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Cindy/LibraryCin's 2017 Challenges
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LibraryCin
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Jan 01, 2017 10:04PM
Finally posting my challenges for 2017...
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1. Play Book Tag1. A Man Called Ove / Fredrik Backman. 3 stars
2. Watermelon / Marian Keyes. 3.5 stars
3. Scarlet Feather / Maeve Binchy. 3.5 stars
4. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David Mitchell. 2.25 stars
5. Tsunami: The Newfoundland Tidal Wave Disaster / Maura Hanrahan. 4 stars
6. Shotgun Lovesongs / Nickolas Butler. 4 stars
7. The Skeleton Tree / Iain Lawrence. 4 stars
8. Catacombs / Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. 3 stars
9. Eleanor & Park / Rainbow Rowell. 4 stars
10. One Perfect Lie / Lisa Scottoline. 4 stars
11. I See Rude People / Amy Alkon. 4 stars
12. The Water is Wide / Pat Conroy. 4 stars
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13. Meat / Joseph D'Lacey. 3.5 stars
2. CAT Challenges1. Their Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston. 2.5 stars
2. Miracle Cure / Harlan Coben. 3.5 stars
3. Naked in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
4. The Romanov Sisters / Helen Rappaport. 4 stars
5. Boy, Snow, Bird / Helen Oyeyemi. 3 stars
6. Real Murders / Charlaine Harris. 3 stars
7. Mudbound / Hillary Jordan. 4.5 stars
8. Why New Orleans Matters / Tom Piazza. 3.5 stars
9. A Deadly Yarn / Maggie Sefton. 3 stars
10. Skippy Dies / Paul Murray. 3 stars
11. A World Elsewhere / Wayne Johnston. 3 stars
12. Love Walked In / Marisa de los Santos. 3.5 stars
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13. The Hero's Walk / Anita Rau Badami. 3.5 stars
14. The Snow Queen and Other Tales / Hans Christian Anderson. 2.25 stars
3. Mystery Subgenre1. Death in the Air / Shane Peacock. 3.5 stars
2. Trust Your Eyes / Linwood Barclay. 4 stars
3. A Stolen Life / Jaycee Dugard. 4 stars
4. Murder at the Vicarage / Agatha Christie. 4 stars
5. Faithful Place / Tana French. 4.25 stars
6. Blood Bound / Patricia Briggs. 4 stars
7. The Secret History / Donna Tartt. 3 stars
8. Eye of the Whale / Douglas Carlton Abrams. 4 stars
9. I'd Know You Anywhere / Laura Lippman. 4 stars
10. The Watchman / Robert Crais. 3.5 stars
11. Her Royal Spyness / Rhys Bowen. 3.5 stars
12. Glory in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
4. Oh Canada! (Canadian Authors)1. Bone and Bread / Saleema Nawaz. 3.5 stars
2. February / Lisa Moore. 2.5 stars
3. The Winter Palace / Eva Stachniak. 3.5 stars
4. Birdie / Tracey Lindberg. 2 stars
5. The Mystery of Grace / Charles de Lint. 4 stars
6. Lives of Girls and Women / Alice Munro. 3 stars
7. I'll Be Watching You / Charles de Lint (Samuel Key). 4.5 stars
8. Cool Water / Dianne Warren. 4 stars
9. As Seen on TV / Sarah Mlynowski. 3.75 stars
10. The Dark and Other Love Stories / Deborah Willis. 3.5 stars
11. Station Eleven / Emily St. John Mandel. 3.5 stars
12. The Heart Goes Last / Margaret Atwood. 4 stars
5. Trim the TBR (On TBR 2+ years)1. On Thin Ice / Richard Ellis. 3.5 stars
2. Living Oprah / Robyn Okrant. 3.5 stars
3. Intensity / Dean Koontz. 5 stars
4. Schooled / Gordon Korman. 4 stars
5. First Test / Tamora Pierce. 3.5 stars
6. Curtains of Blood / Robert Randisi. 3.5 stars
7. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan / Sophie Kinsella. 3.5 stars
8. Dying Inside / Robert Silverberg. 3 stars
9. Wicked Girls / Stephanie Hemphill. 2.5 stars
10. The Good Father / Diane Chamberlain. 3 stars
11. The Manhattan Hunt Club / John Saul. 4 stars
12. The Thistle and the Rose / Jean Plaidy. 4 stars
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13. The Queen's Mistake / Diane Haeger. 3.5 stars
14. The Guinea Pig Diaries / A.J. Jacobs. 3.5 stars
6. Will it Ever End? (Continuing Series)1. Palace of Stone / Shannon Hale. 3.25 stars
2. The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle. 3.75 stars
3. Still Life With Crows / Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child. 4 stars
4. Secondhand Souls / Christopher Moore. 3 stars
5. Son / Lois Lowry. 4 stars
6. The River / Gary Paulsen. 4 stars
7. Drums of Autumn / Diana Gabaldon. 4 stars
8. The Game of Silence / Louise Erdrich. 3.5 stars
9. Unsouled / Neal Shusterman. 3.5 stars
10. 7th Heaven / James Patterson. 3.25 stars
11. The Girl in the Spider's Web / David Lagercrantz. 2.5 stars
12. Ripley's Game / Patricia Highsmith. 3.5 stars
7. Off the Shelf (Print or E- Books I Own)1. Three Maids for a Crown / Ella March Chase. 4 stars
2. Little Girl Blue / Randy L. Schmidt. 4 stars
3. On the Banks of Plum Creek / Laura Ingalls-Wilder. 4 stars
4. The Snow Child / Eowyn Ivey. 4 stars
5. Catherine de Medici / Leonie Frieda. 3.75 stars
6. The Girl on the Train / Paula Hawkins. 4 stars
7. Fierce Kingdom / Gin Phillips. 4.5 stars
8. Orange is the New Black / Piper Kerman. 4 stars
9. Little Bee / Chris Cleve. 3.5 stars
10. The Storied Life of AJ Fikry / Gabrielle Zevin. 4 stars
11. Plainsong / Nancy Huston. 3 stars
12. Road Trip Rwanda / Will Ferguson. 4 stars
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13. Welcome Home / Nathan & Jennifer Winograd. 3 stars
8. Audio Books1. The World's Strongest Librarian / Josh Hanagarne. 4 stars
2. Until I Say Goodbye / Susan Spencer-Wendel. 3.5 stars
3. Copper Sun / Sharon M. Draper. 3.5 stars
4. Someone Else's Love Story /Joshilyn Jackson. 3.5 stars
5. The Underground Railroad / Colson Whitehead. 2 stars
6. Secrets of Eden / Chris Bohjalian. 3.75 stars
7. The Girl on Legare Street / Karen White. 3 stars
8. Telex from Cuba / Rachel Kushner. 2.5 stars
9. The Nobodies Album / Carolyn Parkhurst. 3.5 stars
10. The Ice Limit / Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. 2 stars
11. Not My Father's Son / Alan Cumming. 4 stars
12. IT / Stephen King. 4.75 stars
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13. 703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life / Nancy Makin. 3 stars
14. The Girls / Emma Cline. 3 stars
9. I'll Travel Virtually (Books Set in Other Countries - not Canada or USA)1. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell / Nadia Hashimi. 4.5 stars
2. The Nightingale / Kristin Hannah. 4.5 stars
3. The Secret Keeper / Kate Morton. 3.75 stars
4. Maid in the King's Court / Lucy Worsley. 4 stars
5. The Shattering / Karen Healey. 3.5 stars
6. The Perfect Royal Mistress / Diane Haeger. 4 stars
7. Rebel Queen / Michelle Moran. 3.5 stars
8. The Lady and the Unicorn / Tracy Chevalier. 3.5 stars
9. The Fear / Peter Godwin. 3 stars
10. A House in the Sky / Amanda Lindhout. 4.25 stars
11. City of Thieves / David Benioff. 3 stars
12. The Last Battle / Stephen Harding. 3.5 stars
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13. Raven Black / Ann Cleves. 3.5 stars
14. The Medievalist / Anne-Marie Lacy. 4 stars
10. Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! (Animals)1. Scent of the Missing / Susannah Charleson. 4 stars
2. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves / Karen Joy Fowler. 4 stars
3. Through a Window / Jane Goodall. 4.5 stars
4. A Big Little Life / Dean Koontz. 4 stars
5. Rest in Pieces / Rita Mae Brown. 3.25 stars
6. Let's Pretend This Never Happened / Jenny Lawson. 4 stars
7. Skinny Bitch / Rory Freedman, Kim Barnouin. 3 stars
8. Native Tongue / Carl Hiaasen. 3.75 stars
9. Scarecrow / Alyssa Wong. 3.5 stars
10. Jerry of the Islands / Jack London. 3 stars
11. The Elephant Whisperer / Lawrence Anthony. 4.5 stars
12. H is for Hawk / Helen Macdonald. 3 stars
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13. Ranch of Dreams / Cleveland Amory. 4 stars
11. Truth is Stranger than Fiction (Nonfiction)1. My Stroke of Insight / Jill Bolte Taylor. 4 stars
2. 84, Charing Cross Road / Helene Hanff. 3 stars
3. Voyagers of the Titanic / Richard Davenport-Hines. 3.5 stars
4. They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children / Romeo Dallaire. 3.5 stars
5. Into Thin Air / Jon Krakauer. 5 stars
6. Your Water Footprint / Stephen Leahy. 4 stars
7. Savage Girls and Wild Boys / Michael Newton. 2.5 stars
8. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic / Alison Bechdel. 4 stars
9. Man Vs. Weather / Dennis DiClaudio. 3.5 stars
10. My Story / Elizabeth Smart. 4 stars
11. Hidden Figures / Margot Lee Shetterly. 3.25 stars
12. Born a Crime / Trevor Noah. 4 stars
___________________________________________________
13. The Fossil Hunter / Shelley Emling. 4 stars
12. KIT Challenges1. Exquisite Corpse / Mark Nelson, Sarah Hudson Bayliss. 3 stars
2. Locke & Key. Vol. 4. Keys to the Kingdom / Joe Hill. 3.5 stars
3. Mindless Eating / Brian Wansink. 3.5 stars
4. A Stir of Echoes / Richard Matheson. 4 stars
5. Fatal Vision / Joe McGinniss. 4 stars
6. The Truth About Catalogers / Will Manley. 3 stars
7. Hell House / Richard Matheson. 3.5 stars
8. The Sandman. Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes / Neil Gaiman. 3.5 stars
9. The Book of Speculation / Erika Swyler. 3 stars
10. One Good Knight / Mercedes Lackey. 3 stars
11. Victoria's Castles / Paul. G. Chamberlain. 3.5 stars
12. The Sleeper and the Spindle / Neil Gaiman. 3.5 stars
_____________________________________________________
13. Once We Were Brothers / Ronald H. Balson. 4 stars
13. Overflow1. Irina's Story / Jim Williams. 3 stars.
2. Still Life With Bread Crumbs / Anna Quindlen. 3.5 stars
3. Blue Dahlia / Nora Roberts. 3.5 stars
4. The Last Juror / John Grisham. 4 stars
BingoDOGA satire: Secondhand Souls / Christopher Moore. 3 stars
Set in a country you've never been to: The Pearl That Broke Its Shell / Nadia Hashimi. 4.5 stars
Color in the title: Copper Sun / Sharon M. Draper. 3.5 stars
Set in a place you want to visit: Three Maids for a Crown / Ella March Chase. 4 stars
One-word title: Watermelon / Marian Keyes. 3.5 stars
Author uses initials: Naked in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
Appeals to the senses: Mindless Eating / Brian Wansink. 3.5 stars
Published in the 1940s-1960s. A Stir of Echoes / Richard Matheson. 4 stars
Made into a movie. Fatal Vision / Joe McGinniss. 4 stars
Collection of short stories. The Dark and Other Love Stories / Deborah Willis. 3.5 stars
Book about books: The World's Strongest Librarian / Josh Hanagarne. 4 stars
Title refers to another literary work. Little Girl Blue / Randy L. Schmidt. 4 stars
Author shares your first and last initials. The Underground Railroad / Colson Whitehead. 2 stars
Owned for more than 5 years: Exquisite Corpse / Mark Nelson, Sarah Hudson Bayliss. 3 stars
Science-related. My Stroke of Insight / Jill Bolte Taylor. 4 stars
Author was born in 1930s. Lives of Girls and Women / Alice Munro. 3 stars
Author abroad. A Man Called Ove / Fredrik Backman. 3 stars
Author born/book published in 1917. Jerry of the Islands / Jack London. 3. stars
Debut work. Until I Say Goodbye / Susan Spencer-Wendel. 3.5 stars
About an animal/animal in title. Scent of the Missing / Susannah Charleson. 4 stars
Place name in title. On the Banks of Plum Creek / Laura Ingalls-Wilder. 4 stars
Set in a beach community/resort. The Shattering / Karen Healey. 3.5 stars
Set in a time before you were born. Death in the Air / Shane Peacock. 3.5 stars
Next book in a series you've started. Palace of Stone / Shannon Hale. 3.25 stars
Read a CAT. Their Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston. 2.5 stars
CATWoman:January: Classics by Women
- Their Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston. 2.5 stars
- 84, Charing Cross Road / Helene Hanff
Februrary: Debut Books
- Until I Say Goodbye / Susan Spencer-Wendel. 3.5 stars
- Watermelon / Marian Keyes. 3.5 stars
March: Genres
- The Winter Palace / Eva Stachniak. 3.5 stars
- Naked in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
- Copper Sun / Sharon M. Draper. 3.5 stars
April: Biography/Autobiography
- The Romanov Sisters / Helen Rappaport. 4 stars
- Catherine de Medici / Leonie Frieda. 3.75 stars
May: Women in the Arts
- The Shattering / Karen Healey. 3.5 stars
- The Perfect Royal Mistress / Diane Haeger. 4 stars
June: Professional Women
- Through a Window / Jane Goodall. 4.5 stars
- Real Murders / Charlaine Harris. 3 stars
- Shopaholic Takes Manhattan / Sophie Kinsella. 3.5 stars
July: Women of Colour
- The Game of Silence / Louise Erdrich. 3.5 stars
August: Nonfiction, Historical Ficiton
- Orange is the New Black / Piper Kerman. 4 stars
- The Lady and the Unicorn / Tracy Chevalier. 3.5 stars
- Wicked Girls / Stephanie Hemphill. 2.5 stars
September: Children's Lit/YA/Graphic Novels
- Eleanor & Park / Rainbow Rowell. 4 stars
October: Regional Reading
- Plainsong / Nancy Huston. 3 stars
November: Feminist and LGBTQ
- Ripley's Game / Patricia Highsmith. 3.5 stars
December: Modern Novels (post 1960)
- The Hero's Walk / Anita Rau Badami. 3.5 stars
- Raven Black / Ann Cleves. 3.5 stars
- Glory in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
- The Medievalist / Anne-Marie Lacy. 4 stars
- The Girls / Emma Cline. 3 stars
AwardsCAT:January: Costa Award, Best Books
- Bone and Bread / Saleema Nawaz. 3.5 stars
February: Canada Reads, Tournament of Books
- February / Lisa Moore. 2.5 stars
March: Caldecott, Newbery
- On the Banks of Plum Creek / Laura Ingalls-Wilder. 4 stars
April: Pulitzer Prize, International Dublin Award
- The Snow Child / Eowyn Ivey. 4 stars
May: Man Booker International, Edgar Awards
- Faithful Place / Tana French. 4.25 stars
- Lives of Girls and Women / Alice Munro. 3 stars
June: PEN, National Book Award
- We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves / Karen Joy Fowler. 4 stars
July: Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction, any Sci-Fi/Fantasy Award
- Dying Inside / Robert Silverberg. 3 stars
August: Stonewall Book Award, Miles Franklin Literary Award
- Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic / Alison Bechdel. 4 stars
September: Man Booker, O. Henry
- Skippy Dies / Paul Murray. 3 stars
October: Giller, Nobel
- A World Elsewhere / Wayne Johnston. 3 stars
November: Local Awards
- Road Trip Rwanda / Will Ferguson. 4 stars
December: International Awards
- Raven Black / Ann Cleves. 3.5 stars
CultureCAT:January: Ethics in Science and Technology
1. My Stroke of Insight / Jill Bolte Taylor. 4 stars
February: Public Health and Medicine
- Miracle Cure / Harlan Coben. 3.5 stars
- Until I Say Goodbye / Susan Spencer-Wendel. 3.5 stars
- Mindless Eating / Brian Wansink. 3.5 stars
March: Cultural Diversity
- Birdie / Tracey Lindberg. 2 stars
April: Religious Diversity
- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David de Zoet. 2.25 stars
May: Gender Equality
- First Test / Tamora Pierce. 3.5 stars
- Boy, Snow, Bird / Helen Oyeyemi. 3. stars
June: Environment/Conservation
- Your Water Footprint / Stephen Leahy. 4 stars
- Through a Window / Jane Goodall. 4.5 stars
July: Violence, Crime, Justice
- Mudbound / Hillary Jordan. 4.5 stars
August: Natural Disasters
- Why New Orleans Matters / Tom Piazza. 3.5 stars
September: Journalism and the Arts
- Little Bee / Chris Cleve. 3.5 stars
- The Fear / Peter Godwin. 3 stars
- A House in the Sky / Amanda Lindhout. 4.25 stars
October: Poverty
- A World Elsewhere / Wayne Johnston. 3 stars
- City of Thieves / David Benioff. 3 stars
- Plainsong / Nancy Huston. 3 stars
November: Conflict and War
- The Last Battle / Stephen Harding. 3.5 stars
December: Cultural Flow and Immigration
- The Hero's Walk / Anita Rau Badami. 3.5 stars
RandomCAT:January: Search and Rescue
- Scent of the Missing / Susannah Charleson. 4 stars
February: Mine, Yours and Ours
- Trust Your Eyes / Linwood Barclay. 4 stars
March: Luck 'o the Irish
- Scarlet Feather / Maeve Binchy. 3.5 stars
April: Love in the Stacks (library books)
- Schooled / Gordon Korman. 4 stars
- Secondhand Souls / Christopher Moore. 3 stars
- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David Mitchell. 2.25 stars
- They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children / Romeo Dallaire. 3.5 stars
- The Romanov Sisters / Helen Rappaport. 4 stars
- Murder at the Vicarage / Agatha Christie. 4 stars
May: All About Mom
- Boy, Snow, Bird / Helen Oyeyemi. 3 stars
- Lives of Girls and Women / Alice Munro. 3 stars
- Secrets of Eden / Chris Bohjalian. 3.75 stars
- The Perfect Royal Mistress / Diane Haeger. 4 stars
June: Into the Unknown (Beginnings)
- Shotgun Lovesongs / Nickolas Butler. 4 stars
- A Big Little Life / Dean Koontz. 4 stars
- Shopaholic Takes Manhattan / Sophie Kinsella. 3.5 stars
July: Let's Celebrate (Birthdays)
- The Game of Silence / Louise Erdrich. 3.5 stars
August: Animal Kingdom
- Catacombs / Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. 3 stars
- Native Tongue / Carl Hiaasen. 3.75 stars
- Eye of the Whale / Douglas Carlton Abrams. 4 stars
September: Catching Up!
- Man Vs. Weather / Dennis DiClaudio. 3.5 stars
- A Deadly Yarn / Maggie Sefton. 3 stars
- The Fear / Peter Godwin. 3 stars
- Jerry of the Islands / Jack London. 3 stars
- My Story / Elizabeth Smart. 4 stars
October: Turn on the Dark
- The Manhattan Hunt Club / John Saul. 4 stars
November: Traffic Jam
- Love Walked In / Marisa de los Santos. 3.5 stars
- Road Trip Rwanda / Will Ferguson. 4 stars
December: One-Day
- The Snow Queen and Other Tales / Hans Christian Anderson. 2.25 stars
- Welcome Home / Nathan and Jennifer Winograd. 3 stars
AlphaKIT:Year-Long: X, Z
- Their Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston. 2.5 stars
- The Storied Life of AJ Fikry / Gabrielle Zevin. 4 stars
January: S, M
- My Stroke of Insight / Jill Bolte Taylor. 4 stars
- Death in the Air / Shane Peacock. 3.5 stars
- Scent of the Missing / Susannah Charleson. 4 stars
- Palace of Stone / Shannon Hale. 3.25 stars
- Bone and Bread / Saleema Nawaz. 3.5 stars
- Exquisite Corpse / Mark Nelson, Sarah Nelson Bayliss. 3 stars
February: H, W
- The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle / Christopher Healy. 3.75 stars
- Miracle Cure / Harlan Coben. 3.5 stars
- The Nightingale / Kristin Hannah. 4.5 stars
- Until I Say Goodbye / Susan Spencer-Wendel. 3.5 stars
- Mindless Eating / Brian Wansink. 3.5 stars
- Watermelon / Marian Keyes. 3.5 stars
March: E, K
- The Winter Palace / Eva Stachniak. 3.5 stars
- Intensity / Dean Koontz. 5 stars
April: D, I
- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David Mitchell. 2.25 stars
- They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children / Romeo Dallaire. 3.5 stars
- The Snow Child / Eowyn Ivey. 4 stars
- Into Thin Air / Jon Krakauer. 5 stars
May: C, T
- The Mystery of Grace / Charles de Lint. 4 stars
- Faithful Place / Tana French. 4.25 stars
- First Test / Tamora Pierce. 3.5 stars
- The Underground Railroad / Colson Whitehead. 2 stars
- Tsunami: The Newfoundland Tidal Wave Disaster Maura Hanrahan 4 stars
- Curtains of Blood / Robert Randisi. 3.5 stars
- The Truth About Catalogers / Will Manley. 3 stars
- I'll Be Watching You / Charles de Lint (Samuel Key). 4.5 stars
June: Y, N
- Your Water Footprint / Stephen Leahy. 4 stars
- Shotgun Lovesongs / Nickolas Butler. 4 stars
July: B, G
- Drums of Autumn / Diana Gabaldon. 4 stars
- Blood Bound / Patricia Briggs. 4 stars
- The Sandman. Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes / Neil Gaiman. 3.5 stars
- The Game of Silence / Louise Erdrich. 3.5 stars
- The Girl on Legare Street / Karen White. 3 stars
August: O, F
- Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic / Alison Bechdel. 4 stars
- Orange is the New Black / Piper Kerman. 4 stars
- One Good Knight / Mercedes Lackey. 3 stars
September: U, P
- Unsouled / Neal Shusterman. 3.5 stars
- The Fear / Peter Godwin. 3 stars
October: A, V
- I See Rude People / Amy Alkon. 4 stars
- Not My Father's Son / Alan Cumming. 4 stars
- Victoria's Castles / Paul. G. Chamberlain. 3.5 stars
November: L, Q
- The Last Battle / Stephen Harding. 3.5 stars
- Love Walked In / Marisa de los Santos. 3.5 stars
- The Elephant Whisperer / Lawrence Anthony. 4.5 stars
- The Queen's Mistake / Diane Haeger. 3.5 stars
December: J, R
- Meat / Joseph D'Lacey. 3.5 stars
- Once We Were Brothers / Ronald H. Balson. 4 stars
- The Guinea Pig Diaries / A.J. Jacobs. 3.5 stars
- Ranch of Dreams / Cleveland Amory. 4 stars
- Raven Black / Ann Cleves. 3.5 stars
- Glory in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
- Welcome Home / Nathan and Jennifer Winograd. 3 stars
HorrorKIT:January: Stephen King and Family
- Locke & Key. Vol. 4. Keys to the Kingdom / Joe Hill. 3.5 stars
February: Psychological Suspense
- Still Life With Crows / Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child. 4 stars
March: Richard Matheson/Creatures
- A Stir of Echoes / Richard Matheson. 4 stars
April: Daphne du Maurier/Made into a movie
- Fatal Vision / Joe McGinniss. 4 stars
May: J. Sheridan le Fanu/Ghosts
- The Mystery of Grace / Charles de Lint. 4 stars
June: Ann Radcliffe/Gothic
- Hell House / Richard Matheson. 3.5 stars
July: Neil Gaiman/Young adult/Graphic Novels
- Blood Bound / Patricia Briggs. 4 stars
- The Sandman. Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes / Neil Gaiman. 3.5 stars
August: Flannery O'Connor/Women
- The Book of Speculation / Erika Swyler. 3 stars
September: Poppy Z. Brite, Tananarite Due/Diversity
- Scarecrow / Alyssa Wong. 3.5 stars
October: Joyce Carol Oates/Modern
- The Manhattan Hunt Club / John Saul. 4 stars
November: Edgar Allen Poe/Poetry and Short Stories
- The Sleeper and the Spindle / Neil Gaiman. 3.5 stars
December: Marjorie Bowen/Crime and Mystery
- Meat / Joseph D'Lacey. 3.5 stars
Trim the TBR/Roundtuit3. The Woman Who Can't Forget / Jill Price
5. Split Estate / Charlotte Bacon
8. Alfred Hitchcock: a Life in Darkness and Light / Patrick McGilligan
9. Leaving Microsoft to Change the World / John Wood
11. Lime Tree Can’t Bear Orange / Amanda Smyth
12. Breaking Out of Bedlam / Leslie Larson
14. Jane Bites Back / Michael Thomas Ford
1. Palace of Stone / Shannon Hale. 3.25 stars
2. On Thin Ice / Richard Ellis. 3.5 stars
3. Living Oprah / Robyn Okrant. 3.5 stars
4. Exquisite Corpse / Mark Nelson, Sarah Hudson Bayliss. 3 stars
5. Voyagers of the Titanic / Richard Davenport-Hines. 3.5 stars
6. February / Lisa Moore. 2.5 stars
7. Intensity / Dean Koontz. 5 stars
8. Scarlet Feather / Maeve Binchy. 3.5 stars
9. Copper Sun / Sharon M. Draper. 3.5 stars
10. The Secret Keeper / Kate Morton. 3.75 stars
11. Schooled / Gordan Korman. 4 stars
12, They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children / Romeo Dallaire. 3.5 stars
13. Fatal Vision / Joe McGinniss. 4 stars
14. Murder at the Vicarage / Agatha Christie. 4 stars
15. Catherine de Medici / Leonie Frieda. 3.75 stars
16. Faithful Place / Tana French. 4.25 stars
17. First Test / Tamora Pierce. 3.5 stars
18. Lives of Girls and Women / Alice Munro. 3 stars
19. Curtains of Blood / Robert Randisi. 3.5 stars
20. The Truth About Catalogers / Will Manley. 3 stars
21. The Perfect Royal Mistress / Diane Haeger. 4 stars
22. I'll Be Watching You / Charles de Lint (Samuel Key). 4.5 stars
23. Your Water Footprint / Stephen Leahy. 4 stars
24. Through a Window / Jane Goodall. 4.5 stars
25. A Big Little Life / Dean Koontz. 4 stars
26. Rest in Pieces / Rita Mae Brown. 3.25 stars
27. The River / Gary Paulsen. 4 stars
28. Skinny Bitch / Rory Freedman, Kim Barnouin. 3 stars
29. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan / Sophie Kinsella. 3.5 stars
30. Savage Girls and Wild Boys / Michael Newton. 2.5 stars
31. Cool Water / Dianne Warren. 4 stars
32. Blood Bound / Patricia Briggs. 4 stars
33. The Game of Silence / Louise Erdrich. 3.5 stars
34. As Seen on TV / Sarah Mlynowski. 3.75 stars
35. Dying Inside / Robert Silverberg. 3 stars
36. Catacombs / Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. 3 stars
37. Orange is the New Black / Piper Kerman. 4 stars
38. Native Tongue / Carl Hiaasen. 3.75 stars
39. Eye of the Whale / Douglas Carlton Abrams. 4 stars
40. The Lady and the Unicorn / Tracy Chevalier. 3.5 stars
41. The Nobodies Album / Carolyn Parkhurst. 3.5 stars
42. Why New Orleans Matters / Tom Piazza. 3.5 stars
43. Wicked Girls / Stephanie Hemphill. 2.5 stars
44. One Good Knight / Mercedes Lackey. 3 stars
45. The Good Father /Diane Chamberlain. 5 stars
46. Man Vs. Weather / Dennis DiClaudio. 3.5 stars
47. A Deadly Yarn / Maggie Sefton. 3 stars
48. The Fear / Peter Godwin. 3 stars
49. My Story / Elizabeth Smart. 4 stars
50. Skippy Dies / Paul Murray. 3 stars
51. I See Rude People / Amy Alkon. 4 stars
52. The Manhattan Hunt Club / John Saul. 4 stars
53. Victoria's Castles / Paul G. Chamberlain. 3.5 stars
54. Plainsong / Nancy Huston. 3 stars
55. IT / Stephen King. 4 75 stars
56. The Water is Wide / Pat Conroy. 4 stars
57. The Thistle and the Rose / Jean Plaidy. 4 stars
58. The Queen's Mistake / Diane Haeger. 3.5 stars
59. Meat / Joseph D'Lacey. 3.5 stars
60. The Guinea Pig Diaries / A.J. Jacobs. 3.5 stars
61. 703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life / Nancy Makin. 3 stars
62. The Fossil Hunter / Shelley Emling. 4 stars
Climbing the PBT StairsStair 1: Nature
1. On Thin Ice / Richard Ellis. 3.5 stars
Stair 2: Russia
1. The Winter Palace / Eva Stachniak. 3.5 stars
2. The Romanov Sisters / Helen Rappaport. 4 stars
Stair 3: Thriller
1. Miracle Cure / Harlan Coben. 3.5 stars
2. Intensity / Dean Koontz 5 stars
3. I'll Be Watching You /Charles de Lint (Samuel Key). 4.5 stars
Stair 4: Series
1. Palace of Stone / Shannon Hale. 3.25 stars
2. Still Life With Crows / Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child. 4 stars
3. Naked in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
4. On the Banks of Plum Creek / Laura Ingalls-Wilder. 4 stars
Stair 5: Canadian
1. Death in the Air / Shane Peacock. 3.5 stars
2. Bone and Bread / Saleema Nawaz. 3.5 stars
3. Trust Your Eyes / Linwood Barclay. 4 stars
4. February / Lisa Moore. 2.5 stars
5. Birdie / Tracey Lindberg. 2 stars
Hitting the PBT High Notes2008: Love Walked In / Maria de los Santos. 3.5 stars
2009: PBT Top 100. 84, Charing Cross Road / Helene Hanff. 3 stars
2010: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David Mitchell. 2.25 stars
2011: PBT Top 100. Their Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston. 2.5 stars
2012: City of Thieves / David Benioff. 3 stars
2013: Mudbound / Hillary Jordan. 4.5 stars
2014: The Snow Child / Eowyn Ivey. 4 stars
2015: A Man Called Ove / Fredrik Backman. 3 stars
2016: The Nightingale / Kristin Hannah. 4.5 stars
Travel Across CanadaContinued from 2014+
Alberta: Plainsong / Nancy Huston. 3 stars
British Columbia: Birdie / Tracey Lindberg. 2 stars
- The Dark and Other Love Stories / Deborah Willis. 3.5 stars
- Victoria's Castles / Paul G. Chamberlain. 3.5 stars
Manitoba:
New Brunswick:
Newfoundland: February / Lisa Moore. 2.5 stars
- Tsunami: The Newfoundland Tidal Wave Disaster / Maura Hanrahan. 4 stars
- A World Elsewhere / Wayne Johnston. 3 stars
Northwest Territories: The River / Gary Paulsen. 4 stars
Nova Scotia:
Nunavut:
Ontario: Lives of Girls and Women / Alice Munro. 3 stars
Prince Edward Island:
Quebec: Bone and Bread / Saleema Nawaz. 3.5 stars
Saskatchewan: Cool Water / Dianne Warren. 4 stars
Yukon:
Mystery Monthly SubgenreJanuary: Young Adult
- Death in the Air / Shane Peacock. 3.5 stars
February: Techno-Thriller
- Trust Your Eyes / Linwood Barclay. 4 stars
March: Child in Peril
- A Stolen Life / Jaycee Dugard. 4 stars
April: Scotland Yard
- Murder at the Vicarage / Agatha Christie. 4 stars
May: Police Procedural
- Faithful Place / Tana French. 4.25 stars
June: Rooting for the Bad Guy
- The Secret History / Donna Tartt. 3 stars
July: Paranormal Mystery
- Blood Bound / Patricia Briggs. 4 stars
- The Girl on Legare Street / Karen White. 3 stars
August: Eco-thriller
- Native Tongue / Carl Hiaasen. 3.75 stars
- Eye of the Whale / Douglas Carlton Abrams. 4 stars
September: Serial Killers
- I'd Know You Anywhere / Laura Lippman. 4 stars
October: Private Investigator
- The Watchman / Robert Crais. 3.5 stars
November: Aristocratic detective
- Her Royal Spyness / Rhys Bowen. 3.5 stars
December: Serial Killer
- Glory in Death / J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars
Play Book TagJanuary: Foreign Literature
- The Pearl That Broke Its Shell / Nadia Hashimi. 4.5 stars
February: quirky
- The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle / Christopher Healy. 3.75 stars
- A Man Called Ove / Fredrik Backman. 3 stars
- Watermelon / Marian Keyes. 3.5 stars
March: Ireland
- Scarlet Feather / Maeve Binchy. 3.5 stars
April: Bestsellers
- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David Mitchell. 2.25 stars
- Fatal Vision / Joe McGinniss. 4 stars
- The Romanov Sisters / Helen Rappaport. 4 stars
- Into Thin Air / Jon Krakauer. 5 stars
May: 2004
- Tsunami: The Newfoundland Tidal Wave Disaster / Maura Hanrahan. 4 stars
June: Coming of age
- Shotgun Lovesongs / Nickolas Butler. 4 stars
- We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves / Karen Joy Fowler. 4 stars
- The River / Gary Paulsen. 4 stars
- Let's Pretend This Never Happened / Jenny Lawson. 4 stars
- The Skeleton Tree / Iain Lawrence. 4 stars
July: Award Winners
- Cool Water / Dianne Warren. 4 stars
- Mudbound / Hillary Jordan. 4.5 stars
August: Space Opera
- Catacombs / Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. 3 stars
September: American
- Unsouled / Neal Shusterman. 3.5 stars
- Eleanor & Park / Rainbow Rowell. 4 stars
- A Deadly Yarn / Maggie Sefton. 3 stars
- Station Eleven / Emily St. John Mandel. 3.5 stars
- I'd Know You Anywhere / Laura Lippman. 4 stars
- My Story / Elizabeth Smart. 4 stars
- One Perfect Lie / Lisa Scottoline. 4 stars
October: Society
- I See Rude People / Amy Alkon. 4 stars
- Hidden Figures / Margot Lee Shetterly. 3.25 stars
November: African American
- Born a Crime / Trevor Noah. 4 stars
- The Water is Wide / Pat Conroy. 4 stars
December: Social Issues
- Meat / Joseph D'Lacey. 3.5 stars
- The Guinea Pig Diaries / A.J. Jacobs. 3.5 stars
- Ranch of Dreams / Cleveland Amory. 4 stars
- 703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life / Nancy Makin. 3 stars
12x12 Travel, BingoDOG, PBTThe Pearl That Broke Its Shell / Nadia Hashimi
4.5 stars
This book tells the stories of two women in Afghanistan. Rahima and Shekiba. Rahima lives in the present-day and after a few years of living as a boy (not uncommon for a family with no sons), she is still only 13(?) when she is “sold” to a warlord as his 4th wife to pay her father’s debts (along with her two slightly older sisters, also sold to the warlords’ family as wives).
Rahima’s hunchbacked aunt has been telling Rahima and her sisters the story of their ancestor, Shekiba, who lived in the early 20th century. Shekiba lost her family to cholera at a young age and wanted to take care of herself, but she wasn’t allowed. As she did not get along with her extended family, they gave her to another family as a housekeeper, but she got into trouble and was sent away from there, as well…
This was really good. I am always more interested in a woman’s point of view in these kinds of books. Of course, there were some horrible things that happened in the book! I was interested in both stories, so switching back and forth didn’t bother me (it was clearly marked at the beginning of each chapter whom we were following). I was a bit appalled at how little seemed to have changed between the two time frames in the book, at least for women. The end was left just a little bit open, so that I’d love to read a sequel. This was the author’s debut novel and I do hope to read her next book, as well.
12x12 Nonfiction, BingoDOG, CultureCAT, AlphaKITMy Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey / Jill Bolte Taylor
4 stars
Jill Bolte Taylor was a single, 37-year old neuroanatomist (brain scientist), when she, herself, suffered a stroke. This book tells her story of the stroke and her 8 year recovery.
The first part of the book explained some of the science of the brain. Have to admit that my mind wandered during parts of this section, but from what I heard, she was making it easy enough to understand. I was listening to the audio, which of course, makes it a bit easier for my mind to wander. The author read the audio herself and did a very good job, but apparently she also does public speaking (she has done a TED Talk about this).
The second part of the book describes the stroke and her recovery. She lost use of the left side of her brain (the analytical part) and actually seemed to enjoy simply using her right brain for a while, not worrying about her ego, feeling compassion and inner peace, etc. Oddly enough, the book was amusing at times even while she was describing her stroke (she was excited to be able to “study” a stroke first-hand!) and in some descriptions of her recovery (“tuna… tuna?… tuna” in different tones of voice as she racked her brain, trying to figure out what tuna was). I was amazed at how child-like she was and how much she needed to re-learn! This was the most interesting part of the book for me.
The last section of the book described the right brain vs the left brain and talked a lot about inner peace and such. Overall, I really liked this book.
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, AlphaKIT, PBT Stairs, Mystery SubgenreDeath in the Air / Shane Peacock
3.5 stars
In the second book in the series “starring” a 13-year old Sherlock Holmes, Holmes is watching a trapeze performance when one of the performers flies off the bar and lands near Holmes. It appears that someone cut the bar and Holmes is determined to find out who did it. Holmes is also currently homeless and manages to find an apothecary to take him in in return for his help.
I quite enjoyed the mystery in this one, but up until the end, I wasn’t as interested in the secondary characters. However, the last third of the book or so really did pick up for me. I have to admit to not reading much of Conan Doyle’s Holmes, so I’m not sure if these are characters that appear when Holmes is an adult, as well, or not. I would think at least some of them are. If so, the series might be even more appealing to those who enjoy Doyle’s adult Holmes.
12x12 Off the Shelf, BingoDOGThree Maids for a Crown / Ella March Chase
4 stars
This novel follows the Grey sisters. The oldest, Lady Jane Grey became Queen of England for 9 days, following Henry VIII’s son, Edward. Henry’s oldest daughter (Jane’s cousin), Mary I, took over and imprisoned and later beheaded Jane. Jane had two younger sisters, Katherine (Kat) and the hunchbacked Mary. Kat married twice for love and Mary was never expected to marry. They were all threats to the throne.
I have read much about Jane, but only one other book (I believe it was nonfiction) about her sisters. I really enjoyed this, but then Jane has fascinated me since high school. The chapters switch perspectives between all three of them. I actually didn’t like Mary in this book, nor did I like Kat all that much. It’s a fictional portrayal, so that may not be, personality-wise, what they were really like, anyway, but the book was still enjoyable, and of course, it’s always a fun way to learn more.
12x12 Audio, BingoDOGThe World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family Josh Hanagarne
4 stars
Josh Hanagarne grew up to be 6’7” tall and became a librarian. Along the way, he tried many things to get control of his Tourette’s syndrome ticks. He is Mormon and loved to read from an early age. He was about 6 years old when the ticks first appeared, but he wasn’t diagnosed until much later. His father guessed early on that that was what was going on. One thing that Josh tried when he was an adult to help with the ticks was weight training.
I listened to the audio and quite enjoyed this memoir/autobiography. There was plenty of humour in the book and the audio was engaging. I really enjoyed all the book references, most of which I’ve read! Especially loved his “crush” (when he was a child) on Fern from Charlotte’s Web and the mentions of that particular book, as I just reread the book myself! The bits and pieces of Mormonism were interesting, as well. Most (all?) of what I’ve read about that is about the Fundamentalist Mormons (the polygamous Mormons), so it was interesting to read what is similar between the religions.
12x12 Animals, RandomCAT, AlphaKIT, BingoDOGScent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search-and-Rescue Dog / Susannah Charleson
4 stars
This is primarily the story of Puzzle, but there are also bits and pieces about her handler (and the author). The author has been helping with search-and-rescue of missing humans for a while. She helps with the SAR dogs that are sometimes called out. She eventually decides she would like to be the handler of the one of the dogs, herself, so she finds a golden retriever puppy and trains her. Interspersed with stories of Puzzle’s training, the author shares stories of various searches she has been on.
This was very interesting, I thought. The entire training and certification process was interesting and I also found the search stories interesting: toddlers, elderly, teenagers, also searching after disasters… I do wonder, though, how the trainers can have jobs, but still go running when they are called to help.
12x12 Series, BingoDOG, AlphaKIT, Trim, PBT StairsPalace of Stone / Shannon Hale
3.25 stars
In this sequel to The Princess Academy, Miri is called to the palace in the city to help her friend Britta prepare for her wedding to the prince. While there, Miri is allowed to attend school, where she becomes involved with other students who want a revolution, as they feel the nobility should no longer exist. Miri gets caught up in it before she realizes that it may put Britta in danger.
It was ok. I’m giving the story 3 stars, but upping it by ¼ star for the well-done audio. There are multiple cast members for the audio, there are songs that are sung (I was picturing the lyrics to the songs being written out in the book, but they are performed in the audio), and I liked the way letters, thoughts and “quarry-speech” are done for the audio, as well. Despite all this, my mind did still wander somewhat while listening, so I’m attributing that to the story, which is why the slightly lower rating. I rated the first book “good” (3.5 stars) and it appears there is a third book in the series, so I will plan to read it, as well.
12x12 Oh Canada, AwardsCAT, AlphaKIT, PBT Stairs, Travel Across CanadaBone & Bread / Saleema Nawaz
3.5 stars
Beena and Sadhana have an East Indian father and a white mother. They were raised in Montreal, Quebec. Sadhana is two years younger than Beena. Their father died when they were young and their mother when they were teenagers; they are then in the custody of their uncle, who runs the bagel shop (originally owned by their father) downstairs. As they grow up, they each run into teen girl problems (serious ones, not small ones), which I won’t mention, as they aren’t revealed until later in the book (though the blurb does reveal them, as do some tags).
The book is told by Beena in the “present day”, just after Sadhana has died. Sadhana lived alone and was not discovered for a week. Beena has to go clean up the apartment, and brings along her teenage son to help. The book goes back and forth between present day and Beena’s memories of she and her sister growing up.
It started off slow for me, but it did get better. I didn’t always like Beena and the decisions she made, but I could say the same of Sadhana. I don’t have a sister, but it seems that it was likely a good portrayal of sisters. There really was a Canadian flavour to the book, as well, with a look at some of the politics in Quebec.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR, PBT StairsOn Thin Ice: The Changing World of the Polar Bear / Richard Ellis
3.5 stars
This book is all about polar bears, from the time Europeans first came across them up to their current potential peril due to global warming/climate change.
The history is unfortunate, as humans mostly tended, for a long time, to simply shoot them on site, assuming they were a threat (yes, they can be dangerous, but apparently, they are also very curious, and much of their approaching humans seems more to have been from curiosity than aggression). There was information on their behaviour, which I found particularly interesting. There were chapters on zoos and circuses, and on hunting. The last chapters focused on global warming and how it will affect polar bears and other wildlife in the Arctic; I’ve read enough about this that I’m not surprised by any of it, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating (and sad). There were also plenty of photos, both mixed in with the text and in a separate colour section.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBRLiving Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Live as TV's Most Influential Guru Advises / Robyn Okrant
3.5 stars
Robyn Okrant decided that, in 2008, she would follow every piece of Oprah Winfrey’s advice. Just to see if it could be done and if she would live a better life for it. She watched the show daily, she read O magazine, she read Oprah’s website. And she blogged about it all.
Like Robyn, I once was an occasional Oprah watcher (though not for years), not a huge fan. I just found this an interesting premise and wondered how it would go. I think what surprised me the most was after the year was up (but I’m not giving it away!). I listened to the audio, narrated by Robyn herself and she did well. It kept my attention.
12x12 CAT Challenges, BingoDOG, CATWoman, AlphaKIT, PBT High NotesTheir Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston
2.5 stars
This book follows African-American Janie as she goes through three husbands during the 1920s? 1930s? in Florida.
So, it seemed, to me, like it started off with a bunch of gossipy women. Shortly after, we went back in time to hear about Janie’s life and her three husbands. I wasn’t at all interested in the first husband and I remember nothing of what happened with him. The second husband was slightly more interesting, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out if she was married to “Joe” or “Jody”. It was only at the end of that section that I finally realized that they may have been the same guy. Her third husband, Tea Cake was more interesting, but I zoned out for parts of that section, as well.
I was ready to rate it 2 stars until the surprising ending. That, combined with the slightly more interesting Tea Cake brought up my rating to 2.5 stars. I do know that part of why I “missed” (that is, I wasn’t interested, so wasn’t really paying attention to what I read) much of the book was that the dialogue was written in a dialect that you really have to focus on to figure out. At least, it didn’t come easy to me, and I have a hard time slowing myself down to follow it better, so I missed much of the dialogue, but I know that wasn’t all, as there were other parts that I missed out on, as well.
I know so many people loved this, but sorry, not me.
Oh, and this isn’t this book alone, nor does it reflect this story, but once again, I HATE when publishers put an introduction, preface, foreword, etc of a classic where they pretty much reveal the entire plot!!! I started reading it, but when they started mentioning plot, I skipped the rest and read the book. I then went back and read the intro. Why, why, why do this? Why give it all away before one has even read the story!? Put these comments in an afterword…
12x12 Nonfiction, PBT High Notes, CATWoman84, Charing Cross Road / Helene Hanff
3 stars
This is a series of letters sent between the author in New York and a bookseller in England (and some of his staff), from 1949 to 1969.
It was ok, but I didn’t see anything special in this. I didn’t particularly like some of Helen’s interactions (chastising the bookseller for not sending the *exact* thing she wanted). I found the mailing of meat overseas a bit odd. I realize there was a shortage and rations, but still odd. At least it was quick to read.
12x12 KIT Challenges, Trim, AlphaKIT, BingoDOGExquisite Corpse: Surrealism and the Black Dahlia Murder / Mark Nelson and Sarah Hudson Bayliss
3 stars
The “Black Dahlia” murder was the murder of 22-year old Elizabeth Short in LA in 1947. She was found with her body cut in half. The murder has never been solved, but George Hodel was one of the suspects at the time. This book illustrates the similarities between Elizabeth Short’s murdered body and surrealist art. Hodel was apparently connected to the art scene in LA around the time, as well as being a doctor.
I am more interested in the crime itself and not surrealist (weird!!!) art. There were plenty of photos in the book, of both surrealist art and the crime scene. The crime scene photos are pretty graphic, but the authors assure the reader that these are the least bad of the crime scene photos. The photos do show how closely her body does resemble plenty of surrealist art. There was a LOT more information than I ever wanted to know about surrealism and the artists themselves. The bulk of the book was really about the art and the artists and less about the crime. Despite me not really being interested in art history, the book mostly did hold my attention, so it’s an “ok” for me, but I’d really like to find more information on the murder itself where the book actually focuses on that.
12x12 Nonfiction, TrimVoyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From / Richard Davenport-Hines
3.5 stars
The author gives some background information on many of the people who were on the Titanic when she sank; this includes crew and passengers from all three classes.
This one started off slow. There are a lot of people who were mentioned, so I found it difficult to remember who’s who, except the ones I’ve heard of before (mostly some of the 1st class passengers). Of course, once we got to the point when the ship hit the iceberg, then it really picked up for me. So, the second half of the book was much more interesting to me. After people were rescued, there was follow up information on some of them, as well. Overall, it was good.
12x12 Series, AlphaKIT, PBTThe Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle / Christopher Healy
3.75 stars
This is the second book in the “Prince of Leagues” series, where four “Princes Charming” have joined up to be heroes: Prince Gustav (paired with healer Rapunzel), Prince Liam (Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty), Prince Duncan (Snow White) and Prince Frederic (Cinderella/Ella). In this installment, Liam doesn’t want to marry Briar Rose, but she kidnaps him to force him into the marriage. On hearing this, the other princes (and Ella) join to stop the wedding! From there, they all end up on another adventure.
I listened to the audio (again) and Bronson Pinchot is truly amazing! So many different voices for so many different characters! The story itself I’m giving a “good” (3.5 stars) and I’m adding in an extra .25 for the audio. Despite Pinchot’s performance, I did lose focus occasionally, and I am assuming it was the story, not the performance. I did find the story picked up once the princes were together again (there was some intro where they were separate at the start of the book). Overall, though, it was still a lot of fun! I love Duncan and Snow! So funny! Well, it could be the voices Pinchot brings to them that I love… but it’s not just that! But, it helps. I also thought Briar Rose made a really good villain. I did find some of the voices were probably done more for children (the giants, trolls, and more), so I wasn’t as excited about those
12x12 CAT Challenges, CultureCAT, AlphaKIT, PBT StairsMiracle Cure / Harlan Coben
3.5 stars
Sara is a reporter. She is married to pro-basketball player Michael. Her father is a doctor, researching cancer. Friends of Sara and Michael’s are researching AIDS and, though this has been kept a secret, they think they’ve found a cure. But, some of the cured patients are turning up tortured and murdered! One of the head doctors has committed suicide (though the reader knows at the start that he was also murdered), and there are financial and political concerns for the AIDS clinic.
This was good. This is one of Coben’s earlier novels and my edition has a brief introduction by the author that he realizes it is dated, but he still likes the book. It is dated. It’s early in the fight against AIDS and gay men are more openly mocked. But, it’s still a good story. Not as good as his later books, but still good. At the start, I had a bit of a hard time figuring out some of the characters and where each fit in. But, I think I had who was who figured out by the end. I was surprised at the ending, which almost brought it up to 4 stars, but not quite.
12x12 Off the Shelf, BingoDOGLittle Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter / Randy L. Schmidt
4 stars
This book was not authorized by the family. Any earlier biographies, tv movies, etc, were all authorized by her family and, seemingly, “whitewashed”. The author of this one talks to many, many people who knew Karen - friends, family, other celebrities - to put together her life.
Karen Carpenter was one of the siblings in the musical brother-sister duo, The Carpenters, who became stars in the 1970s. Karen became anorexic and died at 32-years old.
The above was about as much as I knew about Karen Carpenter. The Carpenters were big before I was born and when I was very young. I do remember some of their music from when I was younger, but I particularly remember watching the tv movie that aired in 1989. I was in high school at that time and that may have been when I found out about her anorexia. This book brings to light some of the reasons that she may have developed anorexia: an overprotective mother; a disastrous marriage; though she was the “star” of the Carpenters, she was always second-best in her family, as brother Richard was always her parents’ (or at least her mother’s) favourite, and that was never hidden.
There was a lot of detail about the songs/hits, etc. Maybe a bit too much. At the same time, I had a Carpenters soundtrack running through my head the entire time I was reading it! I even had to youtube their music to listen to some I didn’t know (or some I did know, but didn’t recognize based on the title). And I’m listening to The Carpenters as I write this review.
Overall, though, I thought it was very good. There was a lot I didn’t know about Karen, and it was all very interesting, and no question, very sad.
12x12 PBT, PBT, High Notes, BingoDOGA Man Called Ove / Fredrik Backman
3 stars
Ove is a grumpy old man. Well, only 59, but still grumpy. He has lost his wife and new (foreign!) neighbours move in, Parvaneh and Patrick. They have two young daughters and a baby on the way.
Not much really happens. Ove just grumps about everyone (mostly people), while Parvaneh and her daughters always seem to be around. I was listening to the audio and there was a lot of jumping around in time, so I was often lost as to whether we were back in time or present-day (unless Ove’s wife, Sonja, was alive – in that case, it was obvious). It just really didn’t hold my attention all that much. Parts were ok, but it wasn’t anything special for me. There was a small surprise near the end and I briefly thought I might increase my rating, but overall, it wasn’t enough. I did enjoy Parvaneh’s character, though. Not matter how gruff Ove was to her, she just took it all in stride.
12x12 KIT Challenges, HorrorKITLocke & Key, Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom / Joe Hill
3.5 stars
The two older Locke kids are having trouble with their relationships, while the youngest, Bode, continues to explore the keys and his mother wants him to make friends. He does make a friend of Rufus, who lives with Kinsey’s boyfriend, Zack.
It was good. I love the artwork in this series. I have to admit, though, that because I always have such a long gap in between books in the series, it takes me a while when I start reading to remember what had happened previously. Great ending in this one!
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, RandomCAT, PBT Stairs, Mystery SubgenreTrust Your Eyes / Linwood Barclay
4 stars
Ray’s father has died in an accident. He father lived with and took care of Ray’s adult schizophrenic brother, Thomas. Thomas spends all his time online, memorizing city maps/streets – all cities around the world. He thinks he is helping the CIA. When Thomas thinks he sees a murder in one of the windows from the street map/view he is memorizing, he insists Ray go check out what happened. In the meantime, Allison has had an affair with a politician’s wife and is now blackmailing her. It doesn’t take long for this to go horribly wrong.
It took a little while to set this one up, but about 1/3 of the way in, it really got going and with 1/3 of the book left, it cranked up another notch. There were an additional couple of surprises at the very end.
12x12 Travel, AlphaKIT, PBT High NotesThe Nightingale / Kristin Hannah
4.5 stars
Vianne and Isabelle are sisters, but are not close. Vianne is married and has a daughter and lives in rural France, while Isabelle prefers Paris. Vianne’s husband goes to fight in World War II, and Isabelle goes to live with Vianne. The sisters are opposites. Vianne wants to not rock the boat and just wait for Antoine to come home. Isabelle is furious and wants to help stop the Germans, so she gets involved with some underground resistance. In fact, Isabelle is very involved and it is very dangerous. Meanwhile, Vianne’s home is “confiscated” by the Germans when the town is invaded and a German soldier stays with them. This is dangerous for everyone…
The book goes back and forth between 1995 and 1939-1945. I think I’ve only read one other book (that comes to mind, anyway) that is set in France during the war (Sarah’s Key), so between the two books, I am learning more of what happened in occupied France. At first, I found Isabelle’s story more intriguing (we also went back and forth between what was happening with each sister), but as time went on, things were happening on both ends. Despite the length of the book, it was a fast read for me. Very, very well done and very interesting and heartbreaking, at times.
12x12 Audio, BingoDOG, CATWoman, CultureCAT, AlphaKITUntil I Say Goodbye: A Book about Living / Susan Spencer-Wendel
3.5 stars
The author was in her 40s when she was diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease). ALS eats away at muscles until a person can no longer walk, talk, or do pretty much anything for themselves. There is no cure and it is terminal. She was married and had three children. She quit her job as a court reporter, and spent time with her friends and family doing something she loved: travelling. In that time, she also met her biological mother (she was adopted) and found out her biological father had already died, but she went to Greece to meet his family, as well. She simply wanted to enjoy the time she had while she could still do things.
Susan had a great attitude and plenty of determination, as she wrote much of this book on her iPad, hunting and pecking the letters with one thumb. The book wasn’t nearly as sad as I thought it might be, but I’m sure that was due to her attitude. Of course, there were a few times where I teared up, anyway. I did know someone with ALS, though I hadn’t been in contact with her for a few years. I heard that she was also very positive and tried to enjoy life as much as she could for as long as she could, so I imagine she had a similar attitude to Susan. For anyone who likes inspirational stories, this is definitely it.
12x12 Series, HorrorKIT, PBT StairsStill Life With Crows / Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
4 stars
In this 4th book of the series, FBI Special Agent Pendergast shows up (while on his vacation!) to a small corn-farming community in Kansas to help solve a recent murder. He hires a high school girl, who is often in trouble herself and who just wants to get out of town as soon as she’s done high school, to be his assistant and chauffeur. The local sheriff is surprised that Pendergast thinks the killer is local… in this small town of fewer than 400 people, where everyone knows everyone! Unfortunately, the killings don’t stop at one…
I thought this was really good. I liked the change of location for this book. It was very creepy at times, in amidst all that corn!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Girls (other topics)Welcome Home: An Animal Rights Perspective on Living with Dogs & Cats (other topics)
The Medievalist (other topics)
Glory in Death (other topics)
The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World (other topics)
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