JulieLill's 2020 Reading Challenge

Looking forward to good reading year!

2020 Reading Challenge

Read a Decade of Books - 1950’s
1. 1950 A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie 4/5 stars
2. 1951 Murder by the Book by Rex Stout 3/5 stars
3. 1952 The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith 4/5 stars
4. 1953 Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym 3/5 stars
5. 1954 The Family Nobody Wanted by Helen Grigsby Doss 4/5 stars
6. 1955 Run Silent, Run Deep by Edward L. Beach 3.5/5 stars
7. 1956 The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Sławomir Rawicz 3.5/5 stars
8. 1957 The World Of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason 3.5/5 stars
9. 1958 The Sundial by Shirley Jackson 4/5 stars
10. 1959 Memento Mori by Muriel Spark 3.5/5 stars

11. Ruth Ware Book- The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware 5/5 stars (Cornwall/England)

12. Malcolm Gladwell- Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell 5/5 stars

13. A Graphic Novel- Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha 4/5 stars

A Wrinkle in Time series (1st 5)
14.- A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle 4/5 stars
15.-A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle 4/5 stars
16. -A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
3/5 stars
17. - Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle 4/5 stars
18. - An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle 4/5 star

19. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers - Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng 4/5 stars

20. A Book based on one of the topics in Billy Joel’s "We Didn't Start the Fire" - Dark Remedy: The Impact of Thalidomide and Its Revival as a Vital Medicine by Trent Stephens 4/5 stars

21. Neurodiverse characters-The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion 4/5 stars

22. Two-word titles starting with "the"-The Widow by Fiona Barton 4/5 stars

23. A book with an “ing” word in the title-Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts 4/5 stars

24. A book set in a global city- The Third Man by
Graham Greene 3.5/5 stars

25. A book set in a rural area-Beartown by
Fredrik Backman 3.5/5 stars

26. A book inspired by a leading news story-The Girls by Emma Cline 4/5 stars

27. A book related to the Arts-The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt
4.5/5 stars

28. A book related to time-Man In the Empty Suit
by Sean Ferrell 2.5/5 stars 8/16/2020

29. A book from the New York Times ‘100 Notable Books’ list for any year (2018) - The Library Book by Susan Orlean 5/5 stars

30. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse (death, war/conquest, famine, and plague/pestilence) - The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 4/5 stars

31. A book that can be read in a day-
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman 5/5 stars

32. A book set in the southern hemisphere-The Penguin Lessons: What I Learned From a Remarkable Bird by
Tom Michell 4/5 stars

33. A book featuring a nontraditional family- Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worlds' Most Dangerous Man byMary L. Trump 4.5/5 stars

Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites
34. Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation's Leaders by Brady Carlson 4/5 stars
35. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West 5/5 stars 8/24/2020

36. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live-The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman 4/5 stars

37. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover- More Than This by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars

38. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover -Blade Runner aka Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick 3/5 stars

39. A book with a major theme of survival - Where the Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper 3.5/5 stars

40. Australian, Canadian, or New Zealand Authors -Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton 4/5 stars 9/27/2020

41. Published in 2020- The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larsen 5/5 stars 8/9/2020

42. A classic - Bambi: A Life in the Woods by
Felix Salten 4/5 stars 8/28/2020

43. Historical fiction or history - West of Eden: An American Place by Jean Stein 3/5 stars 5/30/2020

44. Mystery - The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick 4/5 stars 4/24/2020

45. Underrated or Lesser Known Authors - The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith 4/5 stars 9/5/2020

46. A title without the letters A, T or Y -Pied Piper by
Nevil Shute 4/5 stars 1/20/2020

47. A place in the title - The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom 3.5/5 stars 6/6/2020

48. A book that was nominated for one of the 10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World - The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 4/5 stars 10/16/2020

49. Political Book - You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe 3.5/5 stars 5/17/20

50. Best Nonfiction Ghost Book - Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach 3/5 stars 1/15/2020

Pick out books from the initials of a favorite book -
The Time Traveler’s Wife
51. T -Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman by Anne Helen Petersen 5/5 stars 2/5/2020
52. H -Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life by Laurie Notaro 4/5 stars 8/2/2020
53. E - Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman 4/5 stars 10/28/2020
54. T -To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 3.5/5 stars 5/11/2020
55. I -Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate and Innocent Man byLynn Vincent and Sara Vladic 5/5 1/27/2020
56. M -Me by Elton John 5/5 stars 2/26/2020
57. E - Enduring Love by Ian McEwan 4/5 stars 9/21/2020
58. T -Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 5/5 stars
59. R-Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates 4/5 stars 4/29/2020
60. A - Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson 3.5/5 stars 7/10/2020
61. V - Vanish by Tess Gerritsen 4/5 stars 10/21/2020
62. E - Edible Stories by Mark Kurlansky
4/5 stars 10/7/2020
63. L - Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests by Tom Shales 3.5/5 stars 5/28/2020
64. E - Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover 5/5 stars 10/2/2020
65. R- Ready for a Brand New Beat: How Dancing in the Street Became the Anthem for a Changing America by
Mark Kurlansky 4/5 stars 10/9/2020
66. S - Scorsese by Roger Ebert 3/5 stars 5/8/2020
67. W-What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! by Agatha Christie 4/5 stars 3/24/2020
68. I-In the Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown by Amy Gary 4/5 stars
69. F-Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops by
James Robert Parish 3.5/5 stars
70. E - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by
Jonathan Safran Foer 4/5 stars

70/70

WOW!~! This looks to be a very challenging beginning to 2020. Good luck with your reading program. I am so excited to begin a new year of reading. :-)

>2 JulieLill:



Wishing you all the best with this challenge. It looks...well...extremely "Challenging:)

The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Ruth Ware
5/5 stars
Hal, a single woman is living and struggling on her own as a tarot card reader when she gets a letter informing her of a relative that has died and she is to inherit part of the estate. However, she believes that she is not related to that person but still decides to go to the will reading hoping to get some of the inheritance to help her survive. As she arrives and meets the family she has second thoughts but still plans to go through with it. However, there is someone in the family who has a secret to maintain and Hal may be in the way. I flew through this book because I couldn’t wait to see how this ended! Ruth Ware Book

A Murder Is Announced
Agatha Christie
4/5 stars
A classic Miss Marple murder mystery! 1950 Book

Everything I Never Told You
Celeste Ng
4/5 stars
Ng’s story surrounds the Lee family, in particular Lydia, their daughter who has died. The story goes back and forth in time including the meeting and marriage of Marilyn, who is white and James Lee who is Chinese. Their marriage is not going well and their children struggle as the only American Asians in their town. But when their daughter dies it consumes them and threatens the family structure while they attempt to find out what happened to Lydia. Well written and hard to put down. A Book By An Author On The ABE List of 100 Essential Female Authors

I never heard of this list but I sure enjoyed the book.

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife
Mary Roach
3/5 stars
Roach delves into the facts of life after death and the people who research the various aspects of this subject. Not my favorite book of hers but a few of the chapters were compelling. Best Nonfiction Ghost Book

Pied Piper
Nevil Shute
4/5 stars
Englishman John Howard, alone in life decides to take a fishing trip to France. On his way home, he is asked to escort a couple of children home to England. Unfortunately, Germany invades France just while he is trying to get the children home. Travel is very hard and along the way he picks up a few more children that desperately need to leave France. I enjoy Shute’s works and this one didn’t disappoint me. Poignant! A Title Without the Letters A, T, or Y

Murder by the Book
Rex Stout
3/5 stars
An author and three people who had access to his book are murdered. When the inspector cannot solve the case he contacts Nero Wolfe and his staff to help in the investigation. Of course Wolfe prevails and this unusual case is solved. Interesting plus a fast read! 1951

Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate and Innocent Man
Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
5/5
This book tells the tale of the WWII ship Indianapolis. During the war this ship had a secret mission to deliver one of the atomic bombs that was used on Japan to help end the war. After that mission, a Japanese submarine attacked the boat causing it to sink, losing the lives of many of the crew. Despite the heroic actions of Commander McVay and the lack of help from the Navy, he was court martialed for not following procedures. Many of his crew was upset with the charges and it took years to have someone look into and dispute the charges. This was so interesting and there was also a wonderful special on PBS that led me to read the book. I recommend both. Check out more information at https://www.pbs.org/show/uss-indianapolis/ I

The Price of Salt
Patricia Highsmith
4/5 stars
Set in the 50’s, Therese Belivet is fresh out of school and trying to establish her career in set design. She has been working part time jobs and dating a young man who is ready to get married. But Therese is not ready to settle down. While working at a store’s toy department during Christmas she meets Carol Aird, wife and mother, who is estranged from her husband. They start to develop a friendship that becomes stronger and soon threatens Carol’s relationship with her daughter. Highsmith does a great job building up the tension and you will be wondering where this will end. 1952

Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman
Anne Helen Petersen
5/5 stars
Petersen writes an engrossing book on the way the world views certain women that buck the traditional roles of mother, wife and female role model. Told through the stories of various women, including Serena Williams, Hillary Clinton, Lena Dunham, Melissa McCarthy and others in the public eye, this book will astound you (or not) about the treatment of women and the double standards that they have had to deal with. T

Jane and Prudence
Barbara Pym
3/5 stars
Jane and Prudence are friends. Jane is the wife of a clergyman and they have just moved to a new parish. While Jane is adjusting to her new parish, Prudence, a single woman who works for a living is encouraged by Jane to settle down and perhaps marry. She is introduced to Fabian, a neighbor who has issues of his own but there is another man that Pru is attracted to. Written in 1953 but it has some surprisingly modern thoughts on relationships. Not my favorite book but it was an interesting and fast read. 1953

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
Malcolm Gladwell
5/5 stars
I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell and this book did not disappoint me. Gladwell discusses the differences in how people communicate and what can go wrong when our communication styles don’t match. I thought the chapter on the arrest of Sandra Bland quite disheartening and definitely a case of miscommunication. Malcolm Gladwell Book

Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops
James Robert Parish
3.5/5 stars
Written in 2006, this book can certainly be updated but as a movie buff, I had seen many of the movies in the book as the author breaks down the reasons each movie failed. There are a couple of movies in the book that I did enjoyed. I liked Paint Your Wagon and Last Action Hero but I definitely agree that Showgirls, Robin William’s Popeye and Ishtar were completely terrible. This book is definitely for movie fans. It would be interesting to see a updated version of this book! F

The Family Nobody Wanted
Helen Grigsby Doss
4/5 stars
Set in the 40’s this is the true story of the Doss’s who were unable to have any children. Reaching out to an adoption agency they eventually were able to adopt one child. When they went back to try for another adoption, they were told they could only adopt one white child so Helen reached out to other agencies that had different race or mixed race children. They, eventually, through sheer determination adopted a total of 12 children. Wonderfully written and so inspirational, I sped through this book. 1954

Interesting article on the family- https://pages.uoregon.edu/adoption/topics/familynobodywanted.htm

Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir
Robin Ha
4/5 stars
Author Robin Ha’s graphic novel is the true story of her coming to America with her mother after being raised in South Korea. Since she only speaks Korean, she has a hard time adapting to the United States, let alone learning an unfamiliar complicated new language and trying to make new friends especially in high school where the students aren’t the friendliest. Well done! Graphic Novel

The Library Book
Susan Orlean
5/5 stars
One of my favorite books was Orlean's book on Rin Tin Tin and so I was excited to read The Library Book and I was not disappointed. This book concentrates on the fire of the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986 and the chief suspect in the case. However, she does not tie herself down to that topic but also talks about the history of libraries and some of the people responsible for building and influencing libraries. Highly recommended! A book from the New York Times ‘100 Notable Books’ list for any year (2018)

Me
Elton John
5/5 stars
Elton John relates his amazing career as a song writer, composer, singer, film maker and the incredible ups and downs of his life through childhood to the present. Well written and hard to put down. M

Run Silent, Run Deep
Edward L. Beach
3.5/5 stars
Written by an actual Commodore in the Navy during WWII, Beach weaves an interesting fictional tale surrounding the navy adventures of Edward Richardson as he starts to command the submarine USS Walrus. Richardson’s crew encounter many battles but their major battle is against Captain Tateo Nakame ( Bungo Pete) who is sinking ships and subs in the Bungo Channel that is a strait separating the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. I thought there was a nice balance between the battle descriptions and the story of Richardson and his crew. Recommended! 1955

In the Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown
Amy Gary
4/5 stars
This is the very interesting biography of the author Margaret Wise Brown. Brown’s life was a whirlwind between writing books, travel and her multiple relationships with men and women. Unfortunately, at the age of 42 she died from a blood clot after having surgery but she has left behind her works which still are being published and loved by readers today. I

The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom
Sławomir Rawicz
3.5/5 stars
During WWII, Polish solider Slavomir Rawicz is captured by the Russians and sent to a labor camp in Siberia. Conditions are horrible and Rawicz conspires with six other prisoners to escape to British India. The trek is a long one and several die on the way but when things go bad, they encounter people along the way who help them out even though their lives are also troubled. There have been sources that say that the book is a falsehood but I thought it was a very interesting read. This was also made into a film but unfortunately I have not been able to find a copy of it yet. 1956

The World Of Suzie Wong
Richard Mason
3.5/5 stars
Robert, a young artist moves to Hong Kong to concentrate on his painting career. Looking for a cheap place to live and paint, he ends up in a “brothel” where the all occupants pay by the hour except him. Robert gets to know the “girls” as friends but ends up in an up and down relationship with the beautiful Suzie. Written in 1957, it was made into a film with William Holden and Nancy Kwan. 1957

The Sundial
Shirley Jackson
4/5 stars
The Hallorans’ live in an expensive mansion with an odd assortment of relatives and guests. When Aunt Fanny wanders off, she experiences a vision. Her dead father tells her of an impending disaster in which everyone but her family will be destroyed. Shirley Jackson doesn’t fail with this eerie family tale. 1958

What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!
Agatha Christie
4/5 stars
Agatha Christie proves herself again as a master mystery writer in this story of Mrs. McGuillicuddy, a woman on a train who witnesses a murder of a woman on a train passing hers. The authorities dismiss her claim as they can find no other witnesses or the body. Mrs. McGuillicuddy, a friend of Mrs. Marple, tells her the strange story of what she witnessed and if she could help. Mrs. Marple, then engages a smart, young woman, Lucy Eyelesbarrow to search the area where the body could have possibly been thrown off the train. Lucy ends up working for the Crackenthorpes who live near the tracks so she can search more for the body, not knowing that the body is hidden on their property. Very enjoyable! W

Finding Dorothy
Elizabeth Letts
4/5 stars
Lett’s historical fiction novel relates the life of Maud Baum, wife of Frank L. Baum who wrote The Wizard of Oz books. The novel goes back and forth between Maud’s childhood and her marriage to Frank and then years later to her relationship with the young Judy Garland who is playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. I especially enjoyed reading about the life of Maud and her life with Frank. This makes me want to learn more about their real life relationship. At the end there is an afterword by the author which goes over what was true and what was made up. Interestingly, it was a picture of Maud Baum and Judy Garland on the movie set that inspired Letts to write this book. A Book With a "ing" Word in the Title

The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt
4.5/5 stars
This is the amazing true story of the women animators that worked at the Disney studios and who influenced and participated in the filmmaking process of the animated films. They came from all backgrounds and did jobs that the men got paid more for doing but they persevered and were able to make an impact on the films they worked on. Interesting fact -I never knew that the book Bambi: A Life in the Woods was banned in Germany because it dealt with German antisemitism and it was written by a Jewish author. Highly recommended! A Book Related to the Arts

The World That We Knew
Alice Hoffman
4/5 stars
Set during WWII in France, Hanni, a mother knows she has to send her daughter Lea away before she is sent to a concentration camp. She pleas with her rabbi to help but he can’t. Overhearing the conversation, the rabbi’s daughter Ettie suggests bringing forth a golem that would protect her daughter. Ava is the created creature who will look over Lea and will travel with her to a school where they help to save their Jewish students and hopefully will protect her during the occupation. I enjoy Hoffman and she spins an interesting mystical tale that imbues a tragic part of history. A Book Set In A Time Or Place That You Wouldn't Want to Live

Where the Wild Things Bite
Molly Harper
3.5/5 stars
Due to the library being closed, my choices of books are limited. I had picked this book up off the free shelf at the library before it closed and it did meet the criteria of my book challenge. While this book will never will win a Pulitzer, I was thoroughly entertained about this story of a rare book expert, Anna who was to deliver a book to her client knowing that this book on the undead was highly prized by many people. While she took precautions on her plane trip she did not realize that a vampire, Finn Palmeroy was following her to try and steal the book. She also did not realize the pilot was also was trying to steal it until he crashed the plane. Finn and Anna survive the plane crash, only to be stuck in the middle of nowhere and they have to rely on each other when they soon realize others are after them. A Book with a Major Theme of Survival

Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
5/5 stars
Janie Crawford is a mixed race daughter whose mother ran off and who was eventually raised by her grandmother. Life is not easy for Janie. She is forced to marry one man, and then eventually runs off with another man. Neither of them had treated her with respect. It was not until she meets the love of her life, Tea Cake that she feels loved. They eventually take off to Florida to make a life for themselves but fate has other plans for Janie. I have never read this Hurston book before but I did enjoy this story and would read more of her books. It never won any prizes and did not do well until later in the 1970’s when there was a call for more African American books and literature books. T

The Library of Lost and Found
Phaedra Patrick
4/5 stars
Martha Stewart has had a terrible life. She can't get the job she wants at the library. Her friends all use her as a doormat and she has a terrible relationship with her sister. One day she finds a book that has a very familiar story when she realizes it was a story that she once told. She tracks down the book and gets involved with the bookstore owner who found the book for her. Little by little Martha tracks down the mystery of her published story and in doing so she stands up for herself and meets the mystery author of her published book! I thought this was thoroughly enjoyable. Mystery

Revolutionary Road
Richard Yates
4/5 stars
Set in the 1950’s Frank and April, a young couple with two children, live a dull life. When April discovers a new job opportunity in France for her that enables her to make a great deal of money, she convinces Frank that they should move there and he could watch the kids and look for a career he could enjoy. Unfortunately, April becomes pregnant and her dreams are shattered. Life returns to its normal stagnancy until April makes a shocking decision, changing all of their lives forever. For a book written in 1962, I thought this quite a shocking topic for the author to undertake but I had a hard time putting this down.
R

The Widow
Fiona Barton
4/5 stars
Glen and Jean are a childless couple living a solitary life but Glen has a terrible secret and Jean knows about it but stays silent. However, when a child goes missing, everything in their lives blows up. This is an interesting tale of secrets and the consequences it has on this couple. This has gotten mixed reviews but I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this tale.
Two Word Titles Starting With "The"

Scorsese
by Roger Ebert
3/5 stars
This was an unusual book. It is not a linear biography of Scorsese, in fact it is not a true biography at all but a look at his life amid his film work. There are 6 discussions/chapters in this non-fiction work - 1) Beginning, 2) Achieving, 3) Establishing, 4) Reflecting,(which is an interview with Ebert) 5) Venturing and 6) Masterpieces. I think the book is interesting and I learned a lot about Scorsese’s filmmaking but the problem I have with the book was that there was a lot of repetition in the book and a rehashing of the movie plots that have been gone over in previous chapters. However, if you are a big film fan or Scorsese fan, I will think you will like this book.
S

To the Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf
3.5/5 stars
This is a semiautobiographical book of the author and her family set in three time periods. Woolf relates the feelings, events and emotions of her childhood when they stayed at their summer home near the lighthouse. The second section relates the events of WWI and what happened to the family during that time period and the last section is ten years later and recalls the memories of returning to their summer home and their trip to the lighthouse. I have never read Woolf but enjoyed this book and her writing. T

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
by Alexis Coe
3.5/5 stars
This is a very interesting short biography of Washington geared to those who don’t want to read some of the tomes on him. The author writes about his childhood, marriage to Martha, his war service and his time as president and afterwards. The author intersperses the book with odd facts and topics which include the diseases he survived, the lies told about him, the animals he raised and much more. I really enjoyed this book! Political Book

The Third Man
Graham Greene
3.5/5 stars
Rollo Martin (aka Buck Dexter) writes Westerns. Post WWII, his friend Harry Lime invites him to Vienna where he gets swept up in a murder mystery when he finds out his friend Harry is dead. Martin seeks to find out what happened to his friend and gets swept up in the criminal investigation. This was originally first written as film treatment and the book was written afterwards. The movie became a classic starring Orson Welles. A Book Set In a Global City Venice

Memento Mori
Muriel Spark
3.5/5 stars
“Memento Mori” is a term for an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death which follows the characters in this dark humoristic story. Set in the 1950’s England, a well-known author has been getting telephone messages that she is going to die. This upsets her circle of friends but she is calm about the matter though secrets about her and family are soon exposed as each of them faces their mortality when they get the same call. 1959

Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests
By Tom Shales
3.5/5 stars
This book is definitely for fans of the show and goes over each season (up till 2014) and includes all the members, writers, producers and Loren Michaels talking about their roles on the phenomenon of SNL and how it affected them.
This book was the updated version for their 40th Season in 2014 (originally published in 2004). I am not sure if it has been updated since then but it would be interesting to read about the changes to the program due to the coronavirus. I enjoyed this so much but be warned it is over 700 pages. L

West of Eden: An American Place
Jean Stein
3/5 stars
Jean Stein’s book covers five unusual true stories of Los Angeles, particularly focusing on Hollywood by using the interviews of the actual relatives and players of Hollywood that have shaped Los Angeles history for good or for bad. Stein covers the stories of the Dohenys, the Warner Brothers family, real estate heiress Jane Garland, actress Jennifer Jones, and her own family. I am mixed about this book, some of it I raced through and then others parts seemed to drag on forever. I knew that Hollywood was a free for all but never knew, especially in its early history, that everything was up for grabs in terms of morality.
Sad note- I was looking up the author on the internet and discovered that she had committed suicide a couple of years ago. Historical Fiction or History

Blade Runner aka Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Philip K. Dick
3/5 stars
In the future (which is 1992 in the book), Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter tracks down human replicants who are no longer allowed on Earth. However, life on Earth is no bed of roses. People are obsessed with owning real animals because there are so few left. Deckard’s new assignment is to track down 6 androids that have returned to Earth from Mars and kill them. It has been awhile since I have seen the film but the film really strays from the book IMO. However, I thought this was an interesting look at a possible dark future for Earth. A Book With A Mode of Transportation on the Cover - Hovercraft

The First Phone Call from Heaven
Mitch Albom
3.5/5 stars
Coldwater, Michigan is the site of a very small town but unbeknownst to its citizens, it will soon be the gathering place of thousands of people when word gets out that citizens are receiving phone calls from relatives who have died. Is this a hoax? Sully Harding believes so and sets out to prove that the town’s people are getting the wool pulled over their eyes. I thought was a sweet novel about faith and really enjoyed it. A Place in the Title

A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle
4/5 stars
This is the first book in L’Engle’s series about the Murry family whose husband and father goes missing on a space mission. Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin O’Keefe go looking for him with the help of Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsit. I had read this book decades ago but never read the entire series. So I thought it was about time that I did and I thoroughly enjoyed this first book and look forward to the rest of the series. A Wrinkle in Time Series

A Wind in the Door
Madeleine L'Engle|
4/5 stars
This is the second book in the series about the Murry family. Charles Wallace Murray, who for the young age of 6 is already a genius, but he is now very sick. His mother fears it has something to do with his mitochondria. Meg, his sister, is determined to do something about it and with the help of her friend, Calvin O’Keefe she travels inside Charles’ body to fight an evil force that may kill him. L’Engle weaves such a tale of imagination that it is hard to put down. A Wrinkle In Time Series - Book 2

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
Fredrik Backman
5/5 stars
This story revolves around the time shared between a grandfather and his grandson as they discuss their wife/grandmother and evolves as they both age and take each other’s role in their lives. Backman’s doesn’t disappoint in this wonderful tale. Keep some tissues handy! A Book That Can Be Read in a Day

The Rosie Result
Graeme Simsion
4/5 stars
Simsion returns with another novel revolving around Don Tillman who despite being autistic continues to learn and grow as a father and husband. This book focuses on the story of his son Hudson and his difficulties at school and making friends especially after the family moves to live in Australia when Rosie is offered a job there. Is Hudson autistic or just having difficulties with the move? How will the family deal with this new issue? I enjoy this series and was delighted to see what was in store for them! Neurodiverse Characters

Beartown
Fredrik Backman
3.5/5 stars
Set in a rural area where hockey is king, the author explores the dynamics of small town life and the importance of hockey to everyone in town. The junior hockey team is going to compete in the national semi-finals. However, a young girl is assaulted by a hockey player and this pits the hockey community against the people who believe her. Well written and hard to put down. A Book Set In a Rural Area

Your Movie Sucks
Roger Ebert
3.5/5 stars
Ebert reviews some of his most hated films with humor and disdain. I laughed through a majority of the remarks and it made me miss him and his reviews. Not for everyone but if you are a film buff you might enjoy it! Not on my reading challenge.

Positively Pippa
Sarah Hegger
3/5 stars
Pippa had a makeover show on TV but when her ex and another member on the show sabotaged her job, she goes home to stay with her grandmother and runs into Matt. Matt is the gorgeous hunk who works on her grandmother’s house and Pippa has trouble keeping her distance from him while she tries to re-establish her career. I enjoyed this funny, romantic novel.

The Girls
Emma Cline
4/5 stars
Set in the late 60’s in California, we find Evie, whose parents are divorcing, lonely and without friends. Seeing a group of girls in the park, she meets Suzanne who invites her back to the ranch to hang out with the others that live there. She soon meets Russell, the enigmatic leader of the group and she finds herself being drawn in. Loosely based on Charles Manson’s cult, this story really draws you in right away. Well done! A Book Inspired By A Leading News Story

Allegedly
Tiffany D. Jackson
3.5/5 stars
Mary B. Addison has been sentenced to a group home for allegedly killing a 3 month old baby when she was 9 years old. Her “mother” Dawn Marie Cooper took in Mary as a young child and visits often but her relationship with Dawn is not good. Mary is smart and is ready to move on. She is allowed to work and is assigned to a nursing home where she meets Ted. Unfortunately, she gets pregnant and her dream to work and go to college is hampered by the pregnancy. In the meantime, she has gotten a lawyer to help her in overturning her conviction. Will Mary ever move on with her life and get away from those awful “allegations”? This story is very compelling with a lot of twists and turns. A

A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Madeleine L'Engle
3/5 stars
“When fifteen-year -old Charles Wallace Murry shouts out in desperation an ancient rune meant to ward off the dark, a radiant creature appears. It is Gaudior, Unicorn and time traveler. Charles Wallace and Gaudior must travel into the past on the winds of time to try and find a Might-Have-Been--a moment in the past when the entire course of events leading to the present can be changed, and the future of Earth-this small, swiftly tilting planet - saved.” Synopsis from the back of the book.
This is the third book in the series. This is not my favorite of the three so far. There was quite a lot of characters in it and a plot that was at times hard to keep track of but I will finish reading the last two books in the series. I would like to know what happens to the family and Charles Wallace. A Wrinkle In Time Series -Book 3

Dark Remedy: The Impact of Thaliodomide and It's Revival as a Vital Medicine
Trent D. Stephens
4/5 stars
This was such an interesting and sad book about the history of Thalomide. The authors trace the drug from its beginning: from the doctor who developed it and who had a questionable history, stories of the families whose children had suffered from phocomelia (malformations of the arms and legs) and to its revival of use in cases of leprosy, multiple myeloma and HIV. I found it to be thoughtful and well written. A Book based on one of the topics in Billy Joel’s "We Didn't Start the Fire"

Dark Remedy: The Impact of Thalidomide and Its Revival as a Vital Medicine
Trent Stephens
4/5 stars
This was such an interesting and sad book about the history of Thalomide. The authors trace the drug from its beginning: from the doctor who developed it and who had a questionable history, stories of the families whose children had suffered from phocomelia (malformations of the arms and legs) and to its revival of use in cases of leprosy, multiple myeloma and HIV. I found it to be thoughtful and well written.
A Book based on one of the topics in Billy Joel’s "We Didn't Start the Fire"

Many Waters
Madeleine L'Engle
4/5 stars
In this fourth book of the series, the focus is on Dennys and Sandy, the twin brothers of the Murry family. While no one is home they go into their mom’s lab when something happens to them and they are transported back in time. They end up still on Earth but in the time period when Noah and his family are given the instructions to build an ark and only certain people will be saved. Will Dennys and Sandy survive? This was a really interesting book but there are some very adult situations in this book so I find it interesting that it is considered a J (juvenile) book! I would consider it more of a YA book. A Wrinkle In Time Series - Book 4

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worlds' Most Dangerous Man
Mary L. Trump
4.5/5 stars
Mary Trump, niece of Donald Trump and daughter of Fred Trump Jr., writes about life in the Trump family beginning with the patriarch of the Trumps, Fred Trump. Fred Sr. was a cruel, miserly man obsessed with profits and his children were his last priority and seen only as valuable as employees and for what they could do for him. When their mother became ill, they were on their own and were ill prepared for life. Not a long book but filled with crucial details of the Trump family history and a look at the family that shaped Donald Trump. A Book Featuring A Non-Traditional Family

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
By Stuart Turton
4/5 stars
This is the most interesting, suspenseful and intricate supernatural murder mystery, I have ever read. Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered at a party in the country. No one knows who has done it but there are certain guests at the party who need to find the murderer and they only have so much time to find him/her or else they will suffer the consequences. There are so many twists and turns that you may need to take notes especially if you want to keep track of the characters and the plot. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse (death, war/conquest, famine, and plague/pestilence)

Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life
Laurie Notaro
Laurie Notaro is an unconventional wife, mother and writer. She writes about her everyday experiences from trying on Spanx, snooping in her husband’s journal and her love of Twinkies to name a few, with no shame and makes you laugh and smile a lot. I would read more of her books! H

An Acceptable Time
By Madeleine L’Engle
4/5 star
In the fifth book of the series, the focus is on Polly O’Keefe, granddaughter of Alex and Kate Murray. Polly is spending the summer with her grandparents. Her friend, Zachary, who is ill comes to visit. When an unusual occurrence happens, Polly and Zach are transported from their time to another time in the same location. The grandparents are upset and don’t want them to take off to see if it happens again. However Zach has heard of the mystical healing of the people who live in that time period and wants to return and they end up there not knowing if they can get back. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this was probably the best of the five I read. She has written more but I think I’m ready for a break from this series for the time being.
A Wrinkle in Time Series - Book 5

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
Erik Larsen
5/5 stars
I love Erik Larson and he does not disappoint in his newest non-fiction book recounting the first year of WWII. The book mainly centers on Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England as he and the country wage war against the Nazi Regimen and as he tries to get help from President Franklin Roosevelt. Larson also recounts the lives of Winston’s family and friends during war time and the British citizens as they deal with food shortages, bombing raids, death and destruction and trying to work amidst the German air raids and bombings. Larson’s books are so interesting, that I can’t wait for his next book. Published In 2020

More Than This
Patrick Ness
5/5 stars
This book centers on Seth. He grew up in England but after his brother died, the family moved to the Pacific Northwest. Between his brother’s death and a personal issue that scandalized him and his family, Seth decides to kill himself. However, after he does try to drown himself, he wakes up and there is no body at home and there is no one in the town he lives in except for Regina and Tomasz who he befriends and the mysterious Driver who keeps trying to chase them down. I read this in a few days because it was so compelling and hard to put down! A Book With A Geometric Pattern or Element On the Cover

Man In the Empty Suit
by Sean Ferrell
2.5/5 stars 8/16/2020
The man in the empty suit is a time traveler and has returned home to celebrate his birthday in New York City with versions of himself from years past. But when one of his versions is killed, the main character hides out with Lily, a young, poor woman taking care of a man with physical and mental disabilities while he figures out what to do. I had a hard time suspending disbelief while reading this one. I didn't understand why there were so many versions of him and why were they trying to kill him. I did like his relationship with Lily, the young woman he befriends but overall I can’t recommend it. A Book Related to Time

Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation's Leaders
Brady Carlson
4/5 stars
Brady Carlson, reporter and NPR Radio Host traveled around the country with his son tracking down a number of dead presidents' graves, looking into the manner of their deaths and how they were remembered. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved all the trivia. I definitely recommend this book. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites
I am reading the President's wives book now!

Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies
J.B. West
5/5 stars
J.B. West was the Chief Usher of the White House from 1940’s in which he worked for the Roosevelts until his retirement a year or so into the Nixon’s’ first term in the White House. His role (along with his staff) was to assist in the daily lives of the president and his family which included planning social events, renovations to the White House (and each President’s wife had their say so in those changes) and supervising the staff. Each President had a budget for the White House but that did not cover all their expenses which they then had to pay for themselves. This was well written and a wonderful look at the Presidents’ wives and their roles in the lives of their husbands and country.
Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites

Bambi: A Life in the Woods
Felix Salten
4/5 stars
This is the original tale of Bambi written by Felix Salten and the source material for Disney's film. Bambi grows up in the wild with his mother and other animal friends while trying to avoid the danger from other animals and hunters. I thought this was wonderfully written and enjoyed the illustrations and I felt it was a pretty realistic depiction of life in forest for the animals.

I had decided to read this book after reading The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt who talked about the book being an allegory of the treatment of Jews in Europe. According to Wikipedia - " ... it was subsequently banned in Nazi Germany in 1936 as "political allegory on the treatment of Jews in Europe."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambi,_...."
A Classic

The Penguin Lessons: What I Learned From a Remarkable Bird
Tom Michell
4/5 stars
Tom Michell recalls his time in South America as a traveler, a teacher and an owner of a penguin. Tom is traveling in Uruguay when an oil spill occurs. He witnesses thousands of birds entrenched in oil, mostly dead except for one penguin who is still alive but coated with oil. He makes a decision to rescue him and clean him up. He christens him Juan Salvador and Michell takes him to his new assignment in Argentina, teaching at a boy’s school where all the students adore Juan. What a delightful story of survival and friendship! A Book Set In the South Hemisphere

The Two Faces of January
Patricia Highsmith
4/5 stars
A couple of con men, Chester MacFarland and Rydal Keener, along with McFarland’s wife, Colette travel to Greece. When MacFarland kills a Greek who reminds him of his father, they have to get out of Greece fast. However, another tragedy occurs and the group then splits up to leave Greece on their own before being arrested. Good story and a fast read! It was later made into a film. Under-rated or Lesser Known Authors

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jonathan Safran Foer
4/5 stars
Oskar Shell, a young man whose father was killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11 finds a mysterious key that belonged to his father. He takes on as his mission to find what that key would unlock and finds himself meeting and interacting with people he would never have met and overcoming some of the grief of his father’s death. What a nicely written novel - recommended! E

Strangers on a Train
Patricia Highsmith
5/5 stars
Two men meet on a train and get to talking about their lives. Charles Bruno then proposes a scheme in which Bruno kills Guy Haines’ wife and Guy kills Charles’ father. Not thinking that Bruno is serious, he leaves the train and later on finds out his ex-wife has been brutally murdered and now Bruno has re-entered his life pressuring him on the deal he feels he made with Guy. Excellent read and compelling to the very end!

Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
David Sedaris
4/5 stars
David Sedaris opens his life to his readers with his diary entries from 1977-2002. The entries relay the often bizarre world of David’s and his thoughts about life, his family, his work and the strange people and events he encounters. This is definitely for Sedaris fans. If you haven’t read any of his other books - you might want to read some of those before you open this book.

Enduring Love
Ian McEwan
4/5 stars
Joe Rose and his girlfriend are spending time hiking in the countryside when a hot air balloon comes flying across the sky with the passengers struggling to maintain the flight. They run to the balloon to help, along with a passerby, Jed Parry. They try to help but one of the passengers falls to his death and the child is swept away in the balloon but later found. They are upset but leave to resume their lives but unfortunately Jed, the man that helped has now become obsessed with Joe Rose and will do everything he can to intrude in his life, upsetting his relationship with his girlfriend. This is a fascinating look at a stalker's victim and how it affects his life and his relationships. E

Boy Swallows Universe
Trent Dalton
4/5 stars
Set in Australia in the 1980’s we find brothers Eli and August Bell living with his mother and Slim, a friend that watches over the family. Life is not easy for the family, the father is in jail and they have little resources to live on. The Bell family keeps hanging on when the boys go to live with their dad after he is released while their mother ends up in jail and now Eli is now being targeted by Tytus Broz, a criminal/drug dealer. This is definitely a wild romp and you will have a hard time putting this down! Australian, Canadian or New Zealand Author

Educated: A Memoir
Tara Westover
5/5 stars
This is the true, fascinating story of Tara Westover. Born to Mormon survivalists, she and her family were isolated except for the other families in their small community. Her mother was a healer and herbalist and her father owned a junk yard. Education consisted of home schooling. Life was not easy, one of her brothers was extremely violent and she tried to stay clear of him. With the help of another brother who had gone away to the University, she decided that she needed to open herself up and become educated. On her own, she changes her life by exploring her options, leaving her family and going away to college to experiences she would never have had by staying home. This was one of the best books I have read this year! E

Edible Stories
Mark Kurlansky
4/5 stars
This is quite an interesting book. Kurlansky has written 16 tales (short stories) and each one highlights a different food. The stories are quite odd but it kept my attention to see how they end and I loved that all the characters were quite different with their own personalities and quirks! I have read several of Kurlansky's non-fiction books and loved them but I never knew he wrote fiction too. E

Ready for a Brand New Beat: How Dancing in the Street Became the Anthem for a Changing America
Mark Kurlansky
4/5 stars
In this book, Kurlansky explores the phenomenon of how Motown and the song “Dancing in the Street” changed music in a turbulent time in the US in the 1960’s. Kurlansky also explores the events of the time period including the rise of the Beatles, Vietnam, the Civil Rights Act and changes in politics. Kurlansky is never boring to me and I enjoy his unusual book topics! R

The Underground Railroad
by Colson Whitehead
4/5 stars
This is the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Colson Whitehead about the life of Cora, a slave on a planation in Georgia. Cora is able to escape her planation with a fellow slave, Caesar who has knowledge of the Underground Railroad and the book follows her life in those turbulent times. Wonderfully written, it pulls you in the minute you start reading! A book that was nominated for one of the 10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World

Vanish
Tess Gerritsen
4/5 stars
Jane Rizzoli is a homicide detective and is on the verge of having her first child at the hospital when she is entrapped into a hostage situation with a woman who was brought into the hospital in a body bag but still alive. Gerritsen weaves a tale of desperation that keeps you reading on to find out what is going on! V

One more book to go!

Every Secret Thing
Laura Lippman
4/5 stars
Alice Manning and Ronnie Fuller were childhood “friends”. After being kicked out of a birthday party they ended up walking home. On the way they find a young baby on a street porch alone. Thinking it was abandoned they took the child and hid her and the baby ends up dead. The two girls are convicted and the story picks up from their release from juvenile detention. Now another child has disappeared and the girls are suspected in the case. Compelling story! E

I finished my challenge and am going to work on my never ending reading list!

>80 JulieLill:



Congratulations. Enjoy you growing reading list.

>81 Carol420: Thanks!

In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In The Sandbox
Carol Burnett
3.5/5 stars
Carol Burnett talks about her show The Carol Burnett Show, highlights some of the famous guests who appeared on it, her fabulous cast and some of her favorite episodes during the eleven years of the show’s run. Definitely for fans of her show! I enjoyed it.

Compulsion
Jonathan Kellerman
3/5 stars
Alex Delaware, psychologist, hooks up with his old colleague Detective Milo Sturgis to search for a missing young woman, tries to solve the cases of an ex-school teacher who was killed in her driveway and solve the cases of two dead women found in a beauty shop. Are the cases linked and who did it? Full of details, you will be guessing to the very end. Not my favorite book of the series but never boring!

When Life Gives You Pears: The Healing Power of Family, Faith, and Funny People
Jeannie Gaffigan
4/5 stars
In 2017 Jeannie Gaffigan loses the hearing in her one ear. Putting it off because of just being too busy, she finally goes to the doctor and finds out that she has a brain tumor and must undergo brain surgery. Her husband Jim cancels all his concerts, takes over the household and gathers up all her family and friends to help out. Very heartwarming and at times very funny!

Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White
Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen
4/5 stars
Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen talk about their lives as stand up comics and as the first comedy duo who were interracial. This was a fascinating look at their lives growing up, how they met and started to perform together, how audiences responded to them and how they ended up eventually parting ways. Tom remained a comedian and was the opener to Frank Sinatra concerts while Tim moved on to TV in WKRP in Cincinnati and Frank's Place. Written in 2008, this book is still relevant today.

Barely a Lady
Eileen Dreyer
3.5/5 stars

During the War of 1815 in Europe, Olivia Grace who is divorced from her husband finds him unconscious on a battlefield in the enemy's uniform. Despite her misgivings, she rescues and brings him to the place where she is staying with friends and relatives. When he wakes up he does not remember their divorce and tries to resume their relationship but he is still in danger and they cannot reveal his condition or where he is at to others. Romance fans will probably enjoy this!

I don't read a lot of romance novels but I enjoy them every now and then.

When Breath Becomes Air
Paul Kalanithi
5/5 stars
This is the wonderfully written autobiographical book by and about Paul Kalanithi’s life and his struggle with cancer which ends his life at the age of 36. The epilogue written by his wife lets the readers know what occurred at the end of his life. I am probably one of the last to have read this book but it was so inspirational and thought provoking that I had to praise this to all of you have not read it.

Blindman's Bluff
Faye Kellerman
4/5 stars
A gruesome killing of a billionaire sends LAPD Peter Decker and his crew investigating the family and the people he surrounded around himself. It has been awhile since I read the an installment of the Decker and Lazarus series and I really enjoyed it!

Warden Ragen of Joliet
Gladys A. Erickson
5/5 stars
Despite the age of the book (published in1957) and the subject, this is a book that I had a hard time putting down. In this true story, Warden Joseph E. Ragen was encouraged to take over the Stateville Prison and the Old Prison in Joliet, Illinois because of conditions at the prisons and the incompetence of an earlier warden. The book discusses the time period, some of the famous criminals in the system and the reforms that Ragen instituted to turn around the prison and encourage good behaviors in the prisoners. Highly recommended!

Waiting for Gertrude: A Graveyard Gothic
Bill Richardson
4/5 stars
This delightful story is set in Paris’s famous Pere-Lachaise cemetery where many famous people are buried there including Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and Alice B. Toklas to name a few. Author Bill Richardson imagines that the celebrity dead have now been reincarnated into cats who live, work, fight and bicker in the cemetery.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory
Caitlin Doughty
4/5 stars
Doughty writes about her life and how she came to work in a crematory and eventually earning her degree in mortuary science. She also talks about the history and science of cremation and much more. I thought this so interesting and hard to put down. This may not be for everyone but if you are open to unusual experiences this may be the book for you.

All About All About Eve: The Complete Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Bitchiest Film Ever Made!
Sam Staggs
4/5 stars
This was an interesting look at the movie and eventually a play called All About Eve. The movie stars Bette Davis and Anne Baxter as rivals in the theater, one is on her way up and one is on her way down in their careers. Sam Staggs does a thorough job detailing the behind the scenes story of the movie, the actors and the drama on the set and off the set. He also discusses the musical stage version that starred Lauren Bacall years later after the original movie came out. This is definitely for movie buffs. I don’t think I have ever read such a detailed account of the story of a movie!

The Green Mile
Stephen King
5/5 stars
Since our library closed, I had been searching through my house for books to read and came upon The Green Mile in my son’s collection. I have always enjoyed King’s books and this is no exception. I had seen the movie previously when it first came out but I was blown away again by the story and I had a hard time putting this down. The story is set in a prison on death row in the 1930’s and surrounds a black man, John Coffey who was tried for killing two young girls. Coffey is an unusual man, who has a gift for healing which comes out when he heals a dying mouse on the prison block. This leads to an event that could cause the prison guards to lose their jobs but they go ahead with their plans anyway. Highly recommended.

The Nest
Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
4/5 stars
This is the interesting tale of a family whose children are expecting to receive a nest egg from their parents. However, when their older brother Leo is in an car accident with a woman, the mother decides to give a good portion of the wealth to Leo to help with his recovery. This set back wrecks the plans Leo's siblings had for their portion of the nest and causes them all to re-evaluate their lives and goals including the plans they had for their part of the nest. Enjoyable and hard to put down.

Blood Meridian: or The Evening Redness in the West
By Cormac McCarthy
4/5 stars
In the 1850’s , a young man known as “ the Kid” follows Captain Glanton, along with Judge Holden and a crew of cowboys, to Mexico in their attempt to find gold but they only find pain, misery and death. “The Glanton gang segments are based on Samuel Chamberlain's account of the group in his memoir My Confession: The Recollections of a Rogue. Chamberlain rode with John Joel Glanton and his company between 1849 and 1850.” Info from -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Meridian
Well written, but it is a dark and brutal story.