2025 Reading Challenge discussion

While I would someday like to match my father who reads a book a day, I think a book a week is a good place to start! (Not to make excuses but he is retired and I am not!)

Progress: 56 Complete, -3 to go

God Bless America: Stories by Steve Almond


This collection of short stories got one of my very few five star ratings! I find Steve's style unique and unusual. I enjoy any author who writes well but truly love one who can surprise me!

101 Things You Didn't Know about Irish History: The People, Places, Culture, and Tradition of the Emerald Isle by Ryan Hackney

I finished this book in 2015 but started it in December of 2014 so I am not sure it counts. I'll abide by the group's decision. I travelled to Ireland for Christmas and New Year's and found this book gave me a well-rounded history without feeling like I was in class. It was an enjoyable read and yet a full, well-rounded history.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini


Let me say, right up front, I am one of those dragon people! It started with Anne McCaffrey and has only gotten worse! :) Even though story lines with dragons tend to be very similar, I have yet to grow tired of reading about dragons and their riders and their love for each other and I continue to search for the egg that will bond with me! :) I appreciated the characters in this series and felt they were believable, strong and did not necessarily act as expected - or as us readers might have wanted.

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini


As I said in the post for this book's predecessor, I am a dragon reader! I appreciated the characters in this series and felt they were believable, strong and did not necessarily act as expected. I also respect Mr. Paolini's choice to do something unexpected with the romantic connections in this final book. Most readers seemed to be disappointed that he didn't have a couple of romances culminate in happy endings. I think that was very brave on his part and I respect the fact that he took the road less travelled. (And I think his is set up to write more for this series if he ever chooses to go there!)

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand


I don't read a lot of military non-fiction but this story so captured my attention that I read it in two days. I was completely engrossed in the numerous and horrifying events experienced by these men. I found it very difficult to read at times because of the extent of the brutality. How these men lived their lives after their experiences - or perhaps because of them - is truly amazing. I will cherish each day, each freedom and each mouthful of food as a result. And I pray I will live the balance of my life as fully as Louis Zamperini did. (Zamperini gave up skateboarding at 81. Ten years later, he gave up skiing.)

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen


OMG! It has been a while since I read an original fairy tale and I never read this particular one. (Although I have always been a Hans Christian Andersen fan.) Like most original fairy tales, this one is not what we see in the movies! The ending is not what you expect. Not even close! (And now it seems a farce that Danny Kaye played the author!)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon


Diana Gabaldon's series came highly recommended by several friends who have read most of the books. I have only read this first installment but I have to admit, I'm wondering what I am missing. It is not that it was a bad book but at times I felt like saying get on with it already....get to the point! Having said that, the book is well written, the history fascinating, and the characters are complicated and interesting. There were times when I physically cringed, laughed out loud, gasped, etc. so I will read the next one and see where it leads me. The sneak peak of the next installment peaked my curiosity and gave me the impression this may be a series you need to get further along in to truly appreciate. We will see!

Fortune's Fool by Mercedes Lackey


I LOVE what Mercedes Lackey does with fairy tales! Her stories in the Five Hundred Kingdom series gives the characters much stronger, interesting personalities and her sense of humor provides lovely twists that make you smile. Her take on the fairy tale "tradition" is reverentially tongue-in-cheek yet full of rich folklore language! This particular book was full of Russian folktale references. Lackey manages to take the best of the sanitized versions and the original, usually gory versions of fairy tales and makes them her own unique and wonderful to read stories.

P.S. I have to add that while I enjoyed all of these books, the story line did get just a little bit repetitive. The first two books were the strongest and best!

The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods by Charles Perrault


Boy, the fairy tales I grew up with are nothing like the originals! Charles Perrault's story has had many things removed in the newer, more sterile versions of this story. Who knew that Sleeping Beauty's parents didn't get to go to sleep with the rest of the kingdom but died before she awoke? Who knew that Sleeping Beauty and her Prince got married in secret without a Big Ball? Who knew they hid their marriage for two years? And who knew her mother-in-law was an ogress who would eagerly eat what she thought were her grandchildren and daughter-in-law?!! Hmmmm...the surprises were big but the language was a little stilted. Good thing it was short! :)

For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison (Book#5 in The Hollows Series)


I do not often read books about vampires, werewolves, etc. However, I love the characters Kim Harrison has created in this series! The books are a quick read and entertaining with a quirky take on supernatural characters with unique relationships amongst themselves and the normal folk. The stories keep an excellent pace as well as a humorous slant I truly enjoy. Jenks the pixie (NOT a fairy!) is a personal favorite along with demons with interesting fashion sense. Looking forward to the next book!

Walking by Henry David Thoreau


Thoreau, clearly the environmentalist of his day, would be sad to see that you cannot walk as far as he once did without running into “town” or “trouble”. His rich and classic language and love of “walkabout” has me appreciating the nature that surrounds me here in New England. Hiking boots are out and a plan laid! (I wonder what he would have thought of “state” parks!)

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen


I was surprised to find this original fairy tale dry and somewhat dull. The story had a bit more of a religious overtone than I expected which wouldn't be a problem except it lacked passion. The details of the story were as expected but the story telling was stilted and lacked depth. I guess Hans Christian Andersen might not have been as energetic as Danny Kaye portrayed him! I must admit, I prefer the modern day versions!

The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey


As I have said in other reviews, I LOVE what Mercedes Lackey does with fairy tales! What I have not said is how much I enjoy her strong female characters. Every modern woman can appreciate how her strong female characters feel about how the “tradition” attempts to tell us how to live our lives – especially women. Every modern woman can appreciate the lengths these characters go to in order to assist others in living as they truly want instead of boring two dimensional characters who live life as they should. I also appreciate Lackey’s ability to make these characters human in spite of their magical abilities. (After all, most women I know have “magical” abilities!) They get tired, frustrated, a little lost, etc. – just like the rest of us. It is all a wonderful metaphor for our own experiences with work, love and life. And it is all accomplished with a wonderful humor that will make you smile.

P.S. I have to add that while I enjoyed all of these books, the story line did get just a little bit repetitive. The first two books were the strongest and best!

The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey


As I have said in other reviews, I LOVE what Mercedes Lackey does with fairy tales! What I have not said is how much I enjoy her strong female characters. Every modern woman can appreciate how her strong female characters feel about how the “tradition” attempts to tell us how to live our lives – especially women. Every modern woman can appreciate the lengths these characters go to in order to assist others in living as they truly want instead of boring two dimensional characters who live life as they should. I also appreciate Lackey’s ability to make these characters human in spite of their magical abilities. (After all, most women I know have “magical” abilities!) They get tired, frustrated, a little lost, etc. – just like the rest of us. It is all a wonderful metaphor for our own experiences with work, love and life. And it is all accomplished with a wonderful humor that will make you smile.

P.S. I have to add that while I enjoyed all of these books, the story line did get just a little bit repetitive. The first two books were the strongest and best!

Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont


Of all the original fairy tales I read for the Retellings Challenge, this was my favorite. The story was simply and beautifully written and the illustrations were ornate and lovely. The message was purely "do not judge a book by its cover" without any religious overtones which I appreciated after reading some others. Most interestingly, the storyline holds pretty true to more current versions! When it is good to begin with, you don't have to change much.

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey


As I have said in other reviews, I LOVE what Mercedes Lackey does with fairy tales! What I have not said is how much I enjoy her strong female characters. Every modern woman can appreciate how her strong female characters feel about how the “tradition” attempts to tell us how to live our lives – especially women. Every modern woman can appreciate the lengths these characters go to in order to assist others in living as they truly want instead of boring two dimensional characters who live life as they should. I also appreciate Lackey’s ability to make these characters human in spite of their magical abilities. (After all, most women I know have “magical” abilities!) They get tired, frustrated, a little lost, etc. – just like the rest of us. It is all a wonderful metaphor for our own experiences with work, love and life. And it is all accomplished with a wonderful humor that will make you smile.

P.S. I have to add that while I enjoyed all of these books, the story line did get just a little bit repetitive. The first two books were the strongest and best!

I didn't realize that Mercedes Lackey had a fairy-tale series - she has so many books. Your review makes me want to get started with them.

Good luck with your challenge!

Cassandra wrote: "I didn't realize that Mercedes Lackey had a fairy-tale series - she has so many books. Your review makes me want to get started with them.

Good luck with your challenge!"

The series is called Five Hundred Kingdoms and the first book - The Fairy Godmother - is the one that got me hooked. I haven't had the chance to write reviews (too busy reading and working) but I love how she spoofs both the moral purpose of fairy tales and modern society's tendency to prefer folks to take the "traditional" path. The first two books were the best but I did enjoy the others as well. I really love some of her characters!

That sounds great! I added The Fairy Godmother to my to-read list.

Living in the Unlimited Universe


I had the wonderful fortune of knowing the author of this book and attended several of his courses. Living in an Unlimited Universe is the second book written by Ivan Burnell outlining his program. His first is entitled The Power of Positive Doing.

First, there is nothing new here. The book is a set of tools that offer a positive approach to life and success in that life. There are many books that offer similar advice and philosophy. The difference is Ivan’s very pragmatic approach which opens up these ideas to a much wider group of people. His ideas are not wrapped up in mystery or religion or one person’s personality. The philosophy presented here is much more approachable and acceptable because of his very matter-of-fact style.

The writing itself could be much better and I now regret passing on the opportunity I had to help with editing the book. Some simple language changes could, perhaps, make it a little easier to absorb the information. Having said that, I can attest to the usefulness of the material presented. The tools work. You have to use them, but if you do, they definitely work. And trust me, I was a true cynic before encountering Ivan in class and in his books!

Chasers of the Light: Poems from the Typewriter Series


I have a love/hate relationship with this book of poetry! Some poems were so personal I had a hard time reading them. Some poems were too gooey, lovesick for my taste. Others moved me so deeply and touched such private emotions that I read them again and again. I don’t think either reaction would surprise or disappoint the poet given the risk he took in his method.

And I adored the risks he took! Tearing a page from an old book and blacking out all of the words except those of the poem hidden within. Throwing whatever type of paper he had into an old typewriter, writing his poem on the spot and accepting that piece without change! That takes guts and courage! And yes, guts and courage are two different things! 

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration


This book has a softness to it that is unusual in a non-fiction book of this nature. I found the author to be extremely likable and relatable. Of course, we share the inspiration of Sunday nights in front of the Wonderful World of Disney and a fascination with Walt Disney himself. We share the frustration of not having the artistic talent to become animators! And finally, Ed found his path through technology while being involved in a creative field and I work in the technology industry while pursuing my creative writing. So it is obvious why I might relate to this book! 

I also loved his take on Steve Jobs. I have not read any other books about Steve Jobs but I have heard they are harsh in their judgement of him. If, and/or when I read those biographies, I think I will be grateful to have this perspective of him as a human being first.

What I loved most about this book, though, is getting an inside look at Pixar and learning its history from beginning to end. I have been a huge fan of Pixar movies from their very first film. They have a unique ability to appeal to both children and adults and my son and I share many special moments from these films as a part of our relationship. And they are just fun – right down to that little lamp that jumps around!  So having the opportunity to get an inside look at how these films came about and hearing how they might have been different was truly interesting!

Gone Girl


Definitely not the traditional whodunit! Loved AND hated all of the characters – even the seemingly innocent bystanders! The pace and timing were excellent! Crisp, clean writing! Sharp, intense characters! A twisty plot! What more could a reader ask for in a book! 

I have heard readers were disappointed with the ending but I have to admit, I respect an author who takes a risk with an unexpected, non-traditional ending. An ending that disappoints us is as much as an indicator of how involved we were in the book as an ending that meets our expectations. After all, if the ending bothers us that much, we must have been pretty into the book! 

Stephanie wrote: "Hi Mary Pat,

Cool that you are doing some fairy tale reads (or re-reads)... Have a "Disney" type of challenge in another group, so I've read a few of the same (and have many others on the list)......"

Thanks, Stephanie!

If you like fairy tale reads, I highly recommend Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdom series - especially the first book Fairy Godmother. She does a wonderful job of playing with the classic elements of a fairy tale in a wonderfully modern way!

And yes, I did really enjoy Unbroken! I don't read much non-fiction but the story was so moving and Louie was so lovable! Parts were hard to read though!

Mary Pat

The Innocents Abroad


I SO wanted to love this book but it just didn’t happen. Twain’s biting wit is definitely here and there were golden moments where I laughed, smiled, and found what I have always loved about Mark Twain. Having said that, I found the story extremely repetitive and hard to follow. I started out listening to the book and at first thought that was why it was hard to follow. So I switched to reading it and would nod off before I got too far! It completely bogged me down for the month of April!

The Innocents Abroad is a non-fiction travel book (Twain’s first book) that follows Twain and his companions on a “tour” to the Holy Land. Their trip mirrored modern day travel in many ways in their typical “American Tourist” behavior and the he locals’ attempts – and successes – at taking advantage of the travelers. Twain spoofs it all extremely well – including the travelogues of his day – but the sarcasm was too harsh at times and the book could have been half as long if he eliminated the repetitious elements. I will stick to his fiction going forward!

P.S. Part of me still can't believe I didn't love something by Twain so I might have to attempt to re-read it sometime in the future! :)

The Bell Jar


The Bell Jar was one of those one day reads for me. Didn’t leave my spot until I was finished!

Esther’s struggle with depression is portrayed with a potent honesty in clean, eloquent words. Any budding chance Esther had of getting a real sense of herself and building self-esteem and self-respect was quickly obscured or trampled on by stronger personalities and medical professionals.

Even today, finding solid ground in those early years is difficult - especially if you struggle to believe in yourself and others do not support you in a constructive way. I could have been Esther in my high school years and I cannot imagine getting through those times in an era where women were just starting to step out of the traditional role in which society held them. Nor can I imagine attempting to do so in an era where you were considered troubled for thinking differently. And your only choice was to accept their judgment of you! Esther’s depression seems only logical given those circumstances!

The Bell Jar is not just Esther’s story, however. This book hold several stories that reflect the early stages of an era of change and struggle. An age in which women struggled and fought with their desire for acceptance, equality and individuality while attempting to keep love in their lives. An age where the science of psychology also struggled to be accepted while attempting to define mental illness and develop tools to help those who suffered yet making inevitable but horrible mistakes. All are reflected in Esther’s personal journey and Plath’s beautiful language that is clean and clear yet full of emotion and color. Plath’s skill and restraint as a poet clearly contributed to the power this book holds.

All in all, an amazingly well-wrought piece of literature made all the more haunting by its semi-autobiographical nature. The slender string of hope one feels for Esther as she re-enters the real world is darkened by the fact that Sylvia’s slender hope failed her in the end. I wonder on Esther’s (Sylvia’s) fate if these circumstances occurred in today’s world. I find my response is that same slender hope at the end of the novel followed by a good dose of resignation. Followed by gratefulness for Plath’s strength in telling the story.

Invisible Man

My Sister's Keeper

Crucible of Gold

The God of Small Things

Dragonfly in Amber

Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science

Like Water for Chocolate

What did you think of The God of Small Things? I read that a couple of years ago and I loved the style of it.

Cassandra wrote: "What did you think of The God of Small Things? I read that a couple of years ago and I loved the style of it."

Hi, Cassandra!

The language of The God of Small Things was absolutely lovely! The words were rich and descriptive and heavy with the sadness of its characters!

At first, I struggled with the storyline not necessarily following a straight line - beginning, climax, denouement. Those elements are there - just not in order and not necessarily highly focused.

In recent years, I tended towards a very particular type of book with fairly defined storylines and sharp action. I am finding it takes a bit of adjustment to read different styles. I have to stop myself sometimes from judging too quickly!

One of the best things about being in this group is that I read a much wider variety of material - something I used to be good at years ago!

It took me a little bit to get used to the organization, but once I was finished I was in awe of the book. It feels so culturally different, but so beautiful.

It's interesting that we have similar opinions of the book.

Atlas Shrugged

Searching for Chipeta: The Story of a Ute and Her People

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual

Pebble in the Sky

The Giver

What did you think of Atlas Shrugged?

City of Bones

Cassandra wrote: "What did you think of Atlas Shrugged?"

UGH! I got so tired of the chapter long speeches! I just wanted to yell "I get it! I get it! I wish she had simply let her characters tell the story as I actually liked them and the storyline but this book definitely could have been three quarters shorter and more effective! Aren't I glad I picked her for the Complete Works Challenge! It will be interesting to see if I feel the same way about her other work. At least the longest one is over! :)

Yeah, Atlas Shrugged is pretty much Ayn Rand on a soapbox the entire time. I did like the book, but it could have been cut down by quite a bit. There were also some things that were introduced (like the death ray machine) that basically just got dropped without any more word, like she forgot that she was going somewhere with them. It definitely could have benefited from a more ambitious editor.

This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl

All the Light We Cannot See

Station Eleven