Cora's 2021 Challenge

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Cora's 2021 Challenge

1Cora-R
feb 1, 2021, 11:56 am

Hello, I am new to the group but thought I would jump in and give it a try. I have been a member of Library Thing for a few years now but I have never really tried the groups. Thanks to LibraryCin for the nudge. I have missed the first month of 2021, but I will retroactively fit in what I did read in January.

2Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 1, 2021, 9:28 pm

2021 RandomCAT

January: LOL

February: Fruits and Vegetables
1. Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout
2. Eat a Peach: A Memoir - David Chang

March: Surprise
1. Grave Surprise - Charlaine Harris

April: Virtual Library Book
1. Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware (from LibraryCin's library)

May: Monopoly
1. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat - Oliver Sacks

June: Everything Old is New Again (retellings)
1. Where the Wild Ladies Are - Aoko Matsuda

July

August

September

October

November

December

3Cora-R
Bewerkt: mei 21, 2021, 2:32 pm

2021 GenreCAT

January: Nonfiction
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington - Alexis Coe
The Man Who Couldn't Stop - David Adam

February: Memoirs/Biography
Eat a Peach: A Memoir - David Chang

March: Action & Adventure
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm - Nancy Farmer
Race to the Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse

April: Literary Fiction
The Saturday Night Ghost Club - Craig Davidson
Melmoth - Sarah Perry
If We Were Villains - M.L. Rio

May: Short Stories/Essays
Exhalation: Stories - Ted Chiang
Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim
Inside Jobs - Ben H. Winters

June: Historical Fiction

July: Romance

August: Poetry/Drama/Graphic Novels

September: YA/Children

October: Horror/Supernatural/Paranormal

November: SFF

December: Mysteries

4Cora-R
Bewerkt: mei 23, 2021, 10:05 am

2021 ScaredyKIT

January: Graphic Novels & YA

February: Creepy Nonfiction
Wicked Bugs - Amy Stewart

March: Short Stories and Novellas
A Forest, or a Tree - Tegan Moore

April: Possessed
My Best Friend's Exorcism - Grady Hendrix

May: Witches and Magic
A Long Day in Lychford - Paul Cornell

June: Diverse Perspectives

July: Ghosts and Hauntings

August: Adrift (Water and Outer Space)

September: The Dead, Their Habits and Abodes

October: Real-Life Monsters

November: Stephen King and Family

December: Horror/Thrillers

5Cora-R
Bewerkt: mei 26, 2021, 10:05 am

2021 MysteryKIT

January: Water

February: Pastiche Mystery
Mycroft Holmes - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse

March: Locked Room Mysteries
The King is Dead - Ellery Queen

April: Senior Citizen as Detective
Before She Was Helen - Caroline Cooney

May: Mysteries Set in Europe
The Shape of Water - Andera Camilleri

June: Golden Age Mysteries

July: Cops 'n Robbers Lady Style (Lady Cops and Lady Robbers)

August: Cozy Mysteries Featuring Animals

September: Mismatched Detectives

October: Minorities/Diverse

November: Historical Mysteries

December: Detectives in Ancient Greece and Rome

6Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 7, 2021, 5:37 pm

2021 AlphaKIT

Year-Long: X, Z

January: P, M
Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
Murder by Other Means - John Scalzi
The Man Who Couldn't Stop - David Adam
The Marriage Code - Brooke Burroughs
Up for Air - Laurie Morrison

February: T K
Catherine House - Elisabeth Thomas
The Cousins - Karen M. McManus
Coop Knows the Scoop - Taryn Souders
Jacob Have I Loved - Katherine Paterson
Mycroft Holmes - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse

March: U R
How Dare the Sun Rise - Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Race to the Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse
The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

April: A W
Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line - Deepa Anappara

May: I N
Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim
Inside Jobs - Ben H. Winters
The Bat - Jo Nesbo

June: C D
Time Bomb - Joelle Charbonneau

July: S O

August: V J

September: F L

October: H E

November: B Y

December: G Q

7Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 1, 2021, 9:30 pm

2021 GeoKIT

Africa
1. Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie (Egypt)
2. A Dead Djinn in Cairo - P. Djèlí Clark (Egypt)
3. Ikenga - Nnedi Okorafor (Nigeria)
4. The Aye-Aye and I - Gerald Durrell (Madagascar)
5. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm - Nancy Farmer (Zimbabwe)
6. How Dare the Sun Rise - Sandra Uwiringiyimana (Congo)
7. The Missing American - Kwei Quartey (Ghana)
8. Curse of the Pharaohs - Elizabeth Peters (Egypt)

Asia
1. The Marriage Code - Brooke Burroughs (India)
2. Murder in Old Bombay - Nev March (India)
3. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line - Deepa Anappara (India)
4. Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim (Iraq)
5. Where the Wild Ladies Are - Aoko Matsuda (Japan)

Europe
1. Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear (UK)
2. The Golem's Eye - Jonathan Stroud (UK)
3. The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne - Elsa Hart (UK)
4. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson (Sweden)
5. The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman (UK)
6. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen (UK)
7. Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware (Scotland)
8. Melmoth - Sarah Perry (Czech Republic)
9. A Long Day in Lychford - Paul Cornell (UK)
10. The Shape of Water - Andrea Camilleri (Italy)
11. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena - Anthony Marra (Chechnya)

Central and South America (includes the Caribbean)
1. Mycroft Holmes - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse (Trinidad)

North America (includes Mexico, Canada, and USA)
1. You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington - Alexis Coe (USA)
2. Jacob Have I Loved - Katherine Paterson (USA)
3. The 57 Bus - Dashka Slater (USA)
4. Eat a Peach: A Memoir - David Chang (USA)
5. When No One is Watching - Alyssa Cole (USA)
6. Winter Counts - David Heska Wanbli Weiden (USA)
7. Race to the Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse (USA)
8. The Saturday Night Ghost Club - Craig Davidson (Canada)
9. Tears We Cannot Stop - Michael Eric Dyson (USA)
10. Unfamiliar Fishes - Sarah Vowell (USA: Hawaii)
11. Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America - Mark A. Bradley

Oceania (includes Australia and New Zealand)
1. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty (Australia)
2. The Bat - Jo Nesbo (Australia)

Polar (includes Antarctica and tundra regions)

8Cora-R
Bewerkt: feb 7, 2021, 8:28 am

Oldest TBR
Books that have been on my TBR the longest

1. The Golem's Eye - Jonathan Stroud

9Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 7, 2021, 5:37 pm

Reading with Max
Books I am reading with Max (my 13 year old son) or those that he recommended to me.

1. Coop Knows the Scoop - Taryn Souders
2. Truly Devious - Maureen Johnson
3. The Vanishing Stair - Maureen Johnson
4. The Hand on the Wall - Maureen Johnson
5. Time Bomb - Joelle Charbonneau

10Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 7, 2021, 5:37 pm

Reading with Emma
Books I am reading with Emma (my 15 year old daughter) or those that she read/recommended to me.

1. The Cousins - Karen McManus
2. The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3. Truly Devious - Maureen Johnson
4. The Vanishing Stair - Maureen Johnson
5. The Hand on the Wall - Maureen Johnson
6. Time Bomb - Joelle Charbonneau

11Cora-R
feb 1, 2021, 12:29 pm

Photography Books

1.

12Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 12, 2021, 11:04 am

PBT Tags

January: Mental Health
1. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
2. Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds - Brandon Sanderson
3. The Man Who Couldn't Stop - David Adam

January Bonus Tag: Historical Fiction
1. Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear

February: Family Drama
1. The Cousins - Karen M. McManus
2. Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout
3. From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks
4. Jacob Have I Loved - Katherine Paterson
5. The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

March: Africa
1. Ikenga - Nnedi Okorafor
2. The Aye-Aye and I - Gerald Durrell
3. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm - Nancy Farmer
4. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson
5. How Dare the Sun Rise - Sandra Uwiringiyimana

April: Gothic
1. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
2. Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware
3. Melmoth - Sarah Perry
4. If We Were Villains - M.L. Rio

May: Short Stories
1. Exhalation: Stories - Ted Chiang
2. Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim
3. Inside Jobs - Ben H. Winters

June: Beach Reads
1. Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant

July

August

September

October

November

December

13Cora-R
Bewerkt: mei 21, 2021, 11:14 am

PBT Fly the PBT Skies

January: Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty (Australia)

February: Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout (Maine, USA)

March: The Aye-Aye and I - Gerald Durrell (Madagascar)

April: Unfamiliar Fishes - Sarah Vowell (Hawaii, USA)

May: Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim (Iraq)

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

14Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 12, 2021, 11:05 am

PBT Pursue It!

January:
prozac: The Man Who Couldn't Stop - David Adam
coping skills: The Marriage Code - Brooke Burroughs
group therapy: The Man Who Couldn't Stop - David Adam
suicidal ideation: Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear

February:
divorce: The Cousins - Karen M. McManus
bigamy: Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie
sibling rivalry: Jacob Have I Loved - Katherine Paterson
come/came/coming out: The 57 Bus - Dashka Slater

March:
safari: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson
ebola: The Naturalist - Andrew Mayne
habitat destruction: The Aye-Aye and I - Gerald Durrell
equator: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson

April:
pointed arch: Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
graveyard: The Saturday Night Ghost Club - Craig Davidson
lights turn off unexpectedly Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero
raven: The Saturday Night Ghost Club - Craig Davidson

May:
pulp fiction: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena - Anthony Marra
storytelling: Exhalation: Stories - Ted Chiang
unexpected travel: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena - Anthony Marra
letter: Exhalation: Stories - Ted Chiang

June:
beach: Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant
surfing: Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant
sunburn: Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant
sandcastle:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

15Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 7, 2021, 5:38 pm

2021 Popsugar

1. You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington - Alexis Coe
2. Glasshouse - Charles Stross
3. Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
4. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
5. Up for Air - Laurie Morrison
6. Murder by Other Means - John Scalzi
7. Catherine House - Elisabeth Thomas
8. The Cousins - Karen M. McManus
9. Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout
10. From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks
11. Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie
12. Mycroft Holmes - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse
13. Eat a Peach: A Memoir - David Chang
14. Murder in Old Bombay - Nev March
15. The Aye-Aye and I - Gerald Durrell
16. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm - Nancy Farmer
17. The King is Dead - Ellery Queen
18. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson
19. Grave Surprise - Charlaine Harris
20. Winter Counts - David Heska Wanbli Weiden
21. Tears We Cannot Stop - Michael Eric Dyson
22. Before She Was Helen - Caroline Cooney
23. A Blade So Black - L.L. McKinney
24. The Bat - Jo Nesbo
25. Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
26. Bacchanal - Veronica Henry
27. Time Bomb - Joelle Charbonneau

16Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 5, 2021, 11:40 am

2021 Around the year

1. You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington - Alexis Coe
2. Glasshouse - Charles Stross
3. Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear
4. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
5. Up for Air - Laurie Morrison
6. The Marriage Code - Brooke Burroughs
7. A Natural History of Dragons - Marie Brennan
8. Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection - Alexander C. Kane
9. The Man Who Couldn't Stop - David Adam
10. The Cousins - Karen M. McManus
11. The Golem's Eye - Jonathan Stroud
12. Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout
13. Coop Knows the Scoop - Taryn Souders
14. From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks
15. Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie
16. A Dead Djinn in Cairo - P. Djèlí Clark
17. Mycroft Holmes - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse
18. The 57 Bus - Dashka Slater
19. Wicked Bugs - Amy Stewart
20. The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
21. When No One is Watching - Alyssa Cole
22. Truly Devious - Maureen Johnson
23. Ikenga - Nnedi Okorafor
24. The Aye-Aye and I - Gerald Durrell
25. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm - Nancy Farmer
26. The King is Dead - Ellery Queen
27. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson
28. How Dare the Sun Rise - Sandra Uwiringiyimana
29. The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman
30. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
31. If We Were Villains - M.L. Rio
32. Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero
33. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line - Deepa Anappara
34. The Missing American - Kwei Quartey
35. Exhalation: Stories - Ted Chiang
36. Curse of the Pharaohs - Elizabeth Peters
37. Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim
38. Bacchanal - Veronica Henry

17Cora-R
Bewerkt: jun 1, 2021, 9:32 pm

2021 Read Harder

1. Murder by Other Means - John Scalzi
2. The Man Who Couldn't Stop - David Adam
3. Coop Knows the Scoop - Taryn Souders
4. Eat a Peach: A Memoir - David Chang
5. The Aye-Aye and I - Gerald Durrell
6. Winter Counts - David Heska Wanbli Weiden
7. Tears We Cannot Stop - Michael Eric Dyson
8. Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero
9. A Blade So Black - L.L. McKinney
10. Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim
11. Where the Wild Ladies Are - Aoko Matsuda

18Cora-R
Bewerkt: mei 11, 2021, 6:25 pm

Edgar Award Nominees

1. Catherine House - Elisabeth Thomas
2. The Cousins - Karen M. McManus
3. Coop Knows the Scoop - Taryn Souders
4. From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks
5. The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
6. The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne - Elsa Hart
7. When No One is Watching - Alyssa Cole
8. Ikenga - Nnedi Okorafor
9. Murder in Old Bombay - Nev March
10. Winter Counts - David Heska Wanbli Weiden
11. The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman
12. Before She Was Helen - Caroline Cooney
13. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line - Deepa Anappara
14. The Missing American - Kwei Quartey
15. Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America - Mark A. Bradley

19Cora-R
Bewerkt: mrt 29, 2021, 8:33 pm

Books that Don't Fit In
Books that do not fit into the many challenges I am doing this year.

1. Who Gets In and Why - Jeffrey Selingo

20rabbitprincess
feb 1, 2021, 5:10 pm

Welcome aboard! Glad to have you in the category challenge :)

I'll be particularly interested to see what you're reading with your kids -- I have friends with kids around those ages and am always on the hunt for books to recommend to them.

21DeltaQueen50
feb 1, 2021, 6:06 pm

Welcome to the Category Challenge, you've put a lot of thought into your categories but the most important thing is to remember to have fun with your reading. :)

22MissWatson
feb 2, 2021, 4:07 am

Welcome and enjoy the reading!

23Cora-R
feb 2, 2021, 10:11 pm

2/2/21: Finished Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas.

Challenges/Categories: AlphaKIT, Edgar Nominees, Popsugar, Around the Year

My thoughts: 3 stars, It meandered a lot, but not in a good way. I would expect a novel like this with a slow burn to slowly build tension, but this one missed the mark on that. For most of the book I did not feel like there was impending danger for the main character. On top of that I did not really care for the main character, or most of the other characters for that matter. This may work for some people, but it wasn't my cup of tea - so it gets 3 stars for "it was OK and maybe others will appreciate it more than I did".

24NinieB
feb 2, 2021, 10:32 pm

Welcome! Looks like your reading year is well under way!

25Tess_W
feb 3, 2021, 1:19 am

Good luck with your 2021 reading!

26spiralsheep
feb 3, 2021, 5:16 am

I hope you enjoy your reading and category challenge.

I'm one of several other new members this year and I'm having fun so far.

27thornton37814
feb 4, 2021, 5:32 pm

>23 Cora-R: I don't remember if I added that one to a TBR list or not. I know I debated it. I kind of think I decided against it, and it sounds like that might be a good decision.

28Cora-R
feb 5, 2021, 10:43 am

2/5/21: Finished The Cousins by Karen M. McManus.

Challenges/Categories: AlphaKIT, Edgar Nominees, Read with Emma, Popsugar, Around the Year, PBT Tag, PBT Pursue It!

My Thoughts: 4 1/2 stars. This was a very entertaining young adult mystery/thriller. I read it in one sitting and stayed up late into the night to finish. I haven't done that with a book in a long time. Although the characters all had their flaws, I liked all three of the story grandchildren and was rooting for them to solve the mystery. Some of the twists were a bit obvious to me, but others did catch me by surprise. Overall, it was a fun and engaging mystery that was perfect for taking my mind off the real world.

29Cora-R
feb 7, 2021, 8:32 am

2/6/21: Finished The Golem's Eye - Jonathan Stroud.

Challenges/Categories: Oldest TBR, Around the Year

My thoughts: 3 1/2 stars. I think it was too long since I read the first in the series and I forgot a lot of the details from the first book. It was OK, but it took me forever to get into it. I really liked Bartimaeus' point of view, but Kitty's and Nathaniel's points of view dragged a bit for me.

30Cora-R
feb 9, 2021, 8:05 pm

2/9/21: Finished Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout

Challenges/Categories: Around the Year, Popsugar, PBT Tag, Fly the PBT Skies, RandomCAT

My thoughts: 4 stars. The characters and their situations felt very authentic to me. Olive herself was not an easy character to like, but she was complicated and the author did a great job having the reader see her as she is and appreciating her for it. It was a great look at small town life as well as aging and how it can affect people. It was a great book that I would recommend to others.

31LittleTaiko
feb 10, 2021, 2:54 pm

Welcome to the challenge! I hope you enjoy your reading.

32LibraryCin
feb 10, 2021, 10:04 pm

Hi, Cora! I just noticed your thread now! I'm glad you've come to give the group a try. :-)

33Cora-R
feb 12, 2021, 11:50 am

2/11/21: Finished Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders.

Challenges/Categories: AlphaKIT, Edgars Nominee, Read with Max, Around the Year, Read Harder

My thoughts: Coop Knows the Scoop is a middle grade mystery about a boy named Coop (short for Cooper) who wants to know all the details when a skeleton is found buried underneath the slide at the local playground during a renovation. They live in a small town in Georgia and the body is the talk of the town. But when the evidence starts to implicate someone close to Coop, finding out what really happened becomes more than mere curiosity for Coop. He is determined to find out what really happened.

My 13-year-old son likes mysteries and my son, daughter (15) and I always have an audiobook going during our 1 hour round trip commute to gymnastics. I thought my son would really like this one, but after listening to the first couple of chapters my daughter vetoed it because it really bothered her that they used a female narrator for a book that is the perspective of a preteen boy. My son thought it was distracting too, but he wanted to continue. I continued listening on my own because I wanted to see what happened and I found that it did not take long for me to get used to the narrator. My son plans to finish too someday, but he is currently making his way through the Harry Potter series (again) during his solo audiobook reading time, so it may be a while.

I thought it was a great story. I liked that despite it being a middle grade novel, the case was serious (dead body). Since it was a cold case there was not much in terms of violence in the book (my son doesn't like "scary" mysteries). It was handled in a realistic manner and for the most part the kids were not over the top in their investigation and the adults in their lives were present and not oblivious. The characters were well done, I especially like how the character of the mean kid evolved as the reader and the kids in the stories got to know him better. The mystery was also well done. There were twists and turns and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I would recommend this to kids who like mysteries - those that appreciate The Hardy Boys and Nance Drew, but maybe stick to the print book rather than the audiobook .

34Cora-R
feb 15, 2021, 5:48 pm

2/15/21: Finished From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks.

Challenges/Categories: Edgars Nominee, Around the Year, Popsugar, PBT Tag

My thoughts: I chose this book because it was nominated for the middle grade category of the Edgar Awards. My 13 year old son is a fan of mysteries so I was hoping it would be a book I could recommend to him. However, after reading it, I don't think I would categorize it as a mystery. It is a good book, on the younger side of middle grade, about important topics but I don't think it would interest my son. I really liked Zoe and I appreciated her drive to find out more about her biological father. Like many middle grade stories, I cringed at some of the things she did to do so (lying to her parents, secretly sneaking away to talk to potential witnesses, etc.). I liked her friendship with her neighbor and appreciated how it evolved throughout the book. Overall, I think it is a great book to introduce ideas to kids, such as not everyone in jail is guilty. It has a strong, intelligent black girl as the lead character but would still appeal to boys in the age group. I would recommend it to kids around 11 or 12 years old who like realistic fiction.

35Cora-R
feb 16, 2021, 7:56 pm

2/16/21: Finished Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie.

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, Around the Year, Popsugar, PBT Pursue It!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kenneth Branagh who is excellent (he is also starring as Poirot in the upcoming movie adaptation). There were a lot of characters in this one, which means there are lots of possible suspects but also makes it harder to keep track of everyone. I liked how the mystery unfolded and how the reader gets to follow Poirot's train of thought as he figures out the case. I can see why this is considered one of Christie's best.

36pammab
feb 16, 2021, 11:22 pm

Welcome! Glad you were able to start out the challenge with a winner in The Cousins. I struggled a bit to be as engaged as I'd wanted with the Stroud series, and also found Strout to write fully realized but not quite fully likeable characters. I don't read many thrillers or mysteries, but I read your reviews with appreciation!

37Cora-R
Bewerkt: feb 17, 2021, 2:32 pm

2/16/21: Finished A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark.

Challenges/Categories: Popsugar, GeoKIT

My thoughts: Different than anything else I have read. I really like the main character and the world building. I look forward to reading more.

38Cora-R
feb 17, 2021, 2:32 pm

2/17/21: Finished Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, PBT Tag, PBT Pursue It!

My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this. I live in Maryland and I know of a couple of islands in the Bay like the island Louise lives on. Although this book takes place in the 1930s, many of the same issues of isolation and rising waters plague these communities today. Louise may have been annoying at times, but as a mother of teenagers I found her portrayal very realistic. Especially how she never tells anyone what she wants/needs but then is resentful that she doesn't get it. Overall, it was an interesting read that let me peak in on a way of life that is quickly becoming extinct.

39MissBrangwen
feb 18, 2021, 11:40 am

>35 Cora-R: This is probably my favourite Agatha Christie! I'm looking forward to the Branagh adaptation, although I didn't like "Murder on the Orient Express" as much as I had hoped.

40LittleTaiko
feb 18, 2021, 12:13 pm

>35 Cora-R: & >39 MissBrangwen: - That one is probably in my top 10 of hers. It's a classic.

41Cora-R
feb 20, 2021, 10:14 am

2/20/21: Finished Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse

Challenges/Categories: MysteryKIT, AlphaKIT, GeoKIT, Popsugar, Around the Year

My thoughts: In general it was fun mystery story. It read more like a movie than a novel though. It has been a while since I read the original Sherlock Holmes stories, but Mycroft didn't seem much like the Mycroft I pictured from Doyle's works. The best part of the book was the historical details about Trinidad. You could really tell that Abdul-Jabbar is a historian who has done his homework about the country. I just wish that as much detail was given to the characters and the mystery.

42Cora-R
feb 22, 2021, 5:50 pm

2/22/21: Finished The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater.

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, PBT Pursue It!, Around the Year

My thoughts: This is the nonfiction story of two teenagers in Oakland, CA that lived very different lives but found their paths crossing on the 57 bus. Richard, a black teenager from East Oakland, sets Sasha, a nonbinary white teenager, on fire. The author looks at the stories of both of the teenagers and how that incident changes both their lives. The author does a good job of not excusing Richard's actions while raising social justice questions about how black juveniles are treated in our criminal justice system. This would be an excellent book to read for a book club because it raises a lot of questions for discussion. I especially like that, although this is written for a young adult audience, the author includes a lot of nuance that is sometimes missing in books marketed to teens. I definitely recommend the book and I hope that my 15-year old daughter will add it to her TBR.

43Cora-R
feb 24, 2021, 11:37 am

2/23/21: Finished Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart

Challenges/Categories: ScaredyKIT, Around the Year

My thoughts: It was OK. It was a survey of harmful bugs, but the information was mostly things I already knew. It did not go into too much depth, but if you want an overview it was good. (3 stars)

44Cora-R
feb 25, 2021, 1:14 pm

2/25/21: Finished Eat a Peach: A Memoir - David Chang

Challenges/Categories: RandomCAT, GenreCAT, GeoKIT, Read Harder, Popsugar

My thoughts: Interesting glimpse in the celebrity chef/restuarant world. Bit of unrealiable narrator. Would be interesting to read what he has to say 20 years from now and compare.

45Cora-R
feb 26, 2021, 2:07 pm

2/26/21 Finished The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Challenges/Categories: Edgars, Emma, PBT Tag, Around the Year

My thoughts: The set up for this young adult mystery is a familiar one. Poor girl given an inheritance from a rich man who pass over his family and she doesn't know why. And of course, the family consists of four charming/handsome/confident boys who just so happent to be close to her age. The set up is pure fantasy and some suspension of disbelief is necessary. And of course, since this is young adult, Avery has to be attracted to all of the brothers - who she is not sure she should trust. Once you get beyond the set up - it was a fun mystery with interesting characters. I really like mysteries where the characters have to play a game and solve a riddle, so this one scratched that itch. I did predict one of the twists very early on, and the other revelations where a bit of a let down after a big build up - but there is at least one sequel so I guess we can't get all of our questions answered. This book kept me entertained and it was hard to put the book down. If you don't mind the unbelievable set up, I would recommend giving it a try.

46christina_reads
feb 26, 2021, 2:20 pm

>45 Cora-R: That does sound fun!

47Cora-R
feb 28, 2021, 11:33 am

2/27/21 Finished The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart.

Challenges/Categories: Edgars, GeoKIT

My thoughts: Great historical mystery with strong female characters. The mystery was interesting and the ending a suprise. 4 stars

48Cora-R
mrt 2, 2021, 9:43 am

3/1/21 Finished When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole.

Challenges/Categories: Edgars, Around the Year, GeoKIT

My thoughts: I felt like it would have been better if she decided to really go crazy and do a horror novel or if she pulled back some of the over the top exaggeration and crazy ending and went more creepy thriller (I personally think the "bad guys" would have been scarier if they weren't so obviously evil). Instead it seemed to be stuck in the in between and felt a bit off. I loved the history and the characters from the neighborhood. Those parts of the books were similar to what I really like about Cole's romance novels that I have read. I found myself thinking I would have loved to read an Alyssa Cole romance novel set in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood.

49Cora-R
mrt 3, 2021, 10:55 am

3/2/21 Finished Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Challenges/Categories: Read with Max, Read with Emma, Around the Year

My thoughts: Fun young adult mystery. So far it has not been too dark, despite the murders. I like how it incorporated the historical mystery. I was a little disappointed that it ended with a cliff hanger without any resolutions.

50Cora-R
mrt 8, 2021, 10:32 pm

3/8/21 Finished Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor

Challenges/Categories: Around the Year, GeoKIT, Edgars, PBT Tag

My thoughts: This was a fun superhero origin story that was unique due to its setting in Nigeria. It is a great story to show kids a slice of every day life in Nigeria. There was a lot of corruption and crime, but there were also hard working, good people in the community who cared about Nnamdi and his mother. Nnamdi makes a good superhero and I wonder if Okorafor has plans for more stories about him and "The Man" in the future.

51Cora-R
mrt 9, 2021, 11:46 am

3/8/21 Finished Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

Challenges/Categories: Popsugar, GeoKIT, Edgars

My thoughts: When James Agnihotri, an Anglo-Indian soldier recuperatring in a military hospital reads about two woman who fall to their deaths from a library tower, he is moved to volunteer his services to find out what happened to them. His journey to find the truth leads him all over nineteenth century India during a time of unrest and rebellion. I think the best part of the story for me was the description of India and its history during this time. I have read stories from the English perspective in the past, but James' unique perspective of a man with an English father and Indian mother opens the reader up to learn about parts of society that are usually not included in English-centric stories. I really liked all of the characters we meet along the way - especially the family of the two victims and the children that James travels with during one leg of the story. Overall I recommend the book as one that brings another place and time to life.

52Cora-R
Bewerkt: mrt 11, 2021, 9:41 pm

3/11/21 Finshed The Aye-Aye and I by Gerald Durrell.

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, PBT Pursue It!, PBT Tag, Read Harder, Popsugar, Around the Year

My thoughts:
This is a memoir of Durrell's trip to Madagascar to collect the endangered Aye-Aye to start a captive breading program to help save the species. Durrell is a great story teller who describes a trip that involves tortoises, lemurs, flies, and snakes in addition to the elusive Aye-Aye. There is a lot of humor in this book as well as a lot of information about the country of Madagascar. Durrell does a great job of describing the obstacles that engandered animals face in Madagascar. In addition to loss of habitat, the animals must coexist with a population of humans dealing with extreme poverty and whose short term need for food makes it hard to see the bigger picture of sustainablilty. I would recommend this memoir to anyone with an intersted in conservation or in the fauna of Madagascar.

53Cora-R
mrt 16, 2021, 2:33 pm

3/16/21 Finished The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm - Nancy Farmer.

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, PBT Tag, Popsugar, Around the Year, GenreCAT

My thoughts: This was a very unusual book. It was fun seeing what the author imagined Zimbabwe to be in the 22nd century. The kids were great characters and there was a bit of character development for them. The detectives were also interesting as they tried to find the children. As the children fell into one horrible situation after another it began to be a bit much for me, but overall it was a fun adventure that I think kid in the intended age range would really enjoy.

54spiralsheep
mrt 16, 2021, 3:37 pm

>52 Cora-R: Gerald Durrell's a reliably fun read in my experience.

>53 Cora-R: I remember when that novel was published because it was so unusual at the time. Nancy Farmer has written some interesting fiction. I think I have one of hers languishing on my To Read shelf somewhere.

55Cora-R
mrt 18, 2021, 11:09 am

3/17/21 Finished The King is Dead by Ellery Queen.

Challenges/Categories: MysteryKIT, Popsugar, Around the Year

My thoughts: It was interesting reading a classic mystery. This one seemed less about the actual mystery and more about the background of the characters. While this seemed to be for the purpose of finding a motive, I found myself still unclear of the motive after all of the backstory. I liked the Queens though and will probably try to read the series from the beginning.

56Cora-R
mrt 18, 2021, 11:10 am

3/18/21 Finished The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson.

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, PBT Pursue, PBT Tag, Popsugar, Around the Year

My thoughts: This is the story of a girl, Nombeko, who was born in Soweto, South Africa who worked her way out of the slums and eventually to a position where she was advising heads of state from a number of countries. The whole story was a bit absurd and reminded me of some of the Vonnegut novels I have read. The characters were a bit silly, but I really liked Nombeko. She was a smart woman who had a way of getting things done (eventually). I liked how the author wove real world historical events into the plot line because it helped me ground the story in our world despite the crazy premise. Overall it was an unbelievable, but fun story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

57Cora-R
mrt 19, 2021, 3:00 pm

3/19/21 Finished Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

Challenges/Categories: RandomCAT, Popsugar

My thoughts: It was an OK mystery about a woman who can sense dead bodies and can tell how they were killed. They mystery was fine. I figured out who did it very early on, so I thought it would be a red herring - but it wasn't. It seemed like a pretty typical supernatural/paranormal mystery story. I have had this one on my book shelf for a long time (I read the first one in the series many years ago) so it feels good to get this one off the list.

58Cora-R
mrt 23, 2021, 12:25 pm

3/23/21 Finished Winter Counts - David Heska Wanbli Weiden.

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, Edgars, Popsugar, Read Harder

My thoughts: I liked how it described life on a reservation in a real and respectful way. I learned a lot about current Lakota culture. The characters were interesting and complicated in a good way. The mystery aspect of the story were secondary in my opinion.

59Cora-R
mrt 23, 2021, 2:40 pm

3/23/21 Finished A Forest, or A Tree by Tegan Moore.

Challenges/Categories: ScaryKIT

My thoughts: This was a short story that I read on the Tor.com website. It was an OK story. I felt like the scary part was not really developed that well. Once the supernatural elements appeared it seemed that it ended abruptly quickly. I don't mind the ambiguous ending, but I felt that the pacing was a bit off.

60Cora-R
mrt 24, 2021, 10:18 am

3/24/21 Finished How Dare the Sun Rise - Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Challenges: AlphaKIT, Around the Year, PBT Tag, GeoKIT

My thoughts: I think this book offers a wonderful perspective into the life of a refugee. Often, people fleeing violence and war are seen as statistics. Sandra gives us a look at the humanity of these people. She asks us to view her as more than a refugee, as a person. I think this book is especially important now, as our country faces growing numbers of asylum seekers at the southern boarder. Each one of those migrants has their own story and their own desire to find their place in the world. This book is young adult nonfiction, but I also think adults would get a lot out of reading it.

61Cora-R
mrt 25, 2021, 11:05 pm

3/25/21 Finished The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne

Challenges/Categories: PBT Pursue It!

My thoughts: This mystery was OK. I really liked all of the science in the book. Unfortunately the main character really annoyed me. He was constantly whining about himself and putting himself down. It was especially annoying since the book is in the first person and we are constantly inside his head. The mystery was interesting and I liked how he went about solving it, but I am not sure I can take another book from Theo's perspective.

62Cora-R
mrt 29, 2021, 8:36 pm

3/29/21 Finished Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, GenreCAT, AlphaKIT

It was a fun middle grade adventure featuring strong, diverse characters. Definitely would recommend for fans of Percy Jackson or those with an interest in Native American culture and mythology (especially Navaho).

63Cora-R
mrt 29, 2021, 8:37 pm

3/29/21 Finished Who Gets In and Why by Jeffrey Selingo

Challenges/Categories: none

Interesting look into the college admissions process. I definitely learned a lot and plan to use what I learned to help my daughter through the process in the next couple of years.

64Cora-R
mrt 31, 2021, 9:46 am

3/31/21 Finished The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Challenges/Categories: GeoKIT, AlphaKIT, Around the Year, Edgars

The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved all of the characters and could easily picture each one in my mind. The setting was interesting and the mystery was not easy for me to figure out. There was the need for a little suspension of doubt when it came to Elizabeth's ability to get what she wanted, but that did not bother me. Overall it was a fun read that I sped through reading and I am looking forward to reading more about the Thursday Murder Club when the next book in the series comes out.

65rabbitprincess
mrt 31, 2021, 9:31 pm

>64 Cora-R: Glad you enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club! It was utterly delightful. Looking forward to the next book!

66christina_reads
apr 1, 2021, 9:10 am

>64 Cora-R: I'm planning to read The Thursday Murder Club this month, so I'm glad to see you enjoyed it!

67Cora-R
apr 1, 2021, 9:41 pm

4/1/21 Finished The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson.

Challenges/Categories: Read with Max, Read with Emma

My thoughts: This was the second book in the Truly Devious series. It was a good middle book in the trilogy of the mystery story. Some questions were answered, but not all of them. The kids wanted to start the third book right away.

68Cora-R
apr 5, 2021, 12:16 pm

4/2/21 Read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Challenges/Categories: AlphaKIT, GeoKIT, Around the Year, PBT Tag, PBT Pursue!

My thoughts: I did not like this novel as much as other Austen novels I had read. I felt like I was reading about teen drama and angst, just set a couple hundred years ago and I was not really in the mood. Maybe if I had read the book rather than listened to the audiobook I would appreciated the satire and humor more, but instead I just felt like I was in the head of an annoying teenager. I don't mind immature teenagers in general (in fact I enjoyed reading Emma) but I just did not care to listen to her fret over and over whether her new friends were mad at her for some little perceived slight.

69Cora-R
apr 6, 2021, 2:06 pm

4/5/21 Read The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware.

Challenges/Categories: AlphaKIT, GeoKIT, PBT Tag, RandomCAT

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this read. It was the perfect amount of creepy for my tastes. The main character may not have been all that likeable herself, but I found her story interesting and suspenseful. I found myself wondering at what I could believe from this unreliable narrator. I was a bit worried that the ending would not be satisfying (given it was based on Turn of the Screw and I found that ambiguous ending unsatisfying), but I actually liked the ending and found that it left me feeling content with the story. I will definitely consider reading more by Ware in the future.

70VivienneR
Bewerkt: apr 6, 2021, 2:37 pm

A bit late, but welcome to the group! It's always nice to see a new member.

Glad you enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club which I just acquired. Looking forward to it.

71LibraryCin
apr 6, 2021, 10:23 pm

>69 Cora-R: Oh, was that your first by Ware!? Enjoy! I've read a few now (and still have a few on the tbr!)

72Cora-R
apr 7, 2021, 10:02 am

>71 LibraryCin: Yes, she has been on my list of authors I want to try for a while. I am glad I finally got to it.

73Cora-R
apr 9, 2021, 10:54 am

4/8/21 Finished The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson

Categories/Challenges: GeoKIT, GenreCAT, PBT Pursue!

My thoughts: This book wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it would be more about the club and the ghost hunting adventures, but it was really about growing up. The characters were interesting and relatable. The uncle's story was sad and hopeful at the same time. If you enjoy coming of age stories about boys that go from naïve childhood to a more grown up understanding of the world over an eventful summer - check this one out.

74Cora-R
apr 9, 2021, 10:56 am

4/8/21 Finished Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson

Categories/Challenges: GeoKIT, Popsugar, Read Harder

My thoughts: Important book that attempts to explain to White Americans what it is like to be Black in America.

75Cora-R
apr 11, 2021, 6:12 pm

4/11/21 Finished Melmoth by Sarah Perry.

Categories/Challenges: GeoKIT, PBT Tag, GenreCAT

My thoughts: This book was very slow to get going for me. I wasn't sure where the author was going and I found my mind wandering when I was listening to it. However, once Helen begins to read the story of others that have been claimed by Melmoth, it became more interesting. The writing is beautiful and evocative. I liked how it ended and the journey that Helen goes through when forced to literally face her demons. Overall, if you like literary novels with a bit of the supernatural, this one may be a good fit for you.

76Cora-R
apr 16, 2021, 10:51 am

4/15/21 Finished Before She Was Helen by Caroline Cooney

Categories/Challenges: MysteryKIT, Edgars, Popsugar

My thoughts: I think I liked reading about young Helen/Clemmie and the cold case more than the current murder at the retirement community. Current day Helen was a bit wishy washy, which was less true of teenage Clemmie. The current day mystery didn't make much sense to me - even when the perpetrator was revealed. It felt a little rushed and I felt like I missed something. Overall, the more I read the book, the more I was drawn in and wanted to know what happened next. But present day Helen did not seem to have the same spunk that young Clemmie had and the resolution of the case did not satisfy me. I think this one suffered from being read so soon after The Thursday Murder Club, which I enjoyed a lot more.

77Cora-R
apr 21, 2021, 12:25 pm

4/19/21 Finished My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Categories/Challenges: ScaredyKIT

My thoughts: Good horror story with a nice amount of 80s nostalgia. It was a bit more gross horror than the creepy horror that I usually prefer, but that is only personal preference. Demon possession stories are usually on the gross end of the spectrum and it is done well here.

78Cora-R
Bewerkt: apr 21, 2021, 12:38 pm

4/20/21 Finished The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

Categories/Challenges: Read with Emma, Read with Max

My thoughts: Satisfying conclusion to the mysteries (both the historical and current day). The three of us all liked listening. The characters were interesting and the school was a great setting for this type of mystery.

79Cora-R
apr 22, 2021, 9:01 pm

4/21/21 Finished If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Categories/Challenges: PBT Tag, Around the Year, GenreCAT

My thoughts: This was a different and interesting story. As the tragedy of the story unfolds the question became not who was murdered or why, but more of how Oliver came to take the blame (or was he telling the truth all along). It was a dark story with a lot of quotes from Shakespeare (the students have their own style of talking that involved quoting the bard a lot). I did like Oliver and the other students. It was a story with a lot of layers and morally gray areas. I would recommend it to readers that appreciate a deep, layered story who don't wouldn't be bothered by the frequent Shakespearean quotes that are incorporated into their conversations.

80Cora-R
apr 23, 2021, 12:36 pm

4/22/21 Finished Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell

Categories/Challenges: Fly the PBT Skies, GeoKIT

My thoughts: This is a history of Hawaii from when Captain Cook first arrived there through its annexation. The author did a good job fitting a lot of information in a relatively short amount of pages. She also did a good job putting what was happening in Hawaii into context with what was going on in the United States in regards to the missionary movement and how Native Americans in the continental United States were treated. I only knew a little bit about Hawaii's history, so I definitely learned some new things. If you know more than a little about the islands, there might not be much new information for you here. Overall, I would recommend it to those of you who want to learn about the history of Hawaii in a relatively short and entertaining format.

81Cora-R
apr 26, 2021, 11:15 am

4/24/21 Finished Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero

Categories/Challenges: PBT Pursue It!, Around the Year, Read Harder

My thoughts: This was a fun nostalgic read. I liked all of the characters, especially Tim the dog. It managed to incorporate the zaniness of old Scooby Doo episodes in a way that felt fresh and modern. I liked how the characters used both science and mysticism to work together to defeat the monsters. I also liked that the solution to the mystery, which should have been obvious, wasn't. There were plenty of convincing red herrings thrown in. Overall it was a fun read that brought me back to watching cartoons after school.

82Cora-R
apr 28, 2021, 10:11 pm

4/26/21 Finished Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara.

Categories/Challenges: AlphaKIT, GeoKIT, Edgars, Around the Year

My thoughts: Great book for immersing the reader in the life of kids in poor neighborhoods of India. It was a sad book with some dark themes, but there was also joy and wonder of childhood to balance it out a bit.

83Cora-R
apr 28, 2021, 10:18 pm

4/28/21 Finished The Missing American by Kwei Quartey

Categories/Challenges: GeoKIT, Edgars, Around the Year

My thoughts: Excellent many layered mystery. I learned about a country I did not know much about. I really liked the main character, Emma.

84Cora-R
mei 11, 2021, 8:06 pm

4/29/21 Finished Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America - Mark A. Bradley

Categories/Challenges: GeoKIT, Edgars

My thoughts: Interesting history that I did not know much about.

85Cora-R
mei 11, 2021, 8:09 pm

5/1/21 Finished A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar, Read Harder

My thoughts: I was pretty disappointed in this one. I had a hard time getting into things, mostly because of all the time jumps. Perhaps the second book will improve since the world and premise is already setup. I rated this one 3 1/2 stars, OK.

86Cora-R
mei 11, 2021, 8:13 pm

5/10/21 Finished Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang

Categories/Challenges: GenreCAT, PBT Tag, PBT Pursue It!, Around the Year

My thoughts: Exhalation: Stories is the award winning collection of short stories by Ted Chiang. The stories in this collection are one of my favorite types of science fiction stories - the what if? big picture stories. They are the types of stories that are not really about the characters or plot, but rather about a concept that the author has and then explores the implications of. What if there were time travel portals, what if we could talk to our counterparts in alternate universes, what if users could raise virtual pets and teach the a.i. to evolve and "grow up," etc. I found the stories in this collection caught my interests and made me think about the issues with futuristic technologies. I recommend this collection to anyone who likes similar style of science fiction stories. If you are looking for stories with deep characterization, or exciting plots, these might not be for you - but if you like wondering what if...these stories really deliver.

87Cora-R
mei 12, 2021, 7:42 pm

5/11/21 Finished Curse of the Pharaohs - Elizabeth Peters

Categories/Challenges: GeoKIT, Around the Year

My thoughts: It was an OK mystery. I had a hard time keeping track of which character was which.

88Cora-R
mei 21, 2021, 11:17 am

5/20/21 Finished Iraq +100 - Hassan Blasim

Categories/Challenges: GenreCAT, AlphaKIT, GeoKIT, Play Book Tag, Fly the PBT Skies, Around the Year, Read Harder

My thoughts: I enjoyed this collection of stories. Many of the stories were melancholy and dark and tied to the war. Often they felt more like literary fiction than science fiction. I liked reading the different stories that were not from a U.S./U.K. centric voice. Although the stories were written by different authors, they all had very similar themes, atmosphere, and feeling. I wish there would have been a story by a woman author, or even one with a prominent woman character. I definitely recommend this collection to those that enjoy world literature, whether or not you enjoy science fiction.

89Cora-R
mei 21, 2021, 2:32 pm

5/21/21 Finished Inside Jobs by Ben H. Winters

Categories/Challenges: GenreCAT, AlphaKIT, Play Book Tag

My thoughts: This was a free audible book that came out last summer while we were all in quarantine. It features three stories about people staying at home due to the pandemic. They are all in the crime/suspense genre. The first story is about a crew of criminals whose big heist has been foiled by lock down orders. The criminals try to adjust their plans, but must do so via Zoom meetings with pets and families interrupting - not to mention emergency trips to the store when they have a lead on some toilet paper. The second story is about two brothers whose father passed away and they have jointly inherited his house just as things were locking down. The final story was about a young lady, alone at home during the lock down, who starts to suspect that her neighbor may have murdered his husband. I really liked all three stories. I was in the mood for light listens after my last audio book and these really hit the spot. I found myself smiling as the author described life in the lock down - aspects that seem so far away now even though the pandemic is not over. It was a nice quick read (2 1/2 hours) that helped my daily chores go faster.

90Cora-R
Bewerkt: mei 23, 2021, 10:07 am

5/22/21 Finished A Long Day in Lychford by Paul Cornell

Categories/Challenges: ScaredyKIT, GeoKIT

My thoughts: I did not enjoy it as much as the first two novellas in the series. It seemed a little rushed and I was not always clear what was going on. I still like the characters and the world Cornell created.

91Cora-R
Bewerkt: mei 25, 2021, 9:21 am

5/24/21 Finished The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri.

Categories/Challenges: MysteryKIT, GeoKIT

My thoughts: It was an OK mystery with an OK detective. Since it is the first in a very popular series, I will continue reading.

92DeltaQueen50
mei 24, 2021, 7:57 pm

>91 Cora-R: While I don't read Andrea Camilleri for the strength of his mysteries, I do like both the humor and the unique setting of Sicily.

93Cora-R
mei 26, 2021, 10:04 am

5/25/21 Finished A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

Cateogories/Challenges: GeoKIT, PBT Purse!

My thoughts: This book takes place during wartime in Chechnya. It was a very sad book (it is about war) when I wasn't in the mood for a sad book. That being said, it is extremely well written. The language is beautiful and the characters are deep and complicated. It does not gloss over the horrors of war and how people survive it and it does offer the reader a little sliver of hope in Havva's character. It also taught me about a place and time in history that I know very little about. Overall, I recommend it - but make sure you are in the mood for a lot of sadness.

94Cora-R
mei 28, 2021, 2:11 pm

5/28/21 Finished The Bat - Jo Nesbo

Categories/Challenges: AlphaKIT, GeoKIT, Popsugar

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this mystery. I found the setting and background of Australia interesting. I liked the main character despite his flaws. The mystery kept me guessing until I was supposed to figure it out. I will definitely continue the series.

95Cora-R
mei 31, 2021, 1:42 pm

5/31/21 Finished The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks

Categories/Challenges: RandomCAT

My thoughts: Parts of it were interesting, but overall it was not what I expected when I picked it from the TBR pile. As I listened to the audiobook, it kept losing my interest.

96Cora-R
jun 1, 2021, 9:34 pm

6/1/21 Finished Where the Wild Ladies Are - Aoko Matsuda

Categories/Challenges: RandomCAT, GeoKIT, Read Harder

My thoughts: Where the Wild Ladies Are is a collection of linked short stories that are all modern versions of traditional Japanese legends and stories. I thought the collection was delightful. I liked how the collection evolved and how the stories were linked together. I liked how Matsuda reimagined these ancient stories to fit a 21st century world. While many of the original stories were dark (there are a large number of ghosts in Japanese folklore) these retellings brought humor and a feminist flair. I only wish that I was more familiar with the stories before reading - but the book did include a summary of the source materials at the end of the book. I think I will seek out more by Aoko Matsuda.

97spiralsheep
jun 2, 2021, 5:17 am

>96 Cora-R: I remember reading and liking a couple of those stories published as shorts in magazines. I'm glad you enjoyed the collection.

98Cora-R
jun 5, 2021, 9:18 am

6/4/21 Finished Bel Canto - Ann Patchett

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar

My thoughts: The characters in this novel really pulled me in.

99Cora-R
jun 5, 2021, 11:43 am

6/5/21 Finished Bacchanal - Veronica Henry

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar, ATY

My thoughts: I liked the setting and the idea of most of the characters. The middle moved slow and some of the characters, despite the idea of them being good, did not come alive the way I wanted them to.

100Cora-R
jun 7, 2021, 5:41 pm

6/7/21 Finished Time Bomb - Joelle Charbonneau

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar, Read with Max, Read with Emma, AlphaKIT

My thoughts: It was an OK young adult book. My kids (13 & 16) thought that the author was a bit over the top with the foreshadowing. They felt like the bomber was obvious because the author was working so hard to make you think everyone could have done it.

101Cora-R
jun 12, 2021, 11:07 am

6/12/21 Finished Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Categories/Challenges: PBT Tag, PBT Pursue It!

My thoughts: This was a fun action/adventure/monster thriller. I liked all the thought that went into making the monsters scientifically realistic. It was more than a monster versus human story (although there was plenty of that), it was a story of humans trying to understand what was happening and using science to find out why it was happening. The science nerd in me appreciated that. The book had some interesting characters and excellent representation of all kinds. Overall it was a great read for summer escapism.