Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I'm nothing if not persistent.

Not going to try to preplan this year because I have decided that's just courting OCD disaster. But I am planning to read the prompts in order, which will help my OCD stay under control.

GOAL : Two Books Per Prompt
CHALLENGE : Clear books from your TBR shelves!

PLAN B - which is actually working

1. Fill my tasks from my "added or published in (month)" shelf if possible.
2. If not, do a search using the task prompts from my "monthly challenge" challenge.
3. Repeat for the next task.
4. Queue up six tasks so I can get my library book reserves ordered.

What I won't do is obsess about it.



Best Books
JANUARY
The World That We Knew
Little Exiles
FEBRUARY
Benjamin Franklin's Bastard
MARCH
~ nothing significant ~
APRIL
The Berry Pickers
MAY
Shelterwood

THE 52 TOPICS OF THE 2024 ATY READING CHALLENGE

JANUARY
☑ 1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
☑ 2. A book connected to something you read in 2023
☑ 3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list
☑ 4. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
☑ 5. A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world
☑ 6. A book with wings on the cover

FEBRUARY
☑ 7. A book with a pronoun in the title
☑ 8. A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand
☑ 9. A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads
☑ 10. A history or historical fiction book
☑ 11. A book with an X connection

MARCH
☑ 12. A book that has been on your TBR for over a year
☑ 13. A book that is on a Five Books List; reader’s choice of which list

APRIL
☑ 14. A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
☑ 15. A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX)
☑ 16. A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs"
☑ 17. A book involving intelligence
☑ 18. A book with a botanical cover
☑ 19. A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream

MAY
☑ 20. A book with a single word title
☑ 21. A book with a title containing 6+ words
☑ 22. A book by an author from an African country
☑ 23. A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett
☑ 24. A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange, green or purple)

JUNE / JULY (Summer Reading Disaster!)

☑ 25. A book involving a crime other than a murder
☑ 26. A book by an author known by their initials
☑ 27. A book related to land
☑ 28. A book related to sea



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29. A book related to air
30. A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea
31. A book related to “Going for the Gold”

32. A book with a number in the title
33. A book involving travel
34. A book related to the name of one of Snow White's seven dwarfs
35. A science or science fiction book
36. A book featuring a character in education
37. A book that is part of a series

38. Two books with similar covers: Book 1
39. Two books with similar covers: Book 2
40. A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover
41. A book with a chilling atmosphere
42. A book with a sound-related word in the title
43. A book by an Edgar Award-winning Author

44. A book with a touch of magic
45. A book that is not a novel
46. A book related to night
47. A book with a two-word title beginning with THE
48. A second book that fits your favorite prompt
49. A book with a senior citizen character

50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2023 or 2024
51. A book published in 2024
52. A cozy mystery


Weekly Listopias In Order

52 Topics Thread - In Order

TASK #1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Read ~ 1.1.24
Pages ~ 338
Rationale ~ Ends in Y
★★★☆

Review ~ So the premise of this book is actually pretty great - 1800's woman who is interested in becoming a surgeon and how her society twarts her at every turn, with the exception of a grave robber (resurrectunist) who happens to be a handsome young man (enter romance). It was all going smashingly well until the end, when the author took the story in a completely unBELIEVABLE direction (alchemy rendering immortality), thus rendering the second part of this duology of no interest to me whatsoever. Shame, because it was a solid 4.5 ★ until the last couple of chapters.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
Read ~ 1.3.24
Pages ~ 293
Rationale ~ Ends in Y
★★☆

Review ~ I can't say that I enjoyed this book, but I think that was simply because of the sheer number of character perspective shifts in the narrative. I normally like it when a book tells a story from two perspectives, but I lost count with this one at five. It makes it really hard to get into any kind of a rhythm and as a result the whole story feels broken, maybe the same way that June and Lydia are broken from the loss of everyone they love. But ultimately, I really couldn't dredge up enough feeling to care about any of them. Well, WRITTEN, I think. Nothing really stands out as annoying or irritating - just a lack of focus and empathy, which is really necessary to tell a story like this one.

TASK #2. A Book Related to Something I Read in 2023


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1

Sally Brady's Italian Adventure by Christina Lynch
Read ~ 1.2.24
Pages ~ 368
Rationale ~ Connected to
Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
Both books take place in Italy during World War 2. That particular era of Historical Fiction is my personal favorite, as I find the stories they tell rich in character development and courage in the face of overwhelming tragedies. The time period is far enough removed from today's "current events" that I'm able to enjoy the reading without ending up with a serious case of personal PTSD. Italy, however, is sort of off the beaten path for the traditional setting of this genre - Central Europe is more usually featured - so I was pretty happy to find a second book set in Italy during Mussolini's time as dictator.

Review ~ ★★★☆
Interesting premise, a party girl socialite stuck in Europe (Italy) when the second world war breaks out. There is a light-hearted approach to the whole thing that somehow just doesn't seem real or believable, but in spite of this, I found myself really liking Sally. She's plucky and has a way of looking at the best of every bad situation. Still WW2. Italy. Mussolini. She makes me almost want to BE there with her, which would have been a very VERY bad idea.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
Read ~ 1.6.24
Pages ~ 368
Rationale ~ Connected to
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
which I did not enjoy at all. I've read several of her books, and came to the conclusion that she is simply not an author that I can connect with, and I had decided to quit trying.

Review ~ ★★★☆
So this would be the first Louise Erdrich book that I've read that I didn't DNF. I think it's her slow, round about almost hesitancy to get to the point writing style that I find frustrating. She talks "around" an idea, and you're left really having to dig deep into the structure or each sentence to get the idea of what she is trying to say. My BFF in high-school was a full blood Cherokee, and her conversational structure was very much the same, so it's possible that it's her Native American heritage coming through. Somewhere along the storyline, I began hearing my friend Diana's voice, and I read as if it were her telling me a story. Things got very much better. I DID like it, but I'm still not an Erdrich fan. And that's ok.

TASK #3. A Prompt That Didn't Make It In

My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1 ~ A winner or nominee from the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards,

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
Read ~ 1.8.24
Pages ~ 322
Rationale ~ Best Debut Nominee

Review ~ ★★★★☆
For me a five star novel has to be "life altering" and it's hard for a debut novel to do that simply because a new author is still finding his or her writing chops. This is a GOOD debut novel. But it wasn't a five star read for me. Almost but just not quite there. But I cannot wait to see what Eleanor Shearer publishes next because if this is what she does right out of the gate, she has what promises to be a very long and very popular career ahead of her.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2 ~ A book you meant to read in 2023
(Clean out the TBR Closet)
The Guardians by John Grisham
Read ~ 1.9.24
Pages ~ 370
Rationale ~ Put this on my TBR in 2020. It was the next book on my list when my real life "blew up" and I quit reading last May. So I'm glad to get this box ticked!

Review ~ ★★★★
Reading John Grisham is like having an conversation with an old friend for me. He is really good at what he does - his writing style is tight and his story lines always flow smoothly. He has a lot of characters in this book, some of whom are mentioned and then never mentioned again, some of whom are mentioned early and then mentioned again later. That part alone is what kept this from being a five star read for me - but I understand that for Grisham the story is as much about Post (his MC in this novel) as it is the story line itself, and these extra characters give you additional insight into who he is, so I can see why Grisham put them in there.

TASK #4 ~ A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen
Read ~ 1.12.24
Pages ~ 432
Rationale ~ "I see trees of green..."

Review ~ ★★★★★
Have you ever read a book that you wish you had read sooner so you could have been recommending it longer? That's how this book was for me, and obviously for a large number of other GR readers as well, based on it 4.19 rating. I was immediately caught up in Harry and Amanda's lives, captivated by Orianda, and enraptured with the multiple community of characters that fleshed out this entire world (Ronnie, Olive, Stu, and even Wolf). It's really magical realism at it finest, and when I read the last page, my first thought was, "what a charming book," much like when I walked out of the Forrest Gump movie. It was just a great heartwarming read and I'm sad to see it end. I'm going to go see what else I've missed from John Cohen, because I would like to spend some more time with his characters.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Read ~ 1.14.24
Pages ~ 372
Rationale ~ "...what a wonderful world..."

Review ~ ★★★★★
I haven't got the words to unpack all the emotions I am feeling having finished this book. It was brilliant. It brought me to tears. More than once.

TASK #5 ~ A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."

BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm trying to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" books on my TBR shelf as well.

I used this list from Conde' Nast Traveler, which lists the 50 most beautiful cities in the world in alphabetical order ~
https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/...


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Maame by Jessica George
Read ~ 1.15.24
Pages ~ 320
Rationale ~ Setting is New York City

Review ~ ★★★
The book was ok, but I'm not the intended audience for a book written about a 25 year old "coming of age" woman. Someone who is would most certainly give it a higher rating because for its target audience, it was a really good book. I'm just so far past 25, that particular age feels like a lifetime ago. And besides, even when I was 25, I was not even remotely similar to this character. It was hard not to just reach into the pages and slap some sense into her. She got there eventually, but it took her a lot longer than it should have. But I guess that's what Coming Of Age novels are all about - the "getting there eventually" part.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The Puppet Maker's Daughter by Karla M. Jay
Read ~ 1.18.24
Pages ~ 240
Rationale ~ Setting is Budapest


Review ~ ★★★
Maybe I'm just burned out on Holocaust fiction, or maybe this title just suffered from coming so close on the heels of Alice Hoffman's The World That We Knew. I don't expect every book I read to hit it out of the park simply because if every book was a five star read, what would make any book exceptionally special? It's sort of like the sunset; one happens every single night, but once in a while you just have to stop and take in one that is truly awe inspiring. This book wasn't that, but it wasn't bad. It was ok. It was interesting from the perspective of location at this pivotal point of history. Hungary was one of the minor axis powers during WW2 - mostly because its tenuous geographical location midway between Russia and Germany, with Italy sitting down a little to the southwest. Early on, it had an agreement with Germany, mostly because the citizens of Hungary had a bigger fear of the Russians than they did the Germans. But this particular story was pretty typical of the "delusion" that Jews in outlying states had about the rumors that they heard about atrocities being committed against Jews in other areas and how "it won't happen here...." I guess that's something that people still do though - delude themselves into thinking "it can't happen here," or "they wouldn't do that," and then Russia invades Ukraine, or Hamas blindsides Israel, or the United States has a crisis of democracy on the capitol steps and we're left wondering "how did that happen?" Mostly as I was reading this book, I just kept thinking how NAIVE' they all were, and then remembered how many Hungarian Jews died in Auschwitz-Birkenau because they just didn't BELIEVE something so horrible would actually happen. If history teaches us anything, it teaches us that it is absolutely incredible the utter destruction and cruelty that one group of people - when given absolute power - are capable of inflicting on another. All they have to do is convince the rest of us to believe a lie.

TASK #6 ~ A book with wings on the cover


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I would like to challenge myself this year to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf so I'm going to try to get the oldest "fits the prompt" books on my TBR shelf as well.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
Read ~ 1.19.24
Pages ~ 356
Rationale ~ Bird sitting on top of the birdcage - wings visible

Review ~ ★★★★
This book was recommended to me by one of the people that I work with. I don't read a lot of fantasy fiction, particularly YA fantasy, but the way Beka described this book and how much she loved it made it sound like such a fun read that I had to give it a go, and it was fun! The thing about fantasy, and I suspect the reason that I don't read them much, isn't that the stories aren't good, it's that the vocabulary and world building uses "not real" words that all require defining. Sometimes the book assumes that you know those words, other times it gives you a boost by assuming that you are a first time inductee into the world it takes place in. This was one of those kinds of books. The unfamiliar vocabulary (usually nouns) were boosted by their "word closure" definition technique of being able to define a word by the surrounding context. This means that I didn't have to stop and look a word up to get a visual picture in order to see the situation. It was really helpful. The story was pretty easy to get right into, and while it is obvious that there was a story "before" this one, it wasn't really necessary to read it in order to understand this story. But you know, I think that I might just go do that because now I'd like to know!

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
Read ~ 1.21.24
Pages ~ 322
Rationale ~ The two airplanes in top right corner have wings.

Review ~ ★★★★
I put this book on my TBR list back in 2020, and I'm not sure why, but probably because the cover fit some kind of challenge and because HF is my wheelhouse go-to when I'm looking for a book to read. This was my first Marie Benedict novel, so I had no real idea what to expect, and I know nothing at all about Churchill (other than he was Prime Minister of England during WW2, so obviously I had no idea about his wife. That makes this book an awesome double win for me. But GADS, this woman was egotistical! I did not like her at all, but I enjoyed the book because after awhile I found myself saying, "Of COURSE you did" and "Of COURSE you were," and "Of COURSE you knew best..." Seriously, it's hard to believe that SHE was the mover and shaker behind Churchill, but this book would have you believe it was so - at least from HER perspective! I think really good historical fiction should send you on a non-fiction treasure hunt to find out more. This book did that, and it turns out that she "...invented herself as a formidable figure, no longer scared of anyone, not her father, her husband, and much later not de Gaulle, FDR, Stalin, or Hitler either....she displayed an exceptional ability to “rise to the level of events.” Indeed, the greater the challenge, the more impressive Clementine became..." (quoted from The Woman He Loved, from The International Churchill Society).

https://winstonchurchill.org/publicat...

~ ♞ ~

BONUS BOOK 3
Little Exiles by Robert Dinsdale
Read ~ 1.23.24
Pages ~ 424
Rationale ~ Flying birds

Review ~ ★★★★★
This book has been on my TBR for years. I've started it at least three times, taken it off my shelf, put it back on, taken it off, and in 2020 put it back on for a third time. I wish - oh HOW I wish - I had read it years ago. It's a good - no, a great - story. Coming of Age novels are some of my favorites and when they are as beautifully told as this one is, it is painful, inspiring, and real. It's a story told on three fronts - Jon Heather as the main character, but also of his friends Peter and George. All three boys are forced immigrants to Australia from the British Children's Crusade, a program that sent orphans and children of destitute parents overseas to "start colonies" for the British Empire. Although it started in 1869, the forced migration primarily took place between Britain and Australia after WW2, mostly because of so many fathers who did not come home from the war, leaving their widows without the financial means to care for their children. Desperate, these mothers handed over guardianship of their children - the majority of whom were boys - to these organizations who promised to help them build a life in Australia. However, the reality is that the children, some as young as seven years old - were nothing more than slave labor, horribly treated and tormented, until they were of age, at which point they were sent out into the world to make their own way. I find it incredible that there are still things in history that I had absolutely no idea about. This is one of them.

True History Reference / Wikipedia ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Ch...

TASK #7 ~ A book with a pronoun in the title

My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Read ~
Pages ~ 352
Because ~ I and You are both pronouns
Review ~ ★★★
I liked this story, but it felt very fragmented with its short chapters. I liked the podcast angle concept though.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Read ~ 2.1.24
Pages ~ 450
Because ~ ME is a pronoun
Review ~ ★★★
Cute little contemporary fiction story, which was a nice break from the heavy reading that I did in January.

TASK #8 ~ A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand

My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull
Read ~ 2.7.24
Pages ~ 400
Because ~ Canadian author
Review ~ ★★★★
I know less than nothing about Russian history, so while I've heard of the Romanov and Rasputin, I really didn't KNOW anything. There were a lot of names in this book - a LOT to keep track of - but there's a cheat sheet in the front that helped tremendously. The author notes at the end were also helpful. It's a good historical fiction read, and as all good historical fiction should do, sent me to do a little research in the nonfiction section of the library.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Weyward by Emilia Hart
Read ~ 2.9.24
Pages ~ 329
Because ~ Australian author
Review ~ ★★★★☆
I put this on my TBR in 2022 because it literally came across my library circulation desk two and three times a day for months. I figured that many people couldn't be wrong. They weren't. It's a charming book and I loved every minute I spent with it. Not a five star read for me - it wasn't life changing or mind altering - but it was better than a four star because it was just so captivating that the pages almost turned themselves. The story in a nut shell is three women, connected by family lineage, separated by generations, but sharing the same connection to the natural world, particularly birds and insects, using that gift to help those around them as well as each other (which was the "magic" part of things). The last line of the book was a perfect "sum up" ~ The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet. ~ Adrienne Rich. Yes. This.

TASK #9 ~ A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads

My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started Evolution by Lee Alan Dugatkin
Read ~ 2.10.24
Pages ~ 240
Rationale ~ 1,545 ratings

Review ~ ★★★★★
I had heard about this study years ago, and at the time found it interesting, but never pursued really learning about it. I bred sporthorses for a long time - and at the time, I thought about how particular gene traits might piggyback on others, but still didn't really think about how the "fox study" applied. I wish I'd read more about it years ago, but I'm pretty sure a lot of it would have gone over my head. This book is easy reading, but I think you'd have to have a real interest in genetics and heritability to get into it as much as I did. I found it really fascinating. Bottom line - gene inheritance isn't a one and done. Select for one particular trait and you'll eventually get a host of others that you never expected. There are plenty of issues in purebred breeding programs that prove this now, but back in the mid-50's, when we didn't even know about DNA, this concept was revolutionary. And it generated more questions which led to more answers which generated more questions. That's science for you.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Dog Days Forever by Shannon Richard
Read ~ 2.12.24
Pages ~ 384
Rationale ~ 180 ratings

Review ~ ★★★
This book is a perfect description of why I don't read much romance. There's just no "there" there. Typically lighthearted, but the point of the story is boy meets girl meets boy - boy loses girl loses boy - boy gets girl gets boy - happily ever after. With a cute dog to add an "aw" factor. It was ok. Nothing earth shaking, but easy reading and a sweet little story. Not for me, but I can see the appeal of the genre.

TASK #10 ~ A History or Historical Fiction Book


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Read ~ 2.13.24
Pages ~ 256
Fits Task~ Historical fiction and Historical as MPGs

Review ~ ★★★★☆
Written before I was even born, this book is a literature classic, and it's been on my reading radar for a long time. I would put it on my TBR, take it off, put it back on, let it sit, think about reading it, take it off my list, and finally after years of flirting with it, I finally picked it up and read it. It took me a while - a long while - to get in touch with the rhythm and sounds of the language structure, but once I got it, I found this short book a lovely story. This is romance the way romance should be written, even when the language is a challenge.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Benjamin Franklin's Bastard by Sally Cabot
Read ~ 2.15.24
Pages ~ 354
Fits Task ~ Historical Fiction, Historical, American History all as MPGs

Review ~ ★★★★★
I loved this one. Sally Cabot has, by necessity, taken great liberties with the identity of William Franklin's mother since she was never identified. But the story is an enchanting and believable one, and I was unable to put it down once I picked it up to read. It's been on my TBR list for-like-ever, and so I have to say, another one that I wish I'd read sooner so I could have been recommending it longer.

TASK #11 ~ A book with an X connection


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma
Read ~ 2.22.24
Pages ~ 400
Rationale ~ X in the Title : a(X)e

Review ~ ★★☆
I had a hard time finishing this one, but I can see the appeal for others. Well written, just not my thing. Normally I really love historical fiction, but for me this one just had too many time and story shiftings to keep track of. It's essentially two completely different story lines that are merging toward each other, but it takes a long time for them to get there. I liked the characters (I think), and I liked the individual stories (I think), but it just didn't work putting them in the same book (I don't think).

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
City of the Dead by Jonathan Kellerman ~ (Alex Delaware series)

Read ~ 2.20.24
Pages ~ 366
Rationale ~ Book #37 in the Alex Delaware series : ale(X)

Review ~ ★★★★
I've been reading the Alex Delaware series for as long as Kellerman has been writing it. It's one of the few series books that I continue to read. Normally I don't have this kind of commitment to a character, but Alex is an old friend, and it's always interesting to see what he and Milo Sturgis are up to. I'm surprised that one of the networks hasn't picked it up for a television series because these books are always good. Of course, Alex and Milo spend a lot of time in vehicles driving from point A to point B to point C, discussing the current psychology of whatever case they're working on, so I'm not sure how well that would translate to visual media.

TASK #12 ~ A book that has been on your TBR for over a year


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Read ~ 2.27.24
Pages ~ 372
Fits Task ~ Added to TBR in 2022

Review ~ ★★★★
I wasn't sure about this one when I started it. The print was small and it was a bit of a struggle to get into the story, but around chapter 9 things just "clicked" and I realized that this was going to be a GOOD book. Bit of mystery, bit of romance, bit of historical fiction, bit of suspense, and a bit of magical realism. They never did find the tiger, so the author left that bit hanging, but I think that in the case of this story, that was a good call on her part. Was there EVER a tiger?


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The Brave Cowboy: An Old Tale in a New Time by Edward Abbey
Read ~ 3.4.24
Pages ~ 352
Fits Task ~ Added to TBR in 2022

Review ~ ★★★
I'm not even sure why I put this book ON my TBR back in 2022. I'm sure it fit some kind of challenge task at some point, but while it was "ok" it wasn't great.

TASK #13 ~ A Book That Is On A Five Books List


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Read ~ 3.23.24
Pages ~ 339
Rationale ~ Selected from the ATY Listopia for this task

Review ~ ★★★★
It took me a long time to get started on this book, mostly because my real life this month has been horrendously intrusive. Once I got myself a day to just sit down and read, I flew through this charming little story. The characters are fun, and even though there is a murder, it's Vera (the MC), that the story spins around, and she is just adorable.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Read ~ 3.26.24
Pages ~ 432
Rationale ~ Selected from the ATY Listopia for this task, Tournament of Books book selection.

Review ~ ★★★
This book was a real slog for me. Too many characters to keep track of, and as a result I really didn't care about any of them - how they felt, what they did, why they did it. The book was too long - it could have been trimmed to a 300+ count with no loss of storyline. I really had to push to finish it, but I don't think it's going to be a book I recommend to anyone in the near future. Maybe someday, I will revisit it. Nah, I won't.

PROMPT #14 ~ A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color


My 2024 plan is to "not plan."
BOOK 1 ~ I work at a big library and I'm just going to go with the first book that appeals to me that crosses my returns desk.
BOOK 2 ~ And I'm challenging myself to work on clearing out my old TBR shelf this year, so I'm going to read the dustiest "fits the prompt" book on my TBR shelf as well.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Read ~ 3.27.24
Pages ~ 336
Rationale ~ Luz, Maria Josie, Diego, Pidre - all are Indigenous people of the North American Midwest

Review ~ ★★☆
This is a very atmospheric type novel with rich description of place and time, but the character story lines are trite and fairly sterotypical. The competing timelines are really hard to follow. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and their relationships to each other were hard to figure out from the narrative. I think it would have been a more effective tale were these timeline sequential rather than concurrent. Luckily, there is a generational map in the front part of the book, so that helped. But the book was pretty much a "meh" read for me. Almost a 3 star, but just not quite. It had so much potential, such a beautiful cover, and a really intriguing blurb. I really felt let down, so I'm a little annoyed about that, which is probably what contributed to my unwillingness to rate it any higher.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
Read ~ 3.28.24
Pages ~ 366
Rationale ~ The Angels are a Mexican-American blended family.

Review ~ ★★★★
There is an nice level of humor in this book - mostly because these characters are so REAL, and they have the ability to laugh at themselves and the life that they have been handed. They are a family, but broken? I don't think so. Far from it. I have to admit that I cried a bit at the end of this one. It was a rich read!

Prompt #15 ~ A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX)

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Read ~ 4.3.24
Pages ~ 359
Rationale ~ dolen perkins-valde(Z)

Review ~ ★★★★☆
This book opened a thought process that I don't know that I've ever considered before. There is a disconnect between doing what is right and doing what you think is right, and often times the difference between those two things is simply a matter of cultural progression's perspective. While the eugenics of the 1970's was 100% immoral by today's standards, the question of that time was "is it wrong?". While it was an abhorrent practice, it's not altogether impossible to understand why so many people in the health profession and those in government positions felt it was necessary in some circumstances. Poverty isn't a disease, but it is caused by a plethora of conditions, and the more of those conditions you meet, the less likely it is for you to pull yourself out of your situation. Reliance on public assistance relies on the will of the taxpaying public to support the assistance it requires to help you pull up your bootstraps. Government isn't the bad guy - it's a reflection of how we choose to spend our money on ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities. So now there begs a question - Is it unreasonable to expect something be required of those receiving that money? And how much are you willing to "pay" to accept this assistance. And if you can't read, how much are you willing to trust those who are offering you a "way out" of your circumstances? And what happens when the will of the taxpaying public is worn out? There are no easy answers. But the big question this book addresses is this: What toll do these things take take on those who are in a position to help when there is no end to the need? Teachers, home health nurses, and social workers all spend their own money on supplies for their students, patients, and clients because the funding simply isn't enough to cover the need. I think this is a common thing among those who choose "service industry" jobs as their life's work, but it inevitably blurs the lines between your "job" and "your family." It can be extremely easy to become too involved and to take too much upon yourself, and lose yourself in that process. This is the story of one of those people, a home health nurse faced with too much need, and then getting too emotionally involved with the children in her care. I really felt for Civil Townsend, and because she was fresh in my mind, I was able to take her "butt out" lesson and use it when talking to my best friend who is dealing with another friend who has terminal cancer. She's trying to be helpful, but she's not family and she risks intruding on their lives in her effort to "be there to help."

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
Read ~ 4.5.24
Pages ~ 352
Rationale ~ paulette (J)iles

Review ~ ★★★
Cute story. Nothing that I'm going to carry around for the rest of my life, but it was a good read. I've read several books by Paulette Jiles before, so I knew what to expect from her. I wasn't disappointed. After Take My Hand, I needed something light and easy. This book definitely hit the spot on that account.

TASK #16 ~ A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs"


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
Read ~ 4.5.24
Pages ~ 212
Rationale ~ Dog

Review ~ ★★★★
The blurb would indicate that the dog plays a much more important role than it would appear in this book, but the book itself seems to be a focus on "writing" as art, and the grief process, and suicide. "The friend" referenced in the title is her writing professor / friend who has killed himself. The dog is his aging Great Dane whom she ends up with because nobody else can take him. The book progresses through her grief - the slow progress of overcoming and accepting an overwhelming loss and gradually moving on as life replaces and gradually softens the edges of the hole he has left in her life. Apollo, the dog, helps her do this, but by the end of the book he has become "the friend" and leaves a hole of his own. It's such a gradual process it's hard to pinpoint exactly when the shift happens, and I guess that's really how grief works. Pretty much brilliant writing here.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The Last Black Cat by Eugene Trivizas
Read ~ 4.9.24
Pages ~ 248
Rationale ~ Cat Book

Review ~ ★★★
I have a library passive program that I run called The Passport Club. Each month, my participants select a book set in a particular country or written by an author of the country. For April, the location country is Greece. This book, written by a Greek author, popped up on a search, fit this prompt, but wasn't available except through Amazon. I ordered it and waited. And waited. And waited. I was ok with waiting because things don't come here quickly from overseas. But the story wasn't really worth the wait. It was cute, but not much more than that. Basically all the "evil omen" black cats are being blamed for societies ills and a secret group of cultists are rounding them up and disposing of them. The hero of the story is "the last black cat." Told from the cat's point of view, it's not really a book for young readers, and in today's "helicopter drama parenting" it's probably not something you'd find on a junior reader bookshelf either. But it was tongue in cheek fun and I enjoyed it.

TASK #17~ A Book Involving Intelligence"


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein
Read ~ 4.11.24
Pages ~ 416
Rationale ~ Espionage #6 on MPG genre.

Review ~ ★★★★
It's been a long time since I read an espionage genre book - maybe as far back as twenty years. I'd forgotten how much fun they can be. A mystery on steroids, full of cloak and dagger and who's the good guy and who's the bad guy. Danger abounds. And little Celia, an innocent, caught in the middle, unaware, simply trying to find traces of what happened to her mother, who was a member of the French resistance and was killed by the Nazi's during WW2. Fast forward to the 1960's and the cold war, the shadow of the Cuban missal crisis, and the Soviet Union undercover in London. It made for a fun read - somewhere beyond a cozy mystery and serious spy thriller.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe
Read ~ 4.12.24
Pages ~ 384
Rationale ~ Espionage #8 on MPG genre.

Review ~ ★★★
Wealthy woman, bored and unhappy with being a stay-at-home-mom of two babies, finds herself being invited to use her college education in multiple languages to help ferret out a Russian mole in the government. I don't think this was the same level of book as my other one for this task - no real research, and parts of it required a bit of suspension of belief to make the story work.

TASK #18 ~ A book with a botanical cover


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Late Bloomers' Club by Louise Miller
Read ~ 4.13.24
Pages ~ 325
Rationale ~ Green shrubbery behind bike with corner floral stenciling

Review ~ ★★★★
Classic Chick-Lit. The kind of book you read when. you just want to sit in your recliner with a cup of coffee and a smile. Cute book, but not a memorable one.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
Read ~ 4.16.24
Pages ~ 400
Rationale ~ red floral framework on cover

Review ~ ★★★★
I don't think this was Susan Meissner's best book - but it was a good solid read. I read the one-star reviews, and wonder if those people read the same book I did. I like that the narrative of the two main characters literally split the book in half, with Roseanne's story taking the first half and Helen's the second. Both of those narratives are split into different time frames, and trying to keep it straight if it were a "chapter split" story would have been incredibly hard, so this choice for story telling was perfect. A handful of triggers, but history - and historical fiction by default - is always going to have triggers because history is both beautiful AND brutal. And true. Always true.

TASK #19 ~ A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Read ~ 4.17
Pages ~ 307
Rationale ~ BERRY Wild Whirl, BluesBERRY, and multiple other BERRY flavors

Review ~ ★★★★
Lots of characters, but as they are all from the same family, it's not that hard to keep track of them. There are three narrators: Ben (the oldest), Joe (the youngest who is dying of what appears to be cancer), and Nora (who used to be Rose before she was kidnapped). It's a complicated story, full of grief, secrets, tragedy, and racism. I picked it up because of its beautiful cover and intriguing blurb, but it is a wonderfully good story.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon
Pages ~ 304
Read ~ 4.20.24
Rationale ~ Mint Chocolate CHANCE

Review ~ ★★★★
Hilarious fun read. This would be a really cute movie.

TASK #20. A book with a single word title


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Search by Michelle Huneven
Read ~ 4.23.24
Pages ~ 393
Rationale ~ Clearing my TBR shelves

Review ~ ★★★★
Cute, funny little book, which, if you are involved in any church, is very true to life and personalities. I enjoyed this as a fun diversion from my more serious titles. I should read books like this more often!


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
ARC Read ~ 5.2.24
Pages ~ 368
Rationale ~ Advanced Reader Copy. Single word title. I like this author.

Review ~ ★★★★★
This book takes place during the early days of Oklahoma's statehood; the land runs have already happened, and the indigenous people have been relocated. Their homes have been stolen or swindled by opportunistic men who want the oil and gas underneath. In the process of relocation, adults have been killed and children have been left in the care of state guardians who are taking the money for themselves. These guardians often have as many as 50 orphan children who they are supposed to be supervising, but they simply don't bother to keep track of them. These children are left to fend for themselves. This is the story of some of those children, two girls in particular, Ollie and Nessa.

TASK #21. A book with a title containing 6+ words


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily R. Austin
Read ~ 5.4.24
Pages ~ 256
Rationale ~ 8 word title

Review ~ ★★★
This book was one long (ok short) 240 pages of existential crisis. The writing was tight, and somewhere along the way, I just started laughing at how bizarre the MC's thinking processes went. Not really my cup of tea, but I can't say that I didn't enjoy it. I just didn't GET it. But then, I tend to be a "glass is so full it's running over" kind of person. Eleanor talked about the circular connection between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings, which is something I learned from my dad (who taught sociology for years). It's a feedback loop - what we think affects how we feel. The loop doesn't start with how you feel; it starts with what you do. Do it enough and it starts to feel normal which changes how you think, which changes how you feel. If you want to change a feeling, change a behavior first; in other words, fake it 'til you make it. I'm glad that Gilda got it figured out in the end, even if it took her until page 242 to do it.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
In the Shadow of the Valley: A Memoir by Bobi Conn
Read ~ 5.6.24
Pages ~ 296
Rationale ~ 6 word title

Review ~ ★★★★★
Often times when I stack my challenges, I find a book that I never would have discovered on your own. And sometimes, those books are a nice surprise. I've found new authors this way, and I've also found good books that are out of my comfort zone. This was one of those kinds of books. I don't read a lot of non-fiction (figure I have enough of that in my real life), so if I read a biography or a memoir or a historical nonfiction book, I want it to be good. This one was. Conn brought me right into and sat me down in the middle of Appalachia poverty and made me feel it. She is brutally honest about her life in the Hollow, about the impact it had on her and the way she turned out. I only ever give five stars to books that either 1) change the way I think about something or 2) stay with me for more than the 15 minutes it takes me to get into my next book. This is one of those "stay with me books." It's one of those books that I'll be able to recommend when a library guest asks, "What have you read lately that was good." I'm glad that I found this book, but I'm really more glad that Bobi Conn wrote it.

TASK #22 ~ A book by an author from an African country


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
An Island by Karen Jennings
Read ~ 5.12.24
Pages ~ 224
Rationale ~ Karen Jennings is a South African writer based in Cape Town.

Review ~ ★★★★★
Surprisingly great book, one that wasn't even on my radar and I would not have found without this task. Central to the story is the critical necessity of a common language and how without it even the most benign interactions can be misinterpreted, based on an individuals internal dialog. Set on a small island, Samuel is responsible for manning a lighthouse, and thus lives alone until a body washes up on the shore, which turns out to be a living man. A man who does not speak the same language as Samuel, but one who appears to be friendly (he smiles a lot and talks to Samuel a lot). Samuel does not understand the stranger's words or behaviors and is suspicious of his intentions, and the story builds from there.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs by Alexander McCall Smith
Read ~ 5.8.24
Pages ~ 144
Rationale ~ Alexander McCall Smith was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana.

Review ~ ★★★
This is the second book I've read by AMS, and I guess I just don't understand his language structure or his sense of humor. For me this was a cute book, and I understood the humor, I just didn't find it all that funny.

TASK #23 ~ A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash by Paulette Jiles
Read ~ 5.16.24
Pages ~ 416
Rationale ~ BALLAD in title

Review ~ ★★★★★
It's a 2017 book - so it's off the beaten path - but the writing is spectacular and the character development is beautifully done. Based on the real life story of Ella May Wiggins, and is told by one of her family of descendants. I think because her life was important to him, he told a much deeper story than any Hollywood movie could even begin to. This book digs into her in a way that hit my heart much deeper than Norma Rae ever could. My admiration increased ten-fold for these women who wanted a better life for themselves and their children and were ready to fight - and in Emma's case, die - for it.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Stormy Weather
Read ~ 5.19.20
Pages ~ 352
Rationale ~ located in Texas, song: Livingston's Gone to Texas from his Living and Dying in ¾ time album

Review ~ ★★★★
A well written narrative of three girls and their mother struggling to make ends meet and build a new life after the death of their father. The dust bowl - it still affects those of us who live in the midwest. Our generational roots, stories, and heritage are tied up in it. These four women could have been my relatives. Beautiful narrative.

TASK #24 ~ A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange, green or purple)

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang (green & orange)
Read ~ 5.21.24
Pages ~ 326
Rationale ~ Green & Orange on Cover

Review ~ ★★★★★
One of those books I wish I'd read sooner so I could be recommending it longer.

~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
Silent Came the Monster: A Novel of the 1916 Jersey Shore Shark Attacks by Amy Hill Hearth (orange & green)
Read ~ 5.24.24
Pages ~ 332
Rationale ~ Orange and Green on Cover

Review ~ ★★★
This is the first fictionalized account of the New Jersey shark attacks of 1919. The author is from the area, with relatives and stories that she was able to draw from real life experience. It was a good book - not a great book - but it was unique and I enjoyed it, pretty much like I enjoy all historical fiction.

Task #26 ~ A book by an author known by their initials

~ ♞ ~

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
Read ~ 6.21.24
Pages ~ 341
Rationale ~
Rating ~ ★★★★★

~ ♞ ~

Swiped by L.M. Chilton
Read ~ 6.30.24
Pages ~ 304
Rationale ~
Rating ~ ★★★

TASK #27 ~ A book related to land


~ ♞ ~

27. A book related to land
The Change by Kirsten Miller
Read ~ 6.14.24
Pages ~ 480
Rationale ~ Harriet uses the plants from her garden to wreck havoc on those who have betrayed her and those she loves.
Rating ~ ★★★★☆

Task #28 ~ A book related to sea

~ ♞ ~


The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Read ~ 7.11.24
Pages ~ 355
Rationale ~ Flora is presumed drowned in the local river at age six years old.
Rating ~ ★★★★