysteries with an element of the paranormal would enjoy the Dr. Siri Paiboun series.

16. 5/5

I read this book also as part of the Field Notes Book Club. This is a collection of seventeen sermons by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; it doesn't contain any of his speeches. I liked this quote: "The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific, and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist!"

17. 5/5

This is #14 in the Molly Murphy series. I've gotten behind in reporting my books, what with all that's been happening in the world. Molly has returned from Paris, and her house has been rebuilt and is being remodeled. Daniel begins chasing a murderer who seems to be killing people randomly and leaving him taunting notes about the murders. Molly and her baby are almost among the victims at one point. Can she find the link between the victims and help Daniel solve the crimes?

18. 4/5

This is the first book in the Singaporean mystery series, featuring Aunty Lee. I'm using Overdrive/Libby, now that the library is closed, so am seeing what I can download there, as well as what I can find on our shelves. Aunty Lee runs a restaurant in a tourist area of Singapore, and loves to cook and to gossip. When two young women who have eaten her home cooking are murdered, Aunty Lee feels duty bound to discover who would have done such a thing to two of her customers. Aunty Lee and her faithful helper/servant are endearing characters.

Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "18. 4/5

This is the first book in the Singaporean mystery series, featuring Aunty Lee. I'm using Overdrive/Libby, now that the library is closed, so am se..."

Hey Donna, I really liked this one too and have book #2 if you want to do a buddy read. I could read it as early as May if you want.

Carol wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "18. 4/5

This is the first book in the Singaporean mystery series, featuring Aunty Lee. I'm using Overdrive/Libby, now that the ..."

Hi, Carol--I saw it in your feed--that's why I read it! I'll have to check to see whether I can download it from my library's Libby app. If so, that would be fun!

Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "Carol wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "18. 4/5

This is the first book in the Singaporean mystery series, featuring Aunty Lee. I'm using Overdrive/Libby,..."

OK, sounds great!

19. 3/5

This is number 11 in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series. Charlie decides to audit a course in early medieval history at the college he works at, and is approached by an attractive woman who is taking the class and wants to be his study partner. She winds up dead, and later another death takes place. Not one of the best books in the series, but the characters are likable.

20. 5/5

This is number 8 in the Flavia deLuce series. I am such a huge Flavia deLuce fan. There are parts of the book where her remarks just make me laugh out loud. In this book, Flavia has just returned from her brief stint of formal education in Canada to a dismal welcome from her sisters, and finds that her father is in the hospital, very ill with pneumonia. While running an errand for the vicar's wife, she discovers the body of a woodcarver in his house, hanging upside-down on the back of his bedroom door. This discovery helps to perk Flavia up: "It's amazing what the discovery of a corpse can do for ones spirts!'' Using science, ingenuity, and her own unique methods of investigation, she manages to find the killer.

21. 4/5

This is the fourth book that I've read by Kazuo Ishiguro, and it's my least favorite of the four. This one is set in Arthurian times. An elderly couple, Axl and Beatrice, set out on a journey away from their village in hopes of finding their son's village. The countryside is subject, at times, to a mist that causes forgetfulness, and Axl and Beatrice are unable to remember much of their long lives together. They meet a knight, a warrior and a young man as they travel, and there are evil creatures, big and small, that cause problems along the way. At times, I felt like the mist was coming up out of the book and fogging up my brain--what was I saying?? There are themes of love, anger, forgiveness, honor, the peace of forgetting vs. the anguish of remembering, war and more. As I thought more about this book, it seemed a perfect book to read in the age of Trump, where his words and lies seem to weave a fog that entangles and confuses everyone, where guideposts are obscured, and where history is distorted beyond remembrance.

22. 4/5

I've been making masks and not getting much reading done! This memoir chronicles the period of Barbara Brown Taylor's life when she decided to end a long career as an Episcopal priest and begin a new career as a professor of religious studies. I've been going through some changes in my own religious thought in the last few years, hopefully a broadening experience. This passage spoke to me: " ... I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than religious certainty and to seek companions who have arrived at the same place. We are a motley crew, distinguished not only by our inability to explain ourselves to those who are more certain of their beliefs than we are but in many cases by our distance from the centers of our faith communities as well. Like campers who have bonded over cook fires far from home, we remain grateful for the provisions that we have brought with us from those cupboards, but we also find them more delicious when we share them with one another under the stars."

23. 4/5

This is the second book in the Singaporean Mystery series. Aunty Lee is asked to cater a luncheon at the home of rich socialite lawyer Mabel Sung, where Mabel's daughter is being honored for becoming a partner in her law firm. However, at the luncheon, Mabel and her chronically ill son, Leonard, wind up dead, and Aunty Lee's signature dish, chicken with buah keluak, is blamed for their deaths. Can Aunty Lee find the real killers and clear her culinary reputation?

24. 5/5

With all that's going on, we've been spending more time watching our grandson while his parents work from home, and I doubt I'll make my 65 book goal for the year. However, I'm so very thankful that we're healthy and are able to shelter and be fairly safe. So rather than worrying about reaching my 65+ goal, I'm planning to enjoy spending time with my grandson and doing some comfort reading, so I'm re-reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Ring trilogy for maybe the fourth time. The last time was a little over twenty years ago, in 1997. As we all know, in The Hobbit, Bilbo goes out on an adventure with Gandalf and thirteen dwarves, and finds that he is "only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all."

25. 5/5

Escapism, comfort reading--boy, do I need it! We all know the story--a plucky hobbit goes on a quest to destroy an evil ring with his hobbit buddies, a wizard, a dwarf, a couple of men, and an elf. What could go wrong?

26. 4/5

I'm so very behind in my reading this plague year, and I swore I wasn't going to be doing any apocalyptic reading, so here I am reading Jack London's novella, "The Scarlet Plague." The story is set is 2073, sixty years after a plague has wiped out pretty much all of mankind. The story follows one of the last survivors from pre-plague times, James Howard Smith, a former UC Berkeley professor, and his two semi-feral grandsons. Society breaks down, clans form, knowledge is lost, and brutality sets in. Interesting story if you are familiar with the Bay Area and surrounding landmarks. Probably not recommended Covid reading--back to my escapist novels!

Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "26. 4/5

I'm so very behind in my reading this plague year, and I swore I wasn't going to be doing any apocalyptic reading, so here I am reading Jack London's..."

I read Station Eleven a couple of weeks ago. A bit freaky. I won't be reading anymore pandemic novels anytime soon. lol!

Elyse wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "26. 4/5

I'm so very behind in my reading this plague year, and I swore I wasn't going to be doing any apocalyptic reading, so here..."

I read Severance early during the pandemic, and it definitely made the book even more surreal. I recently re-read Judgment Day (AKA Millennium Rising) as an audio, which wasn't quite as bad. Partly because the pandemic in that book is just part of the story, partly because it was audio and a re-read so I wasn't solely focused on it, and partly because our own situation has become a bit more normalized. When I read Severance we were still firmly in the "hunker down and wait until we get a handle on this thing" stage. (Not to say we have a handle on it now, but at least we have more information and our family has figured out what we're doing for the foreseeable future.)

Elyse wrote: "Donna (weegraydog) wrote: "26. 4/5

I'm so very behind in my reading this plague year, and I swore I wasn't going to be doing any apocalyptic reading, so here..."

Hi, Elyse: I read Station Eleven a couple of years ago--I've thought of it several times during the pandemic! I'm glad the Coronavirus isn't apparently as catching as the pandemic in Station Eleven! Good book, though.