cindystark - and the nightstand is still full.....

Here I am - back for year #2 and already through one book. Michigan winters are excellent for reading :) Perhaps this year I can make more of a dent in my "someday I'll read this" pile on (and under) the nightstand...

#1 - small great things by Jodi Picoult -- classic Picoult with more adult than YA this time around. Great way to start the new year - thought provoking and sharply written. This one will be a recommendation for my book club.

#2 - Gulp by Mary Roach -- not as good as Stiff, and probably not the best choice during the days of holiday feasting, but interesting and a good discussion book

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

Happy reading in 2017, Cindy!

Welcome back!

3 - Look Again by Lisa Scottoline - this one was much better than expected. Will have to search out more of her novels (and sadly, add to the nightstand stack...)

4 - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance -- this should be required reading for every college Sociology class out there, but it's not too text-book-y for everyone else as well. Great read

5 - Called Again by Jennifer Pharr Davis -- really lovely, the true story of a woman's quest to set the hiking record on the Appalachian Trail

6 - Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg -- Elizabeth Berg never disappoints, lovely writing

7 - Z: a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler -- fascinating and fun to read, can't wait to binge watch the tv series now!

8 - Carol (The Price of Salt) by Patricia Highsmith -- interesting and I'm sure groundbreaking when it was originally published in 1952

9 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty -- quick to read, even with a dark undertone

10 - The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler -- strangely good

11 - Nickel and Dime by Barbara Ehrenreich -- one of those books that you're 'supposed' to read - perhaps it's just a little too dated at this point to be great? Interesting read, tho

12 - The Dog Who Saved Me by Susan Wilson -- sweet and satisfying

13 - The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg -- not my favorite EB book, kind of a surprise here. Characters aren't very likable, dialogue is strained. Not terrible, just not a favorite one to keep on the bookshelf for a re-read

14 -- The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield -- I'm not a golfer, so much of the golf writing was over my head, but a surprisingly good read. Interested to see the move now, as I've heard its just as good, but quite different.

15 - I'd Know You Anywhere by Lara Lippman -- chillingly good

16 - healer by Carol Cassella -- lovely writing.

17 - Disaster Falls by Stephane Gerson -- heartbreakingly raw and real and visceral.

18 - Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale -- a little more "chick lit" than I usually read, but this was pretty good

19 - Ma Speaks Up by Marianne Leone -- received this as part of the Early Reviewer program; thought this one was fantastic. Leone has a sharp and sarcastic voice as she tells the tragically funny story of growing up with her immigrant Italian mama

20 - Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams -- coming right on the heels of my Peru trip, this book was a joy to read. It added elements to the tour guide's presentation at MP, raised some interesting questions about the explorer Hiram Bingham who "discovered" MP, and was just the right amount of travelogue / adventure novel for this non-adventurous traveler

21 - The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak -- what a surprise. This one was given to me by a friend who confessed to never finishing it. I had low expectations, but was looking for something different to read. Could not have been more pleasantly surprised, and now I'm looking forward to Shafak's other novels

22 - A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline -- while I was not a huge fan of Orphan Train, this new novel by CBK has me hoping she never stops writing. Might be my favorite book this year

23 - Whiskey and Charlie by Annabel Smith -- picked up a battered copy of this from the free book pile at the library. What a find. Loved it.

24 - The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish -- not quite my proverbial cup of tea. Good premise, but a lot more about the women's friendship and a lot less sex and it might have been better.

25 - Never Change by Elizabeth Berg -- back in the EB Fan Club after this one. Lovely

26 - After the Funeral by Agatha Christie -- it's been a long time since I read a Christie novel - she never disappoints

27 - True Colors by Kristin Hannah -- Hannah is always a good beach read, this one is no exception

28 - All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson -- while I really wanted to like this book, this one never really came together. Feng is only one in an entire book of extremely unlikable characters. This one won't be recommended to my book club, sadly

29 - Minding Ben by Victoria Brown -- although not a perfect book, Grace is a very likable character thrown into an almost impossible situation; loved that much of the book is autobiographical, including the entire airport scene

30 - What the Family Needed by Steven Amsterdam -- weird and kind of wonderful; not at all what I expected. Now to find his first novel!

31 - Mission Flats by William Landay -- way out of my comfort zone with this one -- a murder mystery, crime thriller that turned out to be quite thrilling

32 - Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult -- not my favorite JP novel. Chronology style got to be really irritating, and characters just weren't that likable. Found it hard to root for any of them!

33 - Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt -- a quick whodunit, good beach read

34 - Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman -- a sweet, simple story from start to finish

35 - A Surgeon in the Village by Tony Bartelme -- exceptional. One of the best books I've read this year, and definitely one to recommend.

36 - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood -- this one has been on my shelf for ages. Why did I wait so long to read it?? Chilling and disturbing and so well written.

37 - The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick -- this one did not work for me. Strangely written, unlikable characters, strange ending. This is a classic, but I just didn't get it.

38 - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -- Wow. How I wish I'd read this one long ago.

39 - Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult -- back to standard JP, a much better read than Songs of the Humpback Whale

40 - Because of Mr Terupt by Rob Buyea -- a young reader's book that turned out to be really lovely; this will be one to pass along

41 - The Associate by John Grisham -- good ol' Grisham never disappoints

42 - The Whistler by John Grisham -- on a Grisham kick at the moment -- loved this one

45 - Revenge of the Paste Eaters by Cheryl Peck -- quirky

46 - The Company You Keep by Neil Gordon -- fantastic twists and turns

47 - The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton -- the first of several Hamilton books on my stack - what a wonderful way to be introduced to her. Sad and wistful

48 - The Time Between by Karen White -- excellent read, great characters and plot line

49 - Another Woman's Daughter by Fiona Sussman -- wow. This one goes on the Book Club list for certain

50 - Class Mom by Laurie Gelman -- funny and snarky

51 - The Other Side of the River by Alex Kotlowitz -- another one for the Book Club - this one will provoke a discussion

52 - The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks -- sweet and sentimental and satisfying

53 - Next by Michael Crichton -- this one was supposed to be chilling and spectacular, according to the cover. Found it overdone and silly, and the constant interruptions with "news stories" were just plain irritating. Sorry, Mr Crichton, this one was a miss.

54 - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn -- creepy and chilling and not a good one for bedtime

55 - Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario -- a little dated (2009) with the data, but wow. Just wow.

56 - A Marker to Measure Drift by Alexander Mask -- loved this. Wasn't sure where it was going at first, but it all came together by the end.

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

57 - The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks - what you'd expect from a Nicholas Sparks novel. Nothing memorable, nothing controversial.

58 - Just Breathe by Susan Wings - a bit of a surprise. Expected this one to be too chick-lit-y based on the person who recommended it, but it turned out to be a nice story

59 - Sweater Quest, My Year of Knitting Dangerously by Adrienne Martini -- this was actually quite sweet. I'm not a knitter, but that wasn't a hindrance. Breezy writing style with just a bit of snark mixed in with the knitting jargon

Well, didn't quite make it, but looking forward to next year's challenge!