You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

My ducks are most certainly NOT in a row, and I'm pretty sure at least one of them is a peacock.

Badge One - THEMES
15 books


📍N - Nature
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl


📍P - Pirates
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson
Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry
Saltblood by Francesca De Tores



📍V - Villainy
by Tananarive Due
The Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys (AGDS), was a reform school operated by the state of Florida in the panhandle town of Marianna from January 1, 1900, to June 30, 2011. Throughout its 111-year history, the school gained a reputation for abuse, beatings, rapes, torture, and even murder of students by staff. Despite periodic investigations, changes of leadership, and promises to improve, the allegations of cruelty and abuse continued.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida...


📍W - Women
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

Hey Pat! :)

Janice wrote: "Hey Pat! :)"

Hey, Janice! I'm going to have another go at things this year. I spent most of 2024 in a drug induced fog due to a major issue with two of my lower lumbar discs. I'm still on pain killers and nerve meds, but the fog is lifting a little bit and I'm going to be retiring for real come May so I'm hoping to find a little more time to read a book or two this coming year.

How you been?

Ohhh! Ouch! I've been doing better and then something new came along. My hip is giving me grief. One step forward, then one step back it seems.

I think I will be retiring for real this spring too. I may keep one of two clients, but I will see.

BADGE 1 , BOOK 1
THEMES, C
Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger
Hardback, 385 pgs
Read ~ 1.2.25
Task Summary ~ CHILDHOOD
Rationale ~ Novel features 12-year-old Cork O'Connor in a coming of age story
4☆


Started this one yesterday, thinking I'd have all day to sit and read. LOL Of course not, but I was able to finish this morning at the library since nobody seems to realize we are open today.


I found the Cork O'Connor series a few years ago, after reading a couple of Krueger's stand-alone novels.

Normally I don't commit to a series because it just takes too much commitment (and I'm a really independent woman to be sure), but there are a couple/three series that I've found to be workable for me and that keep the character fresh with each new book in the series.

Cork O'Connor is a complex man, and Krueger takes the same approach with his series as he does with his novels - the character has to GROW from the beginning of the book to the end, and the series has to read as a standalone so that you can pretty much pick it up anywhere and feel like you've read a good book.

This book -- I wish I had started here because this is really the beginning of who Cork O'Connor was and how he became who he is. It's his coming of age story (which is one of my favorite genres), and explains the pain that he carries as a weight around his neck.

It's nice to have this piece of his history.

I've heard a lot of this series, and if I do start it, I think I might take your comments as a recommendation for a starting book in the series.

I was looking at it's book page on Audible and it's in the Audible Plus catalogue so it's free to read! Downloaded. After I added it to Goodreads and saved my review, it shows as book 0 in the series. I'm pumped. :)

Janice wrote: "I was looking at it's book page on Audible and it's in the Audible Plus catalogue so it's free to read! Downloaded. After I added it to Goodreads and saved my review, it shows as book 0 in the seri..."

Yes. I just sorted them by publication date, so that's how this one showed up in my series when it did. It makes total sense that it would be #0 in the series since it precedes #1 in terms of the storylines.

Let me know what you think about it. It's pretty cultural for a series - a lot like the Hillerman books only not quite so preachy.

BADGE 1 , BOOK 2
THEMES, B
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
Hardback, 385 pgs
Read ~ 1.3.25
Task Summary ~ BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS
Rationale ~ Books About Books is a MPG
3☆


I plan to spend 2025 very specifically not planning. I'm just reading the book that seems to be the one that finds itself in my hands at the moment that I need a book, and then I'm going to see where I can make it fit.

This was a nice little contemporary fiction book, and could even be considered as a coming of age theme, if a mid-50's woman could actually be considered going through such a revelation. There's a bit of character growth, a funny grandma, a nasty tempered father-figure, and mousey mom, and a pending disaster that affects Martha's entire upbringing.

The story unfolds in parallel timelines - Martha being the MC with her mother's voice as the "historical context" for the parts of her story that Martha herself doesn't know or understand. There's a bit of a mystery that unfolds as the story goes along.

And then there's a fun, quirky, dead grandma that provides plenty of conflict and life resolution opportunities.

♞ Pat wrote: "Yes. I just sorted them by publication date, so that's how this one showed up in my series when it did. It makes total sense that it would be #0 in the series since it precedes #1 in terms of the storylines...."

I had just searched Lightning Strike on Audible and added it to my library. After I replied to you that I had it, I decided to check the series page and they are all in the Audible Plus catalogue. I don't know when they expire, so won't get too carried away with adding them to my library although I'm tempted.

♞ Pat wrote: "I plan to spend 2025 very specifically not planning. I'm just reading the book that seems to be the one that finds itself in my hands at the moment that I need a book, and then I'm going to see where I can make it fit...."

That's a great approach and I think this year's challenge will accommodate that strategy quite well.

Janice wrote: "I had just searched Lightning Strike on Audible and added it to my library. After I replied to you that I had it, I decided to check the series page and they are all in the Audible Plus catalogue. I don't know when they expire, so won't get too carried away with adding them to my library although I'm tempted..."

Yeah - I get into the BIGGEST trouble that way. I know better than to browse all the various threads in GR, but I simply can't help myself. I'm a victim to the GR ad platform and all of the rest of the addicts who reside in it. LOL

It's really tough for me to not add copious numbers of books to my wishlist as I verify challenge posts.

Janice wrote: "It's really tough for me to not add copious numbers of books to my wishlist as I verify challenge posts."

I can only imagine. There are SO many interesting books out there, and time is such a finite thing. A girl's got to know her limitations.

I had to peak at your profile to find out what you're currently reading since your Sunday report has me intrigued.

Janice wrote: "I had to peak at your profile to find out what you're currently reading since your Sunday report has me intrigued."

I finished it early this morning - going to use it for either the "women" or the "ghosts" task. Grandma's ghost is a hoot!

This is one of those books that may end up on my permanent bookcases. It was absolutely delightful.

BADGE 1 , BOOK #3
THEMES, #G
My Mother Cursed My Name by Anamely Salgado Reyes
Hardback
Pages ~ 336
Read ~ 1.6.25
Task Summary ~ Ghosts
Rationale ~ The grandma's ghost drives the whole storyline here, which is "how do we get grandma back to Mexico to get her buried?" Grandma's ghost goes along for the ride, and the conversation, and the arguments, and the pain, and the forgiveness, and all the rest of the wonderful emotions that are part of this delightful story!
5☆

I put it in my audible wishlist. My library doesn't have it available, not even with Libby.

You might wait a bit and check again in a few months.

This book is one of those slow starters. It will take a while for libraries to get enough request for titles to figure out they need to purchase it.

My library switched from Overdrive to Libby a couple of years ago. The selection of physical books in this library was always lackluster in my opinion, but Overdrive picked up the slack and I could often find a book I was looking for through Overdrive.

Libby is terrible. Books/audiobooks are never available for download and holds are long. I put two books on hold back in April, and just got one released in December. The other tells me there are 6 people ahead of me. I can't even put this on hold because neither the library or Libby have it.

I also don't like the Libby reader. Kindle is far superior. I've hardly used the library since they switched to Libby.

The way Metro Library explained it to us was that Libby was Overdrive's "upgrade." The books are still supplied through Overdrive, Libby is just the vehicle that we use to access them.

Libby's reader definitely DOES suck, but I just have my Libby books sent to my Kindle reader. So far, I haven't had a problem. When you access your account, you should be able to set the settings IN Libby to send your books to Kindle.

At least that's how it works for ME.


The other thing you SHOULD be able to do is access a copy through an ILL (interlibrary loan?) I've had to resort to that a couple of times in the past few years, but it's rare that MLS doesn't have a book for me in some form or another.

BADGE 1 , BOOK #4
THEMES, H
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
Paperback
Read ~ 1.7.25
Pages ~ 288
Task Summary ~ History
Rationale ~ History as a MPG, but as a memoir this one was remarkably good. I wanted to read it before the inauguration, mostly because how can you know a person unless you actually read their words. Vance's upbringing was remarkably similar to my own - maybe one generation removed. His grandma reminds me of my GREAT grandma. His understanding of exactly "why" the working class is so angry is one of the best things he has going for him - it's not as simple as understanding that they are angry. It's understanding WHY, and Vance does. It gives me hope that he may be able to effectively work on solutions that are able to bring these people back from the brink and rebuild the bridges that they have effectively burned between them and the the rest of us.
5☆

♞ Pat wrote: "The way Metro Library explained it to us was that Libby was Overdrive's "upgrade." The books are still supplied through Overdrive, Libby is just the vehicle that we use to access them.

Libby's re..."

I don't see it as much of an upgrade. I often was able to immediately download a book through Overdrive and if I did have to put it on hold, I received a copy quickly - not almost a year later. Perhaps we have a different "pool" of books to access here. I don't know. I just know I don't like it.

I will check the settings to see if books can be sent to my kindle app.

BADGE 1 , BOOK #5
THEMES, M
The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
Hardback
Pages ~ 592
Read ~ 1.10.25
Task Summary ~ Mythology
Rationale ~ Mythology is a MPG.
3☆

Imagine "The Hunger Games" with a Mythology Twist. It's interesting, no? The gods very much like messing with mortals, and this new series debut had so much potential ... which unfortunately it didn't live up to. It's basically not much more than a romance driven story (which I hate) rather than a serious adventure thriller with a romance component (which would have been so much better). It's hard to really get invested in the characters since you have to first of all suspend disbelief because it's mythology and then you have to pretend that you're like 18 years old again. I suspect that the reason it's not labeled YA is because of a pretty explicit sex scene - which just felt like smut instead of really adding to the story. Sad. It was such a promising blurb!

I'm sorry it was a dud. It sounds like the blurb was a little misleading.

BADGE 1 , BOOK #6
THEMES, R
Last Circle of Love by Lorna Landvik
Paperback
Pages ~ 288
Read ~ 1.16.25
Task Summary ~ Religion
Rationale ~ The story centers around members of a church called "All Souls."
5☆

The blurb doesn't give the story justice. It is a group of elderly women who are part of what I think of as a Sunday School class, who are trying to find a new way of fundraising. They hit on the idea of the ABC's of erotica, which leads to all sorts of religious conflicts due to their various cultural upbringings and their prudish (in some cases) feelings about sexuality. The novel is charming as the characters define "erotic" as "what gets your motor going.." and words like "Knight, Compliments, Bravery, Fun... organically develop with the story, gradually leading to the realization that they aren't talking about sex - they're defining love. It was a really great little book - SURPRISINGLY good. I loved it!

Don't you love it when a book surprises you like that.

BADGE 1 , BOOK #7
THEMES, D
Toto by A.J. Hackwith
Paperback
Pages ~ 352
Read ~ 1.21.25
Task Summary ~ DOGS
Rationale ~ The story is told by Toto with an entirely different viewpoint of what really happened in OZ
4☆

So there is Frank Baum's version of the Oz story, and then there is Toto's version. Apparently Baum was very focused on Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion from the human perspective. Toto, on the other hand, quite offended that his Kansas family allowed animal control to take him away so easily, decides that he might as well be a bad dog, and approaches the land of Oz not only able to talk, but also to support a rebellion. And he swears. A lot. It's a hilarious little book, quite snarky and tells a version that, while parts of it feel familiar, is a totally different story altogether.

Janice wrote: "Don't you love it when a book surprises you like that."

I do! I'm really enjoying my "read what you want to next" approach to things. I've read a couple that didn't fit my fifteen, but I'm having a good time with the process as a whole.

♞ Pat wrote: "BADGE 1 , BOOK #7
THEMES, D
Toto by A.J. Hackwith
Paperback
Pages ~ 352
Read ~ 1.21.25
Task Summary ~ DOGS
Rationale ~ The story is told by Toto (an entirely diff..."

It's been so windy here the last couple of I was thinking I'd end up in the land of Oz.

It's just been cold - MISERABLE cold - here for the past week. Like I thought I might get frostbite today my hands were so cold and pink they were just numb - just between my front door and my truck!

That's no fun!

BADGE 1 , BOOK #8
THEMES, S
When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon
Hardback
Pages ~ 432
Read ~ 1.27.25
Task Summary ~ SURVIVAL
Rationale ~ Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, three nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War.
5☆

I stayed up all night to finish this one. I'm exhausted this morning, but I'm not sorry! I had no idea that US Combat Nurses were held in Japanese POW camps, or that they were part of the march to Bataan. This was based on actual history of real people, written by three authors with serious chops for WW2 genre. It was a VERY good read!

It sounds intense. It's been awhile since I've stayed up all night reading because I couldn't put the book down.

It was well written, and I wouldn't call it intense - although it was definitely triggering in a lot of places. I would say that it was absorbing - it just put you there and you were stuck just like the nurses were. Snuck up on me, I wasn't prepared for how involved I'd get.

I've read two of her books, and enjoyed them both. I think she's a good writer.

Oh, I just went to add the book, and see that Susan Meissner was a co-author. This is a definite for me in that case.

Kritina McMorris is also a co-author. I haven't read any of hers but will be. I have The Edge of Lost in my audible library.

Pat, you are a bad influence. My wishlist keeps growing. LOL!

Janice wrote: "Oh, I just went to add the book, and see that Susan Meissner was a co-author. This is a definite for me in that case.. ..."

"Pat, you are a bad influence. My wishlist keeps growing. LOL ..."

The women spend a lot of time apart from each other, they aren't in the same location, so their stories aren't the same, other than they're connected by a friendship that happens early on in the story. The story alternates between the characters, so the book has a feel that each of the authors researched one of the three women, and then they put those characters into the story with a big theme arc connecting them.

I feel the same way about Meissner - anything she writes is pretty awesome. If you haven't read A Fall of Marigolds, I highly recommend that one. I read it years ago, and it's still with me.

I figure you've PROBABLY already read it, but just in case, it would be too bad for you to miss it if you haven't.

I haven't read it, so I added it. When I went to see it's availability on Audible, I discovered it's in the Audible Plus catalogue which is free for me to read. :)

Janice wrote: "I haven't read it, so I added it. When I went to see it's availability on Audible, I discovered it's in the Audible Plus catalogue which is free for me to read. :)"

You're in for a real treat!

I'm getting ready to post my "Love" book. I wasn't prepared for this book to be about that, but Fredrik Backman has written another soon to be best seller. It's not due out until May, but if you ever read any NetGalley pre-releases, this one is a definite do-not-miss.

I really like Backman. Is it My Friends? I have it on my anticipated 2025 shelf.

BADGE 1 , BOOK #9
THEMES, L
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
NetGalley Pre-release on Kindle
Pages ~ 448
Read ~ 1.28.25
Task Summary ~ LOVE
Rationale ~ The story is about the love we have for our friends in spite of their flaws and broken parts and who love us in return in spite of our flaws and broken parts. And how that love sustains you for your entire life - even when you're no longer together.
5☆

I'm trying to read a NetGalley pre-release book once a month this year. I'm so glad that this is the one that I picked to read first because it's going to be a best seller. I'm never wrong about this.... I LOVED it. Best book I've read so far this year. I'm buying a copy for my daughter and one for my private bookshelf.

💕💕

BADGE 1 , BOOK #10
THEMES, F
Motheater by Linda H. Codega
Hardback
Pages ~ 416
Read ~ 1.30.25
Task Summary ~ FANTASY
Rationale ~ Fantasy is MPG, story is about a 150-year-old witch who talks to a mountain in the Appalachians with the objective of stopping the strip mining that is happening in the area.
3☆

The story is good, but the current day MC is kind of annoying in her repetitive "oh my gosh what have I gotten myself into, but I need help, and she's a witch, but she's scary but I need scary..." It got old. On the other hand, I loved Ester (the witch), and the atmospheric setting of the Appalachian Mountains was beautiful. The book felt longer than it should have - mostly because of the rambling repetitive nature of the MC character sections - and I have to say I was glad when I finished it, which is why it's a 4 star and not a 5. ALSO, coming on the heels of the Fredrik Backman ARC, there's no way that the comparison could be fair. It's probably a better book than I think.

That's it for me for JANUARY. Quite a nice start to the next eleven months.

10 books in one month is great!

Janice wrote: "10 books in one month is great!"

Actually READ 15 books last month, but just 10 prompts fit this challenge. Should get the other five done this month. :-)

I agree with Janice about your influence, Pat. Several of your books have jumped onto my TBR list. I have been trying to minimize adding to my lists, but finding titles that others, like you recommend are just too good to pass up.

I read/listened to all of the Cork O'Connor series books and I enjoyed almost all of them. He is a great character.
I recently finished the last of the Tony Hillerman series books too.
I liked Walt Longmire the best though.

Cherie wrote: "I liked Walt Longmire the best though...."

I like Walt Longmire, and I may, eventually, read that series, but so far they just haven't sparked anything for me, possibly because I watched a couple of episodes of the Longmire series from television and I cannot reconcile THAT character with the one in the book (who has a funny wit that I LOVE).

I'm not much for serial reads (too much long term commitment) but every so often - if the character is complex enough - I can get caught up in one. And it's so much easier to stay caught up on a series than it is to GET caught up on a series. LOL

I really like CJ Box's Joe Pickett series and Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware books as well. Those are pretty much it for me (so far).

I am thinking about starting the James Lee Burke Dave Robicheaux series. I read one of the later ones, and I loved it, so maybe that will be something I'll dig into this coming year.