Play Book Tag discussion
Member Challenge Tracking 2021
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Cindy/LibraryCin's 2021 Challenges
12x12 CHALLENGEPlay Book Tag (tags or challenges)
1. Furiously Happy / Jenny Lawson. 4 stars
2. A Prayer for the Dying / Stewart O'Nan. 2.5 stars
3. The Witch Elm / Tana French. 4 stars
4. Vanishing and Other Stories / Deborah Willis. 2.75 stars
5. Victoria's Daughters / Jerrold M. Packard. 3.75 stars
6. Orphan Train / Christina Baker Kline. 4 stars
7. The Silver Linings Playbook / Matthew Quick. 3.5 stars
8. We Have Always Been Here / Samra Habib. 3.5 stars
9. The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England / Ian Mortimer. 4.25 stars
10. Such a Pretty Face / Cathy Lamb. 4 stars
11. The Last Runaway / Tracy Chevalier. 3.75 stars
12. Fangirl / Rainbow Rowell. 3.75 stars
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13. A Spark of Light / Jodi Picoult. 3 stars
14. The Terror / Dan Simmons. 3.25 stars
15. Murphy's Law / Rhys Bowen. 4 stars
16. The Library of Lost and Found / Phaedra Patrick .4 stars
ARCs (Netgalley, Early Readers)1. Good Neighbors / Sarah Langan. 5 stars
2. Women in White Coats / Olivia Campbell. 4.25 stars
3. The Drowning Kind / Jennifer McMahon. 5 stars
4. The Last Thing He Told Me / Laura Dave. 4 stars
5. Local Woman Missing / Mary Kubica. 5 stars
6. The Clover Girls / Viola Shipman. 3.5 stars
7. Such a Quiet Place / Megan Miranda. 4 stars
8. The Other Passenger / Louise Candlish. 4 stars
9. Never Saw Me Coming / Vera Kurian. 4 stars
10. The Sisters Sweet / Elizabeth Weiss. 3.5 stars
11. What Seems True / James Garrison. 3.5 stars
12. The Overnight Guest / Heather Gudenkauf. 4.5 stars
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13. Such a Pretty Smile / Kristi DeMeester. 4 stars
Reading Through Time1. New Boy / Tracy Chevalier. 4 stars
2. The Shoemaker's Wife / Adriana Trigiani. 4 stars
3. Bloody Jack / L.A. Meyer. 3.75 stars
4. The Devil's Making / Sean Haldane. 3 stars
5. Late Nights on Air / Elizabeth Hay. 2 stars
6. A Night Divided / Jennifer A. Nielsen. 4 stars
7. The Midnight Bargain / C.L. Polk. 3.5 stars
8. The Meat Racket / Christopher Leonard. 5 stars
9. Mammoth / John Varley. 4 stars
10. Quackery / Lydia Kang, Nate Pedersen. 4 stars
11. On Desperate Grounds / Hampton Sides. 4 stars
12. Frozen in Time / Owen Beattie, John Geiger. 4 stars
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Oh Canada! (Canadian Authors)1. Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
2. Akin / Emma Donoghue. 3.5 stars
3. The Figgs / Ali Bryan. 3.5 stars
4. In the Mood for Peace / Phyllis Wheaton. 4 stars
5. Herbert has Lots for a Buck / Elizabeth McLachlan. 4 stars
6. The Sun Down Motel / Simone St. James. 4 stars
7. The Marrow Thieves / Cherie Dimaline. 3.5 stars
8. The Most Precious Substance on Earth / Shashi Bhat. 3.5 stars
9. The Horseman's Graves / Jacqueline Baker. 2.5 stars
10. The Donnelly Album / Ray Fazakas. 3.5 stars
11. Crow Lake / Mary Lawson. 4 stars
12. How Hard Can it Be? / Peter Wiebe, Diana Cruchley. 3 stars
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13. Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast / Bill Richardson. 3 stars
Trim the TBR (On TBR 3+ years) 1. An Available Man / Hilma Wolitzer. 3.5 stars
2. Suffering Succotash / Stephanie Lucianovic. 4 stars
3. Death: The High Cost of Living / Neil Gaiman. 3.75 stars
4. The Tao of Martha / Jen Lancaster. 3.5 stars
5. The Richest Woman in America / Janet Wallach. 2 stars
6. Hallucinations / Oliver Sacks. 3.25 stars
7. Mrs. Mike / Benedict and Nancy Freedman. 3 stars
8. I Hunt Killers / Barry Lyga. 4 stars
9. Strange Bedpersons / Jennifer Crusie. 3 stars
10. Fairest. Vol. 1: Wide Awake / Bill Willingham. 3 stars
11. A Knight in Shining Armor / Jude Deveraux. 4 stars
12. Leaving Lucy Pear / Anna Solomon. 3 stars
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13. Shine / Lauren Myracle. 4 stars
14. Twelve Patients / Eric Manheimer. 3.5 stars
Will it Ever End? (Continuing Series) 1. Shadowland / Alyson Noel. 3 stars
2. The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw / Christopher Healy. 3.5 stars
3. A Barricade in Hell / Jaime Lee Moyer. 3.5 stars
4. File M for Murder / Miranda James. 3.5 stars
5. The Valley of Horses / Jean M. Auel. 3.25 stars
6. The Sleeping Beauty / Mercedes Lackey. 4 stars
7. Hana / Lauren Oliver. 3.5 stars
8. The 9th Judgment / James Patterson. 3 stars
9. Where She Went / Gayle Forman. 3 stars
10. The Promise / Robert Crais. 3.5 stars
11. Squire / Tamora Pierce. 3 stars
12. The Play of Death / Oliver Potzsch. 4 stars
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13, Locke & Key: Heaven & Earth / Joe Hill. 3 stars
14. The Fallout / S. A. Bodeen. 3.5 stars
15. The Last Star / Rick Yancey. 2 stars
16. Written in My Own Heart's Blood / Diana Gabaldon. 3.5 stars
Off the Shelf (Print or E- Books I Own)1. The Guest List / Lucy Foley. 4.5 stars
2. The Escape Room / Megan Goldin. 4.25 stars
3. Nightmares & Dreamscapes / Stephen King. 3.25 stars
4. The Dreams of Ada / Robert Mayer. 4 stars
5. Uprooted / Naomi Novik. 4 stars
6. What the Dead Leave Behind / Rosemary Simpson. 4 stars
7. The Invited / Jennifer McMahon. 4.25 stars
8. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands / Chris Bohjalian. 3.75 stars
9. The Last Days of the Romanovs / Helen Rappaport. 3.25 stars
10. Hench / Natalie Zina Walschots. 2.5 stars
11. Sylvia / Bryce Courtenay. 3.5 stars
12. Canada / Richard Ford. 3 stars
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13. The Library Book / Susan Orlean. 3.5 stars
14. The Homecoming / Andrew Pyper. 3.5 stars
Audio Books1. The Crossing Places / Elly Griffiths. 3 stars
2. The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter / Theodora Goss. 3 stars
3. Helter Skelter / Vincent Bugliosi. 3.5 stars (abridged)
4, Pale Rider / Laura Spinney. 3 stars
5. A Piece of the World / Christina Baker Kline. 2.5 stars
6. Shadow on the Crown / Patricia Bracewell. 3 stars
7. The BBC Murders / Agatha Christie. 3 stars
8. Maisie Dobbs / Jacqueline Winspear. 2.5 stars
9. The Almost Sisters / Joshilyn Jackson. 3 stars
10. Before We Were Yours / Lisa Wingate. 3.75 stars
11. Notorious RBG / Irin Camron, Shana Knizhnik. 3 stars
12. The Witch of Blackbird Pond / Elizabeth George Speare. 3.25 stars
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13. The Husband / Dean Koontz. 3.5 stars
14. No One Goes Alone / Erik Larson. 2 stars
15. Murder With Peacocks / Donna Andrews. 4 stars
I'll Travel Virtually (Books Set in Other Countries - not Canada, USA, or England) 1. The Tattooed Witch / Susan MacGregor. 3.75 stars
2. Daughter of Time / Sarah Woodbury. 3.75 stars
3. Madame Tussaud / Kate Berridge. 3 stars
4. Headhunters / Jo Nesbo. 3 stars
5. Naked and Marooned / Ed Stafford. 3 stars
6. My Sister, the Serial Killer / Oyinkan Braithwaite. 3.5 stars
7. The Other Side of the Night / Daniel Allen Butler. 4.25 stars
8. The Romanov Empress / C.W. Gortner. 3.5 stars
9. Lilac Girls / Martha Hall Kelly. 3.75 stars
10. Secrets in the Cellar / John Glatt. 4 stars
11. The Thieves of Ostia / Caroline Lawrence. 3 stars
12. Beth / Nora Kay. 3.75 stars
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13. Our Darkest Night / Jennifer Robson. 3.75 stars
Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! (Animals) 1. The Real James Herriot / James Wight. 3.75 stars
2. Woman in the Mists / Farley Mowat. 4.5 stars
3. What's a Dog For? / John Homans. 4 stars
4. All My Patients Kick and Bite / Jeff Wells. 3.5 stars
5. The Constant Rabbit / Jasper Fforde. 3.25 stars
6. Pride and Prejudice and Kitties / Pamela Jane, Deborah Guyol, Jane Austen. 3 stars
7. Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs / Blaize Clement. 3.75 stars
8. The Lost Dogs / Jim Gorant, 5 stars
9 Ask the Animals / Bruce R. Coston. 3.75 stars
10. Murder at Monticello / Rita Mae Brown. 2 stars
11. To Fetch a Thief / Spencer Quinn. 4 stars
Truth is Stranger than Fiction (Nonfiction)1. The Lady in Medieval England, 1000-1500 / Peter Coss. 2.5 stars
2. Ghostland / Colin Dickey. 3.5 stars
3. The Stranger Beside Me / Ann Rule. 4 stars (abridged audio)
4. The King's Speech / Mark Logue. 3.5 stars
5. El Deafo / Cece Bell. 4 stars
6. When Breath Becomes Air / Paul Kalanithi. 3 stars
7. Mudlark / Lara Maiklem. 3 stars
8. The Women of the Cousins' War / Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael K. Jones. 3 stars
9. Angry Weather / Friederike Otto. 3.5 stars
10. The Road to Jonestown / Jeff Guinn. 4 stars
11. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes / Caitlyn Doughty. 4 stars
12. When Men Become Gods / Stephen Singular. 4 stars
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13. The Lost Boy / Dave Pelzer. 3.5 stars
14. Tomboy / Liz Prince. 4 stars
15. Freedom / Jaycee Dugard. 3 stars
BIPOC (Authors or main characters)1. Crazy Rich Asians / Kevin Kwan. 3.5 stars
2. Buses Are a Comin' / Charles Person. 5 stars
3. I Do Not Come to You By Chance / Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. 3 stars
4. Mexican Gothic / Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 3.25 stars
5. Braiding Sweetgrass / Robin Wall Kimmerer. 3.25 stars
6. Roots / Alex Haley. 3.5 stars
7. Honolulu / Alan Brennert. 4 stars
8. Caste / Isabel Wilkerson. 3.75 stars
9. Chop Suey Nation / Ann Hui. 3.5 stars
10. The Castle / Anne Montgomery. 4 stars
11. Just Mercy / Bryan Stevenson. 4 stars
12. True North / Gary Eller. 3 stars
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Overflow (doesn’t fit other categories)1. Ordinary Grace / William Kent Krueger. 4 stars
2. Paper Girls / Brian K. Vaughan. 3.5 stars
3. The Wicked Deep / Shea Ernshaw. 4 stars
4. Eight Cousins / Louisa May Alcott. 3 stars
BingoDOG
1. Book less than 200 pages. The Lady in Medieval England. 1000-1500 / Peter Coss. 2.5 stars
2. Time word in title or time is the subject. The Constant Rabbit / Jasper Fforde. 3.25 stars
3. Set in or author from the Southern Hemisphere. Naked and Marooned / Ed Stafford. 3 stars
4. Book with or about magic. The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw / Christopher Healy. 3.5 stars
5. Arts and recreation. A Piece of the World / Christina Baker Kline. 2.5 stars
6. Classical element in title (Western: earth, air, wind, fire, aether/void. Chinese: wood, fire, earth, metal, water). When Breath Becomes Air / Paul Kalanithi. 3 stars
7. Book with the name of a building in the title. The Sun Down Motel / Simone St. James. 4 stars
8. By or about a marginalized group. The Tattooed Witch / Susan MacGregor. 3.75 stars
9. Senior citizen as the protagonist. An Available Man / Hilma Wolitzer. 3.5 stars
10. Suggested by a person from another generation. In the Mood for Peace / Phyllis Wheaton. 4 stars
11. A book about nature or the environment . Woman in the Mists / Farley Mowat. 4.5 stars
12. A book that made you laugh. Furiously Happy / Jenny Lawson. 4 stars
13. Book you share with 20 or fewer members on LT. The Figgs / Ali Bryan. 3.5 stars
14. Book about history or alternate history. Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
15. Book with a title that describes you. Good Neighbors / Sarah Langan. 5 stars
16. Book you heartily recommend. The Guest List / Lucy Foley. 4.5 stars
17. Author you haven’t read before. The Crossing Places / Elly Griffiths. 3 stars
18. Impulse read!. The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter / Theodora Goss. 3 stars
19. One-word title. Akin / Emma Donoghue. 3.5 stars
20. Book with a character you think you'd like to have as a friend. Uprooted / Naomi Novik. 4 stars
21. Dark or light in title. Shadowland / Alyson Noel. 3 stars
22. Set somewhere you’d like to visit. The Real James Herriot / James Wight. 3.75 stars
23. Book by two or more authors. Mrs. Mike / Benedict and Nancy Freedman. 3 stars
24. Book with a love story in it. The Shoemaker's Wife / Adriana Trigiani. 4 stars
25. Read a CAT or KIT. Women in White Coats / Olivia Campbell. 4.25 stars
RandomCAT: January: LOL
- Furiously Happy / Jenny Lawson. 4 stars
February: Fruit and Veggies
- Suffering Succotash / Stephanie Lucianovic. 4 stars
March: It's a Surprise!
- Uprooted / Naomi Novik. 4 stars
April: Let's Go To Library w/out Leaving the House (choose a book from someone's LT library)
- What the Dead Leave Behind / Rosemary Simpson. 4 stars
May: Let's Play Monopoly!
- Orphan Train / Christina Baker Kline. 4 stars
- Ordinary Grace / William Kent Krueger. 4 stars
June: Everything Old Is New Again (Retellings)
- The Sleeping Beauty / Mercedes Lackey. 4 stars
July: Summertime
- Honolulu / Alan Brennert. 4 stars
August: On the Road Again (travel)
- Chop Suey Nation / Ann Hui. 3.5 stars
- The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England / Ian Mortimer. 4.25 stars
September: Award Winners
- Crow Lake / Mary Lawson. 4 stars
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond / Elizabeth George Speare. 3.25 stars
- Fangirl / Rainbow Rowell. 3.75 stars
October: A character who gives
- Leaving Lucy Pear / Anna Solomon. 3 stars
- Lilac Girls / Martha Hall Kelly. 3.75 stars
- When Men Become Gods / Stephen Singular. 4 stars
- The Lost Dogs / Jim Gorant. 5 stars
November: Fortune and Glory!
- Ask the Animals / Bruce R. Coston. 3.75 stars
December: Seasonal Reading
- Frozen in Time / Owen Beattie, John Geiger. 4 stars
- The Overnight Guest / Heather Gudenkauf. 4.5 stars
HistoryCAT:January: Middle Ages
- The Lady in Medieval England, 1000-1500 / Peter Coss. 2.5 stars
February: Modern c.1800 to now
- Ghostland / Colin Dickey. 3.5 stars
- The King's Speech / Mark Logue. 3.5 stars
- Pale Rider / Laura Spinney. 3 stars
- Buses Are a Comin' / Charles Person. 5 stars
March: Early Modern c.1500 to c. 1800
- Bloody Jack / L..A. Meyer. 3.75 stars
- Madame Tussaud / Kate Berridge. 3 stars
April: Ancient 8th C BC to 6th AD
- The Valley of Horses / Jean M. Auel. 3.25 stars
May: Dynasties/Civilisations/Empires
- Victoria's Daughters / Jerrold M. Packard. 3.75 stars
June: Military/War/Revolution
- The Women of the Cousins' War / Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael K. Jones. 3 stars
July: Social History
- Caste / Isabel Wilkerson. 3.75 stars
August: Your Own Country
- The Horseman's Graves / Jacqueline Baker. 2.5 stars
- The Donnelly Album / Ray Fazakas. 3.5 stars
- Chop Suey Nation / Ann Hui. 3.5 stars
September: Religion/Philosophy/Politics/The Law
- The Road to Jonestown / Jeff Guinn. 4 stars
- Notorious RBG / Irin Camron, Shana Knizhnik. 3 stars
- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes / Caitlyn Doughty. 4 stars
October: A country/region of your choice
- The Last Days of the Romanovs / Helen Rappaport. 3.25 stars
*November: Events
- On Desperate Grounds / Hampton Sides. 4 stars
- Sylvia / Bryce Courtenay. 3.5 stars
December: Adventure/Exploration and Discovery
- Frozen in Time / Owen Beattie, John Geiger. 4 stars
GenreCAT:January: Nonfiction
- The Lady in Medieval England / Peter Coss. 2.5 stars
- Women in White Coats / Olivia Campbell. 4.25 stars
February: Memoirs/Biography
- The Real James Herriot / James Wight . 3.75 stars
- The King's Speech / Mark Logue. 3.5 stars
- Buses Are a Comin' / Charles Person. 5 stars
- The Tao of Martha / Jen Lancaster. 3.5 stars
March: Action & Adventure
- The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw / Christopher Healy. 3.5 stars
- Bloody Jack / L.A. Meyer. 3.75 stars
- Uprooted / Naomi Novik. 4 stars
April: Literary Fiction
- I Do Not Come to You By Chance / Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. 3 stars
- A Prayer for the Dying / Stewart O'Nan. 2.5 stars
- Mexican Gothic / Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 3.25 stars
May: Short Stories/Essays
- Braiding Sweetgrass / Robin Wall Kimmerer. 3.25 stars
- Vanishing and Other Stories / Deborah Willis. 2.75 stars
- Hallucinations / Oliver Sacks. 3.25 stars
- Herbert has Lots for a Buck / Elizabeth McLachlan. 4 stars
June: Historical Fiction
- Mrs. Mike / Benedict and Nancy Freedman. 3 stars
- Roots / Alex Haley. 3.5 stars
July: Romance
- Strange Bedpersons / Jennifer Crusie. 3 stars
- The Midnight Bargain / C.L. Polk. 3.5 stars
August: Poetry/Drama/Graphic Novels
- Fairest. Vol. 1: Wide Awake / Bill Willingham. 3 stars
- Paper Girls. Vol. 1 / Brian K. Vaughan. 3.5 stars
September: YA/Children
- Where She Went / Gayle Forman. 3 stars
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond / Elizabeth George Speare. 3.25 stars
- Fangirl / Rainbow Rowell. 3.75 stars
*October: Horror/Supernatural/Paranormal
- The Husband / Dean Koontz. 3.5 stars
- The Terror / Dan Simmons. 3.25 stars
- No One Goes Alone / Erik Larson. 2 stars
November: SFF
- Locke & Key: Heaven & Earth / Joe Hill. 3 stars
- The Fallout / S.A. Bodeen. 3.5 stars
- The Last Star / Rick Yancey. 2 stars
December: Mysteries
- The Library of Lost and Found / Phaedra Patrick. 4 stars
- Frozen in Time / Owen Beattie, John Geiger. 4 stars
- Murder at Monticello / Rita Mae Brown. 2 stars
- The Overnight Guest / Heather Gudenkauf. 4.5 stars
- The Homecoming / Andrew Pyper. 3.5 stars
- To Fetch a Thief / Spencer Quinn. 4 stars
- Such a Pretty Smile / Kristi DeMeester. 4 stars
KITastrophe:Year Long: Epidemics/Pandemics
- Pale Rider / Laura Spinney. 3 stars
January – March: Technological/Industrial/Man-Made
- Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
April – June: Theme: Transportation and Maritime
- The Other Side of the Night / Daniel Allen Butler. 4.25 stars
*July – September: Theme: Weather/Geological/Fires
- Angry Weather / Friederike Otto. 3.5 stars
October – December: Theme: Riots/Uprisings/Sieges/War/Invasions
- On Desperate Ground / Hampton Sides. 4 stars
- The Last Star / Rick Yancey. 2 stars
ScaredyKIT:*January: Graphic Novels & YA
- Shadowland / Alyson Noel. 3 stars
- Death: The High Cost of Living / Neil Gaiman. 3.75 stars
*February: Creepy Nonfiction
- Ghostland / Colin Dickey. 3.5 stars
- Helter Skelter / Vincent Buglios. 3.5 stars (abridged audio)
- The Stranger Beside Me / Ann Rule. 4 stars (abridged audio)
March: Short Stories and Novellas
- Nightmares & Dreamscapes / Stephen King. 3.25 stars
April: Possessed
- Mexican Gothic / Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 3.25 stars
May: Witches and Magic
- The Invited / Jennifer McMahon. 4.25 stars
June: Diverse Perspectives
- My Sister, the Serial Killer / Oyinkan Braithwaite. 3.5 stars
July: Ghosts and Hauntings
- The Sun Down Motel / Simone St. James. 4 stars
August: Adrift (Water and Outer Space)
- The Wicked Deep / Shea Ernshaw. 4 stars
September: The Dead, Their Habits and Abodes
- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes / Caitlyn Doughty. 4 stars
October: Real-Life Monsters
- When Men Become Gods / Stephen Singular. 4 stars
- The Lost Dogs / Jim Gorant. 5 stars
- Secrets in the Cellar / John Glatt. 4 stars
November: Stephen King and Family
- Locke & Key: Heaven & Earth / Joe Hill. 3 stars
December: Horror/Thrillers
- The Overnight Guest / Heather Gudenkauf. 4.5 stars
- The Homecoming / Andrew Pyper. 3.5 stars
- Such a Pretty Smile / Kristi DeMeester. 4 stars
MysteryKITJanuary: Water
- The Crossing Places / Elly Griffiths. 3 stars
- The Guest List / Lucy Foley. 4.5 stars
February: Pastiche Mystery
- The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter / Theodora Goss. 3 stars
March: Locked Room Mysteries
- The Escape Room / Megan Goldin. 4.25 stars
April: Senior Citizen as Detective
- File M for Murder / Miranda James. 3.5 stars
May: Mysteries Set in Europe
- Headhunters / Jo Nesbo. 3 stars
June: Golden Age Mysteries
- The ABC Murders / Agatha Christie. 3 stars
July: Cops 'n Robbers Lady Style (Lady Cops and Lady Robbers)
- Maisie Dobbs / Jacqueline Winspear. 2.5 stars
- The 9th Judgment / James Patterson. 3 stars
*August: Cozy Mysteries Featuring Animals
- Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs / Blaize Clement. 3.75 stars
September: Mismatched Detectives
- The Promise / Robert Crais. 3.5 stars
October: Minorities/Diverse
- Shine / Lauren Myracle. 4 stars
November: Historical Mysteries
- The Play of Death / Oliver Potzsch. 4 stars
- Murphy's Law / Rhys Bowen. 4 stars
December: Detectives in Ancient Greece and Rome
- The Thieves of Ostia / Caroline Lawrence. 3 stars
AlphaKIT:Year-Long: X, Z
- Hench / Natalie Zina Walschots. 2.5 stars
January: P, M
- The Lady in Medieval England / Peter Coss. 2.5 stars
- Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
- The Tattooed Witch / Susan MacGregor. 3.75 stars
- The Drowning Kind / Jennifer McMahon. 5 stars
February: T, K
- The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter / Theodora Goss. 3 stars
- The King's Speech / Mark Logue. 3.5 stars
- Crazy Rich Asians / Kevin Kwan. 3.5 stars
- The Shoemaker's Wife / Adriana Trigiani. 4 stars
- The Tao of Martha /Jen Lancaster. 3.5 stars
March: U, R
- The Richest Woman in America / Janet Wallach. 2 stars
- The Dreams of Ada / Robert Mayer. 4 stars
- Uprooted / Naomi Novik. 4 stars
April: A W
- All My Patients Kick and Bite / Jeff Wells. 3.5 stars
- I Do Not Come to You By Chance / Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. 3 stars
- In the Mood for Peace / Phyllis Wheaton. 4 stars
- When Breath Becomes Air / Paul Kalanithi. 3 stars
- What the Dead Leave Behind / Rosemary Simpson. 4 stars
May: I N
- Headhunters / Jo Nesbo. 3 stars
- The Invited / Jennifer McMahon. 4.25 stars
- Naked and Marooned / Ed Stafford. 3 stars
June: C D
- The Constant Rabbit / Jasper Fforde. 3.25 stars
- The ABC Murders / Agatha Christie. 3 stars
- The Other Side of the Night / Daniel Allen Butler. 4.25 stars
- The Women of the Cousins' War / Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael K. Jones. 3 stars
July: S, O
- Hana / Lauren Oliver. 3.5 stars
- Strange Bedpersons / Jennifer Crusie. 3 stars
- The Sun Down Motel / Simone St. James. 4 stars
- Angry Weather / Friederike Otto. 3.5 stars
August: V, J
- The Horseman's Graves / Jacquline Baker. 2.5 stars
- Paper Girls / Brian K. Vaughan. 3.5 stars
September: F, L
- Crow Lake / Mary Lawson. 4 stars
- Such a Pretty Fat / Cathy Lamb. 4 stars
- Where She Went / Gayle Forman. 3 stars
- The Last Runaway / Tracy Chevalier. 3.75 stars
- Fangirl / Rainbow Rowell. 3.75 stars
October: H, E
- The Husband / Dean Koontz. 3.5 stars
- Lilac Girls / Martha Hall Kelly. 3.75 stars
- The Last Days of the Romanovs / Helen Rappaport. 3.25 stars
- No One Goes Alone / Erik Larson. 2 stars
November: B, Y
- Murphy's Law / Rhys Bowen. 4 stars
- The Fallout / S. A. Bodeen. 3.5 stars
- Ask the Animals / Bruce R. Coston. 3.75 stars
- The Last Star / Rick Yancey. 2 stars
- Sylvia / Bryce Courtenay. 3.5 stars
December: G, Q
- Written in my Own Heart's Blood / Diana Gabaldon. 3.5 stars
- Frozen in Time / Owen Beattie, John Geiger. 4 stars
- The Overnight Guest / Heather Gudenkauf. 4.5 stars
- To Fetch a Thief / Spencer Quinn. 4 stars
- True North / Gary Eller. 3 stars
(Classic) Trim the TBR/Roundtuits1. Stay / Allie Larkin
3. Sugarhouse / Matthew Batt
5. Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals / Hélène Rajcak, Damien Laverdunt
7. Penelope / Rebecca Harrington
13. Twelve Patients / Eric Manheimer
14. You Take it from Here / Pamela Ribon
15. Out With It / Katherine Preston
1. The Lady in Medieval England / Peter Coss. 2.5 stars
2. Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
3. An Available Man / Hilma Wolitzer. 3.5 stars
4. The Tattooed Witch / Susan MacGregor. 3.75 stars
5. Furiously Happy / Jenny Lawson. 4 stars
6. The Real James Herriot / James Wight. 3.75 stars
7. Suffering Succotash / Stephanie Lucianovich. 4 stars
8. The Shoemaker's Wife / Adriana Trigiani. 4 stars
9. Death: The High Cost of Living / Neil Gaiman. 3.75 stars
10. The Tao of Martha / Jen Lancaster. 3.5 stars
11. Daughter of Time / Sarah Woodbury. 3.75 stars
12. The Richest Woman in America / Janet Wallach. 2 stars
13. Nightmares & Dreamscapes / Stephen King. 3.25 stars
14. The Dreams of Ada / Robert Mayer. 4 stars
15. The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw / Christopher Healy. 3.5 stars
16. What's a Dog For? / John Homans. 4 stars
17. Madame Tussaud / Kate Berridge. 3 stars
18. All My Patients Kick and Bite / Jeff Wells. 3.5 stars
19. The Devil's Making / Sean Haldane. 3 stars
20. I Do Not Come to You By Chance / Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. 3 stars
21. Vanishing and Other Stories / Deborah Willis. 2.75 stars
22. Hallucinations / Oliver Sacks. 3.25 stars
23. Shadow on the Crown / Patricia Bracewell. 3 stars
24. Herbert has Lots for a Buck / Elizabeth McLachlan. 4 stars
25. Naked and Marooned / Ed Stafford. 3 stars
26. Mrs. Mike / Benedict and Nancy Freedman. 3 stars
27. Roots / Alex Haley. 3.5 stars
28. I Hunt Killers / Barry Lyga. 4 stars
29. The Other Side of the Night / Daniel Allen Butler. 4.25 stars
30. The Women of the Cousins' War / Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael K. Jones. 3 stars
31. The Silver Linings Playbook / Matthew Quick. 3.5 stars
32. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands / Chris Bohjalian. 3.75 stars
33. Honolulu / Alan Brennert. 4 stars
34. Strange Bedpersons / Jennifer Crusie. 3 stars
35. The 9th Judgment / James Patterson. 3 stars
36. The Marrow Thieves / Cherie Dimaline. 3.5 stars
37. The Horseman's Graves / Jacqueline Baker. 2.5 stars
38. The Meat Racket / Christopher Leonard. 5 stars
39. Fairest. Vol. 1: Wide Awake / Bill Willingham. 3 stars
40. The Romanov Empress / C.W. Gortner. 3.5 stars
41. The Donnelly Album / Ray Fazakas. 3.5 stars
42. Such a Pretty Face / Cathy Lamb. 4 stars
43. Where She Went / Gayle Forman. 3 stars
44. The Last Runaway / Tracy Chevalier. 3.75 stars
45. A Knight in Shining Armor / Jude Devereax. 4 stars
46. Leaving Lucy Pear / Anna Solomon. 3 stars
47. Lilac Girls / Martha Hall Kelly. 3.75 stars
48. The Last Days of the Romanovs / Helen Rapparport. 3.25 stars
49. When Men Become Gods / Stephen Singular. 4 stars
50. The Lost Dogs / Jim Gorant. 5 stars
51. Shine / Lauren Myracle. 4 stars
52. Secrets in the Cellar / John Glatt. 4 stars
53. The Lost Boy / Dave Pelzer. 3.5 stars
54. The Fallout / S.A. Bodeen. 3.5 stars
55. Ask the Animals / Bruce R. Coston. 3.75 stars
56. Tomboy / Liz Prince. 4 stars
57. Sylvia / Bryce Courtenay. 3.5 stars
58. Twelve Patients / Eric Manheimer. 3.5 stars
59. Freedom / Jaycee Dugard. 3 stars
60. Murder at Monticello / Rita Mae Brown. 2 stars
61. Just Mercy / Bryan Stevenson. 4 stars
62. Beth / Nora Kay. 3.75 stars
63. How Hard Can it Be? / Peter Wiebe, Diana Cruchley. 3 stars
64. To Fetch a Thief / Spencer Quinn. 4 stars
PBT Trim the TBR 2. The Tattooed Witch / Susan Macgregor. 3.75 stars
3. The Silver Linings Playbook / Matthew Quick. 3.5 stars
4. Beth / Nora Kay. 3.75 stars
5. In the Mood for Peace / Phyllis Wheaton. 4 stars
6. Herbert Has Lots for a Buck / Elizabeth McLachlan. 4 stars
7. The Dreams of Ada / Robert Meyer. 4 stars
8. Daughter of Time / Sarah Woodbury. 3.75 stars
9. Such a Pretty Face / Cathy Lamb. 4 stars
10. Sylvia / Bryce Courtenay. 3.5 stars
11. The Horseman’s Graves / Jacqueline Baker. 2.5 stars
12. Honolulu / Alan Brennert. 4 stars
Fly the PBT SkiesJanuary: England: 4285.44 miles
The Lady in Medieval England / Peter R. Coss. 2.5 stars
February: Singapore: 6772.34 miles + bonus 500 miles
Crazy Rich Asians / Kevin Kwan. 3.5 stars
March: Maine: 9154.17 miles
A Piece of the World / Christina Baker Kline. 2.5 stars
April: Ireland: 2703.08 + bonus 500 miles + I've been there
The Witch Elm / Tana French. 4 stars
May: Minnesota: 3680.76 miles
- Orphan Train / Christina Baker Kline. 4 stars
June: Nigeria: 6335.71 miles + bonus 500 miles
- My Sister, The Serial Killer / Oyinkan Braithwaite. 3.5 stars
July: Hawaii: 10,126.14 miles
- Honolulu / Alan Brennert. 4 stars
August: Pakistan: 7798.65 miles + bonus 500 miles
- We Have Always Been Here / Samra Habib. 3.5 stars
September: Los Angeles: 7945.40 miles
- The Promise / Robert Crais. 3.5 stars
October: Russia: 5342.06 miles + I've been there)
- The Last Days of the Romanovs / Helen Rappaport. 3.25 stars
November: Germany: 3059.64 miles + I've been there)
- The Play of Death / Oliver Potzsch. 4 stars
December: Saskatchewan: 4225.24 miles
- Canada / Richard Ford. 3 stars
Pursue It! Book It! Track It! January:
- Good Neighbors / Sarah Langan. 5 stars
- An Available Man / Hilma Wolitzer. 3.5 stars
- An Available Man / Hilma Wolitser. 3.5 stars
coping skills (exact words)
February:
- The Real James Herriot / Jim Wight. 3.75 stars
- Crazy Rich Asians / Kevin Kwan. 3.5 stars
sibling rivalry (situation or exact)
Come/coming/came out (exact)
March:
- Woman in the Mists / Farley Mowat. 4.5 stars
- Woman in the Mists / Farley Mowat. 4.5 stars
Ebola (Exact)
- Woman in the Mists / Farley Mowat. 4.5 stars
April:
Pointed arch (exact or description of one in architecture)
- The Witch Elm / Tana French. 4 stars
- Mexican Gothic / Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 3.25 stars
Raven (exact)
May:
pulp fiction (exact)
- Victoria's Daughters /Jerrold M. Packard. 3.75 stars
- Vanishing and Other Stories / Deborah Willis. 2.75 stars
- Vanishing and Other Stories / Deborah Willis. 2.75 stars
June:
surfing (situation - could be surging waves or the internet)
sunburn (exact)
- Mudlark / Lara Maiklem. 3 stars
- Mudlark / Lara Maiklem. 3 stars
July:
- The Midnight Bargain / C.L. Polk. 3.5 stars
- Pride and Prejudice and Kitties / Pamela Jane, Deborah Guyol, Jane Austen. 3 stars
- A Night Divided / Jennifer A. Nielsen. 4 stars
- Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands / Chris Bohjalian. 3.75 stars
August:
- The Donnelly Album / Ray Fazakas. 3.5 stars
- We Have Always Been Here / Samra Habib. 3.5 stars
- Chop Suey Nation / Ann Sui. 3.5 stars
- We Have Always Been Here / Samra Habib. 3.5 stars
September:
- Fangirl / Rainbow Rowell. 3.75 stars
- The Last Runaway / Tracey Chevalier. 3.75 stars
wedding (situation)
- Fangirl / Rainbow Rowell. 3.75 stars
October:
- Leaving Lucy Pear / Anna Solomon. 3 stars
Elizabeth Blackwell (exact)
- Leaving Lucy Pear / Anna Solomon. 3 stars
second-wave feminism (or second-wave feminist) (exact)
November:
- The Last Star / Rick Yancey. 2 stars
backstory (exact)
to be continued (exact)
cliffhanger (situation)
December:
- The Library Book / Susan Orlean. 3.5 stars
- Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast / Bill Richardson. 3 stars
- Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast / Bill Richardson. 3 stars
- The Overnight Guest / Heather Gudenkauf. 4.5 stars
Travel Across CanadaAlberta:
- The Figgs / Ali Bryan. 3.5 stars
British Columbia:
- The Devil's Making / Sean Haldane. 3 stars
- Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast / Bill Richardson. 3 stars
Labrador:
Manitoba:
New Brunswick:
Newfoundland:
Northwest Territories:
- Late Nights on Air / Elizabeth Hay. 2 stars
Nova Scotia:
- Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
- The Most Precious Substance on Earth / Shashi Bhat. 3.5 stars
Nunavut:
- The Terror / Dan Simmons. 3.25 stars
- Frozen in Time / Owen Beattie, John Geiger. 4 stars
Ontario:
- The Marrow Thieves / Cherie Dimaline. 3.5 stars
- We Have Always Been Here / Samra Habib. 3.5 stars
- The Donnelly Album / Ray Fazakas. 3.5 stars
- Crow Lake / Mary Lawson. 4 stars
Prince Edward Island:
Prairie Provinces:
- Herbert has Lots for a Buck / Elizabeth McLachlan. 4 stars
Quebec:
Saskatchewan:
- The Horseman's Graves / Jacqueline Baker. 2.5 stars
- Canada / Richard Ford. 3 stars
- How Hard Can It Be? / Peter Wiebe, Diana Cruchley. 3 stars
Yukon:
Northern Canada:
- Mrs. Mike / Benedict and Nancy Freedman. 3 stars
Play Book TagJanuary: Mental Health
- Good Neighbors / Sarah Langan. 5 stars
- Furiously Happy / Jenny Lawson. 4 stars
- The Drowning Kind / Jennifer McMahon. 5 stars
Bonus tag: Historical Fiction
- Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
February: Family Drama
- Crazy Rich Asians / Kevin Kwan. 3.5 stars
March: Africa
- Woman in the Mists / Farley Mowat. 4.5 stars
April: Gothic
- A Prayer for the Dying / Stewart O'Nan. 2.5 stars
- The Witch Elm / Tana French. 4 stars
- A Barricade in Hell / Jaime Lee Moyer. 3.5 stars
- Mexican Gothic / Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 3.25 stars
May: Short Stories
- Vanishing and Other Stories / Deborah Willis. 2.75 stars
June: Beach Reads
- My Sister, the Serial Killer / Oyinkan Braithwaite. 3.5 stars
- The Silver Linings Playbook / Matthew Quick. 3.5 stars
July: Regency
- The Midnight Bargain / C.L. Polk. 3.5 stars
- Pride and Prejudice and Kitties / Pamela Jane, Deborah Guyol, Jane Austen. 3 stars
August: Cultural
- We Have Always Been Here / Samra Habib. 3.5 stars
- The Romanov Empress / C.W. Gortner. 3.5 stars
- Chop Suey Nation / Ann Hui. 3.5 stars
- The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England / Ian Mortimer. 4.25 stars
September: Made me Cry
- Such a Pretty Face / Cathy Lamb. 4 stars
- Where She Went / Gayle Forman. 3 stars
- The Last Runaway / Tracy Chevalier. 3.75 stars
- A Knight in Shining Armor / Jude Deveraux. 4 stars
- Fangirl / Rainbow Rowell. 3.75 stars
- A Spark of Light / Jodi Picoult. 3 stars
October: Feminist
- When Men Become Gods / Stephen Singular. 4 stars
- Hench / Natalie Zina Walschots. 2.5 stars
November: First in a Series
- Murder With Peacocks / Donna Andrews. 3 stars
- Murphy's Law / Rhys Bowen. 4 stars
- The Thieves of Ostia / Caroline Lawrence. 3 stars
December: Books About Books
- The Library of Lost and Found / Phaedra Patrick. 4 stars
- The Library Book / Susan Orlean. 3.5 stars
- Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast / Bill Richardson. 3 stars
Reading Through TimeJanuary: Shakespeare’s Children
- New Boy / Tracy Chevalier. 4 stars
February: Fashion
- The Shoemaker's Wife / Adriana Trigiani. 4 stars
March: Arghh, Matey
- Bloody Jack / L.A. Meyer. 3.75 stars
April: The Sun Never Sets (British Empire)
- The Devil's Making / Sean Haldane. 3 stars
May: Meet the Press
- Late Nights on Air / Elizabeth Hay. 2 stars
June: Rewriting the Past
- The Constant Rabbit / Jasper Fforde. 3.25 stars
July: Now We Are Free
- A Night Divided / Jennifer A. Nielsen. 4 stars
- The Midnight Bargain / C.L. Polk. 3.5 stars
August: Food
- The Meat Racket / Christopher Leonard. 5 stars
- Chop Suey Nation / Ann Hui. 3.5 stars
September: Time Travel/Prehistoric
- Mammoth / John Varley. 4 stars
*October: Supernatural
- Quackery / Lydia Kang, Nate Pedersen. 4 stars
November: Readers' Choice
- On Desperate Ground / Hampton Sides. 4 stars
December: Brrr Cold!
- Frozen in Time / Owen Beattie, John Geiger. 4 stars
12x12 Nonfiction, HistoryCAT, GenreCAT, AlphaKIT, PBT Fly the Skies, BingoDOG, Trim the TBR (Classic)The Lady in Medieval England 1000-1500 / Peter Coss
2.5 stars
This is a nonfiction history of “ladies” in medieval England. Ladies - not just meaning women - but upper class nobility “ladies”. It covered things like inheritance, heraldry (coats of arms, usually from the father or husband, used in women’s seals), kidnapping (aka “ravishing”!), marriage, romance…
Too academic for my liking. There were some interesting nuggets, but also a lot of big words, long paragraphs, and quotes in Middle English. When I’m bored by a book, I don’t put it down, but I tend to skim. I definitely skimmed (or just skipped) anything in Middle English, and a bit more. Otherwise, bits and pieces caught my attention, but not enough to even say it was “ok” (in my rating system). The interesting bits gave it the .5 stars above not liking it, as a whole.
12x12 Oh Canada, KITastrophe, AlphaKIT, PBT Bonus tag, Travel Across Canada, BingoDOG, Trim the TBR (Classic)Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan
3.25 stars
It’s 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Penny (a woman working at the shipyard – very unusual for the time)’s love (and cousin) has been at war and he’s missing. They all think he’s dead. So, when Angus (much older than Penny) asks her to marry him, she accepts. Only days later, the Halifax Harbour goes up in an explosion.
The book only follows just over one week. It took longer than I liked to get to the explosion. Leading up to it wasn’t nearly as interesting as the explosion itself and the aftermath, but not long after, it concluded mostly with their regular lives again. If there had been more focus on the disaster, I would have enjoyed it more, I’m sure. There was an afterword by another “classic” Canadian author, Alistair Macleod – one of those that analyzes the book; one of the ones that should never be an introduction but often is (because it gives away the story)! Luckily, it was an afterword.
12x12 Audio, BingoDOG, MysteryKITThe Crossing Places / Elly Griffiths
3 stars
Archaeologist Ruth is called in to help identify the bones of a child found. That is - how long have the bones been there? It is determined the bones have been there for a very long time, much longer than the police feared, thinking it might be Lucy, a little girl who had disappeared ten years earlier. Ruth then goes on to help the police with their investigation.
I listened to the audio. It was ok. I missed a lot of it at the start, as the audio just wasn’t holding my attention. It picked up part-way through and I was more interested, but I still missed a few things. I really didn’t like two particular characters, but it might have – in part – been due to the voices/accents by the narrator. Those accents (and/or the voices for them) really annoyed me! (view spoiler) There was something else from the end I wanted to mention that wasn’t a spoiler, but I’ve already forgotten what it was. I don’t plan to continue the series.
12x12 Reading Through Time, Read Thru TimeNew Boy / Tracy Chevalier
4 stars
This is a retelling of Othello. A YA version with kids in grade 6 in the 1970s. Osei is the new boy at school, and he’s black. He almost immediately has a connection with the popular blonde girl, Dee. But others aren’t impressed with that, particularly the feared Ian, the class/school bully. Ian decides to get some revenge on the new boy.
I’ve never read Othello, so I didn’t know how this was going to turn out. As awful as the racism and bullying was from the kids, I was shocked at it from the teachers! Although I really enjoyed the book (and hated Ian!), I was surprised at the abrupt ending. I didn’t like the end. Often that brings down my rating, but I decided to leave it as I thought all the way through, as I was reading. Although disappointed with the end, overall, I really enjoyed it.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR (Classic), Pursue It, BingoDOGAn Available Man / Hilma Wolitzer
3.5 stars
Edward has recently (within the past 2(?) years) lost his wife, Bee. Bee was his soulmate, though they met and married later in life. Edward is still only 63 (I think). He and his adult stepchildren are close, and those stepchildren decide to move things along by creating and publishing an ad for him on a dating site(?) (or was it a personal ad?). Luckily, they do tell him before he starts to receive replies. He reluctantly tries a few dates.
This was good, although I wasn’t sure I was going to like where it was headed for a while. Luckily, it turned out ok in the end. I also liked Edward’s relationships with his stepkids and his mother-in-law.
12x12 Travel, Trim the TBR (PBT & Classic), BingoDOG, AlphaKITThe Tattooed Witch / Susan MacGregor
3.75 stars
Miriam’s father is a doctor. They are in a room with important priests (as a 17-year old woman, she shouldn’t be there) and the young handsome priest is dying. Miriam’s father is trying to help when the Grand Inquisitor comes in, insists the young priest needs his last rites and forces him to drink wine – wine with extra powder in it. The young priest convulses and dies. As Miriam and her father try to leave, the Grand Inquisitor accuses them of murder and locks them up. Miriam has to find a way out and she won’t leave her father behind.
That is pretty much the first chapter. I don’t want to go into too much more, as I don’t want to give anything away, but part-way through we meet another character, Joachin, who lost both parents when he was 9- and 11-years old. Joachin is looking for a priest with a scar – a scar Joachin gave him when that priest murdered Joachin’s mother. Joachin plans to kill the priest with the scar.
When Joachin was introduced, initially I wasn’t as interested in his storyline (nor the storyline of another group of people introduced a bit later), until things (and characters) started to come together. The book really picked up in the last ¼ of the book, and though I didn’t increase my rating up to 4 stars (that’s what I’d rate the last bit of the book), I pulled up my rating just that extra bit above 3.5 stars (good). This is a trilogy, so not everything was tied up at the end, as it will continue, and I will continue with the next book, as well.
12x12 Off the Shelf, MysteryKIT, BingoDOGThe Guest List / Lucy Foley
4.5 stars
Jules and Will have planned their wedding on a deserted (except for the newly created wedding “pavilion”) island in Ireland. The wedding party is expected to arrive the day before and spend two nights there, while the rest of the guests will arrive the day of. A bad storm is coming the night of the wedding. And things go horribly wrong…
It’s told from different points of view, but at the start of each chapter, we are given the name of that character’s POV for that chapter, as well as who they are. Some of them include Jules, the bride; Hannah, the plus one (her husband Charlie, is Jules’ best friend); Aoife, the wedding planner; Johnno, the best man (and long-time best friend of Will’s from way back in boarding school); Olivia, the bridesmaid (and Jules’ much younger sister).
The atmosphere is done so well – this deserted, dangerous, boggy island with a storm coming. The opening chapter starts with things going wrong during the wedding, then backs up to everything leading up to what happened at the wedding. Parts were creepy, and I was kept wanting to read. There were not very many likeable characters in this book, but there were a couple. No surprise here, but everyone had secrets.
12x12 Audio, ScaredyKIT, BingoDOGShadowland / Alyson Noel
3 stars
I don’t want to give too much of a summary, so as to not give away the first two books in this “The Immortals” series. This won’t give away anything of the first two books: Ever is drawn to her new (very young) boss at her new job in a mystical bookstore. But she is still so in love with her soulmate.
I listened to the audio of this one. I wasn’t that excited about it. I did lose focus more often that I’d like. It did get better at the very end and I was paying better attention. Rating it “ok”, but overall, I don’t think it’s enough for me to continue the series.
12x12 ARCs, Pursue It, BingoDOG, PBT, NetgalleyGood Neighbors / Sarah Langan
5 stars
The book is primarily set in 2027 (when the pertinent events happen), but it’s actually a reporter in 2042 (I believe) who is looking back on the “Murders of Maple Street”, and what led up to it. Arlo, Gertie and their kids, Julia and Larry moved to Maple Street a year earlier. They are pretty much “white trash”, but were trying to be upwardly mobile. It took a bit of time to be accepted, but after their immediate neighbour Rhea befriends Gertie, things go much smoother… until the 4th of July, when Gertie realizes everyone on the street was invited to the party except them. She’s not sure what happened for them to be excluded.
Things get more and more out of hand amongst the kids when Rhea’s daughter, Shelley, and Julia suddenly aren’t speaking (but Julia doesn’t understand why). Just before Shelley disappears into a giant sinkhole that opened up across the street, she had accused Julia’s father of something terrible. The rumors and gossip get so out of hand, and things go incredibly wrong…
This built, though part-way through I knew I would rate it quite high (was thinking 4.5 stars), but the end – I didn’t see coming! Holy crap – that mob mentality! I was angry at so many of those people! I feel like this is a slightly different take on the current thriller fad. It did remind me a bit of “Big Little Lies” with the articles and interviews (from 2042) that were interspersed, but it was still quite different from others out there (in my opinion).
12x12 PBT, PBT, RandomCAT, BingoDOG, Trim the TBR (Classic)Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things / Jenny Lawson
4 stars
Blogger Jenny Lawson has a number of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. In this, her second book, she takes a humourous look at herself and her eccentricities, mostly in the form of anecdotes.
I listened to the audio, which she narrated herself and I thought she was really good. There were lots of times when I laughed out loud. Every so often, she’d mention that because I was listening to the audio, I wouldn’t see the photo that’s in the book to go with her current story, but listeners of the audio do get a bonus chapter at the end. It included cats. Which made me happy. Well, she mentions cats at various points throughout the book, anyway. (But that’s not why I gave it 4 stars! Cats were just an added bonus.)
12x12 ARCs, GenreCAT, BingoDOG, NetgalleyWomen in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine / Olivia Campbell
4.25 stars
This is mainly a biography of three of the first women doctors in the mid- to late-19th century, but also a history of the fight for the right of women to become doctors. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in the US to earn an MD, in the mid-1800s. It took a while longer, but Lizzie Garret was the first in England. Sophia Jax-Blake was not immediately next in the UK, but she worked hard fighting for the right of women to be able to earn that designation; she did get her MD later s well, but she also helped start up two women’s medical schools – in London and Edinburgh.
Every step of the way took months and years of hard work for these women to be able to earn that MD. With the stereotypes and fears of male doctors, professors, and medical students pushing back with excuses to deny them this. Before the women’s schools were set up, these women had to take classes (many privately, and at a much higher cost), as well as find a placement for clinical practice to gain that experience; very very difficult to do when most hospitals continually turned them down. There were some male doctors (and professors) who were sympathetic and did help out as much as they could.
I’ve left out so much of the struggles! This book is nonfiction, but it reads like fiction. Very readable. Oh, the frustration, though, at the male students, doctors, and professors! They call the women “delicate” and such, but as far as I can tell, the men were the “delicate” ones with their temper tantrums (the phrase entered my head even before she used it in the book!), not able to handle that there are women just as smart and can do the job just as well as they (possibly) could (although I do wonder about some of those men!). And these men were supposed to be trusted to tend to women’s health issues!? Ugh! (Many women at the time avoided, if possible, seeing male doctors for their ailments.) Many of the women students had better grades than the men, but of course, were never really acknowledged for it.
12x12 Oh Canada, BingoDOGAkin / Emma Donoghue
3.5 stars
Noah is 79-years old and planning a trip to his home country, France – a country he had to leave at 4-years old due to the war. He has a set of photographs his mother took that had been in possession of his sister, who has since passed away, and Noah is hoping to find out more about them. A few days before the trip, he is contacted by social services. He has a great-nephew with no other family they are able to find/contact who needs a temporary guardian, as his father (Noah’s nephew) died, and his mother is in jail. Michael is 11-years old; he and Noah have never met.
It was good. Kept my interest, though it wasn’t terribly fast-moving. I sure did dislike the kid, though.
LibraryCin wrote: "Travel Across CanadaAlberta:
British Columbia:
Labrador:
Manitoba:
New Brunswick:
Newfoundland:
Northwest Territories:
Nova Scotia:
- Barometer Rising / Hugh MacLennan. 3.25 stars
Nunavut:
On..."
Is this a personal challenge or for a group somewhere on LT or here?
Karin wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Travel Across Canada..."
It is mostly from LT, but there's no real challenge, as I'm not aiming for a particular number or anything. I just kind of keep track. In my own notes, I have numbers from how many I read for each province in previous years, as well.
LibraryCin wrote: "Karin wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Travel Across Canada..."
It is mostly from LT, but there's no real challenge, as I'm not aiming for a particular number or anything. I just kind of keep track. In..."
Thanks, I thought that both of these might be the case. Perhaps I'll do a personal Canada challenge that I actually keep track of at some point as well.
Karin wrote: "Thanks, I thought that both of these might be the case. Perhaps I'll do a personal Canada challenge that I actually keep track of at some point as well. ..."It's kind of interesting. There are some obvious ones - there is simply a lot set in Ontario and BC! I'm surprised at the number of Sask books I've found and read. I think I might have more for SK than Alberta.
The Maritimes and the territories can be a bit trickier, though Nfld isn't bad. But then, I quite like Wayne Johnston, and many of his are set in Nfld.
12x12 ARCs, Netgalley, AlphaKIT, PBTThe Drowning Kind / Jennifer McMahon
5 stars
Jax and Lexie are sisters and spent their summers growing up with their Gram, who lived in a house with a “spring” pool in the yard. The spring, for decades, was someplace where people believed there were healing powers in the water. Locals, however, also believed that if you took something from the spring, the spring demanded something back.
Jax and Lexie always knew, growing up, that their Gram’s sister, Rita drowned in that spring. But, they loved it there, anyway. As adults, Lexie was diagnosed with a mental illness, and she had bouts of mania. Jax is a social worker, but had been estranged from Lexie for about a year – for her own mental sanity, she had to stop trying to fight Lexie’s battles for her when Lexie was off her meds. When she ignores Lexie’s calls one night, Jax is devastated to learn, the next day, that Lexie has drowned in the spring. (This is not a spoiler, as it happens almost immediately in the book.)
That was the current-day (2019) storyline. There was another storyline, set in 1929, when the property Jax’s Gram lived on was once the location of a hotel, where people came to use the spring for its healing powers. Ethel and Will are a couple without kids, but they desperately want a child. They head to the hotel for a short stay, and Ethel “asks” the spring to grant her her wish… and it does.
Really really good. This is one you may not want to read by yourself, in the dark, at night. Not all of it, but there were enough parts (as I read just before bed a couple of nights!) that were creepy and chilling. The atmosphere in the book was done really well, and there are even more family issues and secrets than what I’ve mentioned here.
12x12 Audio, BingoDOG, MysteryKIT, AlphaKITThe Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter / Theodora Goss
3 stars
Mary Jekyll (Dr. Jekyll’s daughter) and some other ladies who are daughters, descendants, and/or creations of Dr. Moreau, Frankenstein, and Mr. Hyde (and more), have gathered to tell their stories, including a story of working with Sherlock Holmes to solve some murders. All these men (except Holmes) were doctors, scientists, inventors, etc, and did plenty of (human) experiments, including in some cases, on their daughters. They were part of an Alchemists’ Society. Mr. Hyde’s daughter was unknown to Mary until after both of Mary’s parents had died. Together, these women tell their own stories in addition to their story of searching for a murderer.
It was ok. For me, the idea of the story was better than the execution, but that doesn’t surprise me. I’m not a fan of Sherlock Holmes (or any of the classic characters in this book), nor have I even found any spinoffs that I really like. But I was still hoping. I listened to the audio, but I’ve heard this narrator before, so I don’t blame the narration for my “ok” rating. I did enjoy the little “breakouts” where the women would chat amongst themselves as they wrote their story; however, I will not be continuing the series.
12x12 Nonfiction, ScaredyKIT, HistoryCATGhostland: An American History in Haunted Places / Colin Dickey
3.5 stars
This isn’t just a book of ghost stories. The author digs deeper into the history of these haunted places and the some of people who supposedly haunt them. Not only that, he looks at supernatural history, in general. For instance, in the mid-19th century, Spiritualism became popular; current day, we see the fascination via ghost hunters and reality tv. Also current day (though he doesn’t go into detail on this, as it is in the epilogue), he talks a bit about technology – smart homes/devices, and social media.
Of course, there are plenty of ghost stories included, as well. Some of the places he looks at include homes, hotels (he stayed in one with a group of people where they all had infrared cameras), brothels, prisons, insane asylums, and more.
I found this quite interesting. There was a section on haunted towns/cities, as well, and I particularly liked the part on New Orleans, because I’ve been there. I had heard of some of the other stories/places he talked about.
12x12 Audio, ScaredyKITHelter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders / Vincent Bugliosi
(abridged audio)
3.5 stars
In 1969, Charles Manson and a few of his “family” committed multiple murders two nights in a row. Vincent Bugliosi was the DA who got them convicted and sentenced to death. This book looked at the murders, the investigation, and the trials.
I listened to the audio, and unfortunately, this ended up being an abridged version of the book. As I ask in all my reviews of abridged audios – why? Why not record the entire book? Anyway, I read this when I was in high school (a few decades ago!), and it wasn’t as creepy as I remember. I can’t say for sure if the abridged version was the reason for that, but in part, I’m certain not seeing the photos was part of that. Charles Manson was a creepy creepy looking man. Since this was abridged, I still want to reread the entire thing. Overall, it appeared that the abridgement was done fairly well, though I’d much rather read the entire book.
12x12 Animals, GenreCAT, Trim the TBR (Classic), Pursue It, BingoDOGThe Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father / James Wight
3.75 stars
“James Herriot” was the pseudonym of a veterinarian, James “Alf” Wight, who became an author after decades of veterinary practice in the countryside of England in the mid-20th century. This biography was written by his son. Instead of, like Herriot’s books, a focus on the animals, this book focuses on Alf and the people in his life – his family, lifelong friends, veterinary partners, and more – starting with his life in the country and his vet practice, then switching to writing books, which he also really seemed to enjoy.
I’ve only read a couple of Herriot’s books, but I’ve really enjoyed them. This biography is very good, as well, and of course, there have to be a few animal stories thrown in – not only of a few of the patients, but also of Alf’s own pets. It’s been a bit too long for me to remember the “characters” in Herriot’s books to compare them to the real life versions of those people, but I still quite liked this book.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Such a Pretty Smile (other topics)True North (other topics)
Our Darkest Night (other topics)
To Fetch a Thief (other topics)
Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast (other topics)
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I have chosen one new category for the 12x12 challenge: BIPOC authors or main characters.
For my "Trim the TBR/Roundtuits", I am now only including those that have been on my tbr for 3+ years (in the past I've done 2+ years).