Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I'll go for 100 again because - well, it's just a nice number. I didn't quite make it in 2021 (only 82), but I read several that were very long so I'm ok with that number.

Wishing everyone lots of happy reading this year! I feel sorry for non-readers because it's such a great way to 'get away from it all' :)

Good luck, my friend! I’ll be one of your cheerleaders!
Ruthanne

Ruthanne wrote: "Good luck, my friend! I’ll be one of your cheerleaders!
Ruthanne"

Thank, Ruthanne. Good luck to you as well!

1 - Sad Cypress
Hercule does it again! 4*

2 - Cloud Cuckoo Land
This took a while to get going, but boy did I love it by the end. 5*

Awesome! We love Hercule here. Right now we’re both deep into William Kent Krueger’s “cork O’.Conner” series. I think you’d love it!

Must read Cloud Cuckoo Land. Thanks!

Ann A wrote: "I'll go for 100 again because - well, it's just a nice number. I didn't quite make it in 2021 (only 82), but I read several that were very long so I'm ok with that number.

Wishing everyone lots o..."

Happy new year, and happy reading! :)

Going to try to catch up here over the next few days:

3 - The Burden of Proof - I read this back in January and can't really remember why I only gave it 3*. I think it had to do with a few too many plot twists.

4 - Several People Are Typing - Clever take on the world of Slack. I didn't 'get' a lot of the slang and had to return the book to the library before I could look it up :) 4*

5 - Cockroaches - Decent mystery/crime novel. 3*

6 - Crossroads - I can't seem to resist Franzen even though he, in turn, enthralls, disgusts, fascinates, and annoys me. 3*

7 - The Racketeer - 4* for Grisham on this one.

8 - Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands - Some essays better than others. 3*

9 - The Trees - I laughed out loud several times despite the gruesome scenes. I suppose I have a soft spot for dark humor. I will also add the book is heartbreaking. 4*

10 - My Name Is Lucy Barton - Meh. 3*

11 - Anything Is Possible - A bit less than meh. 2*

12 - The Promise - Really good writing, but a little too much family misery for me. Didn't love it. 3*

13 - Oh William! - I may just be a crankypants, but Elizabeth Strout's redundant style of writing irritates me. 2*

14 - Libertie - I wanted to like this more. Although there were sections I loved, I couldn't really sink my teeth into it. 3*

15 - Clouds of Witness - Another 3* mystery. By-the-way, 3* still means I liked the book! I suppose I rate a little harshly.

16 - Any Human Heart - I didn't much like Logan Mountstuart, but his story is well-written and interesting. 4*

17 - Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer - Entertaining kids' fare. 3*

18 - Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art - Fascinating. 4*

19 - The Book of Form and Emptiness - THERE'S my 5* read! Loved it.

20 - Intimacies- Also liked this one a lot. 4*

21 - Fair Warning - Another solid one from Connelly. 4*

22 - Matrix - A lot of ToB (Tournament of Books) readers loved this, but it didn't really resonate with me. 3*

23 - Cat's Eye - Gotta love Margaret Atwood. 4*

24 - Void Moon - My jury is still out on Cassie Black. 3*

25 - The Echo Wife - I thought this was very well-crafted and a page-turner. A few things bothered me, but still 4*.

26 - Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood - I will read anything Lucy Knisley writes/draws. 4*

27 - Tao Te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way - Beautiful. 5*

28 - Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion - I need a nostalgic visit with Nancy every now and then. 3*

29 - In Concrete - Ok, the story is weird. But - it's worth reading for the brilliant wordplay throughout which is TRANSLATED into English! 3*

30 - The Sentence - I liked this a lot, but felt Erdrich perhaps tried to take on too much. 4*

31 - Me - I'm a sucker for a good bio. 4*

32 - State of Terror - Another I wanted to like more. 3*

33 - Love Literary Style - Fun fluff. 3*

34 - Such a Fun Age - A different twist on race and class. I liked that I had no idea what the main characters would do next. 4*

35 - Music Is History - I probably gave this an extra 1/2* because it's Questlove. I felt he was over my head much of the time, but I am going back and listening to a lot of the music he mentions. 4*

36 - Subdivision - Inventive, but left me with a similar sense of discomfort that I get from Murakami. 2*

37 - White Nights - I'm happy to have discovered Ann Cleeves! 4*

38 - The Last September - Well-crafted novel set in the time of the Irish Troubles. 3 1/2*

39 - Birds of a Feather I liked this second Maisie Dobbs installment better than the first. Guess I'll have to continue :) 4*

40 - When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa - Such a sad, but excellent book. Add the people of Zimbabwe to those for whom I feel heartbroken. 5*

41 - The Woodlanders - Thomas Hardy never disappoints. His sense of atmosphere draws me right in. I don't even care that some of his books have similar plotlines. 4*

42 - The Thursday Murder Club - Maybe a little generous in 4*, but it was fun.

43 - Playing with Myself - I am one of those who thinks Randy is an amazing talent. And his book is good! 4*

44 - The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois - This took me so long to read, I'm just ready to move on and not analyze too much. I mostly liked it. 4*

45 - Once There Were Wolves - I loved the nature writing and learning more about wolves. I had some issues with the sub-plots, especially towards the end. 3*

46 - Death of a Green-Eyed Monster - This series has been a guilty pleasure for me for years. But with the passing of M.C. Beaton, I think I'll put Hamish Macbeth to rest now.

There - caught up as of today. I've got some ground to make up to reach my 100-book goal!

47 - The Pegan Diet: 21 Practical Principles for Reclaiming Your Health in a Nutritionally Confusing World - Dr. Hyman's ideas make sense to me. My one 'beef' with the book (pun intended) is that the cover says "paleo + vegan = pegan", but in the book he encourages you to eat meat! 3.75*

48 - Anxious People - I found the first half ridiculous, liked the second half more (and laughed out loud twice), but overall I just couldn't buy into everything that was going on. 3.25*

49 - The Nature Lover's Quotation Book: An Inspired Collection for Hiking, Camping and the Great Outdoors - Beautiful collection of quotations. I need to continue reading a few each day. They keep me grounded. 5*

50 - Dear Evan Hansen - Lovely play. Now I need to see a performance! 4*

51 - New Kid - Wonderful. Reminds me why I will keep reading the Newbery winners. 4.5*

52 - Everything I Never Told You - Didn't like this as much as her later effort 'Little Fires Everywhere'. 3*

53 - The Whispering Statue - As usual, I added a Nancy Drew to my Dewey's Readathon stack. I wanted to BE Nancy as a child :) My goal is to re-read the original 56. 3*

54 - Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly - Highly entertaining, but not sure why anyone would want to be a chef after reading this! I'm sad I didn't get to see any of Bourdain's TV shows. 4*

55 - Project Hail Mary - Although over my head with the science, the author can tell a good story. 4*

56 - The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 12: True Stories from Around the World - A random find at the library and I loved it! I'll have to search for the other editions. 5*

57 - Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Reminds me why I keep reading the Newbery winners. 5*

58 - Unnatural Causes
Perfectly decent mystery. A few cringe-worthy characters - it is from 1967. 3*

Ann A wrote: "56 - The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Volume 12: True Stories from Around the World - A random find at the library and I loved it! I'll have to search for the other editions. 5*"

Random finds at the library! Woohoo!

59 - The Pale Horse
Dame Christie got me again! 4*

60 - A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times
I'm allowing myself one brief comment here: It was interesting learning about just what a Secretary of Defense does. 3.5*

61 - Disappearing Earth
Unique for sure. I'll round up to 4* for its teaching me about a group of people I knew absolutely nothing about.

62 - Open Secrets: Stories
I didn't love all the stories, but I'm giving it 4* for Munro's short story prowess.

63 - Daughter of Fortune
Allende is one of my favorite writers. I was all set to read The House of the Spirits, then realized it was 3rd in a trilogy. This is #1. 4*

64 - Poirot's Early Cases
What a guy! 4*

65 - Moon Tiger
Beautiful writing, but I just didn't like the characters very much. 3*

Ann A wrote: "63 - Daughter of Fortune
Allende is one of my favorite writers. I was all set to read The House of the Spirits, then realized it was 3rd in a trilogy. This is #1. 4* ..."

I have "The House of the Spirits" on my to-read list for next year; readers on GR say you don't have to read the other books first (and the other two were actually written after "House"). Phew. You had me scared! :)

Tiffany wrote: "Ann A wrote: "63 - Daughter of Fortune
Allende is one of my favorite writers. I was all set to read The House of the Spirits, then realized it was 3rd in a trilogy. This is #1. 4* ..."

I have "The..."

Yeah, it probably makes more sense to read them in publication order. I'm just silly that way - I "must" start with #1 :)

ETA - I will say that I'm reading #2 now (Portrait in Sepia), and am glad I read #1 first...

66 - Portrait in Sepia
Allende didn't disappoint. Starting The House of the Spirits soon. I'll be sad to be finished with this trilogy. 4*

67 - Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust
I liked Comey's first book a lot. This wasn't as good, but the stories of his days as a prosecutor were fascinating. 3.75*

68 - Unnatural Death
Ah, Lord Peter Wimsey. I'm quite fond of his whimsical way of speaking :) 4*

69 - Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
I love good travel writing. Adams may get a little too detailed at times, but overall a very enjoyable book. 4*

70 - Rules of Civility
My first Amor Towles and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait to get to A Gentleman in Moscow. 4*

71 - Iron Lake
I liked the first half but the second half had too much going on, much of it not quite believable. Good writing, though, and I liked the indigenous characters aspect. 3 1/2*

Ann A wrote: "66 - Portrait in Sepia
Allende didn't disappoint. Starting The House of the Spirits soon. I'll be sad to be finished with this trilogy. 4* ..."

When you finish The House of the Spirits, I'd love to know whether you think I need to read the first two books first, or if the other GR opinions are right that I can start with #3.

72 - Fight Night
Entertaining overall, but stretched imagination at times that the narrator was supposedly around 10 years old. 3 1/2*

73 - A Girl Returned
I enjoyed this tale of an Italian girl who was "returned" to her natural parents at the age of 14. Rounded up to 4*.

74 - The Bronze Horseman
Well, that was a slog. I appreciate the historical fiction aspect, but the romance - oh brother, don't even get me started. I really need to give myself permission to DNF. 1*

75 - Sag Harbor
Delightful. What a pleasure to read Whitehead's writing after my last book. 4*

76 - Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
I need constant reminders to "stay in the present". So much to worry about! 4*

77 - When You Trap a Tiger
I liked this Newbery winner, but could never quite connect with the magical realism part. 3*

78 - Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings
I've always enjoyed Shirley Jackson's fiction but I didn't know she also wrote essays, many of them humorous ones about her family. 5*

79 - The Haunted Bridge
Every visit with Nancy allows me to briefly be 12 again. ;) 3*

80 - The Light Fantastic
Not a big scifi or fantasy fan, but I do enjoy Pratchett's witty writing. 3 1/2*

81 - Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion
Unfair burden placed on women when it comes to preventing pregnancy? Absolutely. 4*

82 - The Black Tower
A little dark for me, but I will continue to read P.D. James. 3 1/2*

83 - The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
Interesting ideas, but a lot of repetition. 3 1/2*

84 - The Art Forger
A real page-turner, and as a bonus I learned a lot about art. 4 1/2*

85 - A Good Walk Spoiled: Days and Nights on the PGA Tour
Another book that's been on my shelf for years. I used to follow golf avidly, and this was a fun glimpse into life on the Tour (1994-95). 4*

86 - The House of the Spirits
I'm not usually a fan of magical realism, but Allende weaves a little of it so skillfully into the story I ended up loving it. This book was excellent, but I enjoyed the other less famous ones in the trilogy just as much. 4 1/2*

Go for it! I think you can make it to 100!

Tiffany wrote: "Go for it! I think you can make it to 100!"

Thanks for the encouragement, Tiffany! I have one more long one to finish, then it's a short-book December ;)

Tiffany wrote: "Ann A wrote: "66 - Portrait in Sepia
Allende didn't disappoint. Starting The House of the Spirits soon. I'll be sad to be finished with this trilogy. 4* ..."

"When you finish The House of the Spirits, I'd love to know whether you think I need to read the first two books first, or if the other GR opinions are right that I can start with #3.

Tiffany, you can absolutely start with #3!

87 - The Red Badge of Courage
I know many consider this a masterpiece, but I simply didn't like it and had to work to finish it. (I have loved other war novels like All Quiet on the Western Front and The Things They Carry.) 2*

88 - The Four Agreements
Meh. Very simplistic examples, and I'd say over half the book is repetition. Rounding up to 3*.

89 - The Last White Man
I'm being generous because I enjoy Hamid's writing so much. This one left me unsatisfied, however. In many cases, less is more. In this case, less is...not enough. 3 3/4*

Ann A wrote: "Tiffany wrote: "Ann A wrote: "66 - Portrait in Sepia
Allende didn't disappoint. Starting The House of the Spirits soon. I'll be sad to be finished with this trilogy. 4* ..."

"When yo..."

Awesome! Thank you! :)

90 - The High Window
Noir detective fun. 4*

91 - An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice
Interesting and inspirational autobio. 5*

Nine more! Hope I can do it!! (I have six in progress :)

92 - Tinkers
Overall pretty good, but the "poetic" nature writing bogged (me) down in places. 3*

93 - The Rabbit Hutch
So many emotions during this one. Gunty has great writing chops, but in the end I admired it more than enjoyed it. 3.5*

94 - Shopgirl
Lost steam at the end, and there were a couple of scenes that annoyed me (involving a woman, but screaming they were written by a man). 3*

95 - The Mistletoe Promise
A few too many eye rolls, I'm afraid, but I needed a book with "Holiday" genre for a challenge. I rounded up 1/2* on GR because he's a local author. 2.5*

96 - From Doon With Death
Rendell didn't fool me in her first Inspector Wexford novel. I like the Inspector, though, and will continue the series. 3*

97 - Casino Royale
Not a big Bond fan, but I get to cross another off the 1001 Books list. 3*

98 - Hotel du Lac
I really liked this Booker-winning tale of an intelligent, complicated single woman in her 30's. 4*

99 - Cold Comfort Farm
Especially delightful on audio. 4 1/2*

100 - Sea of Tranquility
And...*drum roll*...met my goal of 100 with an excellent read. 4 1/2*

My ploy of picking several short books for December worked!

Ann A wrote: "100 - Sea of Tranquility
And...*drum roll*...met my goal of 100 with an excellent read. 4 1/2*

My ploy of picking several short books for December worked!"

Woohoo!! *confetti*