LittleTaiko's 2013 Reading Challenge - continuing on

As usual, I'm keeping my categories relatively vague so that I have the flexibility to read what I want instead of feeling compelled to keep to a specific theme. There are 13 categories this year with the goal of reading at least 5 in each, though I'm sure some will have more while I desperately try to fill others.

I'll be staring the challenge on January 1, 2013 as the accountant in me finds it really difficult to overlap years! Plus, I really like to track how many books I read in a given year and that makes it easier.

1. ROOT (Read Our Own Tomes) - Book - really must do something about the 200 plus books lying around my house begging to be read.
2. ROOT - e-books - these are starting to stack up too
3. Book Clubs (M Street and LSL) - Who knows what will end up in this list!
4. 1001 Books to Read Before I Die - so many to choose from
5. Fiction
6. Non-fiction/biographies
7. Classics
8. Just Because (library books, shiny new books, etc...)
9. Mysteries/Thrillers
10. TBD - selections made by other people
11. Agatha - continuing to reread Agatha Christie's books in order
12. Decade of my birth - 1970's literature here we come. Suggestions welcome.
13. Christmas gifts - either gifts from others or gifts I bought for myself!

Of course I reserve the right to change my mind between now and the end of the year!

Goal: 65 books

Ratings:

1 Star - Didn't like at all or did not finish
2 Stars - It's okay but not something I would recommend.
3 Stars - I liked it but may or may not recommend it
4 Stars - Really liked it and am happy that I spent time reading it
5 Stars - Loved it and the whole world should read it too







Challenge Book Totals:

1. ROOT: 5 - DONE!
2. ROOT e-books: 5 - DONE!
3. Book Clubs (M Street and LSL): 5 - DONE!
4. 1001 Books: 5 - DONE!
5. Fiction: 5 - DONE!
6. Non-fiction//biographies: 5 - DONE!
7. Classics: 5 - DONE!
8. Just because: 5 - DONE!
9. Mysteries/Thrillers: 5 - DONE!
10: Picked by Other People: 5 - DONE!
11. Agatha: 5 - DONE!
12. 1970's: 5 - DONE!
13. Christmas Gifts: 5 - DONE!

Total: 65 - Challenge complete!

All Book Totals:

1. ROOT: 8
2. ROOT e-books: 6
3. Book Clubs (M Street and LSL): 14
4. 1001 Books: 6
5. Fiction: 15
6. Non-fiction//biographies: 10
7. Classics: 6
8. Just because: 15
9. Mysteries/Thrillers: 20
10: Picked by Other People: 5
11. Agatha: 6
12. 1970's: 5
13. Christmas Gifts: 6

Total: 122

EXTRA:

Audio Books: 3
Library Wars: Volumes 1 - 10

ROOT - Books (Books that I own as of 12/31/12)

1. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry January - 4 stars
2. Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul February - 4 stars
3. Building Stories by Chris Ware February - 2 stars
4. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi March - 5 stars
5. Murder a Mile High by Elizabeth Dean July - 2 stars

EXTRA:
6. Woman in the Dark by Dashiell Hammett October - 2 stars
7. The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow December - 3 stars
8. Life Itself by Roger Ebert December - 3 stars

ROOT - e-Book (Books that I own as of 12/31/12)

1. Death in a Floating City by Tasha Alexander January - 3 stars
2. Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure by Diane Kelly April - 2 stars
3. Fire Watch by Connie Willis June - 3 stars
4. Love Anthony by Lisa Genova June - 4 stars
5. The Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriaason August - 3 stars

EXTRA:

6. Bellwether by Connie Willis September - 4 stars

Book Clubs ( M Street and LSL)

1. The Best Short Stories of O. Henry by O. Henry January - 4 stars
2. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia February - 2 stars
3. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker March - 3 stars
4. Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones by Quincy Jones April - 3 stars
5. The Science of Yoga by William J. Broad July - 4 stars

EXTRAs:

6. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson August - 4 stars
7. Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler November - 3 stars
8. The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver November - 2 stars
9. The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene December - 3 stars
10. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan December - 4 stars
11. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White December - 5 stars
12. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster December - 5 stars
13. Black Stallion by Walter Farley December - 4 stars
14. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett December - 5 stars

1001 Books to Read Before I Die

1. Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse January - 5 stars
2. Candide by Voltaire April - 4 stars
3. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym July - 4 stars
4. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri October - 4 stars
5. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood November - 3 stars

EXTRAS:

6. Rabbit Redux by John Updike September - 1 star (did not finish)

Fiction

1. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell January - 4 stars
2. The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister January - 4 stars
3. Pulse by Julian Barnes February - 4 stars
4. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain February - 4 stars
5. The Round House by Louise Erdrich March - 3 stars

EXTRAS:

6. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes May - 5 stars
7. The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro May - 3 stars
8. Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni May - 4 stars
9. Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple June - 4 stars
10. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud June - 3 stars
11. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky July - 4 stars
12. Plainsong by Kent Haruf August - 4 stars
13. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra October - 5 stars
14. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri November - 3 stars

Non-fiction/biographies

1. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller January - 2 stars
2. Franklin Pierce by Michael F. Holt February - 3 stars
3. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick May - 5 stars
4. Gulp by Mary Roach May - 3 stars
5. Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan July - 5 stars

EXTRA:

6. 40 Things to do When You Turn 40 September - 3 stars
7. The Chronicles of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes September - 4 stars
8. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan November - 4 stars
9. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg November - 4 stars
10. First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis November - 4 stars

Classics

1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov January - 3 stars
2. Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury April - 4 stars
3. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle June - 4 stars
4. Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov June - 4 stars
5. Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas September - 5 stars

EXTRA:

6. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller September - 1 star

Just Because (library books, new shiny reads, etc...)

1. The Dinner by Herman Koch March - 3 stars
2. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver March - 5 stars
3. Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout April - 4 stars
4. Old Man's War by John Scalzi April - 3 stars
5. The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg April - 2 stars

EXTRA:

6. New and Selected Poems: Volume 2 by Mary Oliver May - 3 stars
7. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter May - 3 stars
8. We Live in Water by Jess Walter May - 3 stars
9. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson May - 3 stars
10. TransAtlantic by Colum McCann July - 5 stars
11. Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym September - 4 stars
12. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri September - 4 stars
13. Levels of Life by Julian Barnes October - 5 stars
14. Dog Songs by Mary Oliver November - 4 stars
15. The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes December - 4 stars

Mysteries/Thrillers

1. A Killing Frost by Patricia Wynn February - 3 stars
2. The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie March - 4 stars
3. Six Years by Harlan Coben March - 4 stars
4. A Little Class on Murder by Carolyn G. Hart April - 3 stars
5. Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton April - 4 stars

EXTRA:
6. Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell June - 4 stars
7. Mrs. Jeffries Turns the Tide by Emily Brightwell June - 4 stars
8. Not the Killing Type by Lorna Barrett July - 4 stars
9. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino August - 4 stars
10. Unseen by Karin Slaughter August - 3 stars
11. A Season of the Dead by David Hewson September - 2 stars
12. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny. September - 5 stars
13. The Villa of Mysteries by David Hewson September - 3 stars
14. W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton September - 4 stars
15. Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen October - 3 stars
16. Murder on the Orient Espresso by Sandra Balzo October - 3 stars
17. Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer Fleming November - 4 stars
18. Inferno by Dan Brown December - 3 stars
19. Edwin of the Iron Shoes by Marcia Muller December - 3 stars

TBD - selections made by other people

1. Did Not Finish by Simon Wood - suggested by Phil (aka the hubby) - January 3 stars
2. A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett - suggested by Cheli - February 3 stars
3. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - suggested by Kathryn (non LT) - March 4 stars
4. The Angels Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - suggested by mamzel - July 3 stars
5. The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas - suggested by Lori - August 3 stars

Agatha

1. The Murder at Hazelmoor - January 4 stars
2. Peril at End House - April 3 stars
3. The Tuesday Club Murders - May 3 stars
4. 13 at Dinner - July 3 stars
5. Murder on the Orient Express - August 5 stars

EXTRAS:

6. Why Didn't They Ask Evans - October 3 stars

Decade of my Birth (1970)

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams February - 4 stars
2. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino March - 5 stars
3. Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym April - 4 stars
4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson June - 3 stars
5. Watership Down by Richard Adams November - 4 stars

Christmas Gifts - either from others or books I bought as a gift for myself!

1. Open by Andre Agassi March - 5 stars
2. The Private Lives of the Impressionists by Sue Roe June - 4 stars
3. Arthur & George by Julian Barnes July - 4 stars
4. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris August - 3 stars
5. Don't Quit Your Day Job by Sonny Brewer November - 4 stars

EXTRA:

6. Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler December - 4 stars

Book #91

Book: Woman in the Dark by Dashiell Hammett
Rating: 2 stars
Category: ROOT/Random Cat - October/Alpha Cat W

This a very brief book, about 75 pages that is probably not Hammett's best work, though I've never read any of his books before. Macho guys, damsel in distress, crazy story line and a plot I didn't completely follow.

Hammett's another one I need to get to. At some point. :)

Hurray, a new thread! :) You're very close to completing the challenge!

Migrating over to your new thread and looking forward to seeing what you read to complete your challenge!

Congratulations on all you have accomplished so far! Bring 'er on home!

Book #92

Book: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Rating: 4 stars
Category: 1001 books/Alpha Cat J

After recently finishing Interpreter of Maladies, I was looking forward to reading The Namesake and was not disappointed. This lovely story really made me think about what it means to be an immigrant and how hard it must be for them forging a new life in a country where the culture can be so dramatically different than their own. I like how the author managed to cover so many years with only a few stories specifically called out. The ending was a bit off for me as I didn't understand why the change in narrative was necessary. Ultimately though this was well worth the time spent reading it.

Book #93

Book: Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Agatha

After a particularly sad weekend where we put one of my dogs to sleep (Taiko of the LittleTaiko name), I really needed a comfort read. While, not everyone would consider a murder mystery comforting, losing myself in an Agatha story was the way I coped. This is one of her stand alone stories with a plucky heroine and sweet slightly bumbling guy. When Bobby finds a dying man he stays with him while a friend rushes to find a doctor. The dying mans last words are "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Thus starts an adventure that at times is a bit silly but still fun as Bobbie and Frankie (Lady Frances) concoct a scheme to find out what those words really mean.

Book #94

Book: Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Mysteries/Thrillers

Another cozy mystery in the Lady Georgianna series - this time it finds Georgie helping out her royal relatives by staying with a wealthy family who has just found a long lost heir who has been living in Australia. They assume and rightly so that he might need a bit of polishing before he takes over as duke someday. When the current duke is killed, there are plenty of suspects as he wasn't a particularly charming fellow. A fun entry in the series but not one of the best.

Book #95

Book: Levels of Life by Julian Barnes
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Just Because

This is the sort of book that needs to be read in one sitting with minimal distractions so that the reader can fully immerse themselves into the rhythm of the book. Divided into three sections, it covers the three stages of life and really love - the highs in the beginning, the leveling off in the middle, and the sadness of grief in the end. Weaving ballooning (yes, I did say ballooning), love, and loss together in such a beautiful way takes skill. This is a book I'll reread someday and would recommend for anybody who has ever lost a loved one.

So sorry about your dog. I know how hard that is. And how a comfort read is in order.

Sorry to hear about Taiko. It's absolutely one of the hardest things to do.

Very sorry to read your sad news about your canine family member. That is tough to deal with.

I am so sorry for your loss.

So sorry to read about Taiko. I read that Agatha Christie fairly recently and thought it was a really fun read and glad that it offered some small comfort to you.

Thank you everyone for your comments.

Yes - it was a nice fun read to help take my mind off of things. Love how plucky her young female characters tend to be.

Book #96

Book: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Fiction

This was such a remarkable book even though it started a bit slow for my tastes. However, somewhere after the first third of the book, I really had a hard time putting this book down. At times humorous, many times sad and always truthful this is about a few select people struggling to survive as best they can during the Chechnya and Russian wars. It explores the choices people are faced with, how those choices change them forever, and also how there is always a little bit of hope.

Book #97

Book: Murder on the Orient Espresso by Sandra Balzo
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Mysteries/Thrillers

This latest installment in the Maggy Thorsen finds Maggy vacationing with her detective boyfriend, Jake, in the Everglades. He has been invited to speak at a mystery convention and she is tagging along. One of the first events is a train ride through the Everglades with a Murder on the Orient Express theme. Can I just say I would love to attend that event! Needless to say a real murder occurs during the trip prompting Maggy and Jake to try to discover who the murderer is. Loved the premise but found parts of the story to be a bit too over the top for me - let's just say if you are afraid of big giant snakes, this book is not for you. There was also one section that seemed contradictory. In one chapter, Maggy notices something about a scene and Jake comments that he should have noticed that. In the very next chapter, Jake points out something that she hadn't noticed and Maggy is thinking about how he notices everything. Small point, but for some reason it bugged me. Still an entertaining book though I think I'll be happier when Maggy returns to Wisconsin.

Book #98

Book: The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Fiction

This was an interesting book that weaved the life of the real life woman who coined the phrase "A Diamond is Forever" with the fictional stories of four other couples at various points in time. It covers various decades and the author does a nice job of showing how attitudes towards marriage, weddings, and behavior have changed through the years. While the women who were the focus of three of the stories really got on my nerves, they still seemed quite real. Kate was exhausting though - constantly on her moral high horse. The man, James, in the other story seemed sweet though fairly misguided at times. I loved how the one diamond ring managed to cross through all the stories as well. Scary look too at how advertising really can change the world whether we know it or not.

Catching up on your 2013 thread at least (still need to get over to 2014). So sorry to hear about your dog. Hopefully seeing your user name now brings fond memories. I have all sorts of passwords with my childhood dog's name. Soon after she died I was asked my password at the bank and almost started crying, but now it is just a nice reminder of her.

Book bullet with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Reading a book during that time and set in Chechyna sounds interesting and I can fit it into my Plane Trip category next year.

Alicia - Hope you enjoy A Constellation of Vital Phenomena when you get to it next month. The writing style took me a while to get used to but once I did, I really enjoyed it. Well, as much as you can enjoy a book about horrible conditions and appalling war time behavior.

I do find that seeing my dog's name as part of my user name does make me smile. My other dog, Little, is still around so she helps as well.

October Recap

Eight books finished during the month - only three more to go to complete the challenge, two of which I should definitely finish in November - Watership Down and Don't Quit Your Day Job. If I can squeeze Alias Grace into November, I'll officially be done. Lots of other books keep distracting me though - fun problem to have.

Book #99

Book: The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Non-fiction/Biography

I wasn't expecting to learn quite as much as I did when I picked up this book for my latest book club read. I thought it would be quite outdated (it was a bit but not as much as I had thought) and possibly lame. Instead, I find that while women have made great strides, it seems that there is still some forces at work that would encourage a return to some form of the feminine mystique. Found it fascinating that there had been a feminist movement at the beginning of the 20th century that was essentially squashed. While I don't agree with all of her reasonings related to why this happened, it was still an interesting read.

Book #100

Book: Don't Quit Your Day Job by Sonny Brewer
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Christmas gifts

This was an unexpectedly delightful read. I received this book a few years ago as a Christmas gift and while I was interested in the topic, just never picked up the book until now. So very sorry that I didn't read this sooner. Great stories from a variety of Southern authors regarding some of their non-writing jobs. I had only heard of a couple of these authors before (John Grisham, Pat Conroy, Winston Groom), but now I intend to read something by all the other authors.

Book #101

Book: Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Book Club

Nice short read that I enjoyed overall. Sadly, it being a short read probably contributed to some of the factors that held me back from loving it. There wasn't enough discussion of the Jane Austen books and I never really felt like the reader got to know the members of the book club particularly well. I'm also still a bit confused as to who the narrator was. That being said, the characters were interesting and I do love Jane Austen books so it was a nice way to spend a few hours.

Book #102

Book: The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Book Club

Sigh. I really wanted to like this book more since it came highly recommended by another book club member. The premise was interesting - Noa is a woman on death row for killing another woman, Sarah. Months before the execution date, Sarah's mother starts to visit Noa presumably with the idea to help Noa receive clemency. Told through lots of flashbacks, the story of how Noa comes to be on death row is revealed. My main problem with the book is that none of the characters are particularly believable and their actions just don't ring true. I just found myself becoming irritated with everyone and really didn't care how the book ended. It will be interesting to see what others in the club think about the book.

I wanted to like Jane Austen Book Club so much more than I did - I sometimes got the feeling that the characters were just there to say things that the author felt about Austen. Great premise, though.

The Execution of Noa P. Singleton may well be the worst book I've read this year -- and there were a few stinkers.

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena will be informative, I'm definetly looking forward reading it. Don't Quit Your Day Job seems like a fun read, on the BB.

Eva - agreed. It could have been so much more. It's one of those books where the movie version is probably a better way to go even though the book itself was okay.

Kay - I was on the lookout for all those "wonderful" quotes you mentioned in your review. Had a nice chuckle when I found some of them. My reading style is one where I tend to skim over passages that lack action so I didn't catch all of them which might be for the best. Definitely not one of my better reading experiences this year.

Electrice - Both of those were quite enjoyable though for different reasons. Definitely recommend both though I would caution that it may take a few pages to adapt to the writing in A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Definitely required some concentration.

Book #103

Book: Watership Down by Richard Adams
Rating: 4 stars
Category: 1970's

My very sweet mother-in-law gave me her personal copy of this book as a Christmas gift last year. She said it was one of her favorite books and now I can see why. Such a lovely story. Yes, I know it's about rabbits, but it's about much more than that. It's about friendship, leadership, and courage. Most of the rabbits have very distinct personalities, from the larger than life Bigwig, steady Hazel, storytelling Dandelion, problem solver Blackberry to Fiver - the psychic bunny who starts the whole adventure. In their quest to flee the men who want to destroy their warren, they face quite an assortment of adventures which test their resolve and abilities. Loved the sly humor that was really almost too subtle at times. Definitely would recommend.

One more book to go!!! Surely I can finish Alias Grace between now and the end of December.

YES! You can do it! :)

I am glad that you loved Watership Down, I think it's a lovely book. I reqcquainted myself with it last year when my grandson read it. His teacher called it a modern day classic and I certainly agree with that.

Oh, you are so close to the end - way to go!

Book #104

Book: Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Jut Because

A lovely collection of poems written about some of the dogs Mary Oliver was fortunate to share her life with. For dog lovers, there is something in almost all of the poems that you can relate to your own dogs.

Book #105

Book: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Non-fiction

I must admit that I had no intention of reading this book until it was selected as a read for one of my book clubs. Unexpectedly, this book really touched something in me and made me wish that it had been published 15-20 years ago when I really could have used most of this advice. The points are still very relevant and can be used mid-career. Highly recommended.

Book #106

Book: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Rating: 3 stars
Category: 1001 Books to Read

This was an interesting fictionalized look at a real life convicted murderess name Grace Marks. During the mid-1800's, Grace and James McDermott were convicted for the brutal murders of their employer and his housekeeper/mistress. Due to her young age, 16 at the time of the arrest, and other factors there is some doubt as to whether she was actively involved or just an innocent bystander. Atwood takes us on a journey as Dr. Simon Jordan attempts to get at the truth by talking with Grace and having her tell the story of how she came to be in jail. My favorite parts of the story were the ones told from Grace's point of view. Her outlook was intriguing and you could never get comfortable that what she was telling was the truth. Dr. Jordan comes across as well meaning but a complete mess when it comes to his personal life. The ending wasn't as satisfactory as I would have liked but then again, it probably couldn't be since the whole story is based on one interpretation of what could have happened.

And with that I have officially read the minimum required for each of my categories!!! Happy dance. I'll continue to read and update this thread as I still have the December alpha and random challenges to complete. Plus, I won't start the 2014 challenge until January 1st.

Congratulations on finishing! It's an accomplishment. Will you continue to post here until the new year?

Thanks! Yes, I'll continue to post here as I like to keep track of all my books for one year in one spot regardless of whether it's challenge related or not.

Good job! Well done!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge!

Hurray, congratulations on finishing! :D

Congrats on finishing!! And with time to spare for bonus reads - well done!

Congrats on completing your challenge!

Congratulations. Now you can relax and enjoy some "free" reading until year's end.

Thank you everyone! It is kind of nice to read without worrying if it will fit a category or not.

Book #107

Book: Dallas Noir by David Hale Smith
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Mysteries/Thrillers

I'm fairly sure that in general I'm not a huge fan of noir books as they are full of really depressing people doing all the wrong things. On the other hand I do enjoy reading books set in Dallas since that is where I live and it's always fun to see how the city is depicted. That brings me to this review - this is a collection of short stories set in various neighborhoods within the city. Some of these stories were really enjoyable and I found myself chuckling as I recognized the situations, part of the city, or types of people described. My favorites were Hole-Man, The Realtor, In the Air, Like Kissing Your Sister, An Angel from Heaven, and Coincidences Can Kill You. There were also some stories included that just didn't work for me. One other quibble is with how noir is or isn't defined here. I've always viewed it as a genre within the mystery realm with a crime occurring with some shady characters involved. Some of these stories didn't have any crime in them and the characters weren't shady, just pathetic.

Book #108

Book: First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Non-fiction

Even though I have read a few books about Abigail and John, I am still amazed at what a wonderful relationship they had in spite of the enormous difficulties they faced. The fact that they didn't see each other for almost four years and had to rely solely on letters must have been challenging. Fortunately for posterity the letters survived providing great insight into the politics of the time as well as their personal lives. They obviously loved each other very much and their flirtatious comments were cute. This book provided a nice balance between their personal lives and the political situations being faced.

Book #109

Book: Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Mystery/Thriller

Finally, another installment in the Rev. Clare/Chief Russ series and it was worth the wait. This was a fast paced, action packed story that takes place over a few days. The main story surrounds a missing girl who has been kidnapped and doesn't have her medication to help her immune system after her liver transplant. Without the medicine she will die, hence the urgency that prevails throughout the book. Throw in some meth dealers, the feds, a crazy ice storm, and Oscar the dog and you have quite a story. Besides continuing to follow Clare and Russ, Kevin Flynn and Hadley Knox are still working through their on again/off again relationship. I'm not completely happy with how this book ended or with some of the character revelations that came to light during this book. Somehow I felt that we would have known more of Hadley's back story before now. It will be interesting to see where the next book in the series takes us.

November Recap

Finished 11 books this month which is more than I thought I'd be able to do. Officially wrapped up the challenge too which is nice - leaves time for reading whatever I wish. So many good books this past month too - hard to pick a favorite.

Book #110

Book: The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow
Rating: 3 stars
Category: ROOT

The story of eleven young girls and the women they become and the incredible fact that they are still such close friends today. I enjoyed getting to know most of the girls but felt that some weren't given enough attention, which may have been by their choice. The book is a bit uneven in parts and repetitive at times. However, I still liked the message of how friendships are really the thing that can keep us sane when life sometimes is a bit too much to handle.

Book #111

Book: The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Fiction

This is the third book I've read by Lahiri this year and I wonder if that is impacting how I feel about this book. The book starts out with two brothers growing up together in India during a rather turbulent time. One becomes active in the revolution and the other leaves for America to pursue his education. What results from their decisions can be at times heartbreaking but over time becomes a bit convoluted. Lahiri's method of advancing characters by years within one chapter comes into play here and while I found it effective in The Namesake, it didn't work as well here as you really lost a sense of who the people had become. So while I still enjoyed it, I just didn't love it like I did her previous books.

I've heard a few times that Lahiri's short stories are stronger than her novels.

That's what I've heard too. I need to read Unaccustomed Earth to make a fair comparison. Two short story collections versus two novels.

I will second/third that. Her short stories are wonderful. I liked The Lowland but agree, it's her weakest one so far.

Book #112

Book: Inferno by Dan Brown
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Mystery/Thriller

If you are a fan of Dan Brown's novels you will like this latest installment, if you're not a fan then don't bother. As usual this was a fast paced quick read with symbols and clues that can only be interpreted by Robert Langdon. The theme of this book is Dante's Inferno. Really made me want to read The Divine Comedy so that I could better understand some of the symbols. It also poses the question - what should we as a society do to prevent Earth from becoming overcrowded too soon. The solutions while shocking were thought provoking. There are the standard twists that one expects from a Dan Brown novel. Not a bad way to spend a winter afternoon.

Book #113

Book: Life Itself by Roger Ebert
Rating: 3 stars
Category: ROOTS

Interesting if slightly uneven memoir by Rober Ebert. It's not a straight biography really, more of a collection of little short chapters about various aspects of his life. If you're looking for a book with deep insight into movies you should look elsewhere. If you are wanting to know more about the all too human face behind half of Siskel & Ebert then this is the book for you.

I liked the first two Langdon-books, but number three made me decide not to try him again, unfortunately. Glad you enjoyed Inferno, though.

Catching up on my year-end reading posts. The following six books were read for one of my book clubs. We each nominated a favorite childhood book for other to read. I decided to read all the nominated books.

Book #114 - The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene
Rating: 3 stars

What can I say? It's Nancy Drew so therefore I enjoyed it. Strange to read it as an adult since the mystery seemed so obvious but still a fun trip down memory lane.

Book #115 - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Rating: 4 stars

What a fun book! I had never heard of this series but love the concept of there being children of the various gods from Greek mythology who have special powers and end up in a camp. The mission to return Zues' lightning bolt is filled with lots of challenges for young Percy and friends. Might end up reading more in this series.

Book #116 - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Rating: 5 stars

Seriously - how did I manage to escape childhood without reading this book? Wonderful story!

Book #117 - The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Rating: 5 stars

Another one I can't believe that I had never read. Absolutely loved, loved, loved this tale of Milo's adventures into the world of words and numbers. Will read this again every few years.

Book #118 - The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
Rating: 4 stars

At first I was surprised at how dark and intense this book was but then settled in and enjoyed the story of Black and his friendship with Alec. I've always loved horses and horse racing so this was definitely up my alley.

Book #119 - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Rating: 5 stars

Yet another book that I can't believe that I've never read. Mary is quite difficult to like at the beginning of this book which makes it so much fun to see her grow as a person. A good book with a good message. A little hard to believe the adults could be so clueless but I suppose that is part of the fun of a children's book.

Book #120 - The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Just Because

I just can't help but enjoy a JoJo Moyes book - this is the third one I've read and I always find myself caught up in the story even if there are times my brain is saying that the coincidences are a bit much. It just doesn't matter at that point. This time I was carried away by two stories - one involving Sophie, a French woman enduring the best she can during WWI. Her husband, an artist, is away fighting and the Germans have occupied her small town. At the heart of her story is the portrait of Sophie that her husband had painted which has now caught the eye of the German commander. Fast forward almost a hundred years and this portrait has ended up with Liv, a young widow. Besides the romantic aspect to this story, it made me think about who rightfully owns a picture and the sacrifices that we all make sometime to survive.

Book #121 - Edwin of the Iron Shoes by Marcia Muller
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Mysteries/Thrillers

Read this book since Marcia Muller is going to be a guest of honor at the Left Coast Crime convention that I'm attending in March and I've never read any of her books. Billed a one of the first hard-boiled female detective series it lived up to expectations. I enjoyed the character and the story even if it is a bit dated. Look forward to reading more by her going forward.

Book #122 - Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Christmas gifts

What a fun book to read during the holidays! I would recommend reading one a day so that it doesn't become tiresome. Each story is set at Christmas time and involves the Mysterious Bookshop in some fashion. All were written by various established mystery authors who were sought out by the owner of the store, Otto Penzler, for their contributions.

Great year-end post of reading and "wow" for 122 books read!

Keeping Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop in mind for next year! ;)

Love your reviews of the children's books! I have never read The Phantom Tollbooth either, but I'm definitely going to remedy that in 2014!