2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2021
>
Megan’s challenge - 180
118. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse - completed August 2021 - 4.5 stars119. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - completed August 2021 - 5 stars
120. The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould - completed August 2021 - 5 stars
121. The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood - completed August 2021 - 5 stars
122. Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker - completed September 2021 - 4.5 stars
123. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - completed September 2021 - 3 stars
124. How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole - completed September 2021 - 4 stars
125. The Wrong End of the Table: A Mostly Comic Memoir of a Muslim Arab American Woman Just Trying to Fit in by Ayser Salman - completed September 2021 - 4.5 stars
126. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner - completed September 2021 - 5 stars
127. Replenishing the Sea of Galilee: A Family Saga across Ethnicity, Place, and Religion by Wagih Abu-Rish - completed September 2021 - 2 stars
128. Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton et al. - completed September 2021 - 5 stars
129. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - re-read September 2021 - 4 stars
130. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - re-read September 2021 - 4.5 stars
131. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart - completed September 2021 - 3 stars
132. What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo - completed September 2021 - 4 stars
133. Office Hours by Katrina Jackson - completed September 2021 - 4.5 stars
134. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead - completed September 2021 - 4 stars
135. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty - completed September 2021 - 4.5 stars
136. Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams - completed October 2021 - 4.5 stars
137. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - re-read October 2021 - 4 stars
138. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir - completed October 2021 - 4.5 stars
139. A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir - completed October 2021 - 4.5 stars
140. A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir - completed October 2021 - 5 stars
141. Bewitching by Alex Flinn - completed October 2021 - 3.5 stars
142. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - completed October 2021 - 4 stars
143. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker - completed October 2021 - 3.5 stars
144. Impatient with Desire by Gabrielle Burton - completed October 2021 - 3 stars
145. The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa - completed October 2021 - 4.5 stars
146. Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer - completed October 2021 - 5 stars
147. The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang - completed October 2021 - 5 stars
148. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - completed October 2021 - 4.5 stars
149. Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez - completed October 2021 - 4.5 stars
150. The Sisters of Reckoning by Charlotte Nicole Davis - completed October 2021 - 4 stars
151. A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah Weatherspoon - completed October 2021 - 4 stars
152. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams - completed November 2021 - 4 stars
153. Zero O'Clock by CJ Farley - completed November 2021 - 3 stars
154. Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle - completed November 2021 - 3.5 stars
155. Passing by Nella Larsen - completed November 2021 - 4 stars
156. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein - completed November 2021 - 2.5 stars
157. Solar Federation by S. E. Mulholland - completed November 2021 - 4 stars
158. Long Division by Kiese Laymon - completed November 2021 - 2.5 stars
159. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas - completed November 2021 - 4.5 stars
160. How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith - completed November 2021 - 5 stars
161. Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse - completed November 2021 - 4.5 stars
162. For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten - completed November 2021 - 4 stars
163. Every Last Secret by A. R. Torre - completed November 2021 - 5 stars
164. Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat - completed November 2021 - 4 stars
165. I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith - completed November 2021 - 4.5 stars
166. Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne - completed December 2021 - 4 stars
167. How to Be a Normal Person by T. J. Klune - completed December 2021 - 5 stars
168. Deacon King Kong by James McBride - completed December 2021 - 4 stars
169. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi, translated by Marilyn Booth - completed December 2021 - 2.5 stars
170. The Black Seminoles: History of a Freedom-Seeking People by Kenneth W. Porter, edited by Alcione Amos and Thomas Senter - completed December 2021 - 3.5 stars
171. She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh - completed December 2021 - 5 stars
172. Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside by Nick Offerman - completed December 2021 - 4.5 stars
173. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders - completed December 2021 - 3 stars
174. The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda, translated by Allison Watts - completed December 2021 - 3 stars
175. The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande - completed December 2021 - 4.5 stars
176. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell - completed December 2021 - 4.5 stars
177. The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan - completed December 2021 - 4 stars
178. In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries That Touch the Indian Ocean by Hawa Hassan, with Julia Turshen - completed December 2021 - 4.5 stars
179. Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine - completed December 2021 - 4 stars
180. Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner - completed December 2021 - 4 stars
181. The After Party by Anton DiSclafani - completed December 2021 - 2.5 stars
182. The Gift of Self-Love: A Workbook to Help You Build Confidence, Recognize Your Worth, and Learn to Finally Love Yourself by Mary Jelkovsky - completed December 2021 - 4.5 stars
183. The Way You Love Me by Elle Wright - completed December 2021 - 3.5 stars
183/180
Good luck Megan! Intrigued to see what you'll be reading throughout the year :)
Good luck and happy readings Megan! 🍀🐞📚
Looking forward to seeing what you read this year. 🔖May the bookmark be with you!🔖 Happy reading!
First book in 2021 - The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. I have been avoiding this book since it came out, as I represent kids in the system who are sent to kid prison. Almost every detail was accurate, from the terrible food, to the egg-water, to the physical abuse. The thing is, this is historical fiction but this crap is still happening today. These facilities were not shut down after the atrocities at Dozier were finally unearthed and the truth couldn’t be shutout anymore. They now are operated by for-profit companies. Most of the stories this book contains could have been told by children who came out of the facilities last year. We have to stop treating people as disposable. We have to recognize systemic racism and root it out. “I know there’s nothing in here that changes people. In here or out there are the same, but in here no one has to act fake anymore.” “That’s what the school did to a boy. It didn’t stop when you got out. Bend you all kind of ways until you were unfit for straight life, good and twisted by the time you left.” I appreciate everything the author does in this book. Maybe, one day, this will truly be historical fiction in Florida. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global voices, CTS, Better World, Spell, Best in Show
Personal challenges: WPB Women’s Book Club, BR Read Harder
Second book in 2021 - Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugand, translated by Sandra Smith. Well, this book has a misleading title! Not what I expected at all. Not sure if it was the writing or translation, but the emotions of the characters jumped around so much, it was hard to be sympathetic for them. The plot itself was interesting. Worth reading with the above caveats. 3.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, CTS, Better World, Spell
Personal challenges: 2021 Book adaptations, Reading Women 2021, BR Read Harder
Third book in 2021 - Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison. This book is a revelation! I had to take it in small bits because I’m so mad at the lies about dieting and wellness I’ve been embodying since I was a kid. “It’s hard to smash the patriarchy on an empty stomach, or with a head full of food and body concerns, and that’s exactly the point of diet culture.” This makes so much sense! “‘I left my childhood feeling like, though I was successful in school and got into a college I was excited about and had good friendships, overall my life was a failure because I couldn’t lose any weight.’” Same - I felt like a failure at my law school graduation because I had gained weight during my finals. “‘Weight loss doesn’t heal people from their internalized weight stigma. Bad body image is not cured by weight loss.’” I’ve never been happy with my body, no matter the size or how much I lost. “Many things contribute to health, meaning it’s not all down to personal responsibility, the way diet culture wants us to believe - not by a long shot.” “Your body is not meant to be at a weight that it can sustain only through restriction.” “We can’t predict what’s going to happen to your weight when you give up dieting, but it doesn’t matter one bit in terms of your health or worthiness.” My one critique was that the author’s references to the Life Thief seemed sarcastic and detracted from her overall message. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World, Spell
Fourth book in 2020 - Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson. I love the characters in this book. I love how the author uses every day items and things to explain who they are and what they want. I appreciate the craft of her prose, but I wish she had added just a few more words to flesh out the story. Overall, really good and worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global voices, Better World, best in show
Personal challenges: WPB Women’s Book Club
Fifth book in 2021 - Awaken the Dragon by A. C. Arthur. Overall, I ended up enjoying this book and want to continue the series. For the first quarter of the book, I was confused. The reader is dropped into a world that is not explained very well. I had a difficult time visualizing it. And the action scenes and dialogue jump around quite a bit. Things smoothed out a bit towards the midway point of the book, and the world is explained by the end. Should make the second book a bit easier to start. Worth reading! 3.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Spell
Personal challenges: Personal serial, Sweetheart’s book club
Sixth book in 2021 - The Patient by Jasper DeWitt. This book was creepy up until the last chapter, and then the ending just fell flat. I’m not sure if the author meant to leave it vague, or if the writing was just not clear enough for his intent. I did appreciate the structure of the tale. The blog posts gave a bit of reprieve from the tension and prolonged it a bit as well. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Worth reading. 3.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, CTS, Better World
Seventh book in 2021 - Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski. There are many things I like about these books - the twisting of fairy tales, the action, the main character. But the view of women in the books is not the most progressive. And the structure of this book is odd, with diverging tales that take up in the midst of a plot with no warning. Overall, still a good read! 3.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World, Spell
Personal challenges: 2021 Book adaptations, Personal serial
Eighth book in 2021 - The F*ck It Diet: Eating Should Be Easy by Caroline Dooner. One of the best books I’ve read on breaking down diet culture and internalizing the anti-diet concepts. Going to be working through this one for awhile. “I was going to learn to like myself wherever my weight fell, because I could not spend one more day fighting myself, waiting for that magical, elusive day when I would finally become permanently skinny and content.” “You are not a robot eating battery pellets for energy.” “Our brain loves winning. But we have been confusing that high with real happiness.” “Your body is heavily affected by what your mind is doing and thinking.” “Those things are not fully within our control, and you cannot hate yourself into improvement.” Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World
Ninth book in 2021 - The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict. I love Agatha Christie, so I was intrigued by this fictionalized account of her 11-day disappearance. It missed the mark for me, however. The husband was presented in too favorable of a light, when by all historical accounts he was truly awful. And the prevalent sexism of the time period was too much. It’s ends well, but without enough emphasis on her triumph. Interesting read. 3.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World, Spell
Personal challenges: 2021 GR Choice
Tenth book in 2021 - The Lines We Leave Behind by Eliza Graham. I knew little about the Yugoslavian resistance during WW2 or the British agents sent in to assist them, so I appreciate that knowledge. I found the viewpoints towards women at the time infuriating, found some of the statements about women’s sexuality judgmental, and I wasn’t a fan of the last quarter of the book. But the ending was redemptive. Overall, interesting read. 3 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Clear shelves, Better world, Spell
Eleventh book in 2021 - Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green. This is a well-written, tightly constructed true crime book that includes history about the lgbtq+ scene in the later 20th century. My only critique was at the beginning it was a touch hard to connect the stories in the timeline. Overall, really good! I received this as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Clear shelves, Spell
Personal challenges: 2021 GR Choice, BR Read Harder
Twelfth book in 2021 - Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine. Overall, I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller with feminist overtones. There were a couple holes in the plot in the middle, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Definitely worth reading! 4 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Clear shelves, Better world
Personal challenges: Personal Serial
Thirteenth book in 2021 - March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. Talk about a life full of good trouble! John Lewis and the many other leaders of the civil rights movement are American heroes. But the struggle continues on. If anyone is flagging in their effort to ensure equity and equality, I highly recommend this book. Especially in these dark times, the lessons from our heroes who have lived through other dark times ring forth proclaiming it is worth it to keep fighting! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global voices, Clear shelves, Better World
Personal challenges: Personal serial, BR Read Harder
I swear, Megan, I don't understand how you do it :D You're off to a great start for the year. Lots of great, interesting books :)
Lisa wrote: "I swear, Megan, I don't understand how you do it :D You're off to a great start for the year. Lots of great, interesting books :)"Thanks, it helps that I don’t sleep much;)
Megan wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I swear, Megan, I don't understand how you do it :D You're off to a great start for the year. Lots of great, interesting books :)"Thanks, it helps that I don’t sleep much;)"
haha. Well, sleep is overrated anyways :D
Fourteenth book in 2021 - Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen Schaefer. I felt seen and reminded of all my amazing friendships. I’m truly lucky to have women standing with me who allow me to stand with them. “If I couldn’t see what was there to separate me from the boys, then I didn’t have to deal with being a girl in a world that I suspected hated girls.” “What I was also going through was a mind shift whee I stated to see that my friendships could be valued and celebrated as seriously as any other relationships in my life. They didn’t have to be consolation prizes until I found someone to marry.” “‘A friend can take you out of the boxes you’ve made for yourself and burn them up.’” Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Clear shelves, Better World, Spell
Fifteenth book in 2021 - Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl. Incredibly entertaining! I was not quite sure what I was getting into and was pleasantly surprised from start to finish. I loved the recipes included! Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Clear shelves, Better World, Spell
Personal challenges: 2021 book adaptations
Sixteenth book in 2021 - The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. I enjoyed this modern twist on Jane Eyre. There were a few things that surprised me. I found it fascinating how the author layered the original plot and characters onto the modern tale. There were a few parts that didn’t quite hit fir me, but it was an enjoyable read. Worth reading! 4 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World
Personal challenges: 2021 GR choice, Reading Women 2021
Seventeenth book in 2021 - I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel. This was one of my favorite gifts from the holidays. Not only did my mom bravely buy me a book (with how fast i read, most people don’t take the chance understandably), she got a signed copy from my favorite podcast host. Reading this book was a joy! Written by a reader for readers, I enjoyed taking the essays one at a time. I laughed, cried, and most importantly, wanted to read more! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Clear shelves, Better World, Spell
Eighteenth book in 2021 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This was not the best timing for me to read this book. I didn’t have the patience for slow plot and beautiful prose. But this book slowly grew on me. I began to love the characters and delight in this captured world the author created in within the chaos of history. And I ended up loving this book entirely! “By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration - our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them in every possible setting at every possible hour.” “[T]he tenure of friendships have never been governed by the passage of time.” Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World, Best in Show
Personal challenges: 2021 Book Adaptations
Nineteenth book in 2021 - Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch. I really appreciate the scholarship that is evident in this book. I wish I had enjoyed reading it more. I found it rather dry at points, a little oddly put together, and had a difficult time keeping track of all the names mentioned. Perhaps a print version would have been better than the kindle for this one. Worth reading for the historical content. 3 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global voices, Clear shelves
Twentieth book in 2021 - A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole. Truly loved this book! I loved the consent in the relationship, the respect, the mutual consideration - everything was wonderful! “Sometimes it was a simple text sent from a friend thousands of miles away, a thing lots of people would call insubstantial, that felt like the most solid thing in her world.” Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: Personal serial, BR Read Harder
Twenty-first book in 2021 - Memories in the Drift by Melissa Payne. An interesting premise and a good portrayal of a main character with no short term memory. However, the book could have been edited better. While the same memory might play through the main character’s mind repeatedly, I didn’t need to read them repeatedly. I received this book as a giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Worth reading with the above caveat. 3 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Clear shelves
Twenty-second book in 2021 - Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman. This was a fun read and a nice light intro into modern interpretations of witchcraft in a non-religious or sacred sense. I found the rituals to not be incredibly helpful and often involved items I don’t have in my home. I liked the essays and ties to history that were included. Overall, entertaining but not a book I’ll buy for myself. 3.5 starsChallenges: Global voices
Twenty-third book in 2021 - The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin. I really enjoyed this book! The fast pace captured my imagination and kept me turning pages. The descriptions of the characters were heart-breaking and courageous too. I appreciated that the story wasn’t entirely white-washed. Don’t miss the authors note at the end! My one issue was that there was a little tint of moral conservatism in the portrayal. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars Challenges: Better World
Personal challenges: 2021 GR Choice
Twenty-fourth book in 2021 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. This is a beautifully written book. The setting comes to life. The characters are well-crafted and perfect in their imperfections. “We are allowed to do that, are we not Mabel? To invent our own endings and choose joy over sorrow?” I just felt a bit disconnected towards the end. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: February group read, PopSugar, Clear shelves, Better World
Twenty-fifth book in 2021 - Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams. Wow, that was a heart-warming, conscious-raising delight of a book! Her first book in this series was entertaining, but this one was really good! Confronting issues of toxic masculinity, sexual harassment, and the patriarchy all the while having moments of love and humor is not an easy task, but this book accomplishes all of that. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Twenty-sixth book in 2021 - Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. This one lived up to all the hype and then some. I really hope america is closer now to being like this book. The characters were fantastic, I loved all the relationships, and every interaction. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global Voices, Clear shelves, Better World
Personal challenges: 2021 Book Adaptations, WPB Women’s Book Club, BR Read Harder
Twenty-seventh book in 2021 - The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. I love learning about new things, cultures, customs! And this book is a pure treat! The characters were well-developed. I appreciate that the author explained the culture, and I’m sure many Americans found it very accessible. But it was almost too easy. That didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the story - I didn’t want it to end. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: Global Voices, Better World, Best in show
Personal challenges: 2021 book adaptations, WPB Women’s Book Club, Personal serial, BR Read Harder
Twenty-eighth book in 2021 - The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. This was a great read! Kristen Hannah is a master at bringing places and time periods to life! Her portrayal of the characters, their struggle, and glimpses into glossed over or rewritten history is perfect for these similarly distressing times. “There was a pain that came with constant disapproval; a sense of having lost something unnamed, unknown. Elsa had survived it by being quiet, by not demanding or seeking attention, by accepting that she was loved, but unliked.” “Elsa hadn’t known until right then how much difference a friend could make. How one person could lift your spirit just enough to keep you upright.” Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: 2021 GR Choice
Twenty-ninth book in 2021 - Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire. I enjoyed this book, just not quite as much as the first two. I felt like too much was attempted in one novella. I kept wanting more of the side characters and especially the main character. I felt that the plot kinda got in the way. Really enjoyed the portrayal of Cora - I hope to get more from her story in future books. Worth reading! 4 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global voices, Clear shelves
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Thirtieth book in 2021 - Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. This was an entertaining, at times cringe-inducing, audiobook to listen to while putting together a puzzle. While I can appreciate what he was trying to accomplish, he never fully acknowledged his white male privilege, which left his bumper stickers flat. Worth a listen for fans. 3 starsPersonal challenges: WPB Women’s Book Club
Thirty-first book in 2021 - China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan. I liked this book much better than the first, probably because I didn’t have a movie with which to compare it. I recommend reading the book in print, as the footnotes in the ebook version pulled me out of the story too much. It made more sense in physical book form, at least for me. Enjoyable romp that helped me escape. Worth reading! 4 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: 2021 book adaptations, Personal serial
Thirty-second book in 2021 - Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole. Lovely novella with nice elements of Haitian culture and immigration issues. “[T]hough hope was a thing with feathers there was nothing insubstantial about it.” Worth reading! 4 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial, Reading Women
Thirty-third book in 2021 - The New Plant Parent: Develop Your Green Thumb and Care for Your House-Plant Family by Darryl Cheng. This book is extremely helpful in speaking to people who live in smaller spaces without benefit of a yard. I appreciated the author’s perspective on being a plant parent. My one critique is that I found the second half, which was devoted to individual plants, a bit long. Definitely worth reading in physical book form for houseplant parents! 4 starsChallenges: Better World, Spell
Thirty-fourth book in 2021 - Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff. Wow, this was powerful! And the drawings really brought it all to life. I’m going to have to sit with this one for awhile. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: Global voices, Better World
Thirty-fifth book in 2021 - Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan. Loved this ending to the trilogy! The character development was really good. My one problem was trying to reform the grandmother character - it just seemed a bit unrealistic. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Better World
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Thirty-sixth book in 2021 - Can't Escape Love by Alyssa Cole. This was a fabulous novella! Loved the characters, the diversity, everything! My only criticism was it ended much too quickly! Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: Spell
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Thirty-seventh book in 2021 - Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. I really wanted to like this book, and the last quarter of the book was excellent. The first half was long and a little confusing. If the beginning had been shortened, the book would have been better overall. I truly appreciate the author’s efforts in telling parts of heroes story through this fictionalized account. Worth reading for that. 3.5 stars Challenges: Global voices, Clear shelves, Better World, Best In show
Thirty-eighth book in 2021 - Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Brilliant writing that makes every visual realized and every emotion personal. I didn’t think this could be as good as the graphic novel, but it is, just in verse. “[I]f the blood inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them.” Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global voices, Better World
Personal challenges: 2021 book adaptations
Zeejane (Sara) wrote: "Based on a couple of books you've read this year, you may be interested in [book:Diet Cults: The Surprising Fallacy at the Core of Nutrition Fads and a Guide to Healthy Eating for the Rest of US|18..."Thanks! I appreciate the rec!
Thirty-ninth book in 2021 - Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert. This delightful novel was exactly what I needed! Talia Hibbert is officially one of my fav authors. I laughed out loud several times, got mushy at all the right moments, and loved the ending! “When in doubt, throw some color at it.” And I absolutely adore that both of her characters are on the autism spectrum and accepting of themselves and each other. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: 2021 GR Choice, Personal serial, BR Read Harder
Fortieth book in 2021 - A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon. I’ve found a romance trope that’s not my fav - amnesia. I had a hard time with the main character having amnesia and reconsidering an old flame. Just didn’t quite come together for me. But I’ll give the second book a chance because I loved the concept of the ranch owned by brothers. 3.5 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial
Forty-first book in 2021 - A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas. One of my favorite in this series. It felt infinitely more personal, and in reading the author’s acknowledgments, that explained a lot. The sisterhood, the overcoming of trauma, acceptance of self, all resonated so deeply. “Perhaps in voicing those truths, they’d given them wings. And sent them soaring into the open sky above.” Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, Global voices, Better world
Personal challenges: 2021 GR Choice, Personal serial
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Way You Love Me (other topics)The Way You Love Me (other topics)
The Gift of Self-Love: A Workbook to Help You Build Confidence, Recognize Your Worth, and Learn to Finally Love Yourself (other topics)
The Gift of Self-Love: A Workbook to Help You Build Confidence, Recognize Your Worth, and Learn to Finally Love Yourself (other topics)
The After Party (other topics)
More...
2. Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugand, translated by Sandra Smith - completed January 2021 - 3.5 stars
3. Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison - completed January 2021 - 4.5 stars
4. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson - completed January 2021 - 4.5 stars
5. Awaken the Dragon by A. C. Arthur - completed January 2021 - 3.5 stars
6. The Patient by Jasper DeWitt - completed January 2021 - 3.5 stars
7. Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski - completed January 2021 - 3.5 stars
8. The F*ck It Diet: Eating Should Be Easy by Caroline Dooner - completed January 2021 - 5 stars
9. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict - completed January 2021 - 3.5 stars
10. The Lines We Leave Behind by Eliza Graham - completed January 2021 - 3 stars
11. Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green - completed January 2021 - 4.5 stars
12. Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine - completed January 2021 - 4 stars
13. March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell - completed January 2021 - 5 stars
14. Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen Schaefer - completed January 2021 - 5 stars
15. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl - completed January 2021 - 4.5 stars
16. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins - completed January 2021 - 4 stars
17. I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel - 5 stars
18. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - completed January 2021 - 5 stars
19. Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch - completed January 2021 - 3 stars
20. A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole - completed February 2021 - 5 stars
21. Memories in the Drift by Melissa Payne - completed February 2021 - 3 stars
22. Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman - completed February 2021 - 3.5 stars
23. The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin - completed February 2021 - 4.5 stars
24. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - completed February 2021 - 4.5 stars
25. Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams - completed February 2021 - 5 stars
26. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - completed February 2021 - 5 stars
27. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi - completed February 2021 - 4.5 stars
28. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - completed February 2021 - 5 stars
29. Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire - completed February 2021 - 4 stars
30. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey - completed February 2021 - 3 stars
31. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan - completed February 2021 - 4 stars
32. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole - completed February 2021 - 4 stars
33. The New Plant Parent: Develop Your Green Thumb and Care for Your House-Plant Family by Darryl Cheng - completed February 2021 - 4 stars
34. Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff - completed March 2021 - 5 stars
35. Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan - completed March 2021 - 4.5 stars
36. Can't Escape Love by Alyssa Cole - completed March 2021 - 4.5 stars
37. Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras - completed March 2021 - 3.5 stars
38. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds - completed March 2021 - 5 stars
39. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert - completed March 2021 - 5 stars
40. A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon - completed March 2021 - 3.5 stars
41. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas - completed March 2021 - 5 stars
42. Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas - completed March 2021 - 5 star
43. Perfectly Famousby Emily Liebert - completed March 2021 - 2 stars
44. Rosewater by Tade Thompson - completed March 2021 - 2.5 stars
45. Before the Ruins by Victoria Gosling - completed March 2021 - 2.5 stars
46. The Shadows by Alex North - completed March 2021 - 4 stars
47. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon - completed March 2021 - 4.5 stars
48. Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams - completed March 2021 - 4.5 stars
49. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown - completed March 2021 - 4.5 stars
50. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn - completed March 2021 - 5 stars
51. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire - completed March 2021 - 4 stars
52. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - completed April 2021 - 4 stars
53. The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai - completed April 2021 - 4 stars
54. The Way You Tempt Me by Elle Wright - completed April 2021 - 3 stars
55. Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food by Julia Turshen - completed April 2021 - 5 stars
56. Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai - completed April 2021 - 5 stars
57. Claim the Dragon by A. C. Arthur - completed April 2021 - 2 stars
58. The Way You Hold Me by Elle Wright - completed April 2021 - 4 stars
59. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman - completed April 2021 - 5 stars
60. Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski - completed April 2021 - 4 stars
61. Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney - completed April 2021 - 4 stars
62. The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison - completed April 2021 - 4 stars
63. Out of Time by Caroline B. Cooney - completed April 2021 - 3.5 stars
64. First Comes Like by Alisha Rai - completed April 2021 - 4.5 stars
65. Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly - completed May 2021 - 4 stars
66. The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers - completed May 2021 - 4 stars
67. Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly - completed May 2021 - 4.5 stars
68. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow - completed May 2021 - 3.5 stars
69. A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole - completed May 2021 - 4 stars
70. Under Almond Blossoms by Anja Saskia Beyer, translated by Annette Charpentier - completed May 2021 - 2.5 stars
71. When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain - completed May 2021 - 5 stars
72. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth - completed May 2021 - 3.5 stars
73. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - completed May 2021 - 5 stars
74. Odd One Out by Nic Stone - completed May 2021 - 3.5 stars
75. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - completed May 2021 - 5 stars
76. If the Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon - completed May 2021 - 5 stars
77. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alex E. Harrow - completed May 2021 - 4.5 stars
78. Vivid by Beverly Jenkins - completed May 2021 - completed May 2021 - 4 stars
79. Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire - completed May 2021 - 4 stars
80. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle - completed June 2021 - 2.5 stars
81. The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole - completed June 2021 - 4.5 stars
82. The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick - completed June 2021 - 4 stars
83. The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly - completed June 2021 - 2 stars
84. The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski - completed June 2021 - 4 stars
85. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - completed June 2021 - 4.5 stars
86. The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly - completed June 2021 - 4 stars
87. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - completed June 2021 - 4.5 stars
88. The Crossing by Michael Connelly - completed June 2021 - 4 stars
89. The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner - completed June 2021 - 3 stars
90. Three Words for Goodbye by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb - completed June 2021 - 4 stars
91. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - completed June 2021 - 4 stars
92. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford - completed June 2021 - 5 stars
93. The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly - completed June 2021 - 4 stars
94. Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch by Erin French - completed June 2021 - 5 stars
95. While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams - completed July 2021 - 4.5 stars
96. Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga - completed July 2021 - 3.5 stars
97. Carpentaria by Alexis Wright - completed July 2021 - 2 stars
98. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - completed July 2021 - 5 stars
99. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - completed July 2021 - 4 stars
100. Wrong Number, Right Woman by Jae - completed July 2021 - 4.5 stars
101. The Kindness of Enemies by Leila Aboulela - completed July 2021 - 5 stars
102. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder - completed July 2021 - 4.5 stars
103. The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer - completed July 2021 - 4 stars
104. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides - completed July 2021 - 4 stars
105. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - completed July 2021 - 5 stars
106. Witchshadow by Susan Dennard - completed July 2021 - 3.5 stars
107. The Social Graces by Renee Rosen - completed July 2021 - 3 stars
108. While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory - completed July 2021 - 4 stars
109. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller - completed July 2021 - 3.5 stars
110. Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev - completed July 2021 - 4.5 stars
111. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo - completed August 2021 - 5 stars
112. One Two Three by Laurie Frankel - completed August 2021 - 4 stars
113. Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land by Toni Jensen - completed August 2021 - 4.5 stars
114. The Awakening by Kate Chopin - completed August 2021 - 3.5 stars
115. RomeAntically Challenged by Marina Adair - completed August 2021 - 3.5 stars
116. A Burning by Megha Mahumdar - completed August 2021 - 5 stars
117. Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe by Kapka Kassabova - completed August 2021 - 4.5 stars
Continued to msg 2