Goodreads Choice Awards Book Club discussion

A-Z Challenge

A- The Alice Network, Kate Quinn
B- The Book of Fire, Christy Lefteri
C- The Collected Regrets of Clover, Mikki Brammer
D- Diva, Daisy Goodwin
E-
F- The Fury, Alex Michaelides
G- Green Dot, Madeleine Gray
H- The Heiress, Rachel Hawkins
I- I Have Some Questions for You, Rebecca Makkai
J- James, Percival Everett
K-
L- Last to Eat, Last to Learn: My Life in Afghanistan Fighting to Educate Women
M-
N- The Night of the Storm, Nishita Parekh
O-
P- The Phoenix Crown, Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
Q-
R- Relative Strangers, A.H. Kim
S- The Swans of Fifth Avenue, Melanie Benjamin
T- Tom Lake, Ann Patchett
U-
V-
W- The Wind Knows My Name, Isabel Allende
X-
Y- You Only Call When You're in Trouble, Stephen McCauley
Z-

Colorful Covers 2024
Duration: January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Level: Hard, 3 of Each Color
Finished: 8/6/24, Fun Challenge!

Blue Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Green Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Red Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Black Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

White Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Yellow Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Pink Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Purple Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Orange Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Gray Cover: , 2. , 3.

Brown Cover: 1. , 2. , 3.

Colorful Cover: 1.. , 2. , 3.

New Release Challenge 2024
Duration: January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Try for 25
Completed:
1. The Heiress, Rachel Hawkins
2. The Fury, Alex Michaelides
3. You Only Call When You're in Trouble, Stephen McCauley
4. The Night of the Storm, Nishita Parekh
5. Diva, Daisy Goodwin
6. The Book of Fire, Christy Lefteri
7. The Ballad of Stevie Pearl, SW Hammond
8. Green Dot, Madeleine Gray
9. The Phoenix Crown, Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
10. Last to Eat, Last to Learn: My Life in Afghanistan Fighting to Educate Women
11. Island Rule, Katie M. Flynn
12. The House of Broken Bricks, Fiona Williams
13. The Cemetery of Untold Stories, Julia Alverez
14. While We Were Burning, Sara Koffi
15. Pretty Ugly, David Sedaris
16. Anita de Monte Laughs Last, Xóchitl González
17. When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others, Elissa Strauss
18. Shelterwood, Lisa Wingate
19. Husbands & Lovers, Beatriz Williams
20. The Housemaid Is Watching, Freida McFadden
21. Such a Bad Influence, Olivia Muenter
22. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, Lynda Cohen Loigman
23. The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism, Joe Conason
24. Darling Girls, Sally Hepworth
25. Long Island, Colm Tóibín
Finished~ 7/17/24, so Read More
26. Annie Bot, Sierra Greer
27. House of Glass, Sarah Pekkanen
28. The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, Michelle Chouinard
29. Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World, Casey Michel
30. Relative Strangers, A.H. Kim
31. The Night We Lost Him, Laura Dave
32. Like Mother, Like Mother, Susan Rieger
33. What Will I Be? From A to Z, Laura Carter
34. Last Twilight in Paris: A Novel, Pam Jenoff
35. The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement, Sharon McMahon
36. Catch You Later, Jessica Strawser
37. Black Woods, Blue Sky, Eowyn Ivey
38. James, Percival Everett

New-to-me Author Exploration Challenge
Duration: January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Try for 20
Completed:
1. Geraldine Brooks
2. Stephen McCauley
3. Nishita Parekh
4. R.F. Kuang
5. Daisy Goodwin
6. Mikki Brammer
7. SW Hammond
8. Madeleine Gray
9. Melanie Benjamin
10. Janie Chang
11. Rebecca Makkai
12. Pashtana Durrani
13. Katie M. Flynn
14. Fiona Williams
15. Sara Koffi
16. Freida McFadden
17. Elissa Strauss
18. Heather Marshall
19. Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
20. Olivia Muenter
FINISHED 20! 6/20/24: Try for more New Authors
21. Andrew McCarthy
22. Safiya Sinclair
23. James McBride
24. Joe Conason
25. Angie Thomas
26. Sierra Greer
27. Sarah Pekkanen
28. Michelle Chouinard
29. Dolly Alderton
30. Laura Dave
31. Casey Michel
32. Maria Adelmann
33. Kristy Woodson Harvey
34. A.H. Kim
35. Susan Rieger
36. Laura Carter
37. Jessica Knoll
38. Sharon McMahon
39. Jessica Strawser
40. Eowyn Ivey
41. Percival Everett

Making Progress 1/2 Way Through. Definitely, going to Finish New Authors, New Releases, and likely 3 of Each Color Fairly Soon. I have the Most Left, 11 with Starting Letter, but those usually work out.

Fun to do these Challenges 😌

Just Read , Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ in a day. I found this one really pulled me into the lives of a young Nigerian couple, Yejide and Akin whose love starts out so innocent, but later life tests how far each will go to keep their family together.

I finished all 3 books in the Housemaid Series by Freida McFadden. If you have Kindle Unlimited, all this authors books are Free. I got a promo for a Free Membership, so have liked reading these the Best.

Finished Reading 20 New Authors, my Goal, but always love to find more. 💕

I just finished How to Say Babylon, this was an intense book that I was nominated for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. The author endures a lot of abuse at the hands of her father and has no control of her life growing up. She expresses this while still infusing the beauty of her native Jamaica 🇯🇲.

I really enjoyed , What We Remember by Sarah Echavarre It was a heartbreaking 💔 and also heartwarming story of a young woman her has gone through a trauma. Her life begins to change when she starts taking care of Opal, a woman at the end of life with Alzheimers.

Just finished Audio 🎧 of , Annie Bot, by Sierra Greer

I usually don’t chose Sci-Fi or Fantasy Books, but this one really caught my Eye. In this book, 👁️ or any other part of the body can be made to specification since the woman character is Annie Bot. She is completely done to the specifications of her owner, Doug. Really, Horror better describes this book and how close this is to current reality. AI is becoming so popular and this book shows how terribly wrong it can go.

5 🌟 for , The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave

Great Mystery, but also could really connect to the Step Mom and the connection she forms with her husband’s daughter.

Excellent Non-Fiction Political Book exploring Influence of Lawmakers and Lobbyists working as Foreign Agents, meaning countries hire them to lobby for their image with the US and often gain access to Top Lawmakers. Dictatorships routinely do this to Whitewash their Image and US Groups are happy to take them on as clients for a price. Impacts the policies of the US, but most of us are completely unaware of that the person has been hired to do this work. Unethical and frightening. , Casey Michel

Really Enjoyed , Relative Strangers, by A.H. Kim This is a Retelling of Sense and Sensibility, but I have never gotten to read Jane Austen’s Classic.

This book was a really touching story of 3 Women in the Bae-Wood Family. It is set at a Cancer Retreat, so was wondering if it might be sad or upsetting if you have had a recent loss. It is not, and really is about finding love, dealing with loss, and moving forward in life with the bond of family there to guide you.

Loved , The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
Laura Dave’s captures true love and family. This is a mystery as both Sam and Nora do not know how their father fell off a Cliff and died. Yet, the book it advertised as a fast paced thriller and it is not that. It is more a look into the making if a person and the choices one makes for love. It makes all the characters re-evaluate how to live. What is worth holding onto and what to let go to have live a great life.

5 Stars ⭐️

Really Surprised by , Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger

I did not have any idea what this book was about and came to love this untraditional family, flaws, strengths, and all. It was a Riveting Book. Definitely, interested in this author.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

This was a 5 star 🌟 Read for Me. The Author did such a great job of bringing to light the Victims of Serial Killer, Ted Bundy (although he is only called The Defendant) and how Strong and Incredible they were. It flips the idea of Serial Killers Being Bright Young Men and portrays them through the Eyes of the women affected who see them as Small, Weak, Horrible Men. Reminds me of another Excellent Book, , Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Last Twilight in Paris, Pam Jenoff

Loved this Book 💕

I just finished The Covenant of Water but realized it does not fit for any of the categories here. The book was a GR Finalist, so that was added to my count of those terrific books. These Challenges it doesn’t. Was hoping I had not Read, book with C. I love the alphabet challenge and finish every year, but this year don’t think I will.

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey

Did Not Enjoy this one. Thought it Glorified Domestic Violence in the name of a Story.

, James by Percival Everett I have been meaning to Read this all Year. I am glad I finally did. I really enjoyed It. This is based on the ReTelling of Huckleberry Finn and I don’t remember liking that one as much, but it was a long time ago and should re-read it. This one was a great story and just loved all the humor and satire woven in. It made the Absurd Reality of Our Actual History of Owning People as Property come through brilliantly.