LibraryLover23's 2023 TBR Challenge

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LibraryLover23's 2023 TBR Challenge

1LibraryLover23
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 20, 2023, 8:10 am

2023 TBR Challenge List
1. Tip Of The Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, The Last Great American Frontier by Mark Adams (finished 7/18/23)
2. Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam (finished 6/20/23)
3. The Quiche Of Death by M.C. Beaton (finished 9/16/23)
4. The Readers Of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald (finished 3/14/23)
5. The Book Of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay (finished 1/3/23)
6. In This House Of Brede by Rumer Godden
7. Plainsong by Kent Haruf (finished 8/24/23)
8. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (finished 9/10/23)
9. A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving (finished 6/21/23)
10. Dead Simple by Peter James
11. Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (finished 5/7/23)
12. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
13. Mystery Walk by Robert R. McCammon
14. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley (finished 2/7/23)
15. Books, Baguettes, And Bedbugs: Enchanting Memoir Of A Struggling Writer And An Eccentric Paris Bookshop by Jeremy Mercer
16. Love In A Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford (finished 4/26/23)
17. Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver (finished 9/30/23)
18. Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton (finished 12/12/23)
19. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History Of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
20. The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets Of America's Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D. (finished 5/22/23)
21. A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles (finished 6/1/23)
22. A Spool Of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (finished ??)
23. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (finished 8/16/23)
24. The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood (finished 6/28/23)

2LibraryLover23
joulukuu 31, 2022, 11:32 am

So, despite the fact that I didn't get to all of last year's 12, I'm trying for 24 total this year (carrying over those I didn't finish). It's fun just to try. Good luck, everyone, with your lists!

3Narilka
joulukuu 31, 2022, 4:57 pm

Happy New Year! Good luck in 2023 :)

4Cecrow
tammikuu 1, 2023, 11:50 am

I'm a complete wash for having read any of these, with one exception, A Prayer for Owen Meany. I'm going to revisit Irving at some point, probably next year.

5LibraryLover23
tammikuu 2, 2023, 4:43 pm

>3 Narilka: Thank you, same to you!

>4 Cecrow: I realized with the Irving that my copy’s printing is too small to read it comfortably. (I bought it back when I was more flippant about these things.) Luckily, I can find it through the library’s ebook collection, so I’m making an extra effort to get to it!

6riida
tammikuu 2, 2023, 5:30 pm

nice list :) i think a couple of those are in my want-to-read list. i discovered The Quiche Of Death recently (i wanna say...2021?) and quite enjoyed it. definitely had 'Murder She Wrote' vibes, which I also loved. i should pick up the the 2nd book in the MC Beaton series soon...

happy reading :)

7LittleTaiko
tammikuu 2, 2023, 6:37 pm

Oh I love Mary Oliver! Also, was a huge fan of the Kent Haruf books so am excited that you’re reading one. Quite a few others that I recognize and enjoyed as well.

Happy 2023!

8socialpages
tammikuu 3, 2023, 10:32 pm

A great list of books for 2023. I took advantage of lockdown and read A Prayer for Owen Meany and absolutely loved it. It had sat on my book shelf for many years gathering dust. I hope you enjoy it too.

9LibraryLover23
tammikuu 9, 2023, 5:49 pm

>6 riida: Thank you! My sister loves the Agatha Raisin books and made me pick up the first one at a bookstore one time. How could I say no?

>7 LittleTaiko:, >8 socialpages: Thank you both! I'm glad you guys are praising my choices and not trying to steer me clear of anything, haha.

10LibraryLover23
tammikuu 9, 2023, 5:50 pm



1. The Book Of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay (275 p.)
A collection of mini essays that Gay wrote over the course of one year, from one birthday to the next. The subjects were things that delighted him, including his garden, people he met, and more. Some of the essays were thought-provoking, while others were laugh-out-loud funny and, yes, delightful. A good start to the year.

11riida
tammikuu 10, 2023, 3:14 am

>10 LibraryLover23: i love the book cover :) didnt know this is an essay collection. i used to love these. i really should read more of them again...

12LittleTaiko
tammikuu 11, 2023, 12:35 pm

>10 LibraryLover23: - I was thinking I needed to add this to my wishlist and then realized it was already there. Now I'm just motivated to actually get a copy. Happy that you were able to start off your reading year to such a positive start.

13LibraryLover23
maaliskuu 4, 2023, 8:56 am

>11 riida: It is a beautiful cover, very eye-catching!

>12 LittleTaiko: Thank you! Hope you enjoy it if/when you decide to read it. :)

14LibraryLover23
maaliskuu 4, 2023, 8:57 am



2. Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley (422 p.)
A fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty that goes in surprising directions. I appreciated that Rosie wasn't a stereotypical princess, but rather lived life on her terms.

15Cecrow
maaliskuu 4, 2023, 7:33 pm

>14 LibraryLover23:, hmm. About a dozen years ago I had a copy of that, and then donated it unread after deciding I'd never prioritize it. "Surprising directions" sounds more interesting than what I'd assumed.

16riida
maaliskuu 6, 2023, 8:16 am

>14 LibraryLover23: wow, another beautiful book cover ^_^ i love a well done fairy tale retelling. this is making me seriously miss reading paperbacks again! (although I've been enjoying the audiobooks)

17Cecrow
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 6, 2023, 9:15 am

Beautiful covers are great. Until your dog eats it. My poor Herodotus ... https://www.librarything.com/topic/300575#6756360

18riida
maaliskuu 9, 2023, 10:00 pm

>17 Cecrow: oh no......sorry about Herodotus...

my dog ate one of my book covers once....it was traumatic...the dog seemed to have enjoyed himself though and was very proud of his work...

19LibraryLover23
huhtikuu 8, 2023, 11:44 am

>17 Cecrow:, >18 riida: Oh no! Haha, what stinkers. ;)

20LibraryLover23
huhtikuu 8, 2023, 11:45 am



3. The Readers Of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald (394 p.)
Sort of a so-so book about a Swedish woman named Sara who travels to Iowa to stay with a pen-pal friend, only to find that her friend has recently died. For various reasons, Sara ends up staying and opening a bookstore. It was so-so because I loved the bookish references throughout, but I never became fully invested in any of the characters.

21Cecrow
huhtikuu 8, 2023, 4:16 pm

I saw a book like this a few months ago and thought "hey, that's a neat idea, a book about books." And then I saw another. And another. Seems like a bandwagon trend, not to say there mightn't be some good ones.

22LittleTaiko
huhtikuu 18, 2023, 4:42 pm

>20 LibraryLover23: - Ooh, I may still have to give that a try. I was born in Iowa and have quite a bit of Swedish heritage so it's hard to resist.

23LibraryLover23
toukokuu 17, 2023, 11:23 am

>21 Cecrow: Good point! I find non-fiction books about books have worked for me in the past.

>22 LittleTaiko: I hope you like it! It sounds like it might be a good fit for you. :)

24LibraryLover23
toukokuu 17, 2023, 11:24 am



4. Love In A Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford (245 p.)
I've always had an interest in the Mitford sisters, but this is the first time I've read one of their books. I was carried along in the story of ultra-wealthy English family goings-on and wouldn't be averse to reading more by or about the Mitfords.

25LibraryLover23
toukokuu 17, 2023, 11:25 am



5. Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (296 p.)
Highlights ways that women are disenfranchised around the world (which is putting it mildly), but also ways to help (which I love). This includes things like microfinancing through sites like kiva.org, keeping yourself informed of women's news around the world, and giving to one of the many charities they recommend (there's a whole list in the back of the book; I wrote a bunch down). Disturbing subject matter for sure, but 10/10 for the writing and also because it offers solutions.

26LittleTaiko
toukokuu 17, 2023, 1:48 pm

>25 LibraryLover23: - I read this a few years ago and had similar thoughts. I wasn't familiar with microfinancing at that point and have since contributed through kiva.org. It makes me appreciate the opportunities we have in the US even though it's a bit messed up at times. Some of those stories were truly disturbing.

27Cecrow
toukokuu 17, 2023, 9:00 pm

>24 LibraryLover23:, same interest, I want to read The Pursuit of Love eventually.

28riida
toukokuu 19, 2023, 10:38 am

>24 LibraryLover23: How did you find it? I'm also very interested in picking one of their books, but I can't seem to find the mood....

29LibraryLover23
kesäkuu 18, 2023, 1:49 pm

>28 riida: I liked it! It's set in a very specific time and place, so yes, I can see how the mood has to be right to read it.

30LibraryLover23
kesäkuu 18, 2023, 1:50 pm



6. The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets Of America’s Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D. (258 p.)
The authors set out to study the common traits of America's millionaires. Expecting to find a group that drove high-end cars, lived in large houses, etc., they were surprised to find that most millionaires don't flaunt their wealth. In fact, those that do flaunt their big houses/expensive vacations often don't have much actual accumulated wealth and/or have their lifestyles subsidized by their parents. The writing style of this one is a little dry, but the message is pretty eye-opening.

31LibraryLover23
kesäkuu 18, 2023, 1:50 pm



7. A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles (462 p.)
I went into this one with sky-high expectations based on others' glowing reviews, but I'm afraid it didn't quite work for me. In truth, I found it boring. Somewhere around page 200 there was a scene that went into detail about the Count eating breakfast and that was the point where I thought, "uh-oh, this isn't going to go anywhere, is it?" Ah well.

32Cecrow
kesäkuu 18, 2023, 6:49 pm

>30 LibraryLover23:, read that recently on the net somewhere; showed pairs of pics where you guess which one is the millionaire and it was always the shabby dressed one.

>31 LibraryLover23:, I thought about reading it, but guessed it to be one of those "everybody's reading this but it's not actually all that great" books. I'm not always right; I have to circle back at some point for The Book Thief.

33LittleTaiko
kesäkuu 19, 2023, 6:22 pm

>31 LibraryLover23: - How funny, I just had a conversation recently with someone about this book and they felt exactly how you did. I loved it, but agree there were some slow parts.

34riida
kesäkuu 20, 2023, 8:56 am

>31 LibraryLover23: oh no, not exactly glowing reviews from you and Cecrow ^_^ i bought a copy a while back, when there was a bit of a hype around it, but havent gotten around to it yet....looking back, it does have a vibe of "must read...but i'll likely struggle" :p

35LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 2, 2023, 12:05 pm

>32 Cecrow:, >34 riida: You can take my review with a grain of salt. You all might like it better than I did!

>33 LittleTaiko: But I'm also glad I'm not the only one. :)

36LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 2, 2023, 12:06 pm



8. Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam (241 p.)
A family renting a house in a remote area of Long Island is surprised when the house's owners show up, explaining that there was a blackout in NYC and they now need a place to stay. Soon, all technology goes down and everyone wonders what to expect next. I was invested in this one; I found it to be unsettling and purposefully ambiguous.

37LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 2, 2023, 12:06 pm



9. A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving (617 p.)
From the book's description: In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy's mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn't believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary.

Although I thought the characters were extremely well-written, I also thought this one dragged in places. Owen is a character I won't soon forget, though.

38LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 2, 2023, 12:07 pm



10. The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood (326 p.)
Ona Vitkus, 104 years old, befriends a young Boy Scout who's assigned to help around her house. When he learns how old she is they decide together to try to beat the Guinness World Record for oldest person. Their friendship also spins off to include the boy's parents. This is another one I was a little so-so on. Good characters, but a bit slow in places.

39Cecrow
heinäkuu 2, 2023, 4:13 pm

>37 LibraryLover23:, the 1998 movie version wasn't bad, renamed Simon Birch if you ever want to look for that. Some of the details were changed, besides just the title.

40LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 3, 2023, 10:01 am

>39 Cecrow: I may have to check that out! It would be interesting to see how it’s portrayed in a film.

41riida
heinäkuu 6, 2023, 10:00 am

>36 LibraryLover23: ive heard about the netflix series, didnt know there's a book version. it sounds like i'd rather read than watch this. sounds very intriguing!

42LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 8, 2023, 12:15 pm

>41 riida: Another one I'm curious to see how they would portray in film form!

43LittleTaiko
heinäkuu 15, 2023, 5:55 pm

>38 LibraryLover23: - I remember finding that one sweet but couldn’t really tell you much about it now.

44LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 25, 2023, 4:02 pm

>43 LittleTaiko: Same, haha.

45LibraryLover23
heinäkuu 25, 2023, 4:03 pm



11. Tip Of The Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, The Last Great American Frontier by Mark Adams (323 p.)
In the 19th century, railroad baron E. H. Harriman set out on a celebrated voyage along the coast of Alaska, along with scientists, writers, and naturalists, like John Muir. In the 21st century, Adams loosely recreates the same journey, reporting on how times have changed some 100 years later. Although laugh-out-loud funny at times, the focus here is primarily on climate change and how giant glaciers during Muir's time are sometimes drastically different today. In that respect, along with reporting on the decimation of Native populations and the killing of all animals everywhere, ever, it can be a rather bleak read. But Adams does elevate it with his smooth writing style and his ability to bring Alaska to life.

46LittleTaiko
heinäkuu 30, 2023, 8:27 pm

I do find books set in Alaska fascinating for some reason. Probably because I spend a few months each year roasting away in Texas. Adding this to my wishlist.

47LibraryLover23
elokuu 2, 2023, 7:33 am

>46 LittleTaiko: I hope you like it! I've always been fascinated by Alaska too and hope to visit someday.

48LibraryLover23
syyskuu 8, 2023, 8:39 am



12. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (334 p.)
Westover writes about her unusual upbringing in Idaho, which included severe dysfunction. Although the theme is education, I felt the focus was more on mental illness. And how many times could these people sustain life-threatening burns and head injuries and survive? It boggles the mind. The writing kept me interested, but I was also glad to be finished with this one.

49LibraryLover23
syyskuu 8, 2023, 8:40 am



13. Plainsong by Kent Haruf (301 p.)
I was trucking along with this one and then somewhere around page 50 there was a scene of sexual assault followed by a chapter featuring animal abuse and at that point I started skimming because no thank you. Plus, I had started to read it on my Kindle and the lack of quotation marks in that format was confusing. From what I saw from skimming, it was good writing but depressing subject matter.

50Cecrow
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 8, 2023, 10:09 am

I can generally handle depressing stuff, provided that a) I'm forewarned it's going to be like that, and b) the author doesn't give the impression he/she got a kick out of writing it, because it isn't gratuitous and it furthers the plot.

51Narilka
syyskuu 9, 2023, 8:59 am

>49 LibraryLover23: Thanks for the review. Not that I'd ever heard of that book before but now it's on my list to avoid.

52LittleTaiko
syyskuu 9, 2023, 4:50 pm

Sorry you didn’t like it more. Somehow I don’t remember it being depressing, though I don’t necessarily remember it being uplifting either. I thought he captured the patterns of speech in small town really well. It reminded me of where I grew up.

53riida
syyskuu 11, 2023, 2:26 am

>48 LibraryLover23: interesting book. i havent heard of it before, but im very interested in mental health stories, and this sounds like a take on the subject i havent ran across before

>49 LibraryLover23: also interesting...but 2 consecutive triggers might need some effort to prepare for...

54LibraryLover23
syyskuu 15, 2023, 9:32 am

Yeah, didn't mean to be such a downer on my last two reviews! I read lighter books in between. :) Plainsong in particular just rubbed me the wrong way; I don't think I was in the right headspace for that book at that particular time.

55LibraryLover23
syyskuu 15, 2023, 9:32 am



14. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (299 p.)
Two sisters born into a family with magical abilities have to deal with their various issues - one sister, Gillian, runs away, while Sally raises a family and tries to deny her magical heritage. The book is very different from the movie, which I've seen several times and enjoyed, so I was a bit surprised at the changes. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, however, as each has its own merits.

56Cecrow
syyskuu 15, 2023, 12:43 pm

The movie never really grabbed me, maybe I'd like the book better?

57riida
syyskuu 22, 2023, 9:02 am

>55 LibraryLover23: oooh i loved the movie and thought there was little need to read the book. looks like another one for my TBR ^_^

58LibraryLover23
syyskuu 28, 2023, 8:59 am

>56 Cecrow:, >57 riida: They were quite different, just a warning! Hard to say if you liked or disliked one how you would feel about the other...

59LibraryLover23
syyskuu 28, 2023, 8:59 am



15. The Quiche Of Death by M.C. Beaton (269 p.)
First in a new-to-me series about a woman named Agatha Raisin who retires from her high-powered PR job to enjoy a quiet life in the Cotswolds. To ingratiate herself into village life, Agatha enters a baking competition, but she buys her quiche from a store and tries to pass it off as her own. When the judge who ate her quiche winds up dead, Agatha is considered a suspect. I enjoyed this one very much; I can see a general framework for how things could play out long-term. I've added this to my series list, but am only counting the ones Beaton herself wrote. Still, that's 30 entries!

60riida
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 28, 2023, 10:28 pm

>59 LibraryLover23: i'm glad you liked this one ^_^ i recently discovered this series while lamenting the lack of good christie-like modern whodunits, and i'm hooked to the series as well ^_^ i like agatha raisin's character.

check out 'her royal spyness' mystery series too, if it tickles your fancy.

61LittleTaiko
lokakuu 2, 2023, 12:16 pm

>59 LibraryLover23: - I’ve heard of that series but never read it. I think I had it confused with something else. Your description makes it sound quite fun. I’ll have to try it sometime.

62LibraryLover23
lokakuu 9, 2023, 1:08 pm

>60 riida: Thanks! My sister suggested the Agatha Raisin series to me and I look forward to continuing them.

>61 LittleTaiko: It was, I hope you like it!

63LibraryLover23
lokakuu 9, 2023, 1:09 pm



16. Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver (178 p.)
Nature writing from poet Mary Oliver. I've never read any of her poetry, but her essay writing definitely has a lyrical feel to it. After reading this, I'd be open to trying some of her poetry as well.

64Cecrow
lokakuu 9, 2023, 1:41 pm

>63 LibraryLover23:, I'm curious what drew you to her essays, in that case?

65LibraryLover23
lokakuu 9, 2023, 3:57 pm

>64 Cecrow: I just randomly came across it in a bookstore, haha. I had heard of her before and since this was available and looked interesting, I bought it. :)

66LittleTaiko
lokakuu 9, 2023, 5:44 pm

I love her poems! I'd recommend Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver since it's a collection of some of her best known works. For a shorter collection, I'd suggest A Thousand Mornings.

67LibraryLover23
joulukuu 20, 2023, 8:11 am

>66 LittleTaiko: Thank you for the recommendations!

68LibraryLover23
joulukuu 20, 2023, 8:12 am



17. A Spool Of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (358 p.)
A story that jumps around to show several generations of a family. Tyler's hallmark deep-dive characterization is on full display here, although I admit to not loving her late- or early-career output as much as I do her mid-career era.



18. Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton (316 p.)
A man travels to Johannesburg to try to locate missing relatives, namely his son. While there, he learns the world is a lot different than what he had previously experienced in his small village. I did like it, but I don't think I was quite in the right frame of mind to absorb all of its nuances. But that was on me more than on the book.

69riida
joulukuu 20, 2023, 10:16 am

>68 LibraryLover23: oooh, the anne tyler looks interesting :) i have never tried one of her books before. i have to look out for this book next time

70Cecrow
joulukuu 20, 2023, 12:46 pm

>69 riida:, The Accidental Tourist is the only one I've read, it was excellent.

71LittleTaiko
joulukuu 20, 2023, 1:42 pm

I've read a few of her books including this one and generally have enjoyed them. Redhead by the Side of the Road was a favorite. Especially when you find out who the redhead is.

72riida
joulukuu 20, 2023, 5:14 pm

>70 Cecrow:, >71 LittleTaiko:, wow, ok. 3 anne tylers added to my to-hunt list ^_^

73LibraryLover23
joulukuu 20, 2023, 6:17 pm

>72 riida: Consider adding Saint Maybe to the list, that one’s my favorite lol.

74riida
joulukuu 20, 2023, 7:58 pm

>73 LibraryLover23: lol looks like i really have to check out anne tyler ^_^