LibraryLover23's 2016 Reading Challenge

I'm going to shoot for 75 but I haven't made it the past few years so we'll see what happens. As long as I read books that I enjoy I'll be happy. Below are my previous threads, good luck everyone with your challenges!

2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Reading List

January
1. December Stillness by Mary Downing Hahn
2. Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
3. Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary
4. Blockade Billy by Stephen King
5. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey
6. Tail Gait: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown
7. The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
8. The Martian by Andy Weir
9. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
10. The Queen Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

February
11. After The Storm by Linda Castillo
12. Trashed: An Ode To The Crap Job Of All Crap Jobs by Derf Backderf
13. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
14. A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler
15. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
16. The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney

March
17. The Cellist Of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
18. Come Rain Or Come Shine by Jan Karon
19. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
20. The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art Of Decluttering And Organizing by Marie Kondo
21. The Hard Way by Lee Child
22. You Can Buy Happiness (And It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life And How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel
23. The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

April
24. Scents And Sensibility by Spencer Quinn
25. The Password To Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene
26. Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford
27. Kitty Takes A Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
28. Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
29. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
30. White Oleander by Janet Fitch

May
31. How I Write: Secrets Of A Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich
32. Most Talkative: Stories From The Front Lines Of Pop Culture by Andy Cohen
33. More About Boy: Roald Dahl's Tales From Childhood by Roald Dahl
34. A Feast For Crows by George R.R. Martin

June
35. All The Single Ladies: Unmarried Women And The Rise Of An Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister
36. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
37. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton
38. Storm Prey by John Sandford
39. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
40. The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

July
41. The Beach by Alex Garland
42. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
43. The Girls by Emma Cline
44. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
45. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
46. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
47. Courage Has No Color: The True Story Of The Triple Nickels, America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone
48. Mr. Monk In Trouble by Lee Goldberg
49. Book Crush For Kids And Teens: Recommended Reading For Every Mood, Moment And Interest by Nancy Pearl

August
50. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
51. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
52. Day Shift by Charlaine Harris
53. Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: Parts One And Two by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
54. The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

September
55. The Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King
56. The Art Of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live The Life You Want, And Change The World by Chris Guillebeau
57. The Blue Bear: A True Story Of Friendship And Discovery In The Alaskan Wild by Lynn Schooler
58. Curtains by R.L. Stine
59. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
60. A Break With Charity: A Story About The Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi
61. Little House In Brookfield by Maria D. Wilkes

October
62. The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
63. H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
64. Joyland by Stephen King
65. The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis
66. Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell
67. Being Mortal: Medicine And What Matters In The End by Atul Gawande

November
68. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
69. In The Garden Of Beasts: Love, Terror, And An American Family In Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
70. Bloody Jack: Being An Account Of The Curious Adventures Of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer
71. Roughneck Grace: Farmer Yoga, Creeping Codgerism, Apple Golf, And Other Brief Essays From On And Off The Back Forty by Michael Perry
72. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

December
73. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
74. Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright
75. A Little House Christmas Treasury: Festive Holiday Stories by Laura Ingalls Wilder
76. Among The Wicked by Linda Castillo
77. Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
78. Welcome To The Episcopal Church: An Introduction To Its History, Faith, And Worship by Christopher L. Webber

Here's a list of the series I'm currently reading, or ones that I hope to start soon. I don't necessarily intend to finish all of these series this year, it's more a place for me to keep track.

Aidan, Pamela—Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series (read 1 out of 3) Next up: Duty And Desire
Alexander, Lloyd—The Prydain Chronicles (read 0 out of 5) Next up: The Book Of Three
Banks, Lynne Reid—The Indian In The Cupboard series (read 1 out of 5 but want to reread them all) Next up: The Indian In The Cupboard
Bradley, Alan—Flavia de Luce series (read 2 out of 8) Next up: A Red Herring Without Mustard
Castillo, Linda—Kate Burkholder series (read 8 out of 9) Next up: Down A Dark Road
Castle, Richard—Nikki Heat series (read 2 out of 8) Next up: Heat Rises
Cronin, Justin—The Passage Trilogy (read 1 out of 3) Next up: The Twelve
Dobson, Joanne—Karen Pelletier series (read 2 out of 6) Next up: The Raven And The Nightingale: A Modern Mystery Of Edgar Allan Poe
Evanovich, Janet—Stephanie Plum series (read 23 out of 24) Next up: Hard Core 24
Grafton, Sue—Alphabet Mysteries (read 3 out of 24) Next up: “D" Is For Deadbeat
Harris, Charlaine—Harper Connelly series (read 2 out of 4) Next up: An Ice Cold Grave
Harris, Thomas—Hannibal Lecter series (read 1 out of 4) Next up: The Silence Of The Lambs
King, Stephen—The Dark Tower series (read 8 out of 8)
Littlefield, Sophie—Stella Hardesty series (read 3 out of 5) Next up: A Bad Day For Mercy
Martin, George R.R.—A Song Of Ice And Fire series (read 4 out of 7) Next up: A Dance With Dragons
Nix, Garth—The Abhorsen Trilogy (read 0 out of 3) Next up: Sabriel
Penny, Louise—Three Pines series (read 10 out of 12) Next up: The Nature Of The Beast
Pullman, Philip—His Dark Materials series (read 1 out of 3) Next up: The Subtle Knife
Quinn, Spencer—Chet and Bernie Mysteries (read 8 out of 8) Next up: ???
Smith, Alexander McCall—Isabel Dalhousie series (read 6 out of 11) Next up: The Charming Quirks Of Others
Smith, Alexander McCall—No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (read 11 out of 17) Next up: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party
Spencer-Fleming, Julia—Reverend Clare Fergusson series (read 5 out of 9) Next up: I Shall Not Want
Stewart, Mary—Arthurian Saga series (read 0 out of 5) Next up: The Crystal Cave
Tolkien, J.R.R.—Lord Of The Rings (read 1 out of 4) Next up: The Fellowship Of The Ring

These are the remaining Stephen King books I have to read as part of the King's Dear Constant Readers readalong. There's light at the end of the tunnel, although I'll be sad to see this challenge end as I've been working on it for years now.

I've read his bibliography up to this point, these are the ones that are left (I'm skipping some of the e-books and things). Titles came from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King_bibliography although of course, more can be added at any time.

Blockade Billy
Full Dark, No Stars
11/22/63
The Dark Tower: The Wind Through The Keyhole
Joyland
Doctor Sleep
Mr. Mercedes
Revival
Finders Keepers
The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams
End Of Watch
Sleeping Beauties

Welcome back!

>5 drneutron: Thanks, glad to be back! :)

Waving hello across town. Happy 2016!

>7 qebo: *Waves back* Thanks qebo, Happy New Year to you too!

1. December Stillness by Mary Downing Hahn (181 p.)
I don't know if kids today read MDH's books anymore but they really should. She writes great realistic fiction, that's maybe a touch dated with some of the cultural references, but the themes within are universal and timeless. In this one Kelly's school project starts out as a joke when she tries to interview a homeless man who spends time at her library, only to turn serious when she learns about his past as a Vietnam War vet. It was a poignant, moving read and a good start to my reading year.

2. Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary (191 p.)
A childhood favorite, Otis is a boy who likes to stir up trouble, whether it's shooting spitballs in class or sabotaging a science experiment. His favorite target is Ellen Tebbits because she's so neat and clean and perfect. And even though this book was published in the 50's, Otis's rambunctiousness is just as fresh and funny today.

3. Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary (160 p.)
The companion piece to my previous read, Ellen tries to dodge Otis and his tricks while making friends with the new girl in town, Austine. I always liked this one a little better than Otis Spofford, but they're both cute, funny reads.

Oh, I love the Cleary books - I need to start reading them with Charlie soon...

>12 scaifea: Her books are great. Have fun reading them with Charlie!

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, LL. You have certainly made a great start reading wise.

>14 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul! Happy New Year to you too!

>13 LibraryLover23: Agreed! Charlie has the *complete* set on his shelves. We'd better get cracking... Ha!

>16 scaifea: Wow, that's great that you have the complete set. Haha, have fun!

4. Blockade Billy by Stephen King (audiobook)
Listened to this one on audiobook and it was great in that format - an old man telling Stephen King a baseball story with a twist. My mind can wander sometimes with audiobooks but not with this one. It also included the short story "Morality," which was somewhat depressing but never boring.

5. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey (259 p.)
I have a few self-improvement books on the go that I'm skimming through, but this is one of the rare few I read cover-to-cover. Dave outlines his seven steps to a total money makeover:

1. Save $1,000 in an emergency fund
2. Pay off all debt except the house, using the snowball method
3. Save 3-6 months of living expenses
4. Invest for retirement
5. Save for your kids' college
6. Pay off your house
7. Have fun and give some money away

His writing style can be clunky at times but I appreciate that he stresses it's not an overnight quick fix to get your finances in order. I'm more of a Mr. Money Mustache gal myself (http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/04/18/news-flash-your-debt-is-an-emergency/), but any books that get people to save money and pay off debt is okay with me.

>19 LibraryLover23: Dave Ramsey is quite popular around here.

>20 thornton37814: I think he's one of the most well-known personal finance guys. I've never actually heard his radio show, but I have read his book a few times, and it never fails to get me interested in saving again.

6. Tail Gait: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown (307 p.)
Similar to the other books in this series, Harry uses her two cats, Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and her dog, Tucker, to help her solve crimes. In this case the crime is the murder of a popular history professor whose death ties back to the Revolutionary War's prisoners of war, and a local prison camp. I appreciated the tie-in to another era that you don't see very much in mysteries, and how the setting of the story, Central Virginia, is almost a character in itself.

7. The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins (316 p.)
A solid mystery that held my attention from beginning to end. Rachel fantasizes about a couple she sees from her seat on the train, only to witness a change that causes her to insert herself into their lives. I actually had a pretty good idea of whodunit by the end, but like I said, it held my attention and kept me turning the pages pretty quickly.

8. The Martian by Andy Weir (Kindle)
Enjoyable romp through Mars with an astronaut who was accidentally left behind by his crew. It was very science-y, probably 90% of it went right over my head I'm sure. But the humor, excitement and adventure kept me engaged, and I thought the book lived up to its hype.

9. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (335 p.)
Read in honor of the 2+ feet of snow we got over the weekend. Makes me glad I live now and not then. And I love that Almanzo saves the day, he's my favorite.

>25 LibraryLover23: Heh, a friend mentioned that one over the weekend. I had it around for awhile, plucked from Little Free Library donations, but I think I eventually put it out for visitors.

>25 LibraryLover23: That would have been the perfect book to read while snowed in. I really ought to re-read that entire series sometime. I loved them so much back in the day!

>26 qebo: You should definitely check it out sometime! It's fascinating to see how people lived back then, even if it is a bit glossed over and romanticized.

>27 thornton37814: It was the perfect "snowed-in" book. I love them too, they stand up well to rereading!

10. The Queen Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen (audiobook)
Kelsea inherits a kingdom on her nineteenth birthday but then has to deal with assassination attempts, a kingdom in ruins, a distrustful Queen's Guard, and an evil queen from a rival kingdom who wants her dead. I enjoyed this fantasy novel a lot, and it was beautifully narrated, but it dragged on a bit long in audiobook format. It also reminded me that I want to get back to my current favorite fantasy books: the Game Of Thrones series.

January Books Read
1. December Stillness by Mary Downing Hahn
2. Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
3. Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary
4. Blockade Billy by Stephen King
5. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey
6. Tail Gait: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown
7. The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
8. The Martian by Andy Weir
9. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
10. The Queen Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

January Books Acquired
Five Days At Memorial: Life And Death In A Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink (won through LT's Early Reviewers)
Mr. Monk And The Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg (a gift)

11. After The Storm by Linda Castillo (306 p.)
Newest in the Kate Burkholder series. After a tornado sweeps through town a body is discovered buried under an old barn. This was a great entry to the series because there were multiple threads that added a lot of action, but all were wrapped up by the end.

12. Trashed: An Ode To The Crap Job Of All Crap Jobs by Derf Backderf (245 p.)
Backderf's graphic novelization of his time as a garbageman, it's also a treatise on how wasteful we Americans are as a society. Backderf's My Friend Dahmer was my introduction to graphic novels and one of my best reads of last year; this one didn't measure up to that one's greatness but I still like this guy's style.

13. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast (228 p.)
My second graphic novel of the year, this one is about Chast's parents, their final years and how, as an only child, she had to handle things like their living arrangements, health issues and money problems. The themes in the book were universal but I was surprised by her relationship with her mother, I think because it was so different from my own relationship with my mom, and I felt sorry for her. But overall it was a very moving, poignant read and another fantastic addition to my GN reading.

14. A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler (288 p.)
I adore all of Tyler's books and I've never read one I didn't like. This one is about a man named Barnaby who might have had some rough times in the past but is ultimately "a man you can trust."

15. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (560 p.)
Collection of short stories, all very dark in subject matter but, as always, unputdownable. My favorite was "Big Driver," about a woman who gets attacked and takes revenge. Not a bad one in the bunch.

16. The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney (506 p.)
Enjoyable chick lit (I know that's not a PC term), about four friends, the chapters alternating between their perspectives. It was clichéd in a lot of ways (someone has cancer, a way too overused plot device in this kind of fiction), but the writing was still very good and I found it hard to put down in places.

February Books Read
11. After The Storm by Linda Castillo
12. Trashed: An Ode To The Crap Job Of All Crap Jobs by Derf Backderf
13. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
14. A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler
15. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
16. The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney
.
February Books Acquired
A new-to-me eight-volume set of the Anne of Green Gables series to replace my rattier current set
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
One Thousand White Women: The Journals Of May Dodd by Jim Fergus
Plainsong by Kent Haruf (all from a library book sale)

17. The Cellist Of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (235 p.)
I read this one in little choppy bits but it really deserves better than that - an account of the siege of Sarajevo told from the perspective of four different characters, a father, a baker, a sniper and a cellist. It was very well written but the impact was lessened somewhat by my haphazard reading style.

18. Come Rain Or Come Shine by Jan Karon (287 p.)
The newest in the Mitford series and the very definition of comfort reading. This one is about Dooley and Lace's wedding and, as with all the books in this series, a sheer joy to read.

19. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (audiobook)
The story of two women, both a product of the foster care system, who befriend each other. One of them, Molly, is a teenager who needs to complete community service hours and ends up working for Vivian, a woman in her nineties who needs her attic cleaned out. While going through the boxes and trunks in the attic, Vivian shares her story of how she rode an "orphan train" from New York to the Midwest when she was young, and how she bounced around from home to home before finally finding happiness. I probably could have done without Molly's portion of the story, I thought she was more of a plot device than anything else, and Vivian's story was strong enough on its own.

20. The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art Of Decluttering And Organizing by Marie Kondo (213 p.)
This one got me totally energized to start cleaning, organizing, and generally get ready to get rid of Stuff. I thought the author was a little goofy at times, especially how she gave human qualities to inanimate objects ("your socks are tired and need to rest," etc.) But it got me ready to get started, now I just need to find some spare time!

21. The Hard Way by Lee Child (477 p.)
Tenth in the Jack Reacher series, although I read these books out of order. This is a great concept for a series - since Reacher is a drifter, he can travel from place to place and solve crimes and mete out justice as he goes. Not like some series which focus all the action in one town which strains credibility, the Reacher series could potentially go on forever with this formula. Anyway, this one finds Reacher in New York helping a mercenary find his kidnapped wife and stepdaughter. Not as strong an entry as my favorite in the series so far (61 Hours), but still pretty good.

22. You Can Buy Happiness (And It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life And How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel (209 p.)
Pretty simplistic but that's the whole point! I'm a fan of any book about living simply, getting by with less, etc. The author of this one lives in a tiny house which is another favorite thing of mine.

23. The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (audiobook)
Love, love the narration by Scott Brick. The story itself is classic Evanovich: Kate has a love/hate relationship with handsome, charismatic conman Nick Fox and they need to team up to solve a crime, all while keeping their kooky cast of friends and relatives in check. The storylines in this series are basically all the same, but the narration and laugh-out-loud moments continue to make it worthwhile.

March Books Read
17. The Cellist Of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
18. Come Rain Or Come Shine by Jan Karon
19. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
20. The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art Of Decluttering And Organizing by Marie Kondo
21. The Hard Way by Lee Child
22. You Can Buy Happiness (And It's Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life And How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel
23. The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

March Books Acquired
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (bought at a used bookstand for a couple of bucks, and it's signed!)
In Wilderness by Diane Thomas (won through Early Reviewers, started it, didn't care for it, skimmed it enough to write a review but I'm not counting it in my overall totals)

24. Scents And Sensibility by Spencer Quinn (307 p.)
Newest entry in the series about Private Eye Bernie Little and his faithful canine companion, Chet. Back at home after being away for the last two books (and better for it, the series works best when Chet and Bernie are working out of their home in Arizona), this case involved their next-door neighbors, the Parsons. But the mystery isn't what's really important with this series, rather these books shine with Chet's exuberance for life and his undying devotion to Bernie.

25. The Password To Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene (220 p.)
Another charming Nancy Drew mystery. The characters' actions can be so goofy, especially when Nancy makes some obvious observation and everyone treats her like a genius. But that's part of the fun of the series.

26. Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford (258 p.)
Interesting but sad memoir about the author's unusual Hollywood upbringing (although I take any book like this with a grain of salt). For example, I don't think the author took responsibility for any negative experience that happened to her ever, which raises a red flag. But I do feel sorry for her and hope that she got some sort of closure after the book's release.

27. Kitty Takes A Holiday by Carrie Vaughn (318 p.)
I really like this urban fantasy series about Kitty, a young woman who was turned into a werewolf against her will. After the events of the last book, Kitty retreats to a remote cabin, only to have her love/hate interest Cormac show up with his cousin, Ben, who's just been bitten. Now Ben needs Kitty to help him through his first full moon, while she also has her own problems to deal with. I feel like between this and the Chet and Bernie series I've become something of an expert on dog behavior, and like with that series, I'm curious about what happens next.

28. Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (344 p.)
Wonderful YA historical fiction about Lina and her family, who were sent from their home in Lithuania and forced to work in a Soviet labor camp in Siberia. A moving read that sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of World War II.

29. Macbeth by William Shakespeare (audiobook)
Wonderfully narrated by Alan Cumming, who was perfectly suited with his Scottish brogue and rolling r's. This is my favorite Shakespeare play, although it quickly became apparent that I'm wildly out of practice with Shakespearean English. But it was a fun listen all the same.

>51 LibraryLover23: Alan Cumming?! Oh, I must track this version down! Thanks!

>52 scaifea: You're welcome! It was really good, I hope you like it!

30. White Oleander by Janet Fitch (446 p.)
I've read this book a few times before, even once getting rid of it and later buying back a copy. This time around I found the writing a little too flowery for my taste, meaning I can now pass on my copy without the guilt. But the story itself didn't lose any of its potency - Astrid is just a child when her mother commits murder and is sent to prison, leaving Astrid to bounce from foster home to foster home. The pages really fly by in this one, as you race to see if Astrid finally gets her happy ending.

April Books Read
24. Scents And Sensibility by Spencer Quinn
25. The Password To Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene
26. Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford
27. Kitty Takes A Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
28. Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
29. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
30. White Oleander by Janet Fitch

April Books Acquired
Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (won through LT's Early Reviewers)
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (a birthday gift from my brilliant friend)

31. How I Write: Secrets Of A Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich (240 p.)
I love Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, and this is her how-to-write-like-her manual. Nothing earth shattering here, I've read how-to manuals like this before, but it's worth it for the Stephanie Plum passages sprinkled throughout.

32. Most Talkative: Stories From The Front Lines Of Pop Culture by Andy Cohen (audiobook)
Hilarious account of Cohen's life, from his childhood in Missouri to his current role as an executive at Bravo. He lost me a bit when he started talking about the Real Housewives, a show I've never seen and have no interest in watching, but his stories about a B-52's concert and the time Mariah Carey gave him hemorrhoids had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in pop culture and reality TV in particular.

33. More About Boy: Roald Dahl's Tales From Childhood by Roald Dahl (223 p.)
An expansion of Boy, with more pictures and stories. Dahl led a fascinating life, and it's particularly interesting to see where he got ideas for his classic children's stories.

>58 LibraryLover23: Nice to see you reading Dahl's memoirs. I paid a visit with the kids a few years ago to his old home which is now a museum of sorts and good fun it was too.

Have a great weekend.

>59 PaulCranswick: They mentioned the museum in the book, it sounds like a great place to visit.

And thanks, you have a good weekend too!

34. A Feast For Crows by George R.R. Martin (1060 p.)
A fantastic continuation of the series but I really wish I knew beforehand that this book is essentially split in half, with this one focusing on only half the book's characters. As it was I still enjoy these books immensely, with its huge cast of characters, the betrayals, backstabbing and violence, but goodness and honor and bravery too. I can't wait to see what happens next.

May Books Read
31. How I Write: Secrets Of A Bestselling Author by Janet Evanovich
32. Most Talkative: Stories From The Front Lines Of Pop Culture by Andy Cohen
33. More About Boy: Roald Dahl's Tales From Childhood by Roald Dahl
34. A Feast For Crows by George R.R. Martin

May Books Acquired
The Short Reign Of Pippin IV: A Fabrication by John Steinbeck (bought with a gift card)
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (from the "free" pile at a yard sale)

35. All The Single Ladies: Unmarried Women And The Rise Of An Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister (Kindle library loan)
Fascinating look at how single women now outnumber married women in America, and how when that has happened historically, it ushers in a time of great social change. Traister looks at the implications of single women on our society, framing it in an overall positive way. There were a lot of interesting tidbits and quotes also, some of them really eye-opening:

"In 2014, the median wealth, defined as the total value of one's assets minus one's debts, of single black women is $100; for single Latina women it is $120; those figures are compared to $41,500 for single white women. And for married white couples? A startling $167,500."

36. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich (292 p.)
Pretty much the same plot as every other Stephanie Plum novel, but still good for a chuckle. The bad guy in this one wants to set fleas infected with bubonic plague on a college campus so Lula starts to wear bedazzled flea collars as a result. Good fun as always.

37. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton (244 p.)
When Lori was young her mother told her stories about Aunt Dimity, a woman Lori thought was imaginary until a law firm contacts her to discuss Dimity's will. What follows is a cozy mystery that takes place in England, with crumpets, ghosts and misty mountains. I generally prefer my mysteries dark and gritty, but cozies are a nice break from that, and this one was no exception.

38. Storm Prey by John Sandford (audiobook)
Speaking of dark and gritty mysteries...Sandford is great for that, with his Lucas Davenport series. Usually with these books you know whodunit right away, the excitement comes from seeing Lucas and his fellow cops piece it all together. In this one Lucas's wife Weather unknowingly witnesses robbers leaving the scene of a crime, causing them to go after her later, to make sure she can't ID them. The robbers themselves are vividly described, and the Minnesota setting in the depths of winter adds another (snowy) layer to the story.

39. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (audiobook)
What is the secret, you ask? Basically it's the law of attraction, along with the power of positive thinking. Listening to this I was somewhat surprised to find that I'm already practicing a lot of the behaviors the author espouses. (I don't dwell on the negative, I rarely watch the news, I'm beyond grateful for what I already have, etc.) Alas, I'm still far from perfect, but it was nice to get that reminder that when it comes to life in general, it really is all in how you look at it.

40. The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay (383 p.)
Two things I didn't like about this one: one, ever since I read Stephen King's On Writing I've been hyper-aware of when an author uses too many adverbs ("he said angrily," etc.). And this author uses a lot of adverbs. The other thing I didn't like was the ease with which the characters from our world joined Silvercloak on his trip to Fionavar - it was laughingly abrupt and unrealistic. But as I was reading, the book itself became so darn good that I happily overlooked those two initial problems. There were so many twists and turns that I'm amazed there are still two books left in this series. I know how well-regarded Kay is, so even though this early effort was a little clunky at times, I can't wait to see what else he has in store.

June Books Read
35. All The Single Ladies: Unmarried Women And The Rise Of An Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister
36. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
37. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton
38. Storm Prey by John Sandford
39. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
40. The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

June Books Acquired
North To Freedom by Anne Holm
The Old Gringo by Carlos Fuentes
An Assembly Such As This by Pamela Aidan
These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan
The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
The Dorothy Dunnett Companion by Elspeth Morrison
Career Of Evil by Robert Galbraith
Fodor's Citypack New York City's Best by Fodor's
And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
River Town: Two Years On The Yangtze by Peter Hessler (What can I say? These used book sales will be the death of me...)

41. The Beach by Alex Garland (436 p.)
Well this one was...interesting. Don't get me wrong, I really liked it and found the short chapters made it easy to keep reading, but I also didn't like Richard, the first-person narrator who was unreliable, kooky, and at times downright irritating. And let's not forget that he kills people as well. But it was a fascinating story all the same, about Richard and his friends' discovery of a secluded Thai beach and the off-the-grid people who live there. I didn't care for Richard (although he was certainly never boring), but the world he lived in was definitely intriguing.

42. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (849 p.)
Intriguing concept - Jake Epping gets the chance to go back in time and prevent the Kennedy assassination. And in King's hands of course the descriptions of time and place leap off the page. The middle section of the book (Jake tailing Lee) got a little draggy for me, but the beginning and ending were more than compelling enough to make up for it.

43. The Girls by Emma Cline (audiobook)
When an alienated teenage girl named Evie sees a group of strange women in the park one day she's instantly drawn to them. Eventually she works her way into the group's orbit and is introduced to their leader Russell, a man who preaches love and holds the girls in his thrall. All is not as it seems however, but Evie is too mesmerized and swept up to notice. This fictionalized take on the Manson Family is a creepy but fascinating one. The writing could be a bit over-the-top at times (it seemed like there was one simile after another, after another), but what an inspired idea for a story.

44. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams (309 p.)
Laugh-out-loud funny and totally absurd, I thought it was great. Just before Earth is demolished to create an intergalactic superhighway, Arthur Dent and his alien buddy Ford Prefect hitch a ride on a spaceship. I wanted to quote some of my favorite passages here but that would take too long, just read the book instead!

45. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (373 p.)
Wow, Ms. Penny never ceases to amaze with her twists and turns. After the events of the last book, Clara and Peter agree to a trial separation, scheduled to last one year. When Peter doesn't show on the appointed date, Clara fears the worst and enlists Gamache, Beauvoir and Myrna to help her find him. Now, I've never been a big fan of Peter, but I definitely did not see that ending coming. Great writing, evocative location, and surprises as always.

46. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (235 p.)
I love anything Anne Tyler writes so I can't really write an unbiased review. But as a concept I think it's brilliant - updating Shakespeare plays for modern times. This is Tyler's retelling of "The Taming of the Shrew," admittedly a play I've never read before. What Tyler does so well (in this and in her other books) is showcasing the details of a person's life, right down to the meat mash Kate serves for dinner every night. Without knowing the play I don't know how close it comes to the original as far as story arc, etc., but as a standalone Tyler book I'd say it's on par with her others - a quiet sense of melancholy, exquisite detail, but ultimately a sense of hope.

>74 LibraryLover23: I think that's my next installment to read. I got behind on the series.

>75 LibraryLover23: The Taming of the Shrew is one of my favorites. Back in the 1980s, the TV show "Moonlighting" did an episode that was a "retelling" of it with their cast of characters as actors. It is absolutely my favorite episode of the show. I ordered Vinegar Girl for the library. I am sure someone has already checked it out, but I will get around to it soon, I hope.

>76 thornton37814: That sounds like a great episode - I love how Shakespeare gets modernized and readapted for current audiences. Although I'd still like to try the original someday!

47. Courage Has No Color: The True Story Of The Triple Nickels, America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone (147 p.)
Juvenile non-fiction which I read from my nephew's required summer reading list (what's work for him is fun for me!). And I'm so glad I picked this one because I was really moved by it - the treatment of African-American soldiers during World War II was truly atrocious - prisoners of war were treated better. I also learned things about the war that I didn't know before, like that the Japanese sent balloon bombs to us by way of the Jet Stream; one in Oregon killed a pastor's wife and a group of Sunday school kids, meaning there was an attack on American soil other than Pearl Harbor. Overall I was really impressed by the soldiers' courage, and also the interesting facts I learned. Highly recommended for kids and adults alike.

Poignant quote:
Benjamin O. Davis Jr., January 1942
Ten years earlier, when he was a cadet at West Point, no one would room with him and he ate alone. The leadership did nothing. Davis said, "It was designed to make me buckle, but I refused...I was not missing anything by not associating with them. They were missing a great deal by not knowing me." p. 29

48. Mr. Monk In Trouble by Lee Goldberg (273 p.)
The problem with reading these books and not watching the TV show is that without Tony Shalhoub to portray him Monk really comes across as a jerk. I think on TV his idiosyncrasies are softened somewhat, but in the books he's a lot harder to take. But if you're already a fan of the show (as I am), you'll follow Monk anywhere, which in this book's case is Trouble, California, an old mining town where a murder recently took place. Recommended for fans of the series, but if you've never seen the show I'd probably steer clear.

49. Book Crush For Kids And Teens: Recommended Reading For Every Mood, Moment And Interest by Nancy Pearl (288 p.)
I want to be Nancy Pearl when I grow up. It seems she spends the majority of her time reading books she enjoys and writing about what she reads. (And getting paid for it!) These are her recommendations for kids' books, from picture books to older teen reads. I'm tempted to choose a category at random and just dive in, if only my TBR list wasn't quite so gigantic!

July Books Read
41. The Beach by Alex Garland
42. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
43. The Girls by Emma Cline
44. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
45. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
46. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
47. Courage Has No Color: The True Story Of The Triple Nickels, America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone
48. Mr. Monk In Trouble by Lee Goldberg
49. Book Crush For Kids And Teens: Recommended Reading For Every Mood, Moment And Interest by Nancy Pearl

July Books Acquired
Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good by Jan Karon (bought very cheaply at Ollie's)
The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis (won through LT's Early Reviewers)

50. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (331 p.)
I'm somewhat of two minds about this one - on the one hand I found it hard to put down, I appreciated the Neapolitan setting (I don't read nearly enough world literature), and I thought the portrayal of friendship between the two main characters was honest and realistic. However I wasn't really a big fan of Lila (although I did pity her), but my litmus test for how much I like a book depends strongly on how I feel about the characters. I also don't have much desire to continue on with the series, although the cliffhanger-y ending means I at least have to find a synopsis of each book so I can find out what happens. So overall I appreciated the book's strengths, but I didn't quite agree with the book jacket reviewers' rapturous praise.

51. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (audiobook)
I confess that at first I wasn't sure who were the bad guys and who were the good guys, as my knowledge of the French Revolution is spotty at best. But I'm happy to report that the Scarlet Pimpernel is, in fact, a good guy. I thought his true identity seemed pretty obvious at first, but the author still managed to completely hoodwink me at the end, restoring my faith in the book. The narrator, Wanda McCaddon, also did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life.

52. Day Shift by Charlaine Harris (Kindle)
I have such a soft spot for Charlaine Harris's Southern fantasy series. This is the second in the Midnight, Texas trilogy, about a very small town where all the residents have supernatural powers. The strength in this series in particular is that we get to see the events from different characters' perspectives, giving a broader, more interesting scope to the story. We also learn more about the characters' backstories, and there's also crossover with Harris's other series, which is always a nice, welcome surprise.

53. Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: Parts One And Two by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany (327 p.)
I'm a little on the fence with this one. The reviews I've read have been glowing, but my first reaction was more "meh." But it is Harry Potter, who is the best of the best of the best, so I'm going to stew on it a little longer. It was nice though to see some favorite characters again.

54. The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley (383 p.)
I find this series utterly delightful - about a young girl in a small English village in the fifties who helps the police solve murders, while also cooking up concoctions in her chemistry lab. Others have said that Flavia is too precocious for her age, but I don't mind that at all because I find her so likable. Plus, in certain areas she's still charmingly oblivious:

"What does an affair entail, precisely?" I asked, hoping my choice of words would imply, even slightly, that I already knew the answer.
"What did Flaubert mean," I asked at last, "when he said that Madame Bovary gave herself up to Rodolphe?"
"He meant," Dogger said, "that they became the greatest of friends. The very greatest of friends."
"Ah!" I said. "Just as I thought." (p. 282)

August Books Read
50. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
51. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
52. Day Shift by Charlaine Harris
53. Harry Potter And The Cursed Child: Parts One And Two by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany
54. The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

August Books Acquired
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (a gift)

55. The Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King (309 p.)
A story within a story within a story, which, if anyone can pull that off, Stephen King can. The main story is of our fearless Dark Tower travelers - Jake, Eddie, Susannah, Oy and Roland, all waiting out a storm. While they wait Roland tells the others a story of his youth, about a "skin-man," a man who changed into different deadly animals and murdered people. And within that story, the young Roland tells a scared little boy about brave Tim Stoutheart, who went deep into the Endless Forest on a magical quest. My favorite was the story of Roland and company, if only because I was able to catch up with old friends, but the other two stories had equal amounts of surprises and chills.

56. The Art Of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live The Life You Want, And Change The World by Chris Guillebeau (audiobook)
I was already familiar with this author's work through his blog - I used to enjoy reading his posts about his goal to travel to every country in the world. (I'm sure he's reached it by now, as it's been awhile since I last checked in.) He talks a little bit about travel hacking in this book, but it's mostly about not being afraid to work for yourself as an entrepreneur. My favorite section in the book though is his suggestions for a "real-life grad school" - a program you could do on your own in a year to make you a more well-rounded person for a lot less than the cost of a formal education. I'm thinking of taking on some of the challenges he suggests.

57. The Blue Bear: A True Story Of Friendship And Discovery In The Alaskan Wild by Lynn Schooler (272 p.)
I thought this one was great - very lyrical, detailed writing, which can sometimes annoy me but worked beautifully in this book's case. This is non-fiction about the author's life in Alaska as a guide, his friendship with a Japanese photographer, and their quest to find a glacier bear, one of the rarest types of bears in the world. Fascinating story overall, although tinged with sadness throughout.

58. Curtains by R.L. Stine (139 p.)
I always enjoy a good trip down memory lane with one of my late 80's/early 90's-era teen horror novels (although when it comes to that time period and genre, Christopher Pike is the gold standard). This one's about a girl at a theater summer camp where it seems everyone is out to get her. These books tend to be more cheesy than anything else, but always good for the aforementioned trip down memory lane, and for a few genuine thrills and chills.

59. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (audiobook)
My main thought in reading this was..."what the what." Totally bonkers, but in a good way. Area X is an uninhabited wilderness in some unnamed time and place where expeditions of people occasionally travel to explore. Unfortunately most expeditions don't make it out alive, or the ones that do are "changed" somewhat. This, the 12th expedition, is made up of an anthropologist, a surveyor, a psychologist, and the book's narrator, a biologist. What they discover on their trip is weird, strange...and worth reading about for yourself.

60. A Break With Charity: A Story About The Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi (298 p.)
I'm in a fall/Halloween-y mood, so I'm sticking with books that put me in mind of the season. This was a good choice in that respect, a young adult novel that takes place during the Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692. (Incidentally, how fantastical are 17th century first names? Cotton, Increase, Deliverance...but that's neither here nor there.) Overall I'd recommend this one for the historical aspects, and as a ghostly good read for kids.

61. Little House In Brookfield by Maria D. Wilkes (298 p.)
A reimagining of Caroline Quiner's childhood in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Caroline of course goes on to become Caroline Ingalls, Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother. I usually love this type of pioneer story but it felt a little flat to me. There's just something about the original Little House books that's truly special. It's hard to compete with them.

September Books Read
55. The Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King
56. The Art Of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live The Life You Want, And Change The World by Chris Guillebeau
57. The Blue Bear: A True Story Of Friendship And Discovery In The Alaskan Wild by Lynn Schooler
58. Curtains by R.L. Stine
59. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
60. A Break With Charity: A Story About The Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi
61. Little House In Brookfield by Maria D. Wilkes

September Books Acquired
None!

62. The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan (585 p.)
Started out really strongly but lost me a bit at the end. The scenes of people going into houses where vampires are hiding, not knowing that there are vampires there, were almost unbearably tense. But the fight scenes left something to be desired - for some reason they felt anticlimactic. I liked it but didn't love it, and probably won't seek out the sequels.

63. H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald (audiobook)
When Helen's father died suddenly she was thrown into a tailspin. As a way to cope, she decided to buy and train a goshawk, an animal she's had a fascination with since childhood. This book relates the trials and tribulations of raising a hawk, while also simultaneously telling the story of T.H. White, a writer whose book, The Goshawk, influenced Helen profoundly when she was young. And this, unfortunately, was my problem with the book. I didn't particularly care for the White sections, which made up about half of the story. (I also don't think my reading of White's The Once And Future King will ever be quite the same, knowing what I now know about White's personal life.) But the sections on Helen and Mabel (her hawk) were interesting, I just thought it dragged with all the White bits.

64. Joyland by Stephen King (283 p.)
Short, Hard Case Crime book about a carnival haunted house that's truly haunted, and the young man who tries to solve the mystery of the ghost who lives there. It's Stephen King, so the characters shine and the setting is vivid. Appropriate, creepy reading for this time of year.

65. The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis (356 p.)
A story about a young girl named Elka who was raised in the woods by her adoptive father, a man who taught her how to hunt, trap, fish, etc. When she's in her late teens, however, she learns that the man she calls "Trapper" isn't who he seems, and that the law is looking for him. Setting out on a quest to find her real parents, Elka realizes that Trapper is coming after her, and he isn't far behind. The setting of this one was pretty vivid, although I had a heck of a time pinning down the exact time and place of it all. Also some things just seemed odd - the whole scene with the reverend, and then Elka stabbing a demon in the woods near a radioactive pond, just got a little too weird for me. But her relationship with Penelope was well-drawn, and I was curious to see how the story would play out. I liked it overall, just didn't totally love it.

66. Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell (387 p.)
Well this one wasn't gruesome at all. (Just kidding.) Author Patricia Cornwell lays out her case that artist Walter Sickert was the infamous 19th century serial killer, and I have to say, she makes some pretty compelling arguments. Ultimately though all evidence is circumstantial, and troublesome as it is, I don't think we'll ever really know who the real killer was.

67. Being Mortal: Medicine And What Matters In The End by Atul Gawande (audiobook)
Sad but necessary look at what happens as we age, and ways to improve nursing home settings and doctor's mindsets so older adults can be treated with dignity and respect. Highly recommended.

October Books Read
62. The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
63. H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
64. Joyland by Stephen King
65. The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis
66. Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell
67. Being Mortal: Medicine And What Matters In The End by Atul Gawande

October Books Acquired
Too Many Crooks Spoil The Broth by Tamar Myers
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Bah! Book sales.)
Welcome To The Episcopal Church: An Introduction To Its History, Faith, And Worship by Christopher L. Webber (a gift)

ETA: Forgot one: Roughneck Grace: Farmer Yoga, Creeping Codgerism, Apple Golf, And Other Brief Essays From On And Off The Back Forty by Michael Perry (won through LT's Early Reviewers)

68. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (337 p.)
Ove is at the end of his rope (literally and figuratively) when new neighbors slowly start to bring him out of his shell. This was a heartwarming story about a curmudgeonly old man who, deep down, has a heart of gold.

69. In The Garden Of Beasts: Love, Terror, And An American Family In Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson (448 p.)
Non-fiction about William Dodd, the American ambassador to Germany, whose service started right at the start of Hitler's rise to power. It also focuses on Dodd's family, in particular his daughter Martha, and their interactions with members of the Nazi party and other important figures from that period. Like Larson's other books, it's very well-written and eminently readable.

Unfortunately though, I was reading this during the current presidential election, and the parallels between what I was reading and our country's current political climate is unsettling to say the least. But I'm hopeful that there is still goodness and love in the world, and my favorite quote to come out of the aftermath of the election is from one of my favorite authors:

"We stand together. We stick up for the vulnerable. We challenge bigots. We don't let hate speech become normalised. We hold the line." ~ J.K. Rowling

>104 LibraryLover23: I just finished Dead Wake by Erik Larson last night, reading for a book group. I think I'll skip In the Garden of Beasts just now.

>105 qebo: Probably a good idea! It's a good book for when you're in the right frame of mind.

70. Bloody Jack: Being An Account Of The Curious Adventures Of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer (audiobook)
Swashbuckling adventure on the high seas with Mary "Jacky" Faber, a London street orphan who disguises herself as a boy and joins the crew of the HMS Dolphin. The narration was impeccable, and the story had enough danger and excitement to hold any reader's attention.

71. Roughneck Grace: Farmer Yoga, Creeping Codgerism, Apple Golf, And Other Brief Essays From On And Off The Back Forty by Michael Perry (241 p.)
(Sidenote: Why do all the books I read have such long titles?) Anyway, I just loved this one, won it through Early Reviewers which has been hit or miss for me in the past but this one knocked it out of the park. A collection of essays about Perry's life in rural Wisconsin, a lot were funny, some incredibly touching, and all were worthwhile.

72. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming (322 p.)
Fifth in the Russ Van Alstyne/Clare Fergusson series, about a police chief and Episcopalian priest respectively, who solve crimes while fighting a growing attraction to one another. This one begins with the murder of Russ's wife, Linda, and rockets off from there, with twists and turns I did not see coming. Easily the best in the series so far, but they're all fantastic. Best to start at the beginning though to get the full, gut-punching impact of each new event.

November Books Read
68. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
69. In The Garden Of Beasts: Love, Terror, And An American Family In Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
70. Bloody Jack: Being An Account Of The Curious Adventures Of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer
71. Roughneck Grace: Farmer Yoga, Creeping Codgerism, Apple Golf, And Other Brief Essays From On And Off The Back Forty by Michael Perry
72. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

November Books Acquired
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub (a gift)
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (a gift)

73. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (409 p.)
Somewhere along the line I learned the ending to this book before I started reading it, so going into it I fully knew what to expect. I'm sure that colored my impression somewhat, I imagine my reaction would have been much different if I hadn't known what was to come. But that being said, this story of a young woman who learns to come out of her shell with the help of her quadriplegic boss was very well told, and a very worthwhile read.

74. Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright (122 p.)
One Christmas Eve, during one of the lowest points of her life, a newspaper reporter receives a jar full of money and sets out to discover who sent it and why. Truth be told, I thought this book was spectacularly bad. The message behind it was good, and I thought it would be a cozy Christmas read, but it wound up just annoying me. Plus it had several glaring errors - a woman in her mid-forties had a 32 year-old daughter, at another point the woman talks to her brother and sister-in-law and she's referred to as their mother. Just really pretty terrible. Steer clear.

75. A Little House Christmas Treasury: Festive Holiday Stories by Laura Ingalls Wilder (139 p.)
LHOTP Christmas stories, what's more comforting than that? Plus, book 75!

Congrats!

>112 LibraryLover23: I think I'll avoid that one.

>113 LibraryLover23: #75 was a real winner! Congrats on achieving your goal.

>114 drneutron:, >115 thornton37814: Thank you both!

76. Among The Wicked by Linda Castillo (306 p.)
One of the stronger entries in the Kate Burkholder series, I had a hard time putting this one down. Kate was raised Amish but left the faith, and eventually worked her way up to police chief of her small hometown. When a young Amish girl is murdered in another state, Kate goes undercover, using her knowledge of the language and culture to try to find out what happened. These mysteries are usually pretty dark and this one was no exception, but like the others in the series, you have to race through to find out whodunit and why.

Wouldn't it be nice if 2017 was a year of peace and goodwill.
A year where people set aside their religious and racial differences.
A year where intolerance is given short shrift.
A year where hatred is replaced by, at the very least, respect.
A year where those in need are not looked upon as a burden but as a blessing.
A year where the commonality of man and woman rises up against those who would seek to subvert and divide.
A year without bombs, or shootings, or beheadings, or rape, or abuse, or spite.

2017.

Festive Greetings and a few wishes from Malaysia!

Congratulations on 75!

>119 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, on both fronts! I hope you and your family have a happy holiday and New Year!

77. Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich (288 p.)
Basically the same plot as all the other Stephanie Plum books - Stephanie is an inept bounty hunter torn between two men, good guy Morelli and bad boy Ranger. In this one Stephanie has to solve who killed an ice cream factory employee who was found frozen and covered in chocolate and nuts. Pure, escapist fun, and the scenes with Lula and Randy Briggs filming "Naked and Afraid" demo tapes had me laughing hysterically.

78. Welcome To The Episcopal Church: An Introduction To Its History, Faith, And Worship by Christopher L. Webber (133 p.)
Title says it all really. But I learned some things I didn't know before, and I found it to be an interesting read.

Looking forward to your continued company in 2017.
Happy New Year!

>123 PaulCranswick: Thank you! And Happy New Year to you too!

December Books Read
73. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
74. Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright
75. A Little House Christmas Treasury: Festive Holiday Stories by Laura Ingalls Wilder
76. Among The Wicked by Linda Castillo
77. Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
78. Welcome To The Episcopal Church: An Introduction To Its History, Faith, And Worship by Christopher L. Webber

December Books Acquired
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman
The Shape Of Water by Andrea Camilleri
The Neruda Case by Roberto Ampuero
The Night Of The Moonbow by Thomas Tryon
Jingle Cats by Michael McDermott
I Could Pee On This: And Other Poems By Cats by Francesco Marciuliano
Cats Cats Cats: A Collection Of Great Cat Cartoons by S. Gross
A Spool Of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (all gifts)

Surpassing my goal of 75 books read by just a smidge, but it works for me! I've moved over to the 2017 group, my new thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/244653