Book a Week 2020 - Year End Wrap up

[Robin M]

 

Happy Sunday dear hearts!  The year is almost over and our cups may be running low, but they aren't empty yet.  Now's the time to brew another pot of words to fill them up again. So gather all the ingredients you need to make a whole new batch.  Fill your carafe with a mix of history, science fiction, math, romance, essays, mysteries, art, and folklore. Spice it up with a little bit of myth, accompanied by a splash of adventure.  And while you wait for your books to brew, let's take a moment to reflect. 

 Tell us about your reading year? What were your goals this year? Did you have a plan, and/or follow rabbit trails or just wing it?

 ·         How many books did you read?  

·         Which were your favorite stories and which ones had the biggest impact on you.   

·         Which one made you giggle, weep, dance, or sing?   

·         Made you want to dive in and live in their world? 

·         Which book would you like to revisit? 

·         One book you thought you would love, but didn't? 

·         Which book would you recommend everyone read?

·         Did you discover any new to authors or genres?

·         Share your thoughts, opinions,  reading stats, favorite characters, covers or quotes.

 

****

Maureen Doallas: “Reading Goodnight Moon”

 Do you remember reading it?

 *

 Reading Goodnight Moon
is not like stopping
at McDonald’s
for your favorite double-shot latte.

You don’t drive through.

 You take each word
in a languishing slide off the tongue,
naming what is named
that you never saw before.

 Looking, finding, pointing delighted
in the room the moon the light
the red balloon that lifts

 Darkness even as sleep
falls fast
and clock’s hands change

 What you see changing
before a child’s eyes.

If you slow long enough
to take in what your child sees
with eyes that

 Refuse to be moved
to a new page before
the first page is exhausted.

 The last page you turn
holds the dream
you thought would never last:

A snuggling close closer still
beneath moon’s shadows.

 

****

 As Stephen King says "Books are a uniquely portable magic," and I hope your reads inspired and enlightened, transformed and transported you, and filled your life with knowledge, imagination, and pleasure.  Thank you for joining me in our reading journey and I'm looking forward to more bookish adventures.  Cheers to a happy reading new year!

  

Link to week 51

Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as share your book reviews with other readers  around the globe.

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Robin M

[Robin M]

I'm immersed in the steampunk world of Victorian London with Emma Jane Holloway's Baskerville Affair series - currently on book 3 A Study in Ashes:

"Evelina's problems are part of a much larger war. The Baskerville affair is finally coming to light, and the rebels are making their move to wrest power from the barons and restore it to Queen Victoria. Missing heirs and nightmare hounds are the order of the day - or at least that's what Dr. Watson is telling the press.

But their plans are doomed unless Evelina escapes to unite her magic with the rebels' machines - and even then her powers aren't what they used to be. A sorcerer has awakened a dark hunger in Evelina's soul, and only he can keep her from endangering them all. The only problem is . . . he's dead."

I'll post my wrap up later in the week.

We are almost done with our MCU movie watch.  Last night we saw Avengers: Infinity War which was very intense and didn't have a happy ending.  Can't wait to see what happens in Avengers End Game

[Kareni]

ETA:  ...NO LONGER FREE

 

Some currently FREE science fiction and fantasy books for Kindle readers ~

Note: these are free for only a short time, so check the price!

• As I Was on My Way to Strawberry Fair...NO LONGER FREE
• The Blood Tartan: Quest of the Five Clans...NO LONGER FREE
• A Lonely World Where The People Are Blue...NO LONGER FREE
• A Threat of Shadows (The Keeper Chronicles Series Book 1)...NO LONGER FREE
• The Library...NO LONGER FREE
• Foundling Wizard: (Apprentice to Master Series Book 1)...NO LONGER FREE

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

I read The Ladybird Book of the Nerd - 1 Star - Not as funny as others in the series. I am officially done with this series. Yay!

Quotable Wisdom: Winston Churchill - 4 Stars - Here's my Good Reads review with quotes. 

Ballet Beautiful: Transform Your Body and Gain the Strength, Grace, and Focus of a Ballet Dancer - 5 Stars - Here's my Good Reads review. 

      

 

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

The Polar Express and What It Means to Believe by Emmet Asher-Perrin

https://www.tor.com/2020/12/21/santa-claus-the-polar-express-and-what-it-means-to-believe/

How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/dec/17/julia-donaldson-conquered-world-one-rhyme-at-a-time-childrens-literature-gruffalo

An interview from 2006: Philip Pullman, Tamora Pierce, and Christopher Paolini Talk Fantasy Fiction

https://www.powells.com/post/interviews/philip-pullman-tamora-pierce-and-christopher-paolini-talk-fantasy-fiction

TEN GOLDEN AGE DETECTIVE NOVELISTS WHO DESERVE TO BE BETTER KNOWN

https://crimereads.com/ten-golden-age-detective-novelists-who-deserve-to-be-better-known/

Regards,

Kareni

[Mothersweets]

I was surprised to find that I've read 45 books this year. I really struggled to find books that would hold my attention well enough to actually finish so I think for every one book read I probably started three or four that I gave up on.

My top reads for the year were:

If It Bleeds by Stephen King - I love how he tells a story and these were not really horror stories, they were more Twilight Zone-ish.

No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie - beautifully written, non-hagiographic biography of the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. 

The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke - wonderfully cheeky, clever stories revisiting the magical England of Strange & Norrell.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten - this was such a surprising read! Made me laugh out loud several times. 🙂

@Kareni- thanks for posting the fantasy book link last week -  I've found several books that are intriguing. Maybe 2021 will be a Fantasy book year for me!

@Robin M Great Christmas book haul!

@mumto2 Congratulations on finishing the Agatha Christie challenge!

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays.I look forward to seeing everyone's year end wrap up. 

 

 

[Negin]

My favorite books of the year. It feels odd to go through my list. I can clearly see my lack of focus as soon as the pandemic started to hit. Since that time, I seem to have read less fiction than usual, and more fluff.

                           

[mumto2]

Last night I finished the latest by Louise Penny. I have a total adoration thing going on with Gamache and the audio books. I managed to survive the narrator switch but only because Ralph Cosham died 😢so I had to move on in order to finish the series. That said the past few books have been bad. Seriously how many times can Gamache be attacked by the same people to weird extremes. When I finished A Better Man I promised myself I would leave Gamache at the airport saying goodbye .......but The Devils are all Here was released and I read the blurb. Canada was left behind for Paris and in hopeful anticipation I decided to try it. It’s good! I have no idea if the next one will be but that book was great. On future rereads I may skip a couple and go right to Paris......nothing good would be missed.

I plan to listen to a few classics next year and have looked up and made a wish list of Ralph Cosham narrations for a starting place. Just in case you didn’t know Overdrive let’s you search by narrator as well as author.

I need a couple of days to finish my lists.

[Ali in OR]

I'm reading my last two for 2020 still, The Sympathizer and The Fire Next Time, but I'm going to go ahead and do my 2020 year in review:

Everything you can analyze from a spreadsheet:
Total books read: 48. I don't set a number goal but it's nice when I hit 52. I had a major slow down in the fall.
# Fiction: 36
# Non Fiction: 12
Female authors: 26
Male authors: 22
Written in 20th century: 10
Written in 21st century: 38
On kindle: 9
Books I own: 12 (8 purchased in 2020)
From the library: 27
Of the 36 fiction, 9 were mysteries and 8 SFF (that's a lot of early pandemic comfort reading)
15,599 total pages (shortest The Fire Next Time at 106 pages and longest The Fellowship of the Ring 526 pages)

What you can't analyze from a spreadsheet:
Top Five Fiction (and this isn't really looking at the comfort reads): Snow Falling on Cedars, This is How You Lose the Time War, The Bear and the Nightingale, Spinning Silver, and American Dirt.

Top Five Nonfiction
For books on race issues, I give honorable mentions to White Fragility and How to be an Antiracist for introducing new vocabulary and ideas that shape our conversations, but the best written was Carol Anderson's White Rage. I expect to be wowed by Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns in 2021, but can't include them here as I haven't read them yet!

Other top Nonfiction: Invisible Women (also for the ideas that shape my thinking--it was still a long slog for me to read!) and Catch and Kill.

[Kareni]

This afternoon I finished a book I received as a Christmas gift, One Giant Leap by Kay Simone, which I quite enjoyed. You could describe it as a slow burn and a long distance romance. For about three quarters of the book, one character is on the earth while the other, an astronaut, is in space. I expect that this is a book I'll reread. (Adult content)

"Houston we have so many problems…

Curtis “Launchpad” Larkin’s career as an astronaut has had its share of ups and downs.
Alternately lauded as the single-handed savior of NASA and condemned as a reckless, hot-headed bully, Curt has been through the wringer of public opinion and come out on top. When he embarks on his final mission with NASA, Curt figures there’s no curveball that life has left to throw him.
But when the role of spacecraft communicator is passed to a young engineer back in Houston who he’s never met, Curt’s mission takes on a new trajectory.

“CAPCOM to commander. Do you read?”

Patrick Harte’s life is turned upside down when he’s called to fill in at mission control, working directly under his hero, Curtis Larkin.
Falling for Curt is just a small step for Patrick — but it’s one giant leap to think that the astronaut could ever return his feelings.

“The more I talk to you, the more I know that we understand each other.”

After Curt connects with Patrick from worlds away, he can’t imagine life on earth without the other man… Despite the fact that he’s never laid eyes on Patrick. And their problems won’t stop once he’s cleared for landing.
The bad-boy astronaut is no stranger to controversy — but will the genuine and soft-spoken man of his dreams be able to keep up with the trouble Curt seems to stir everywhere he goes?"

Regards,

Kareni

[Junie]

How many books did you read?  

119 (will probably be 120 or 121 by the end of the year)

I intended this to be a year of no re-reads (other than the Bible).  And I met that goal!!

My goal on goodreads was to read 100 books.  My true goal was to read 52 children's books and 52 grown up books.  I am specifically trying to work through the Newbery books and classics that I've somehow missed.

And, I had a goal of reading 10 books in a foreign language.  My original intent was to read six books (children's chapter books, mostly) in Spanish and read some baby books in French.  When the world shut down in March, we stopped going to the library, which cut off the resource I was planning to use for French books.  I did, however, meet my goal of reading six books in Spanish.

Which were your favorite stories and which ones had the biggest impact on you.   

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormie Omartian

 

Which one made you giggle, weep, dance, or sing?   

Les Miserables made me giggle (a little), weep, dance (sort of) and sing.

 

Made you want to dive in and live in their world? 

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt -- This book was kind of a mashup for me -- a mixture of Shakespeare (I have an English Ed. degree), Vietnam (my father served three tours), and the late 60s (when my mom would have been in high school like the main character's older sister).

 

Which book would you like to revisit? 

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead  There is a bit of a mystery involved in this book and I would like to go back to the beginning and see what I missed the first time.

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

 

One book you thought you would love, but didn't? 

Hidden Figures -- the movie was so good; reading the book after seeing the movie was disappointing.  This is maybe the one time in my life when I will say skip the book and watch the movie.

Which book would you recommend everyone read?

 

Did you discover any new to authors or genres?

Lots of new authors/genres this year!  Here are a few:

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

 

 

 

[mumto2]

I finished the Ladies of Literature spelling challenge for December......

December - Rumor Godden

R........Dancing in the Rain by Kelly Jamieson

U........Teo for Sorrow by Nicola Upson

M........To Helen Back by Susan McBride

O.........Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt

R.........Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Katie Racculia

 

G.........Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

O.........One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

D.........Hurricane Force by Jana DeLeon

D.........Frontier Follies by Rene Drummond

E.........The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

N.........Waiting for Nick by Nora Roberts

 

[Ditto]

I don't think I have ever participated in these threads, though I am a voracious reader.  There is nothing better than getting lost in a wonderful book and just checking out of reality for a bit.    This year I read 60 books (a bit low for me but homeschooling and life cut into my reading time).  I would be hard pressed to come up with my favorite,  I loved almost all of the ones I read.   But one that I highly recommend is "Becoming" by Michelle Obama.  It was wonderful.   "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah is another one I highly recommend.  For humor I love Allie Brosh ("Hyperbole and a Half" and "Solutions and Other Problems").  Both of Allie's books were a delight.  "Solutions" has some very deep parts that are not always funny but are very thought provoking.

While I stink at posting about my books this year (sorry) I am very appreciative of the wonderful job you guys did.  Many of the books posted I have read, but there are a decent amount that I haven't read yet and I am adding them to my list!

In this trash heap of a year, books have not failed me.  They have been a lifeline.

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today. Although it's geared for middle-grades, I've heard that it's wonderful. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by negin

[Lori D.]

Tell us about your reading year? What were your goals this year? Did you have a plan, and/or follow rabbit trails or just wing it?
I seem to have troubles following a plan. I'm more of a "grazer", lol. I do try and broaden my perspective by trying books I see on the BaW threads, though! This year, the pandemic ate my brain, and I spent a lot of time curled up with favorite "comfort re-reads". And many of the new-to-me titles were cozy mysteries, another sort of "comfort food"

How many books did you read?  
I find that I must be ADHD when it comes to organizing and book lists... 😩 I always have good intensions, but just can't keep up a list. (Similarly, I've NEVER been able to journal...) All that to say: I don't know how many books I read this year. 😬 I don't think I ever quite make it to 100, though. And if only counting new-to-me titles, I probably only manage 2-3 dozen new titles a year. Part of that is because I don't do Kindle or Audiobooks -- just purchased print books.

Which were your favorite stories... [because they] Made you... dive in and live in their world? 
- The Other Bennet Sister (Hadlow)
- The Return of the Thief (Turner)

Which book would you like to revisit? 
I got started with Robin's year challenge of The Hobbit + Lord of the Rings trilogy -- works that I have read and re-read close to 2 dozen times over the years. I was trying to provide responses to each "chunk of chapters" in BaW posts, and did so for The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring, but fell down on the job for the second and third volumes. So I would like to revisit the challenge in 2021 and complete it. 😉 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by Lori D.

[mumto2]

Here are my Bingo Card Squares.....

 

B

 

Four Corners.......

     Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman

 

Transformative.......

      Transformed by Remi Adeleke

 

Artist.......

       Queen Anne’s Lace by Susan Wittig Albert

 

Renaissance.......

        The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews

 

Four Legged Animals........

        Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall

 

I

 

Creative

      Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton

 

Mysterious

      Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

 

Soldier

       Network Effect by Martha Wells

 

Gothic

       The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James

 

Humorous

        Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

 

N

 

Outlaws and Lawmen

        Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima 

 

Ghosts and Goblins

         The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly

 

Free Book

         The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

 

Vampires and Werewolves

          Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

 

Angels and Demons 

           Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

 

G

 

Steampunk

       The Affinity Bridge

 

Dramatic

       One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

 

Cowboy

        Frontier Follies by Ree Drummond

 

Whodunit

        Cat Me if You Can by Miranda James

 

Noir

        The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson

 

O

 

Fourth in a Series

          To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer Fleming

 

Technology

          Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

 

Whimsical

         The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

 

Antebellum 

          The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

 

Four Seasons

          Out of the Deep I Cry (spring) by Julia Spencer Fleming

 

Bonus Squares

 

Scavenger Hunt

       The Operator by Gretchen Berg

 

Elemental

       Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep

 

Pick a Number

        Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

 

Binge Worthy

        Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke

 

Enlighten Me!

        The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse by Piu Marie Eatwell

 

Beam Me Up Scotty

         Fortuna by Kristyn Merbeth 

 

Bottom of the Sea 

          A Pale Light in the Black by KB Warren

 

Predictable

         Death by Dumpling by Vivian Chien

 

Rhythm and Blues

         Still Life by Val McDermid

 

Mistaken Identity

          You Lucky Dog by Julia London

 

Twenty Something

           Game of Dog Bones by Lauren Berenson

 

Locked Room Mystery

           And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

 

Femme Fatale

            A Woman of Passion by Virginia Henley

 

Groovy Baby!

           The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams

 

Reality Check 

            The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

 

Dance in the Rain

           Dancing in the Rain by Kelly Jamieson

 

Computer Hacker

           Credible Threat by JA Jance

 

Top of the Mountain

            The Tamarack Murders by Patrick F. McManus

 

Use the Force Luke

             Finder by Suzanne Palmer 

[Robin M]

@mumto2  Woot Woot! You go girl!  Glad to see you are enjoying all the spelling and bingo challenges.  The Armand Gamache series has turned into one of my favorites and I've enjoyed them all.  Much like Nora Roberts, I'll read anything Louise Penny writes.  At some point, I want to reread the series. 

@Kareni  Thank you for the links and freebies links.  Added The Library to my virtual stacks

@negin  Enjoyed your reviews and covers.  I like the Churchill quote which I'm sure we can all agree is something we all do

"“If you cannot read all your books, at any rate handle, or as it were, fondle them – peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on their shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that if you do not know what is in them, you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends, let them at any rate be your acquaintances.”

I have Rutherford's Princes of Ireland in my stacks now thanks to you.  Thanks for the recommendation.

On 12/27/2020 at 12:04 PM, Mothersweets said:

I was surprised to find that I've read 45 books this year. I really struggled to find books that would hold my attention well enough to actually finish so I think for every one book read I probably started three or four that I gave up on.

My top reads for the year were:

If It Bleeds by Stephen King - I love how he tells a story and these were not really horror stories, they were more Twilight Zone-ish.

No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie - beautifully written, non-hagiographic biography of the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. 

The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke - wonderfully cheeky, clever stories revisiting the magical England of Strange & Norrell.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten - this was such a surprising read! Made me laugh out loud several times. 🙂

Well done and all look good.  I've added the Ladies of Grace Adieu to my virtual stacks. I didn't know Clarke had written anything else besides Strange and Norrell.  

 

@Ali in OR Well done! I enjoyed hearing your thoughts this year on all your books.  I think you were the one who talked me into adding The Bear and the Nightingale to my stacks finally. Thank you and look forward to reading it. 

 

 

[Robin M]

@Dreamergal  So happy you dove into this year and have enjoyed reading all your thoughts on your reads.  You talked me into it.  Added The Duke and I to my virtual stacks to read next year.  Love the covers! 

@Junie  Great reads and how neat you completed 6 books in spanish.  I think my one year of Spanish in junior high wouldn't leave me up to the task.  I need to take a refresher course.   Had a customer who came in the other day who didn't speak any English and we used the translator app on his iphone to have a conversation.    I have yet to read Les Miserables and probably should add it to my need to read classics list.  I did watch the musical and Hugh Jackman did an admirable job but I probably really should read it now.

@Ditto Waving hello and happy you dropped in.  

On 12/28/2020 at 2:04 PM, Ditto said:

There is nothing better than getting lost in a wonderful book and just checking out of reality for a bit. 

So very true.   Speaking of reality however, I had Trevor Noah's book in my stacks and look forward to reading it.

@Lori D.  I lost track as well at some point, but managed to put together my list from BAW posts.  Fun going back through posts and reminiscing.  Glad you enjoyed the Queen's Thief series and I just added the first book in the series, The Thief to my stacks.  I totally enjoyed and appreciated your responses to the Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring. Made reading the books much more fun and flavorful and look forward to your revisiting the last two books and your thoughts.  

 

 

I think this year we all discovered that that it didn't matter how many books we read and it was great to have goals and strive towards them, but the year was so stressful, the only thing that mattered was finding and enjoying books that comforted and entertained and took us away for a while.  I had great plans to read quite a few chunky historical books on my shelves, but they got ditched for fantasy and science fiction and romance.   I love the scifi/fantasy genre but love delving to the past as well. Just didn't have the bandwidth for it.  I think I'm going to go on an online news diet and unplug from the internet more often, which will help me to read a bit more deeply in 2021.   

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

I didn't know Clarke had written anything else besides Strange and Norrell.  

The author also published a new book this year ~

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

"Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

There is one other person in the house―a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

For readers of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish Reddit posts ~

Recommendations for non-SFF books from Fantasy fans

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/il8g6x/recommendations_for_nonsff_books_from_fantasy_fans/

 

Looking for a cozy fantasy romance read like Uprooted or Howl's Moving Castle

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/iqaob0/looking_for_a_cozy_fantasy_romance_read_like/

 

Looking for a book where an initially likable character gradually becomes the villain.

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/ivi8pe/looking_for_a_book_where_an_initially_likable/

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mothersweets]

On 12/29/2020 at 5:44 AM, negin said:

Kindle book on sale today. Although it's geared for middle-grades, I've heard that it's wonderful. 

This is a wonderful book! It's an audiobook, too. 

[Kareni]

Some books that are currently FREE for Kindle readers ~

Jack London: The Complete Novels

Wild Irish Rose (The Merriams Book 1)

Hell Squad Set: Books 1-3

LGBT: Hard Truths

Regards,

Kareni

[marbel]

Love reading everyone's updates. As usual, I read this thread with Goodreads open on another tab, and check out some of your books. I added a few. Yesterday I removed about 50 books from my "to read" list... stuff that's happen hanging around for years, I revisited and decided it wasn't making the cut anymore. But now there are new ones! 🤣

I did not make 50 books this year, my usual goal.  I made it to 42, though maybe I can get one more.. just started High Rising by Angela Thirkell. It is the first book of her Barsetshire Chronicles, which co-opts Anthony Trollope's fictional county, but set between the world wars (as far as I can tell) rather than the late 19th century.  Anyway, if I could get some time to read today and tomorrow, I might just make it!

I think my favorites of the year were Barchester Towers (Anthony Trollope), Ordinary Grace (William Kent Krueger), and Cotillion (Georgette Heyer).  All but 4 were fiction.  Much of my reading this year was forgettable fluff. 

 

 

[-M-]

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and 375 pages stand between me and the conclusion of The Mirror and the Light, so I am calling it at 233 books read this year. (As always, I have included only cover-to-covers.) Because 233 books and all of those notes are an awful lot to (re)post in this thread, here is a link to my complete list, here is a link to all of the posts annotating that list, and here are a few numbers:

♦ 233 books read this year
♦ 105 fiction titles (not including graphic works)
♦ 61 non-fiction titles (not including graphic works)
♦ 6 poetry selections
♦ 37 plays
♦ 24 graphic works (three of which were non-fiction selections)
♦ 34 rereads (i.e., books that I had first read sometime in the past, not this year)

My goals for this year were to read 100 books from my shelves (i.e., books in my collection before the end of 2019), including at least 24 non-fiction titles and at least one book from each of the following categories: Shakespeare (by, about, retold, etc.) poetry, NYRB, Kurt Vonnegut (by or about), Joyce Carol Oates, philosophy, art, and children’s / YA. I read 148 books from the shelves, 47 of which were non-fiction titles, and I met each of the category challenges:

Shakespeare
This year, seven plays (Richard III, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, The Tempest, Measure for Measure, King Lear, and Richard II) and two works from the Hogarth Shakespeare series (Vinegar Girl (Anne Tyler; 2016) and New Boy (Tracy Chevalier; 2017)) satisfied the challenge. Next year, I will not consider it complete unless I also tackle at least one of the many non-fiction works I’ve collected.

Poetry
With Aimless Love (Billy Collins; 2013) and Crow (Ted Hughes; 1970) I met the challenge, but I had also hoped to increase the amount of poetry I read this year, whether from my shelves or not. With six books, I doubled what I managed last year, but there is still much room for growth here.

NYRB
Cassandra at the Wedding (Dorothy Baker; 1962)

Kurt Vonnegut
Mother Night (1961)

Joyce Carol Oates
Give Me Your Heart (2010)

Philosophy
How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life (Seneca; ed. James Romm; 2018)
How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management (Seneca; ed. James Romm; 2019)
How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life (Marcus Tullius Cicero; ed. Philip Freeman; 2016)
How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life (Epictetus; ed. A.A. Long; 2018)
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar… Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes (Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein; 2006)

Art
Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers (Deborah Heiligman; 2017)

Children’s / YA
I, Juan de Pareja (Elizabeth Barton de Treviño; 1965)
Harriet the Spy (Louise Fitzhugh; 1964)

I rose to Robin's challenge to read three Agatha Christie titles this year: The Mousetrap (1952), Crooked House (1949), and Endless Night (1967). And I tossed in a challenge to read a book about my bird of the year, which in 2020, was the crow: Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans (John M. Marzluff; 2012).

The only goal on which I stumbled was “Read Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy,” and, gosh, I came close. In fact, back to the book.

Quick question: Is The Count of Monte Cristo a definite readalong for this coming February?

Edited December 31, 2020 by -M-
Makes more sense; thanks, Kareni.

[Kareni]

A question for you @-M-:

7 minutes ago, -M- said:

1 work of juvenile fiction

Ought this be two since you mentioned reading I, Juan de Pareja and Harriet the Spy?

Congratulations on meeting your goals!

Regards,

Kareni

[-M-]

11 minutes ago, Kareni said:

A question for you @-M-:

Ought this be two since you mentioned reading I, Juan de Pareja and Harriet the Spy?

Congratulations on meeting your goals!

Regards,

Kareni

In my general count, I distinguished the Astrid Lindgren as juvenile fiction to indicate that it was a short read. The two you point out (which, of course, fall under children's / YA fiction, are just labeled fiction in my general count.

Edited December 31, 2020 by -M-

[-M-]

16 minutes ago, Kareni said:

 

Congratulations on meeting your goals!

Regards,

Kareni

And thank you! 😊

[Robin M]

27 minutes ago, -M- said:

Quick question: Is The Count of Monte Cristo a definite readalong for this coming February?

Yes, definitely! 

[Robin M]

5 hours ago, marbel said:

Love reading everyone's updates. As usual, I read this thread with Goodreads open on another tab, and check out some of your books. I added a few. Yesterday I removed about 50 books from my "to read" list... stuff that's happen hanging around for years, I revisited and decided it wasn't making the cut anymore. But now there are new ones! 🤣

I did not make 50 books this year, my usual goal.  I made it to 42, though maybe I can get one more.. just started High Rising by Angela Thirkell. It is the first book of her Barsetshire Chronicles, which co-opts Anthony Trollope's fictional county, but set between the world wars (as far as I can tell) rather than the late 19th century.  Anyway, if I could get some time to read today and tomorrow, I might just make it!

I think my favorites of the year were Barchester Towers (Anthony Trollope), Ordinary Grace (William Kent Krueger), and Cotillion (Georgette Heyer).  All but 4 were fiction.  Much of my reading this year was forgettable fluff. 

 

I need to do the same thing on my goodreads and update. I clear out my amazon wish list of all the old as well and start fresh for the year.  

Considered the year we had, you did really well! Congrats.  I'll get to Trollope one of these days. I keep hearing good things about his books and even my FIL is encouraging me to read him. 

[Robin M]

1 hour ago, -M- said:

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and 375 pages stand between me and the conclusion of The Mirror and the Light, so I am calling it at 233 books read this year. (As always, I have included only cover-to-covers.) Because 233 books and all of those notes are an awful lot to (re)post in this thread, here is a link to my complete list, here is a link to all of the posts annotating that list, and here are a few numbers:

♦ 233 books read this year
♦ 105 fiction titles (not including graphic works)
♦ 61 non-fiction titles (not including graphic works)
♦ 6 poetry selections
♦ 37 plays
♦ 24 graphic works (three of which were non-fiction selections)
♦ 34 rereads (i.e., books that I had first read sometime in the past, not this year)

My goals for this year were to read 100 books from my shelves (i.e., books in my collection before the end of 2019), including at least 24 non-fiction titles and at least one book from each of the following categories: Shakespeare (by, about, retold, etc.) poetry, NYRB, Kurt Vonnegut (by or about), Joyce Carol Oates, philosophy, art, and children’s / YA. I read 148 books from the shelves, 47 of which were non-fiction titles, and I met each of the category challenges:

Shakespeare
This year, seven plays (Richard III, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, The Tempest, Measure for Measure, King Lear, and Richard II) and two works from the Hogarth Shakespeare series (Vinegar Girl (Anne Tyler; 2016) and New Boy (Tracy Chevalier; 2017)) satisfied the challenge. Next year, I will not consider it complete unless I also tackle at least one of the many non-fiction works I’ve collected.

Poetry
With Aimless Love (Billy Collins; 2013) and Crow (Ted Hughes; 1970) I met the challenge, but I had also hoped to increase the amount of poetry I read this year, whether from my shelves or not. With six books, I doubled what I managed last year, but there is still much room for growth here.

NYRB
Cassandra at the Wedding (Dorothy Baker; 1962)

Kurt Vonnegut
Mother Night (1961)

Joyce Carol Oates
Give Me Your Heart (2010)

Philosophy
How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life (Seneca; ed. James Romm; 2018)
How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management (Seneca; ed. James Romm; 2019)
How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life (Marcus Tullius Cicero; ed. Philip Freeman; 2016)
How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life (Epictetus; ed. A.A. Long; 2018)
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar… Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes (Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein; 2006)

Art
Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers (Deborah Heiligman; 2017)

Children’s / YA
I, Juan de Pareja (Elizabeth Barton de Treviño; 1965)
Harriet the Spy (Louise Fitzhugh; 1964)

I rose to Robin's challenge to read three Agatha Christie titles this year: The Mousetrap (1952), Crooked House (1949), and Endless Night (1967). And I tossed in a challenge to read a book about my bird of the year, which in 2020, was the crow: Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans (John M. Marzluff; 2012).

The only goal on which I stumbled was “Read Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy,” and, gosh, I came close. In fact, back to the book.

Quick question: Is The Count of Monte Cristo a definite readalong for this coming February?

Woot Woot!  Well done with the non fiction and reading from your own shelves. I remember you were trying to increase your non fiction reads .  I didn't know about the ancient wisdom for modern readers set and will have to check them out. All look quite interesting.   Yeah for Agatha Christie. Mousetrap is a fun read and more fun to watch the play.  Saw the play years ago put on community theatre. It was very well done.   I have Wolf Hall in my stacks now and look forward to reading in 2021.  

[melmichigan]

I'm not sure if I'll get to another book so I'm counting up tonight.  My total for 2020 is 115 books, 41,495 pages.  I feel pretty good about that as it's the highest page count I've gotten since my injury.  My goal was to finish any of the challenges, and I completed the A to Z by book title, so I also met that goal.  This year I primarily read for me, with no intentions, so mostly paranormal, science fiction, and romance.  I did some rereads of favorite authors that helped when I struggled to escape the every day with covid and all that it entails.

My 2020 challenge link: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/20413161  Now I'm off to raid all the other lists on Goodreads to add to my 2021 list!  😉

[Kareni]

I've recently finished some books.

I enjoyed Sourdough: or, Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market: A Novel by Robin Sloan. I'd describe it as fiction with a hint of magical realism. Some searching shows that @mumto2 and @Carol in Cal. both read and enjoyed this, too.

"Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers quickly close up shop. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her―feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it.

Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves to the General Dexterity cafeteria every day. Then the company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market―and a whole new world opens up."

**

I also read and enjoyed Greyson's Doom (The Endurance Book 1) by Tracy Cooper-Posey which happens to be currently free for Kindle readers. It's a science fiction romance; I may or may not read on in the series.

"The AI declares Greyson is going to die and he must train his replacement.   

Captain Greyson Durant has been in the job for three months, the youngest captain to ever lead the Endurance, when he is assigned to mentor the even younger Emmaline Victore, who resents the disruption to her life and Grey, too…but the longevity of the Endurance depends on them finding a way to work together."

**

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Since tomorrow's New Year's Eve, I'm going to try and write the first post for 2021 and have it up on New Year's day rather than waiting until Sunday and we'll have a long first week from the 1st to the 9th.  Carry your wrap up's over into the new year.  I still working on mine.  Fortunately I'm off tomorrow.  😀

I'm going to end the year with Jayne Anne Krentz Absolutely, Positively.  What a great title to finish off the year. 

😘

Edited December 31, 2020 by Robin M

[Carol in Cal.]

16 minutes ago, Kareni said:

I've recently finished some books.

I enjoyed Sourdough: or, Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market: A Novel by Robin Sloan. I'd describe it as fiction with a hint of magical realism. Some searching shows that @mumto2 and @Carol in Cal. both read and enjoyed this, too.

"Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers quickly close up shop. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her―feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it.

Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves to the General Dexterity cafeteria every day. Then the company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market―and a whole new world opens up."

**

 

I LOVED that book—have read it over and over and never tire of it.

[Kareni]

I also read about half of Unbreak Me by Michelle Hazen.

It was telling a good story; however, it was making me sad. I may continue with it some other time.

"What could two troubled souls from different walks of life have in common? Maybe everything.

Andra Lawler lives isolated at her family’s horse ranch, imprisoned by the memories of an assault in college. When she needs help training her foals, she hires a Haitian-Creole cowboy from New Orleans with a laugh as big as the Montana sky.

LJ Delisle can’t stand the idea that Andra might be lonely—or eating frozen TV dinners. He bakes his way into her kitchen with a lemon velvet cake, and offers her cooking lessons that set them on the road to romance. But even their love can’t escape the shadow of what they've been through. Despite their growing friendship and his gentle rapport with the horses, LJ is still an outsider facing small-town suspicions.

Before they can work through their issues, LJ is called home by a family emergency. In the centuries-old, raggedly rebuilt streets of New Orleans, he must confront memories of Hurricane Katrina and familiar discrimination. And Andra must decide if she’s brave enough to leave the shelter of the ranch for an uncertain future with LJ."

Regards,

Kareni

[Dicentra]

I managed to go back and put a list together of my 2020 reads.  I didn't really have a goal so I can't say whether I met it or not. 🙂  I wasn't very adventurous in my reading choices.  By the latter half of the year, I was mostly alternating between the Fairacre series by Miss Read (because they're just so comfortingly boring ;)) and horror (which has some sort of "re-setting" effect on my brain so that if I'm too stressed out or my brain won't "shut off", horror will almost always short-circuit the "won't shut off" switch in my brain:)).  I don't think I had one stand-out book but I want to thank whomever (or multiple whomevers) it was who introduced me to Miss Read and to Elly Griffiths.  Those two authors have become the reading equivalent of a "comfy blanket" for me - I can just open up a book by one of those authors, snuggle in, and feel safe and warm. 🙂

My goal for 2021 is to participate here more. 🙂  And also to broaden my reading horizons.  I used to read all kinds of books but when one is tired or stressed, it's just so easy to stick with the "safe" and familiar.

Thank you to everyone who shares and contributes - you've led me to so many wonderful authors and down so many wonderful rabbit trails!!

Books read in 2020

36. The Silken Rose by Carol McGrath  *Historical Fiction (13^th century England)

35. A Country Christmas by Miss Read  *Fiction

34. Christmas at Fairacre by Miss Read  *Fiction

33. Dark Matter: A Ghost Story by Michelle Paver  *Horror

32. Thin Air by Michelle Paver  *Horror

31. Village Centenary (Fairacre, #15) by Miss Read  *Fiction

30. (Reread) The Vanishing by Wendy Webb  *Horror

29. Miss Pringle of Fairacre (Fairacre, #17) by Miss Read  *Fiction

28. Village Affairs (Fairacre, #13) by Miss Read  *Fiction

27. The Invited by Jennifer McMahon  *Horror

26. Farther Afield (Fairacre, #11) by Miss Read  *Fiction

25. Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman  *Memoir

24. Tyler’s Row (Fairacre, #9) by Miss Read  *Fiction

23. Summer at Fairacre (Fairacre, #16) by Miss Read  *Fiction

22. (Reread) All Who Go Do Not Return by Shulem Deen  *Memoir

21. (Reread) Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayer  *Travel memoir

20. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump  *Nonfiction biography

19. The Loch by Steve Alten  *Thriller/Horror

18. Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti  *YA Nonfiction

17. Over the Gate (Fairacre, #5) and Fairacre Festival (Fairacre, #7) by Miss Read  *Fiction

16. A Room Full of Bones (Ruth Galloway, #4) by Elly Griffiths  *Mystery

15. The House at Sea’s End (Ruth Galloway, #3) by Elly Griffiths  *Mystery

14. Storm in the Village (Fairacre, #3) by Miss Read  *Fiction

13. The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon  *Horror

12. The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill  *Horror

11. The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway, #2) by Elly Griffiths  *Mystery

10. The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway, #1) by Elly Griffiths  *Mystery

9. Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick  *Historical fiction (12^th century England)

8. Village Diary (Fairacre, #2) by Miss Read  *Fiction

7. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann  *Nonfiction

6. Crooked River (Pendergast #19) by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child  *Mystery/Thriller

5. Village School (Fairacre, #1) by Miss Read  *Fiction

4. The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike  *Horror

3. Daughters of the Grail by Elizabeth Chadwick  *Historical fiction/romance (13^th century France, Cathars)

2 1/2.  Extraction (Pendergast #12.5) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child  *Fiction (short story)  (I didn't think that a short story would count but I did finish it 🙂 )

2. The Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer: The Poisonous Passion of Christiana Edmunds by Kaye Jones   *Nonfiction (history)

1. The Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick   *Historical fiction/romance (12^th century England)

[mumto2]

Even though @Robin M just gave us an extension I think I will do my wrap up for 2020.  Thank you for a great reading year Robin!
 

 ·         How many books did you read?  This has been a different reading year for me with my book count being roughly the same as on any other year but my content has shifted pretty radically this year.  I sort of hate comparing this year to my last couple which were definately less fluffy and many more pages.  I have listened to over 80 audio books, read around 100 romance novels (contemporary plus historical), and read over 100 cozy mysteries. When you add in at least 25 rereads and some novellas I have had a very pleasant year in books but definately not the most challenging. I am extremely disappointed in myself for only having read 6 books in translation as I really enjoy my foreign mystery authors.....Nordic Noir here I come!

 I did do well at Brit Tripping visiting 39 counties thanks to all those cozies and historical romances!  I managed to finish most of my challenges and managed to enjoy my reading in a challenging year.  So I am counting it as a win!😉

·         Which were your favorite stories and which ones had the biggest impact on you.   I loved Running with Sherman and think of that particular book frequently.   I have also recommended it a few times.

·         Which one made you giggle, weep, dance, or sing?   Maggie Robinson’s 1920’s England is a new favorite of mine.  Lady Adelaide is so fun! I wish I could go to one of her house parties.           

·         Made you want to dive in and live in their world? I find Lane Winslow’s secret spy world very exciting.    I don’t know that I would want to live in the world Iona Winshaw created but it’s exciting and I would certainly enjoy a visit!

·         Which book would you like to revisit?   I already have a reread of Follet’s Pillars series planned for next year because I loved The Evening and the Morning so much.

·         One book you thought you would love, but didn't? 

            Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland.......I adored Dread Nation and was so excited for this books release.

·         Which book would you recommend everyone read?

            I recommend the Murderbot series quite often.  I can’t say it’s life changing but it is genre expanding for many of my friends.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by mumto2

[Dicentra]

On 12/28/2020 at 5:19 PM, Dreamergal said:

The entire Bridgerton series re-read which I did not count in my list of reads because I have practically memorized them through so many repeats. When you grow up like me reading British historical Barbara Cartland romance where the women are always virgins and milquetoast with nary a spine in sight, American and other authors who write the same genre where heroines are virgins with a capital V but with spunk and spine, it is a singular pleasure. Anyone who dares disagree that these versions are "modern" and do not meet stereotypical standards of those years, I point to the eternal Jane Austen and my her Lizzie. One such author favorite was and is Julia Quinn. 

So when I met Daphne and the other 7 siblings named from A - Z, I fell in love with the family, but I loved the book for Simon who was always worthy of the lofty book boyfriend title. Thus when Bridgerton was made as a series and premiered on Christmas day, it was as if the book gods were giving me a present. But binge watching is impossible for a mother especially of a 4 year old who is her shadow. So I watched at night often late and it was something I enjoyed slowly instead of devouring.

Since I have waxed on, I better review it. The most obvious one to tackle is the diverse cast. They explain the diversity by use of Queen Charlotte (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_of_Mecklenburg-Strelitz)very liberally throughout the series which was not so in the book. I was familiar with her long before the series due to my gossipy knowledge of the BRF as there was debate on if Meghan Markle was the first Bi-racial person to marry into the royal family or was Queen Charlotte. In any case, the diverse cast is explained away thus. 

One thing I remember about book  Simon is his blue eyes and that every Bridgerton kid had the distinct color hair easily identifiable. But none of it mattered because the casting worked beautifully for me because of the acting. Rege-Jean Page who plays Simon has the looks, elegance, grace and the ability to portray the brokenness of Simon. One thing I loved in the book is the chemistry between Daphne and Simon in the book, it is also the same between the actors even when they barely touch and when they do, well it sets the screen on fire. 

There were also a few disappointments. Anthony is a very caring, loving brother who is uber protective. The series makes him creepy and they gave him an unnecessary love story when his own love story told by Julia Quinn in the Viscount and Me is wonderful. So too Colin, he is charming and popular and a rolling stone, not one serious enough to propose marriage before Anthony and his own story in the books is a wonderful, wonderful story and I am super pissed about that. I also think the father's story should have been told because it explains the whole Bridgerton clan a lot. 

Costumes wise, I kept thinking Kate Middleton would love this version of British royalty as there is not a bonnet in sight and they wear headgear that look a lot like her fascinators and also there is a lot of blue dresses which could possibly be Kate's favorite color (apologies for useless BRF knowledge at play here). But they are sumptuous. 

What I also loved is the easter eggs if you are familiar with the British historical genre. It was lovely seeing a visual representation of Vauxhall pleasure gardens which practically every single book refers to, Gunter's ices except in this case it was a tea shop and also more generic locations like the men's club, the modiste, the opera and also ballrooms decorated during that period. 

It is a beautiful and brilliant world and I am so happy Netflix has woken up to the audience of the British Historical genre. I hope the Bridgertons become a yearly affair for there are 7 more books and there are many, many authors and series I would love to see on screen.

Books are my escape from reality, but I like to live my live with my feet firmly planted in reality.

 

I just binge-watched Bridgerton!! 🙂  I haven't read the books, though, so that's something to look forward to.  And Simon in the Netflix series is SMOULDERING.  Whew! ;D

On 12/29/2020 at 10:02 AM, Lori D. said:

Which were your favorite stories... [because they] Made you... dive in and live in their world? 

 

- The Other Bennet Sister (Hadlow)
- The Return of the Thief (Turner)

 

My dd was SO upset at how Mary is overlooked/mocked in the 2005 film version of P&P that when I saw you mention "The Other Bennet Sister", I suggested that she and I read it together.  Hopefully, it will make her feel better. 🙂  She's a quiet, studious, piano-playing girl herself so I think she really identified with Mary.  Which just made her feel all the more incensed at Mary's treatment. 😉

On 12/29/2020 at 7:36 PM, Robin M said:

I have Rutherford's Princes of Ireland in my stacks now thanks to you.  Thanks for the recommendation.

 

Rutherford!! 🙂  Try "Sarum" if you haven't read it already.  Or "London".  Such a great world to immerse oneself in!

[Lori D.]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

... Which book would you recommend everyone read?

 I recommend the Murderbot series quite often.  I can’t say it’s life changing but it is genre expanding for many of my friends.

Murderbot! 💕 Book #6 is coming in this spring! (Although, I'm worried -- the first 5 were so fun and flowed together so well, I'm afraid that #6 will fall short...)

[mumto2]

33 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

Murderbot! 💕 Book #6 is coming in this spring! (Although, I'm worried -- the first 5 were so fun and flowed together so well, I'm afraid that #6 will fall short...)

I just discovered that earlier today!  I think a reread might be required......although I thought I wanted to reread before 5 and didn’t have a chance.  I still loved it so.......

I have been busy doing my set up for the 2021 reading year tonight.  My Goodreads shelves are ready to go,  my paper notebook has the pages labeled, and I even figured out my plan for spelling Madam Irma Pince our first Librarian........can’t wait to start!

[Robin M]

Regarding the Count of Monte Cristo read. I know we all read at different paces so trying to figure out the best schedule

@-M-  Still in the midst of planning but will start first week in February.

Every one reads at different pace so still trying to figure out the schedule. We can do a chapter a day which will take 17 weeks through the end of May or break down into small chunks which will take 26 weeks which takes us through the end of July. I'll post the schedule once it's decided and provide a pdf plus weekly reminders in the post. Will throw in some discussion questions along the way.

The 26 week schedule works out to:

Chapters / Pages
01 – 06 / 1 - 61
07 - 12 / 61 -111
13 – 16 /112 – 157
17 – 20 / 157 – 201
21 – 26 / 201 – 253
27 – 30 / 254 - 300
31 – 33 / 301 – 358
34 – 36 / 359 – 413
37 – 39 / 413 - 456
40 – 43 / 456 - 492
44 – 46 / 492 - 536
47 – 51 / 537 – 581
52 – 55 / 582 – 630
56 – 60 / 631 - 677
61 – 65 / 678 -723
66 - 70 / 723 - 769
71– 73 / 770 – 811
74 – 77 / 812 - 860
78 - 81 / 861 – 913
82 – 86 / 913 – 962
87 - 91 / 963 – 1004
92 – 96 / 1005 - 1051
97 – 102 / 1051 to 1097
103 – 100 / 1097 – 1144
107 – 112 / 1144 – 1194
113 – 117 / 1194 - 1243

If we want to slow it down even more - 40 Weeks would be three chapters a week:

Chapters / Pages
01 – 03 / 7 - 32
04 – 06 / 33 - 61
07 – 09 / 62 - 88
10 – 12 / 89 -111
13 – 15 / 112 – 147
16 – 18 / 148 – 186
19 – 21 / 187 - 211
22 – 24 / 212 – 235
25 – 27 / 236 - 266
28 – 30 / 267 - 299
31 – 33 / 300 – 358
34 – 36 / 359 – 412
37 – 39 / 413 – 435
40 – 42 / 456 -484
43 – 45 / 485 – 524
46 – 48 / 525 – 557
49 – 51 / 558 – 581
52 – 54 / 582 – 620
55 – 57 / 621 - 652
58 – 60 / 653 - 677
61 – 63 / 678 – 704
64 – 66 / 705 – 732
67 – 69 / 733 - 760
70 – 72 / 761 – 773
73 – 75 / 774 - 820
76 – 78 / 821 - 860
79 – 80 / 861 - 895
81 – 83 / 896 – 931
84 – 86 / 932 – 962
87 – 89 / 963 - 986
90 – 92 / 987 - 1012
93 – 95 / 1013 – 1039
96 – 98 / 1040 – 1056
99 – 101 / 1069 - 1090
102 – 104 / 1091 - 1115
105 – 107 / 1116 – 1150
108 – 110 / 1151 – 1173
111 – 113 / 1174 – 1206
114 - 116 / 1207 – 1229
117 / 1230 – 1243

Which would you ladies prefer???

[-M-]

Either schedule will be fine, Robin. 📚 

[Maus]

On 12/27/2020 at 1:04 PM, Mothersweets said:

I was surprised to find that I've read 45 books this year. I really struggled to find books that would hold my attention well enough to actually finish so I think for every one book read I probably started three or four that I gave up on.

I was just logging on to post almost the same thing! Something about the unusual circumstances of the year, I suppose, but I just have not had the focus to stick with a book all the way to the end. I haven't posted since June!!! And mostly because I didn't have much to post.

But I have read or listened to a few others since June, so I'll add them.

38. "For the Love of Europe" by Rick Steves. I've listened to this while I I did a project on the computer and just finished it today. It has increased my wanderlust.

37. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory" by Caitlin Doughty. DH and I have recently watched a bunch of her "Ask a Mortician" videos. I liked this. It would be unsettling to read if I'd recently lost someone, I think. DS18 has been fascinated with the coffin maker at our local, annual "Colonial Fest" since he was about six. A couple of years ago, he asked the guy if it's legal to use a wooden coffin, and it is in our state. So he got the guy's business card, and now he wants to know if he can get one for me when I die. (DS is on the spectrum, so he can think like that without being particularly morbid. He is just way more literal and practical than his peers.) I kept thinking about that as I read this book, because her underlying theme is how our modern society has distanced ourselves from our dead and handed all arrangements over to professionals.

36. "The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure" by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. Very thought provoking. I think they are pretty correct in their assessment. I read about 2/3 of Jonathan Haidt's "The Righteous Mind," before turning it in very overdue and unfinished. 

35. "The Tuttle Twins" by Connor Boyack. Not an adult book, but an 11 book children's series, and I just read all of them after our local library recently acquired them. What Boyack has done is to take adult books on economics or political theories and pull out a key theme, and then write a children's book on it. One is based on "Atlas Shrugged," for instance, and one is based on one of Ron Paul's books. I think we are going to read them as a family, with lots of discussion. I consider myself politically homeless, not quite buying into any one political stance, and Boyack is heavily Libertarian, but I think my kids are old enough to discuss pros and cons.

34. "I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced" by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui.  Read this all in one sitting, it was so compelling.

33. "The Brave Learner" by Julie Bogart.  Lots of take-aways here.  We are at a point in homeschooling where we need to repair some relationships and relax some expectations.

32. "Spook" by Mary Roach.  

31. "The American Revolution (Guts & Glory)" by Ben Thompson.  I'm going to read this one aloud to my kids!  I really enjoyed it.

30.  "Educated" by Tara Westover.  

29.  "Gulp" by Mary Roach. 

28. "The Mormon Battalion: U.S. Army of the West" by Norma Baldwin Ricketts. 

27. "Follow Me to Zion: Stories from the Willie Handcart Pioneers" by Andrew D. Olsen and Jolene S. Allphin (LDS). 

26. "Sweetwater Rescue: The Willie and Martin Handcart Story" by Heidi Swinton and Lee Groberg (LDS). 

25. "I walked to Zion: True Stories of Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail" by Susan Arrington Madsen (LDS).  

24. "The Journey of the James G. Willie Handcart Company, October, 1856" by Gary Duane Long. 

23. "The Heavens are Open" by Wendy W. Nelson (LDS).

22. "Born to Change the World" by Brad Wilcox (LDS).

21. "I Saw the Lord" by Kerry Muhlestein (LDS).

20.  "The Mormon Battalion" by B.H. Roberts. (LDS)

19.  "Bright, Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Austism" by Diane M. Kennedy and Rebecca S. Banks with Temple Grandin. 

18.  "More Than Miracles" by T.C. Christensen with Jolene S. Allphin. (LDS)

17.  "The Seven Storey Mountain" by Thomas Merton.  

16.  "Lifestyles of the Great & Spacious" by John Bytheway.  (LDS)  

15.  "How to Think" by Alan Jacobs.  

14.  "The Road from Coorain" by Jill Ker Conway.  Entry three from the Well-Educated Mind autobiography list challenge.

13.  "All Rivers Run to the Sea" by Elie Wiesel.  Entry two from the Well-Educated Mind autobiography list challenge. 

12.  "The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction" by Alan Jacobs. 

11.  "Whatever You Choose to Be" by Ann Romney. 

10.  "Five Little Pigs" by Agatha Christie.  2nd entry in the Agatha Christie challenge. 

9.  "Rethinking School" by Susan Wise Bauer.

8.  "The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax" by Dorothy Gilman.

7.  "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" by Dorothy Gilman.

6.  "A Faithful Reply to the CES Letter" by Jim Bennett.

5.  "Bamboozled by the "CES Letter"" by Michael R. Ash.

4. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou.  Entry one - the Well-Educated Mind autobiography list challenge.

3. "The Harlequin Tea Set" by Agatha Christie.   Entry one - Agatha Christie Challenge.

2. "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. 

1. "Unselfish: Love Thy Neighbor as Thy Selfie" compiled by Paul D. Parkinson.

[marbel]

Well, I managed to squeeze in one more, with 6 hours to go: High Rising by Angela Thirkell. I first year about Thirkell many years ago, thanks for a now-defunct (for several years) wonderfully quirky book catalog (A Common Reader); it has taken me a very long time to get around to reading her. A delightful, amusing to laugh-out-loud funny story of family life and English village shenanigans.  I'll read more by her.  

[Kareni]

15 minutes ago, marbel said:

...a now-defunct (for several years) wonderfully quirky book catalog (A Common Reader)...

Ah, I miss that catalog! I still have a few of the old catalogs here at home.

Marbel, are you familiar with the book 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List by James Mustich?

It's written by the man who authored the catalog. You might enjoy it.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Free ebooks, today only:

http://www.romancefreereads.com

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

Happy New Year everyone!

Kindle book on sale today. 

[marbel]

14 hours ago, Kareni said:

Ah, I miss that catalog! I still have a few of the old catalogs here at home.

Marbel, are you familiar with the book 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List by James Mustich?

It's written by the man who authored the catalog. You might enjoy it.

Regards,

Kareni

I had just noticed that! When I was thinking about ACR, I googled his name to see what came up. I was surprised to see he had written that book, as I'd heard of it before but had never noticed the author's name. I had often wondered what happened to him.  

[Robin M]

Week one in 2021 is live - please continue conversation in new thread 

[SKL]

I was hoping to finish my Democracy book by 12/31, but it didn't happen.  I'm close, though.

My kids bought me some biographies on my birthday.  I'm looking forward to reading them in 2021.