Rachel Reads in 2019 Part 2

Hello and welcome to my 2019 thread! I wasn’t around much in 2018, but I hope to be more active on my thread and in the group this year.

My name is Rachel, and I work in a library in a small town in Ohio. My favorite part of my job is all the book ordering and collection development I get to do. It’s a great way to keep my reading lists growing!

I also help with the library’s book discussion groups. I’ll post a list of what we’ll be reading below.

My husband and I welcomed our first child in December of 2017, so if I’m not at work, I’m doing all things toddler-related (and loving it!). That means I don’t have anywhere close to the amount of reading time I used to have, but it is what it is. I didn’t set any reading goals in 2018, and probably won’t this year, either. I am always writing titles of books down and hope to get to them at some point. I’m also good at checking out a lot of library books and returning most of them unread. I will be happy with whatever reading I can accomplish this year!

I’m not very good at leaving comments on other threads, but I will try to stop lurking and start communicating more…no promises, though!

Books Read January-April

January
1. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
2. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
3. Go to My Grave by Catriona McPherson
4. The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston
5. Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich
6. The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

February
7. Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr
8. Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof
9. Notes from My Captivity by Kathy Parks
10. Sourdough by Robin Sloan
11. Lost in the Taiga: One Russian Family's Fifty-Year Struggle for Survival and Religious Freedom in the Siberian Wilderness by Vasily Peskov
12. The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
13. The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg
14. The Line Between by Tosca Lee

March
15. Looking After Lily by Cindy Bonner
16. Hidden by Rebecca Zanetti
17. Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley
18. Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
19. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
20. An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
21. Crowded in the Middle of Nowhere: Tales of Humor and Healing from Rural America by Bo Brock
22. The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange
23. The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack
24. The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

April
25. Blind Kiss by Renee Carlino
26. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
27. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
28. Girl off the Grid by Kenzie Hart
29. The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
30. Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
31. Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson
32. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
33. Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb

Books Read May-August

May
34. The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
35. In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende
36. Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller
37. The Au Pair by Emma Rous
38. The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren
39. Daughters of Northern Shores by Joanne Bischof
40. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
41. Shotguns and Stagecoaches: The Brave Men Who Rode for Wells Fargo in the Wild West by John Boessenecker
42. Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow

June
43. Fight or Flight by Samantha Young
44. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
45. The Polar Bear Explorers' Club by Alex Bell
46. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
47. Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange
48. The Lost Man by Jane Harper
49. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
50. Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt
51. I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
52. Code Name Flood by Laura Martin

July
53. Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren
54. The Banker's Wife by Cristina Alger
55. Lake Magic by Kimberly Fisk
56. Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land
57. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
58. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
59. The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear
60. In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson
61. First Person Rural: Essays of a Sometime Farmer by Noel Perrin
62. Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce

August
63. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
64. The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
65. Into the Jungle by Erica Ferencik
66. ...And Then You Die of Dysentery: Lessons in Adulting from the Oregon Trail by Lauren Reeves
67. Wildheart: The Daring Adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna
68. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear
69. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
70. In Another Time by Caroline Leech

Books Read September-December

September
71. Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks
72. When You Read This by Mary Adkins
73. The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
74. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
75. A Single Light by Tosca Lee
76. The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug by Steffanie Strathdee

October
77. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
78. The Outpost by Devney Perry
79. Trailblazer by Anna Schmidt
80. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
81. Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle
82. Freya & Zoose by Emily Butler

November
83. Switchback by Danika Stone
84. A Child's Christmas in New England by Robert Sullivan
85. Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
86. Some Like it Scot by Donna Kauffman
87. The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott
88. The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman
89. The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick
90. Tryst by Elswyth Thane
91. Scouts by Shannon Greenland

December
92. Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery
93. Conviction by Denise Mina
94. A Timeless Christmas by Alexis Stanton
95. Crumbled! The Misadventures of Nobbin Swill by Lisa Harkrader
96. Child of St. Kilda by Beth Waters
97. The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad
98. Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson
99. Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry
100. Weaver's Needle by Robin Carroll

2019 Book Discussions

I will not be reading all of these, as I don't facilitate every month. I will probably read most of them, and one of my coworkers and I selected the titles.

Stranger in the Woods, by Michael Finkel
Sourdough, by Robin Sloan
The Astronauts Wives Club, by Lily Koppel
Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf
In the Midst of Winter, by Isabel Allende
Something in the Water, by Catherine Steadman
Good Me Bad Me, by Ali Land
Uncommon Type, by Tom Hanks
Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance
Ninth Hour, by Alice McDermott

We don't meet in August, and in December we have a program called "A Gathering of Readers" where we do a used book gift exchange and just talk about the different books we read while enjoying refreshments. We tried it for the first time in December 2018, and it was a big hit!

Babies in the Forest by Ginger Swift

Cute toddler reading story: A few months ago, my mother-in-law babysat my son so my husband and I could go out for lunch on my birthday. While we were gone, she introduced him to the buck we have shoulder-mounted on the wall (my husband tries to go deer hunting every year, and his was by far his biggest deer). The boy loves it, and "deer" became one of his first words. So, I had to check out a lot of books with deer, elk, moose, etc. to read with him.

This board book was available in our library consortium, and has become his absolute favorite book. It has flaps on most of the pages, which he loves opening and seeing what's behind them. Two baby foxes go exploring in the forest, and on the last page, it's getting dark and they are ready to go to bed. So my son opens the flap on the last page, and tells them "bye bye" and "night night" when he sees it.

I'm just going to have to buy this one for him, because every time he sees it on the end table, he points and wants to read it.

Happy new thread, Rachel!

Happy New Thread, Rachel!

I have a soft spot for Haruf's last book, Souls at Night. It's a shortie. You may not be able to get to it with your toddler toddling about (our first grandchild (grandson) is close to the same age), but I hope you do at some point, and enjoy it.

>6 aktakukac: Aww. So cute!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Rachel!

>7 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>8 jnwelch: Hi, Joe, thanks for visiting my threads! I did read Our Souls at Night earlier this year for the book discussion I help lead at work. It was lovely and I look forward to reading more of Haruf's novels at some point. I'm extremely lucky that my son is a terrific sleeper. He's usually asleep by 7 PM or so, and he almost always sleeps through the night, which gives me a bit of reading time in the evenings. At this point, I will take whatever reading time I can get :)

>9 MickyFine: I know! He is always doing cute things, in my unbiased opinion :)

>10 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

>11 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

Hi Rachel, have a great-read-filled weekend.

Lovely new thread, Rachel, and you are doing well on the reading too!

Happy new thread, Rachel!

>13 richardderus: Hi Richard, my reading is slow but steady at the moment. I'm always behind on reviews/comments, but that means I'm getting reading done!

>14 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! I've already read more books than I did in all of 2018, so I can't complain!

>15 lkernagh: Hi Lori, and thanks!

Book # 43: Fight or Flight by Samantha Young

Ava and Caleb meet at the airport before a long flight. They can’t stand each other from their first encounter. When their connecting flight is delayed, they hook up, thinking they won’t see each other once their flights leave. However, Caleb has to stay in Boston for work, and they keep running into each other and being introduced by various acquaintances. Soon, they will have to decide if a relationship is in the cards.

There were times when I had to check that this was a standalone novel or perhaps the first in a series, because parts of the plot led me believe I was reading about events that had already happened. The writing was disjointed in several places. Maybe the author was trying to set up things for a follow-up with some of the secondary characters? I did not particularly care for Ava, and just like her, I had a love-hate relationship with Caleb. I think I would have handled some of his actions differently than Ava did.

Overall, a quick read, but nothing special.

Book # 44: The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

This was just as good, if not better, than The Wrath & the Dawn. Recommended. The audio version is superb as well.

Book # 45: The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club by Alex Bell

This middle grade novel will be in my top ten reads of 2019, and will perhaps make the top five. I’ve already told two families that are frequently in the library about it, and when I mentioned the book to my aunt, she decided to read it and has it checked out now. I’ll be telling lots of people about this one!

Stella Starflake Pearl was adopted by her father, Felix, when he was on an expedition in the cold Icelands. Because she is a girl, she is not allowed to be an explorer, but due to certain circumstances, she is able to go on a journey with Felix, other members of the Polar Bear Explorers, and even some of the rival Ocean Squid Explorers. When a catastrophe forces Stella and three of her fellow explorers to set out on their own to reach the coldest part of the Icelands, their adventure begins. They will come across fairies, outlaws, magical creatures, castles, and more. By using their talents, will the group be able to make it to their destination? Or will the cold, snow, ice, and danger be too much for them?

There was so much to love in this book, and I’m delighted that it’s the first in a series. I will be getting my hands on the next book as soon as it’s released. The ending of this one sets up things for the next book quite well. I read more historical fiction than fantasy when I was a kid and teenager, so I probably like this one more as an adult. It’s one I will definitely read aloud to my children when they are older.

>19 aktakukac: This sounds right up my alley! Neither of my local library branches has it on ebook yet, but I'll be keeping an eye out.

Oh, I hope you can eventually get to it, Natalie! It was one of those books that I could have read all at once, but I forced myself to slow down so I'd enjoy it for longer. I sat there with a smile on my face many times because of the lovely writing and because it was just so good :)

Happy new thread!

Look at all your reading this year! And lots of winners! I'm off to check online for The Wrath & The Dawn right now...

>22 ChelleBearss: Thanks, I haven't had much time for LT but maybe that will change at some point!

>23 jennyifer24: I have read several great books this year. Not sure when I will get to 75, but I'll keep trying!

Book # 46: Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

This was the June book discussion book for work. My co-worker hated it, a couple of people loved it, and most everyone, including myself, thought it was a fast-paced read that never quite lived up to its potential. A newly married couple, who are having money problems, use their honeymoon as a sort of last hurrah before they will have to start pinching their pennies. They go to Bora Bora, and while they are snorkeling on their own, they come across a bag full of money, diamonds, and more. Before they know it, they are in danger and will have to use all their resources to survive.

I listened to this, narrated by the author, and kept waiting for something big to happen. And waited. And waited. And it never happened. There were some unanswered questions at the end, but I never got the big “ah-hah!” moment that I expected.

Book # 47: Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange

I loved the Lucy Strange novel I read earlier this year, and probably loved this one even more. A middle grade novel featuring spies, lighthouses, family separation, and more during WWII. Beautiful writing and also an excellent audiobook.

Book # 48: The Lost Man by Jane Harper

I’ve really enjoyed Harper’s two previous novels, and thought this one was fantastic as well. If you’ve read her novels before, you’ll definitely want to read this one, and if you haven’t, you should still read it too. I’ll have to read some more novels set in Australia soon. I can’t wait to read whatever Harper writes next.

Book # 49: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

A group of friends goes to a remote Scottish estate for New Year’s Eve. Someone dies, but we don’t know who for a very long time. Chapters alternate between a few of the characters and between the present (New Year’s Day) and the days and hours leading up to then. The author did a great job of keeping you wondering and guessing who had died and why. There were too many loose ends and unexplainable situations at the very end for me to rate this four stars, but I did enjoy the different narrators and the setting.

Book # 50: Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt

A butler, sent by his grandfather, arrives at Carter’s house in New York State. Before long, his family dynamics change, cricket becomes popular, and Carter has to grow up after he learns something about his father.

I thought this got bogged down by all the cricket stuff, some things were not realistic, and I just expected something a little different. But there were certainly good parts that had me laughing and tearing up.

Book # 51: I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

When her teacher assigns the class to write a letter to one of the Apollo 11 astronauts (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins), Mamie is the only one who picks Collins. She ends up writing him letters all summer, and tells him about her family, her friends, her life, and her experiences with the launch, moon landing, and the re-entry of the astronauts. A lovely read that we used for a youth book discussion at work. I have a couple other books by the author on my reading list, and after reading this one, am really looking forward to them.

Book # 52: Code Name Flood by Laura Martin

This is the second book in a duology, and I read the first one back in 2017. I had forgotten a lot of the plot, but it quickly came back to me as I picked up where the first book left off. This one was just as exciting and is a great middle grade read for anyone who loves dinosaurs and wonders what life would be like if dinosaurs lived among us.

Books Read in June


June was a good reading month! I'm happy with the number of children's books I read. I haven't started my July book discussion book yet, but I still have some time...I'll probably start it later this week. I'm also hoping to get through more of the books I have checked out, and to read a couple that have been on my reading list for years...I need to cross off more titles from there and not read so many new releases. We'll see what happens in July!

Book # 53: Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren

Holland has grown up playing hockey with her brothers, and now plays on the boy’s hockey team at her high school. When her town becomes a candidate for hosting a big hockey game, she is selected to be interviewed, which could make or break the decision for the winning town. She and the team’s co-captain, Wes, start to have feeling for each other, but will a relationship be possible? Holland has a long-standing rule about not dating teammates, but the more she gets to know Wes, the more she wants to break that rule.

I highly enjoyed this YA book. The characters were well-drawn, and Wes is a pretty fantastic book boyfriend. I wish the setting (rural, central Minnesota) had been a bit more of a prominent feature, especially the town itself. I will be reading more by this author.

Book # 54: The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger

This was a total escape read for me. I know next to nothing about international banking, money laundering, the lives of the incredibly wealthy, and so on. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I could imagine it as a movie as I read. I did see that it is becoming a miniseries at some point, so I may have to remember that. The ending was a bit too clean and tidy, but it worked.

Book # 55: Lake Magic by Kimberly Fisk

I have had this one on a reading list for many, many years, and I decided to read it so I could cross it off the list. While it wasn’t the worst contemporary romance I’ve ever read, it definitely fell flat on many levels.

Book # 56: Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

Well, this was the July book discussion selection for work, and I am certain I never would have read it if I’d had my choice. But, I’m proud of myself for reading outside of my comfort zone!

Milly’s mother is a serial killer of children, and Milly turned her in. Milly now lives with a foster family, and is getting ready for the trial to begin, where she will testify. Phoebe, Milly’s new foster sister, bullies her. Eventually, Milly will have to come to terms with what her mother did, and what her life will be like going forward.

I had to read a bit of a happier book before going to bed each night while I was reading this one. It was disturbing in many ways, and I am curious how the discussion will go. We won’t be having a book discussion in August, and after this I am ready for a break!

Congrats for reading outside your comfort zone, Rachel, but I wish you a read that's decidedly within it for your next book. :)

>37 MickyFine: Oh, it is! I've been reading a couple of chapters of The Flatshare at the end of the night so it's on my brain instead of abuse, serial killers, and such. I'm looking forward to reading a good chunk of it tonight.

>38 aktakukac: Oooh, I've heard good things about that one and it's on The List. I'll get to it at some point soon, I hope. After wading through Crime and Punishment I've had a string of good, enjoyable reads thankfully. :)

>38 aktakukac: I'm next on the hold list for The Flatshare and can't wait to get to it. Keeping my eyes peeled for Cold Day in the Sun too. Enjoy your happier reading!

>39 MickyFine: I'm enjoying it so far. For some reason, I kept thinking it was set in Australia (I SWEAR I read that somewhere when I first came across the book) so I've kind of had to adjust my thought process since it's definitely not set there.

>40 jennyifer24: Thanks, I got through a bit more of it last night. I was going to read on the front porch after my son went to sleep, but a storm rolled in and I ended up falling asleep quite early. When I read Cold Day in the Sun, I stayed up way too late to finish it. I don't do that very often anymore, so that shows I couldn't put it down!

>36 aktakukac: I am not so good at reading outside my comfort zone, Rachel, but then again I am not too good at reading much of anything lately!

Have a great weekend.

>42 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. I tell myself I need to read more of a variety, and things I wouldn't normally read, but it's so hard to do that. I also have less reading time that I used to, so I want to read what I want to read!

Book # 57: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Tiffy needs a new place to live. Leon needs money, so he decides to rent out his flat –which has only one bed. They work different shifts, so they will never see each other. By communicating through messages left on Post-It notes, they get to know each other.

Eventually, they bump into each other, and things start to get interesting. They each have things to work through, and they don’t see each other very often due to their work schedules. That’s all I want to say about the plot right now.

I’ve seen lots of love for this book online, and for the most part, I really enjoyed it. The secondary plotlines were a bit more serious than I expected. While there was humor to the story, there were also some deeper aspects that touched on several emotions. Chapters alternate between Tiffy’s and Leon’s perspectives, and while I liked Leon, I had a hard time with his chapters, which were harder to get into because of the writing style.

Overall, it was a good read, but not one I loved, partly because of the main characters wanting to rush into things as soon as they actually met. It just felt too quick for me, since they were flatmates and hadn’t spent time together. Yes, I know it’s a romance/chick lit book, but it just felt a little off to me. I don’t know if it felt like this for other readers or was just me.

Book # 58: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

I honestly don’t remember much about The Kiss Quotient, which I read last year, but I knew liked it enough to want to read this one. It was better than some of the other romance books I’ve read this year, but I didn’t care for all the secrets and how so many people were pushing Khai into a relationship.

Book # 59: The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear

It had been a while (too long, really) since I had read a Maisie Dobbs book, so I decided it was a good time to listen to another one. I really liked it and want to get to the next one (in the series) soon. Looking forward to what will happen with Maisie next!

Book # 60: In the Shadow of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson

I think this was a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me. There were times when I really got into the story, but it dragged at other times and yet it seemed like some aspects of the plot were rushed. I am going to try Wilson’s second book, so I hope I will like that one more.

Book # 61: First Person Rural: Essays of a Sometime Farmer by Noel Perrin

A pretty quick read about a writer from New York who moved to Vermont and farmed. Interesting what has and hasn’t changed since the late 1970’s!

Book # 62: Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce

This should appeal to readers in about 3-5 grades. Peirce is the author of the Big Nate graphic novels, which I have not read. There were several times I laughed out loud while reading this. It’s not strictly a graphic novel, and it’s something I would have liked as a kid.

Just heading towards the weekend here in Malaysia, Rachel, so I wanted to wish you a wonderful weekend yourself.

>50 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul, and hope you enjoy your weekend! It'll be a busy one for me, and I probably won't get much reading time in, but I don't mind because my parents are coming down to visit. I'm looking forward to seeing them and glad they will get to spend time with their grandson :)

Books Read in July



For a while, I thought my July reading stats would slip. I had several books going at once for various reasons, and I didn't think I would get any of them finished for the longest time. I also spend a couple days in the kitchen making applesauce, which my deep freezer appreciates but it limited but my reading time. August reading may not be as good as other months due to vacation and other things. We'll see what happens! I need to keep working on library books, try to read some of my own books (ha!), and at some point, will have to start the September book discussion book, which is Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks.

I somehow missed posting on this thread when it was new, so happy no-longer-new thread! Looks like you've had some good reads lately.

I just finished The Lying Woods and it was so good! She know how to write a story! I listened to the audio and I think it probably made it even better. I just went back to read what you wrote earlier this year. I thought Robert was a shady character but I didn't guess that he had basically taken Noah's place. I figured that he was framing Noah for the embezzlement. I think that Gus's headstone arriving might have been the biggest shock to me.

>53 foggidawn: Thanks! I'm pretty happy with my reading this year. It could be better, but I'm just glad to be reading!

>54 jennyifer24: I haven't listened to any of her books on audio, but I will have to keep that in mind for re-reads. The twist with Noah/Gus was awesome. I did not see that coming and then it made so much sense. I still like Shep more, though (from This Is Our Story).
I just checked, and Elston has a new book coming out in October, but I think it's going to be quite different from This is our Story and The Lying Woods. It's called 10 Blind Dates and is a YA romance. I'll read it because like you said, she knows how to write a story, but I hope she writes some more like the ones we've read.

>55 aktakukac: A lot of specific details from This is Our Story are hazy but I think maybe it'd come back if I reread. I'll keep an eye out for the new book. Have you read The Rules for Disappearing and The Rules for Breaking? Those are her other books listed here. I haven't heard of them before looking for more of her books.

>56 jennyifer24: I admit I had to grab the copy of This is Our Story off the shelf at work and look up Shep's name. I haven't read either of the Rules books, but they are both available in my library consortium and/or as e-books, so I will get to them at some point. I hadn't heard of them, either.

Book # 63: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

When I saw that Richard Armitage narrated the audio version of this one, I decided to listen to it. The story, based on real people and true events, held my attention easily enough, but the writing wasn’t as good as I expected. I’m interested enough to get to the follow-up at some point, which tells Cilka’s story and may actually be more interesting for me than Lale’s story.

Book # 64: The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

The second Winterhouse book (I’m not sure if there will be more?) which was a great audio, and is recommended for readers who like puzzles, mystery, magic, and a wonderful setting. I wish some of the characters had been more developed, but this is still a solid middle grade read.

Book # 65: Into the Jungle by Erica Ferencik

Lily is a 19-year-old American working at a hostel in Bolivia. She meets Omar, a Bolivian who is originally from an isolated village in the jungle. When Omar has to return to the village, Lily decides to go with him. How will Lily adapt to her new environment? With threats and danger possible at any given time, will Lily be able to survive?

On one hand, I liked the adventure in the story, the descriptions of nature, and for the most part, the writing. I am not really sure how to classify this book. There was some mystery and suspense, but it was mostly Lily saying “I learned later that…” and let me tell you, I quickly got tired of that! There was also some magical realism, which stretched the novel about as far as it could go in terms of a realistic, contemporary setting and plot.

I read the author’s The River at Night, and while Into the Jungle wasn’t a thriller in the same sense, it was still an action-driven novel with nature playing an important role in the story. If this sounds even slightly interesting, give it a try.

Book # 66: …And Then You Die of Dysentery: Lessons in Adulting from the Oregon Trail by Lauren Reeves

This may be one of the worst books I have ever read.

At least I was able to read it in less than 10 minutes.

It’s not funny, doesn’t contain any real lessons or wisdom, will quickly be dated, and is only worth looking at the illustrations.

At least I was able to read it in less than 10 minutes.

Book # 67: Wildheart: The Daring Adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna

A children’s graphic novel biography of John Muir. I don’t know much about Muir, and I did learn things from this book, but it was slightly underwhelming. While it may be a good read for kids, I felt like there were too many loose ends and things could have been explained more thoroughly.

Book # 68: A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

I didn’t enjoy this Maisie Dobbs novel as much as the one I read in July, but it was still good. I’m curious where/how things will go with James Compton, as I really don’t want that to drag out through several books. Will probably take a break from Maisie for a bit, but I will definitely be continuing with the series, and want to pick up the next one later this year, perhaps.

Book # 69: Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

I was lucky in getting on the wait list for this one quickly – I believe I was number two – so I made sure to read it so I could pass it on to the next person in line. I’ve seen lots of praise for it, and thought it was lovely. Great character development, and I loved the pacing of the story. I stayed up late reading it (which doesn’t happen very much anymore), and was able to finish it during my lunch break today.

I'm hoping to get another book or two read in August, but we'll see if that happens. We were on vacation last week and I read maybe 10 pages of Evvie Drake at most. I brought back some books I had checked out because they either had holds or I decided to read them later. I have been reading a lot with my son, who loves, loves loves books. My parents were visiting one day while I was at work, and my mom was reading to him while he was playing in the living room. She stopped reading for some reason, and he turned and looked at her with a "well, aren't you going to finish the story?" look on his face. My husband's aunt was also reading to him when I got home from work one day, and she made some truck/tractor/vehicle noises, which he copied...and I missed it because I was in the kitchen! Books are part of his daily routine, and one of his current favorites is this one:

Cute story for kids, adults will find it amusing too, and while I have been ordering the Mother Bruce books for work, I have only glanced at them here and there, so I will have to go read them soon.

I've started listening to the September book discussion book (how is it almost September?!), which is Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks. I'm not the biggest short story fan in the world, but maybe this collection will be alright.

I may pick up a YA novel I've had sitting at home for a while now so I can return it to the library. Maybe it'll be a quick read so I can bump up my August numbers...maybe I can get to 75 next month?!

>65 aktakukac: I kind of liked Uncommon Type, but I listened to the audio, which is read by the author, so it had the effect of Tom Hanks reading me bedtime stories, and who wouldn't enjoy that? The stories themselves were okay.

>66 foggidawn: I'm listening to it at work, so hopefully I will be able to listen to him read all the stories. If I listen to two or three a day at minimum, I should be able to finish them before our book discussion. Two down, fifteen to go...

So far it has been decent.

>66 foggidawn: Tom Hanks reading me a bedtime story sort of adds to the allure of audio books - but then again I am still a small boy at heart.

Have a lovely weekend, Rachel.

Book # 70: In Another Time by Caroline Leech

Maisie joins the Scottish Women’s Timber Corps in 1942 and works as a lumberjill. She meets a man at a dance, and they have a connection, but it’s not until later that Maisie learns the truth about him. It may or may not be possible for them to have a relationship due to many factors.

This was a great coming-of-age novel. Maisie became a stronger and more independent young woman over the course of the novel. I enjoyed the setting, but wished there had been a little less YA romance and more historical details.

Books Read in August


A VERY belated August-in-review. Life got busy, and is still busy, but I managed to read eight books. September is half over, and I’ll be starting the October book discussion books soon. I’m trying not to put holds on so many books, and read from the stack by my bed. I’d love to get to 100 books by the end of the year, but we shall see!

Book # 71: Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks

This was the September selection for the book discussion I help run at work. Everyone basically thought the stories were decent, but that Tom Hanks should stick to acting. I thought it was humorous that my former boss (who retired a few years ago) said the story she disliked the most was one of the ones I enjoyed the most. Ha! I did listen to the author reading the stories, which probably helped me enjoy them a bit more.

Book # 72: When You Read This by Mary Adkins

I can’t remember where I came across this slightly unusual novel. It’s told through e-mails, blog posts, texts, and several other forms of virtual correspondence. Iris passed away from cancer at age 33, and wrote a blog for several months before she died. She wanted her former boss, Smith, to publish it. Jade, Iris’s older sister, does not want it published, and you’ll have to read the book to find out what happens.

It took me a while to actually get into the story, but once I did, I was curious to see how things would go. There’s some humor (Smith’s intern Carl, especially) to keep the book from getting depressing and it has a little of everything, so it’s not just about dying and dealing with grief.

Book # 73: The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

One of the better romances I’ve read this year, this novel deals with some tough topics that aren’t found in a typical romance novel. Kristen and Josh are the maid of honor and best man in their best friends’ wedding, and they hit it off immediately. There’s a couple of problems to stop them from dating, however. Kristen is dating someone, and she also knows Josh wants to have a big family one day. She will be having surgery in the near future which will make her unable to have children, but she doesn’t tell Josh about that.

I was curious where the story would go, and I honestly did not expect a big event about two-thirds of the way through which came out of nowhere. I stayed up later than I should have to finish this one (while I had a cold, nonetheless!), which rarely happens anymore.

Book # 74: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Well, I finally got to this one, when my hold on the audiobook came in. I started out loving it, but it dragged on for me, partially because I got busy and couldn’t listen to it for a while. I thought it was very well-written (I’ve never read anything by Novik before), but I did not like the multiple character perspectives per chapter, as it got too confusing for me.

Book # 75: A Single Light by Tosca Lee

I read this one, the sequel to The Line Between, in September. It wasn’t quite as good as I had hoped, but I couldn’t put it down and was curious about how things might be resolved. If you are looking for a thrilling, fast-paced duology involving a cult and a pandemic I definitely recommend these books.

Book # 76: The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug by Steffanie Strathdee

On the one hand, I thought this story was fascinating and compelling. On the other hand, I personally got bogged down in all the science and medicine involved, which took away from the story. I think most other readers enjoyed this one more than I did.

I do believe September was my slowest reading month of 2019. I got a cold, my son got a cold, we had a lot going on that took away from reading time, and so my reading time suffered. I hope to get back on track in October, but it doesn't look too promising. We'll be busy in the fields, have a long weekend for a family wedding out in Iowa, and a lot of other stuff that will be happening. My October book discussion selection is Hillbilly Elegy, which I am not quite halfway through, so I should easily finish by next Thursday. I think I will go through my library checkouts this weekend and plan to return some on Monday. We'll see.

>75 aktakukac: Congratulations on reaching 75, Rachel!

And how appropriate, book 75 in msg 75!

Felicitations on reaching the magic number, Rachel! I hope harvest goes smoothly for you!

Congrats!

Congrats on 75!!

Congrats on hitting the 75 book mark!

>78 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita! I didn't even notice that it was posted in message 75 :)

>79 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. We've got one more field of soybeans and a manageable amount of corn to finish up...if only the weather would cooperate! I will be so glad when everything is finished and all the fall field work is done. 2019 has been a terrible year for farmers and I am looking forward to a better year in 2020.

>80 drneutron:, >81 curioussquared:, >82 ronincats: Thank you Jim, Natalie, and Roni! I'm still hoping to make it to 100 this year, so we shall see!

Reviews for my October reads are coming up. I hope I'll be able to read more in November. It seems like I spent most of October with several books started and nothing really being finished. If I could get the two than I'm currently reading and listening to finished by early next week, that would be great. I was also wanting to read a book I own (gasp! No way!) that I have been meaning to read for several years (it seems like it would be a good autumn read) AND I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE IN MY HOUSE! I know I moved it from a box in the basement to next to my bed at some point, but now it's not there, it's not on any of the bookshelves, and it's not in the guest room. Ugh, go figure. I'll try to find it this weekend because I need to clean the house since my parents are coming to visit.

Book # 77: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

A charming graphic novel that was a satisfying autumn read.

Book # 78: The Outpost by Devney Perry

This is the fourth book in a romance series set in Montana. Events in book three set up the plot for this one, in which Sabrina has to be hidden in a remote cabin for her safety. But will it be enough to keep her from danger? I will finish the series at some point, when I am in the mood for this type of book.

Book # 79: Trailblazer by Anna Schmidt

I’ve read a few fiction and non-fiction books involving the Harvey Girls, so when I saw this historical fiction/romance about a Harvey Girl waitress and a cowboy in New Mexico, I knew I had to read it. I liked the characters and story enough, but some points of the writing could have been better. I do have the next book in the series checked out, and am looking forward to seeing what happens with these characters.

Book # 80: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

This was the October book discussion selection for October. It was not quite what I had been expecting, but I did find it a compelling read. The discussion went pretty well, although I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t been sitting next to my former director’s husband. He is one of those people who has to try to make everything he says into a joke, thinks every sentence that comes out of his mouth is the most profound statement ever, and yet doesn’t actually contribute to a discussion. It was sort of a fluke that he came to the discussion, and I’m 99% sure he won’t be there next month.

Book # 81: Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle

Sophie has had a lot of changes in her life recently which have given her new responsibilities. When her former crush returns to their small island, she plans on avoiding him. But when a hurricane forces the island to evacuate, they get stuck together on the island and have to help each other survive.

Book # 82: Freya & Zoose by Emily Butler

A penguin named Freya and a mouse named Zoose stow away on a hot air balloon adventure. Their expedition to the Arctic is based on true events, which the author researched quite well from what I understand. While I loved listening to Jayne Entwistle’s narration, and thought the story had a lovely old-fashioned feel to it, I’m having a bit of a hard time deciding what kind of reader it would appeal to. It could have used a little more humor that children would appreciate, and a main theme, death, makes the story darker than I was anticipating. I would read more by the author, as I thought her writing was very good.

Books Read in October



I didn't expect to get much reading done in October, so I am happy with what I did accomplish. I'm still hoping to get to 100 books this year, but who knows if that will happen. I will start the November book discussion selection, Alice McDermott's The Ninth Hour, next week. My son is currently obsessed with all kinds of trucks, tractors, farm equipment, and so on, so we've been reading a lot of books with those things. He loves opening one of the board books to pages that have a semi, fuel truck, fork lift, and so on, and saying, "Dada truck!"

First up for November is finishing the two books I am currently reading, and the book discussion book, and then I'll go from there.

Book # 83: Switchback by Danika Stone

Vale and Ash are high school students whose physical education class is required to go on an overnight hike in a national park in Canada. They accidentally become separated from the rest of their classmates and teachers and quickly get lost in the wilderness. They endure a snowstorm, avalanche, various injuries, wildlife, and have limited resources at their disposal. The two quickly realize finding help is a matter of life and death, but if help arrives, will it be too late?

This was a fairly quick read, but it was a bit predictable. I was appalled at how uninformed and ill-prepared the students were when they began the hike. I know they are high school students who didn’t want to be doing the assignment, but still.

I have a few more survival stories to read in the coming weeks and months, and I hope they won’t be as predictable as this one.

Glad to see you had a good reading month even with everything going on IRL. Hopefully November lets you get to more of what you want. :)

>92 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. I think my November reading will be better - I've already finished three books! I've got a couple that I've already started that I need to finish up, and I'm really looking forward to a YA book that sounds promising.

Book # 84: A Child’s Christmas in New England by Robert Sullivan

This was a quick read during my lunch break the other day. I firmly believe in celebrating each holiday in turn, but sometimes I read Christmas books in November just to be able to get some Christmas-themed reading in before the busyness of December.

This little memoir was nice, but I wasn’t as charmed as I had hoped to be. The author remembers Christmases as a boy in Massachusetts in the 1950s and 1960s, and throws in a lot of background information about his family, neighbors, and incidents that are sort-of related to his yuletide holidays.

Nice, but not what I was expecting, and I thought the ending was rather abrupt.

Book # 85: Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

Sarah meets Eddie, and they hit it off immediately. Eddie has a Spanish vacation planned, and he promises to contact Sarah when he returns. But he doesn’t, and Sarah can’t let it go. She thinks something has happened to him, and has to figure out what it was, even if it will hurt her in the end.

Well this was a case of the story being MUCH different from what I expected! It really could have gone in soooo many different ways, and I was not expecting the direction it took. The (multiple) twists took me by surprise, which I appreciated. The overall format was distracting until some of the twists were revealed.

This novel has lots of mixed reviews, and I can understand why.

Impressive reading continuing, Rachel.

Have a lovely weekend.

>96 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Some days I feel like I am making progress with reading, other times not so much. I'll read what I can for now :)

Book # 86: Some Like It Scot by Donna Kauffman

Graham has a month to find a suitable bride in order to follow a family tradition and keep his title, which will allow him to continue his work and help his small Scottish island. His friends help locate the correct woman, and Graham has to go to America to find her and convince her she should marry him. He hopes to overturn the marriage requirement before the 30 days is up, but isn’t sure the villagers and council will agree to changing the rule.

Katie agrees to marry Graham so she can have more time to plan her future. The two have a connection, but can they figure out how to make everything work, especially when Graham doesn’t want to have to get married?

I liked parts of this one, but the pacing was too slow, there were random supernatural bits thrown in that did not make sense and were not explained, and sometimes things were just confusing. It was ok, but too slow to develop.

Book # 87: The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott

November book discussion selection for work. It starts in the early(ish) 20th Century with a man named Jim sending his pregnant wife, Annie, out to do the shopping. Jim then commits suicide in their small New York City apartment. Annie is helped by some nuns, who also help take care of her daughter Sally as she grows. Over time, Annie starts seeing a married man, Sally decides what to do with her life, we learn bits about some of the nuns, and how the nuns being in Annie and Sally’s lives influence them.

The writing was beautiful, although the storyline often got confusing because of changes in timelines, not being able to keep certain characters straight, and other issues. I listened to the audiobook, and enjoyed it more than my coworker who read it. I am looking forward to the book discussion, and hearing what others have to say about the book.

>97 aktakukac: I know the feeling, Rachel. I keep picking books up and starting them but not getting very far, getting frustrated and starting another one. Must have about 20 on the go at the moment but am finishing nothing. Too much on my plate right now I guess.

Book # 88: The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman

In rural Australia in the 1960s, Tom’s wife leaves him but later returns, pregnant by another man. Tom is an excellent father to Peter, until his wife leaves him again, taking Peter with her. Around this time, Tom meets Hannah, a Hungarian Jewish woman who suffered at Auschwitz and now operates a bookshop. Can Tom and Hannah have a life together? Hannah’s past at Auschwitz, and other issues, may not make it possible, but Tom is willing to try.

I like the story overall, but thought some aspects were too rushed to be believable. It was hard for me to connect with the characters, as well.

Book # 89: The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick

Chapters in this book alternate between two characters in the 18th Century, a lady and her maid, and Fenella, a woman in the present day. A golden gown is key to a mystery Fen tries to solve, but the gown may put her own life in danger.

This started out well enough, but I figured most things out halfway through, and some aspects at the end were too unbelievable. I’d be willing to read more by the author, however.

Book # 90: Tryst by Elswyth Thane

A lovely ghost story I’d recommend for fans of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, although they are quite different. Beautiful writing and I’m glad I stumbled across the title somewhere and I’m glad there are a few copies available in my library consortium. I will have to re-read this one at some point in the future.

Book # 91: Scouts by Shannon Greenland

This was a fun tween/middle grade read that reminded me of The Goonies. It’s set in 1985. A group of almost-7th graders get lost while looking for a meteor that crashed in their area. The plot and action moved very quickly. At times it felt like there was too much going on, but I doubt kids would pick up on it. There were some instances of swear words, and a couple of historical inaccuracies as well.

Books Read in November



I'm pleased with my November reading. I'd love to get to 100 before the end of the year. Maybe it will happen, and if it doesn't, that's fine too.

November was a very busy month, so I am thrilled with the amount of reading I accomplished. My son, who will be two in less than a week, started talking so much, and his vocabulary has exploded. He had started asking us to read to him, and even specifically said “Mama read duck book. Please.” Of course, I never say no when he wants to be read to, even though he is going through a phase of only wanting to read the same six or seven books. We have them memorized by now, but I managed to add some others in every now and then. Last night when I was putting his boots and bar on (he was born with bilateral clubfoot and it is standard treatment to wear corrective boots and braces overnight until age four or five) he grabbed Little Blue Truck, which I had read to him earlier in the evening, and started “reading” it out loud. He was turning pages and said “croak” on the page with the toad, “beep,” “honk,” and so on. I’ll admit I almost started crying, I was so happy. He is also following along more and paying attention to the pictures and stories, which is making reading to him a bit more enjoyable for me. I hope he will keep this love of reading and books for his entire life!

My husband and I also used a book called I’m a Big Brother to announce to most of our families that we’re expecting Baby # 2 at the end of May! My niece, who is in first grade, read it to her parents when we told them. She did a really good job! The tiredness and fatigue of the first trimester has faded away, but I’m still pretty tired by bedtime and have fallen asleep reading more times than I can count.

My plan for 2020 reading is to read as much as I can in the first four or five months of the year, and then I’ll probably be lucky if I can get the book discussion books read for work. Maybe I’ll be able to squeeze in shorter books and more juvenile fiction? After the baby gets here, I will be pleased with ANY reading that gets done!

Congratulations, Rachel! That's wonderful news!

>106 aktakukac: Aw, love the story about your toddler and his books, and congrats on baby #2! My niece and nephew are 4 and 2, and it's such a pleasure for me to sit and read with them. My niece pretend reads and makes up her own (often rhyming) story and I love every minute of it.

>106 aktakukac: Congratulations!

>107 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! We are pretty excited!

>108 bell7: Thanks, Mary, and YES, I love every minute of reading with John. I don't want him to grow up too quickly (ha!), but I am looking forward to reading more picture books with him and getting more of a response out of him. And listening to him read. And chapter books. Oh that will be wonderful!

>109 foggidawn: Thank you foggi!

Book # 92: Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery

Apparently I read this one back in 2011, but I have absolutely no recollection of doing that, and the story was not familiar (other than the basic premise, which I did know). I listened to the audio version, and the narrator didn’t knock my socks off. It has been a long time, too long in fact, since I read any L.M. Montgomery. I need to re-read the Anne books, and work through several others I haven’t read yet.

>111 aktakukac: I love Jane of Lantern Hill! Too bad the narrator wasn't better.

>111 aktakukac: I'm with Foggi, Jane of Lantern Hill is lovely. She's my second favourite Montgomery creation after Anne. :)

>113 MickyFine: Ooh, now I'm mentally ranking my favorite Montgomery heroines. Valancy (The Blue Castle) is my favorite, but I'm having trouble with second place, which could go to Pat, Jane, or Anne. Probably Anne... but I do love the other two.

I quite liked Jane, but it's been so long since I read most of the others (Emily, Anne, Kilmeny, Valancy are the only ones I've read I believe). For some reason, I kept mixing Jane up with a character in a made-for-television movie I saw as a kid starring Hayley Mills. It was called Back Home and about a girl who was evacuated from England to America during WWII. Don't ask me why I kept thinking this.

Anyway, I replaced copies of the Pat books at work earlier this year, so maybe I will read those next.

>114 foggidawn: Sounds a bit like when I try to rank Jane Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice is my most favourite but then the rest of the books kind of fall in two tiers of ties for second and third.

I never posted a list of our 2020 book discussion titles for work. One of my co-workers and I facilitate it, and in the past we have sat down with lists of books we think would be good choices, looked things up online, checked that we have enough regular, large print, and audio copies in our library consortium, and basically created the list together. This year, my colleague kinda hijacked the list, took over, and let me have two selections. Two. Out of ten. I am trying to be gracious about it, and I think most of the selections will be good for our group, but seriously. The selections for March and November were mine. I really wanted to have The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek this year, but apparently it will be saved until 2021. I did try reading The Night Circus many years ago and gave up almost halfway through, so hopefully I will have better luck with it this time.

Any thoughts or comments on these selections?

2020 Book Discussion Books

January – Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
February – The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
March – Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce
April – When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
May – Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jasmyn Ward
June – I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
July – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
August – No Discussion
September – Educated by Tara Westover
October – Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
November – The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
December 10 – A Gathering of Readers (we all meet, have refreshments, talk about the books we read during the year, and have a used book gift exchange...the books are wrapped and I still haven't read the one I got last year!)

>106 aktakukac: Congratulations!


I'll be impressed if, alongside the pregnancy poopedness, the kidlet crises, and Yuletide jollifications, you get those next eight books read, but good on ya for planning a binge from here to maternity. Afterwards...well...I just hope you get some sleep.

Sending hugs!

>110 aktakukac: *nodding* yeah, I do the same thing thinking about books I want to share with my niece & nephew - not to get you growing up too soon but, ooh, I can't wait for this one!

>117 aktakukac: We've read The Underground Railroad, When Breath Becomes Air and Educated by Tara Westover in my group and had excellent discussions about all three. I LOVED The Night Circus but I'm a sucker for complex fantasy - the audio read by Jim Dale is well done if you like reading that way. I'll look forward to your thoughts on the others, several are ones I've wanted to read at some point. And I love your December gathering idea!

>118 richardderus:. Thank you, Richard! I finished a novel last night, my next two books are children’s books, I have an audiobook I plan to listen to during my lunch breaks at work, and I am thinking I will pick up where I left off in the Little House series after that. Then I’ll see what library books need to be returned, how much time is left in December, and go from there. I have a few books planned for early 2020, a couple of books in a children’s fantasy series I have been meaning to get to, and more from some reading lists, but it will probably be lots of reading whatever I want until my reading gets paused for a bit.

>119 bell7:. I bought a notebook just to keep track of books to read to or with him. There are a lot of chapter books I missed out on as a kid that I want to get to, and I am always seeing suggestions on here.

I don’t know which book discussion books I will read in the summer (my director or another coworker will probably fill in while I am on maternity leave and right after I come back) but I’m planning on being there for January-April or May. I try to listen to most of the books and follow along with a physical book, and I have enjoyed Jim Dale in the past, so I will be sure to listen to The Night Circus if I end up reading that one.

***
I don’t know if any reading will get done today. My husband shot a buck and a doe on opening day of hunting season, which was Monday, and the meat is ready to be picked up from the processor today, so I need to organize my deep freezer. It’s also John’s birthday party later today, so I need to do some more cooking and clean up the kitchen, dining area, more of the house, give him a bath at some point, and maybe run to the store for a couple things I forgot. Thankfully my mother-in-law decorated for the party yesterday. By tonight, I’ll definitely be ready to crash!

Congratulations on your wonderful news, Rachel. I think the group will be unanimously looking forward to May now!

I have read April and May from your Book Discussion reads and think that both will not disappoint. I have several more on the shelves and may get to them in 2020.

Have a great weekend.

>121 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I am looking forward to several of the book discussion titles, but I wish I would have had more input regarding the final list.

Book # 93: Conviction by Denise Mina

Anna enjoys listening to podcasts, especially those that discuss true-crime events. As her marriage and the life she has built crumble, she starts a podcast about three murders that took place on a yacht. She quickly realizes that she knew one of the victims, and before long, Anna is on the run to learn the truth and to stay out of danger.

The story was fast-paced and even though there were glaring errors and holes in the plot, I was curious to keep reading and find out how things would end.

Book # 94: A Timeless Christmas by Alexis Stanton

A light, clean, easy-to-read time travel story set in a large estate at Christmas. Charles owns the estate and lives in 1902 but finds himself in the present day. Megan is a tour guide in the present at the estate and loves history. They fall in love (a bit too quickly, in my opinion), but Charles has to go back to his own time.

The premise was cute, fun, and just right for a holiday read. It did get repetitive, but the ending had me tearing up and I was impressed with the outcome.

Book # 95: Crumbled! The Misadventures of Nobbin Swill by Lisa Harkrader

For generations, the Swill family has been the king’s royal dung farmers. They shovel dung from the king’s privy and transport it away from the castle. It’s a stinky job, and Nobbin doesn’t want to do it for the rest of his life. One day, he finds the king’s ring in the dung, and he makes his way to the castle to return it. From that point on, lots of things happen and the result is an entertaining story that includes a mystery, various fairy tale characters, fun color illustrations, and an ending that leaves room for a sequel or series.

This would be a great read aloud, and would also be good for less confident readers. There is also a note at the end about the history of dung farming.

Soviet Santa says "Happy Yule!" Solstice Greetings to all. Read more here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/soviet-santa

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, some other tradition or none at all, this is what I wish for you!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

>126 richardderus: >127 ChelleBearss: >128 ronincats: >129 PaulCranswick: >130 AMQS: Thank you Richard, Chelle, Roni, Paul, and Anne for the holiday greetings!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last weeks and days of the year. We had a pretty low-key Christmas, and I plan the same for New Year's Eve and Day. With the days the holidays fall on, and our work schedules, and my family being scattered across four states, we decided not to travel this year. I'd like a little down time to just be home before things get crazy in January. I'm hoping to finish up at least two more books by the end of the year. I have a few started, so we'll see what happens. Maybe I can get 100 books read this year?!

Book # 96: Child of St Kilda by Beth Waters

I read a review of this non-fiction picture book and immediately requested it from another library. It was a fascinating, amazing story and I will be ordering a copy for work in January.

In 1925, Norman John was one of the last children born on Hirta, one of the islands of St. Kilda. This remote archipelago is located about 100 miles off the western coast of Scotland. Readers learn not only about Norman John’s life and family, but also about the history, flora and fauna, culture, and ways people made a living on the islands.

Eventually, as people moved away, the population shrunk, crop failures, and bad winters caused damages, the remaining islanders decided to leave St. Kilda. They relocated on the mainland, and St. Kilda is now a World Heritage Site.

I can see this working well in a classroom, especially 2nd-5th grades, especially for learning about a way of life that no longer exists. It’d even be a great read for adults. There is also an explanation about how the author became interested in the islands, did her research there, and about the printmaking techniques used to create the gorgeous illustrations.
Highly recommended.

Book # 97: The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad

I’d been waiting several months for my e-audio hold to come in for this one (Simon Vance did the narration), and both the audio and the book itself were excellent. It will be in my top five for the year.

Ollie, a crop duster from Maine, makes his way to England to volunteer for the RAF. Susan and her grandfather, Bertie, raise pigeons, and she joins in a top-secret British government project to help get coded messages to and from the front lines and gather information. Ollie ends up helping Susan and Bertie with the pigeons, but a chain of events leaves him stranded in France just as he and Susan are falling in love. Will any of them survive until the end of the war? Will the pigeons prove useful?

The story absolutely flew by for me (ha, ha!) and I was impressed with the author’s writing, the details in the story, and the characters. I don’t even care for birds, and that didn’t put me off. Based on true events, this is a WW-II story well worth picking up.

Book # 98: Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson

As far as YA thrillers go, this one was great! Gabe, Sasha, Elyse, and Catherine all have secrets, which are slowly revealed throughout the novel. I really can’t say too much about the plot, but the story is very fast-paced, has a major twist, and the characters were real and believable.

I unfortunately read a spoiler that ruined one of the plot twists for me, but I was still curious how things would turn out. This book touches on many issues, which help create a gripping story that I couldn’t put down.

Congratulations!!! Sorry to be so belated- I really dropped off librarything when school started and never found my way back. I hope you're feeling good and everything is going well for you and your family!

I hope to get back soon and see what good books you've read! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

>135 jennyifer24: Thanks! I am feeling pretty good. I didn't have an appetite for the first eight or nine weeks, but it has mostly come back and while I haven't had any cravings, it's nice to want to eat again. I am starting to get anxious for the anatomy scan/ultrasound next Monday. We aren't going to find out the gender, but I keep worrying there will be something seriously wrong with the baby. We found out about our son's clubfoot at his anatomy scan, so I guess I'm just expecting there to be some kind of problem with either me or the baby.

I have two more books to read to get to my goal of 100 this year. I'm halfway through a novel-in-verse that I've wanted to read for a while, and I am going to read a juvenile graphic novel to reach the magic number. I also have several other books (both print and audio) started but I am not worrying about finishing them this year.

I've joined the 2020 group, but will set up my thread and all that in the next few days.

Book # 99: Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

This middle grade novel in verse is about a 7th grader named Calliope who has Tourette’s Syndrome. She and her mother move around a lot, and Calli starts a new school where she meets a new friend, Jinsong. He is a popular athlete and student body president, and although he really likes Calli, he has to learn how to stand up for her (and himself) when other students make fun of her tics, sounds, actions, and other issues caused by her disability.

I’d been meaning to read this one for a long time, and I am so glad I did. Recommended as an affecting read about dealing with being different, bullying, and friendship.

>136 aktakukac: Thinking of you and hoping for a healthy ultrasound!

Good luck getting to 100!

Book # 100: Weaver’s Needle by Robin Carroll

My mother-in-law ended up watching my son for a while on December 31, and I was able to get this one finished up while he was gone. It was a big disappointment. I expected something completely different from the synopsis. It wasn’t all bad, but I had a hard time getting into the story. Considering it’s about a treasure map and a legendary gold mine, I wanted more looking for the treasure. There were other parts of the story that were off or just took away from the plot. Oh well, I got it done before the end of the year, it was my 100th book of the year, and made me reach my goal for 2019.

Books Read in December



I was hoping to read 100 books this year, and I did! I know I won't be anywhere close to that number in 2020. I read a nice variety of books in December. It would have been nice to get more non-fiction in this month and year, but overall I am happy with what I read.