On The Same Page discussion

I've chosen 88 books for this challenge. Coming up with these books is always the best part of the end of the year. No idea what this year is going to be like so I'm going to challenge myself to read 100 and hope to hit 120. I've divided the challenge into several different categories to make it a bit easier to keep track.

Reading Group Challenge : (completed)

✔1. Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Purple Hibiscus 3.5 stars 9/17/22
✔2. Ansary, Tamim. Games without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan 4 stars 9/11/22
✔3. Bauer, Belinda.Snap 2 stars 9/26/22
✔4. Berendt, John. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 3.5 stars 9/16/22
✔5. Butler, Octavia E. Kindred 4.5 stars 12/20/22
✔6. Chabon, Michael. The Yiddish Policemen's Union 3.5 stars 12/22/22
✔7. Chevalier, Tracy. Remarkable Creatures 3.5 stars 4/3/22
✔8. Kolbert, Elizabeth. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History 3.5 stars 4/4/22
✔9. Mantel, Hilary. Wolf Hall 4 stars 3/3/22
✔10. McGuire, Seanan. Rosemary and Rue 3.5 stars 7/25/22
✔ 11. Pratchett, Terry. The Color of Magic 3 stars 2/23/22
✔ 12. See, Lisa. Flower Net 2 stars 1/19/22

+4 Reading Group Challenge : (completed)

✔ 1. Angelou, Maya. Mom & Me & Mom 4.5 stars 3/6/22
✔2. Jordan, Hillary. Mudbound 2 stars 5/26/22
✔3. Neville, Katherine. The Eight 4.5 stars 12/31/22
✔ 4. Russo, Richard. That Old Cape Magic 2 stars 8/27/22

RL Book Club : (completed)

✔1. Acevedo, Elizabeth. The Poet X (Jan) 5 stars 1/11/22
✔2. Serle, Rebecca. In Five Years (Feb) 3.5 stars 2/21/22
✔3. McDiarmid, Jessica. Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (Apr) 4 stars
✔4. Swanson, Peter. The Kind Worth Killing (May) 3.5 stars 5/17/22
✔5. Wells, Martha. All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) (Aug) 4.5 stars 8/8/22
✔6. Kline, Christina Baker. The Exiles (Sep) 4 stars 9/12/22
✔7. Skenanadore, Amanda. The Second Life of Mirielle West (Nov) 2.5 stars 11/8/22
✔8. Jost, Colin. A Very Punchable Face (Dec) 4 stars 12/10/22

Non-Fiction : (completed)

✔1. Fatland, Erika. Sovietistan: Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan 4 stars 7/13/22
✔2. King, Thomas. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America 5 stars 11/29/22
✔3. Roach, Mary. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void 2.5 stars 7/27/22
✔4. Worth, Jennifer. Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times 3.5 stars 10/22/22

2022 Releases : (completed)

✔ 1. Chen, Mike. Light Years From Home 2 stars 3/22/21
✔2. Crouch, Blake. Upgrade 3.5 stars 9/1/22
✔3. Henry, Emily. Book Lovers 3.5 stars 5/22/22
✔ 4. Greer, Andrew. Less Is Lost 3 stars 9/24/22
✔5. O'Malley, Daniel. Blitz (The Checquy Files #3) [Oct 4] 3.5 stars 11/30/22
✔6. Otsuka, Julie. The Swimmers 4 stars 4/16/22
✔7. Paretsky, Sara. Overboard (V.I. Warshawski #21) 4.5 stars 6/21/22
✔8. Robb, J.D. Abandoned in Death (#54) 4 stars 3/21/22

Contemporary : (completed)

✔ 1. Adams, Sara Nisha. The Reading List 4.5 stars 1/31/22
✔2. Anthony, Jessica. Enter the Aardvark 4 stars 3/31/22
✔3. Brown, Natasha. Assembly 4.5 stars 7/29/22
✔ 4. Escandón, Maria Amparo. L.A. Weather 3.5 stars 3/28/22
✔ 5. Everett, Percival. I Am Not Sidney Poitier 3.5 stars 3/1/22
✔6. Hall, Sarah. Burntcoat 3 stars 8/1/22
✔7. Kawakami, Hiromi. Strange Weather in Tokyo 2.5 stars 10/29/22
✔8. O'Leary, Beth. The No-Show 3 stars 5/22/22

Historical : (completed)

✔ 1. Benedict, Marie. The Personal Librarian 3.5 stars 3/25/22
✔2. Eliot, George.Middlemarch 4 stars 6/7/22
✔3. Fajardo-Anstine, Kali. Woman of Light3.5 stars 11/28/22
✔ 4. Greene, Graham. Our Man in Havana 3 stars 12/7/22
✔5. Paul, Gill. The Collector's Daughter 2.5 stars 1/13/22
✔6. Towles, Amor. The Lincoln Highway 2.5 stars 10/10/22
✔7. Tsukiyama, Gail. The Color of Air: A Novel 4 stars 3/31/22
✔8. Ward, Jesmyn. Salvage the Bones 4 stars 10/23/22

Mystery/Thriller : (completed)

✔ 1. Callaghan, Helen. Everything Is Lies 3.5 stars 3/27/22
✔ 2. Cleeves, Ann. The Heron's Cry (Two Rivers #2) 4 stars 1/27/22
✔3. Cosby, S.A. Blacktop Wasteland 3 stars 1/6/22
✔4. Gentill, Sulari. The Woman in the Library 5 stars 7/9/22
✔5. Quartey, Kwei. Wife of the Gods (Darko Dawson #1) 3.5 stars 9/9/22
✔ 6. Thomas, Sherry. Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (#6) 3.5 stars 9/6/22
✔ 7. Walters, Minette. The Breaker 3.5 stars 3/28/22
✔8. Yokomizo, Seishi. The Honjin Murders (Det Kosuke Kindaichi #1) 3.5 stars 12/2/22

Fantasy : (completed)

✔1. Ahmed, Saladin. Throne of the Crescent Moon (#1)
✔2. Bray, Libba. The Diviners (#1) 3.5 stars 6/19/22
✔3. Erdrich, Louise. The Sentence 5 stars 8/19/22
✔4. Ford, Jackson. Eye of the Sh*t Storm (The Frost Files #3) 2.5 stars 6/10/22
✔5. Harrow, Alix. A Spindle Splintered 4 stars 1/15/22
✔6. Klune, T.J. Under the Whispering Door 4.5 stars 4/26/22
✔7. Lin, Tom. The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu 2 stars 3/23/22
✔8. St. James, Simone. The Sun Down Motel 4.5 stars 4/1/22

Science Fiction : (completed)

✔1. Corey, James S.A. Nemesis Games (The Expanse #5) 4.5 stars 5/14/22
✔2. Divya, S.B. Machinehood 3 stars 8/19/22
✔ 3. Holrodye, Claire. The Effort 3.5 stars 12/3/22
✔4. Leicht, Stina. Persephone Station 2 stars 10/30/22
✔5. Martine, Arkady. A Memory Called Empire (Texicaalan #1) 4 stars 6/30/22
✔6. Michel, Lincoln. The Body Scout 4 stars 1/3/22
✔7. Straub, Emma. This Time Tomorrow 3.5 stars 6/5/22
✔8. Yoon, David. Version Zero 2 stars 9/10/22

Young Adult : (completed)

✔1. Boulley, Angeline. Firekeeper's Daughter 5 stars 7/1/22
✔2. Chee, Trace. A Thousand Steps into Night 4 stars 10/13/22
✔3. Forna, Namina. The Merciless Ones (The Gilded Ones #2) 4.5 stars 10/17/22
✔4. Huchu, T.L. The Library of the Dead (Edinburgh Nights #1) 4 stars 4/25/22
✔5. Hur, June. The Red Palace 4 stars 4/14/22
✔6. Jackson, Holly. As Good As Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #3) 2 stars 7/21/22
✔7. Pessl, Marisha. Special Topics in Calamity Physics 3.5 stars 8/3/22
✔8. Sharpe, Tess. The Girls I've Been 4 stars 1/12/22

Re-Reads : (completed)
Read these back when I was in my 20's. Wondering if I'll feel differently these many decades later. Am thinking of going the audiobook route this time around.

✔1. Allende, Isabel. The House of the Spirits 5 stars 10/18/22
✔2. Byatt, A.S. Possession 3.5 stars 5/26/22
✔3. Chevalier, Tracy. Girl with the Pearl Earring 4 stars 5/20/22
✔4. Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees 3.5 stars 8/8/22

Free Reads :

1. Horowitz, Anthony. A Line To Kill 4 stars 1/16/22
2. McGuire, Seanan. Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children #7) 3.5 stars 1/25/22
3. Armstrong, Kelley. City of the Lost (Rockton #1) 4 stars 2/2/22
4. Adams, Douglas. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency 2.5 stars 2/23/22
5. Armstong, Kelley. A Darkness Absolute (Rockton #2) 3.5 stars 2/24/22
6. Armstong, Kelley. This Fallen Prey (Rockton #3) 4 stars 2/26/22
7. Adams, Douglas. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Dirk Gently #2) 3 stars 3/2/22
8. Sampson, Freya. The Last Chance Library 3.5 stars 3/3/22
9. Barry, Quan. We Ride Upon Sticks 3.5 stars 3/9/22
10. Marske, Freya. A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1) 4 stars 3/24/22
11. Hall, M.R. The Coroner 3 stars 3/26/22
12. Carter, Charlotte. Rhode Island Red (Nanette Hayes 4 stars 3/28/22
13. Alder-Olsen, Jussi. Victim 2117 4 stars 3/29/22
14. Waxman, Abbi. The Garden of Small Beginnings 3.5 stars 3/29/22
15. McCall Smith, Alexander. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (#1) 4.5 stars 3/30/22
16. Harper, Jane. The Survivors 4.5 stars 4/1/22
17. Armstrong, Kelley. Watcher in the Woods (Rockton #4) 4 stars 4/2/22
18. Armstrong, Kelley. Alone in the Wild (Rockton #5) 4 stars 4/2/22
19. Manansala, Mia P. Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #1) 3.5 stars 4/3/22
20. Chien, Vivien. Death by Dumpling (A Noodle Shop Mystery #1) 4 stars 4/4/22
21. Adams, Lyssa Kay. The Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club #1) 3.5 stars 4/7/22
22. Adams, Lyssa Kay. Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) 4 stars 4/8/22
23. Adams, Lyssa Kay. Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club #3) 3.5 stars 4/8/22
24. Adams, Lyssa Kay. Isn't It Bromantic? (Bromance Book Club #4) 4 stars 4/9/22
25. Spiner, Brent. Fan Fiction 3.5 stars 4/10/22
26. Cleeves, Ann. The Girls on the Shore (Two Rivers #2.5) 2.5 stars 4/11/22
27. Garrett, Kellye. Like a Sister 4 stars 4/12/22
28. Willberg, T.A. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder (Marion Lane #1) 3 stars 4/12/22
29. Willberg, T.A. Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose (Marion Lane #2) 3.5 stars 4/13/22
30. Priest, Cherie. Grave Reservations 2 stars 4/13/22
31. Hutton, Claire. A Study in Murder (A Victorian Book Club Mystery #1) 3 stars 4/20/22
32. Hutton, Claire. The Sign of Death (A Victorian Book Club Mystery #2) 3 stars 4/21/22
33. Hutton, Claire. The Mystery of Albert E. Finch (A Victorian Book Club Mystery #3) 3 stars 4/22/22
34. Armstrong, Kelley. A Stranger in Town (Rockton #6) 4 stars 4/23/22
35. Manansala, Mia P. Homicide and Halo-Halo(#2) 3 stars 4/26/22
36. Lagercrantz, David. The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye (Millennium #5) 3.5 stars 4/27/22
37. Lagercrantz, David. The Girl Who Lived Twice (Millennium #6) 3.5 stars 4/28/22
38. Chien, Vivien. Dim Sum of All Fears (Noodle Shop Mystery #2) 3.5 stars 4/29/22
39. McTiernan, Dervla. The Good Turn (Cormac Reilly #3) 3.5 stars 5/1/22
40. Patel, Namrata. The Candid Life of Meena Dave 3.5 stars 5/4/22
41. Huchu, T.L. Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments (Edinburgh Nights #2) 3.5 stars 5/14/22
42. Allen, Hania. The Polish Detective (Dania Gorska #1) 3.5 stars 5/14/22
43. Andrew, Sally. Recipes for Love and Murder (Tannie Maria #1) 3.5 stars 5/16
44. Jacob, Mira. Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations 4.5 stars 5/18/22
45. Corey, James S.A. The Vital Abyss 3 stars 5/20/22
46. Hart, Rob. The Paradox Hotel 4.5 stars 5/21/22
47. Schwab, Victoria. A Darker Shade of Magic (#1) 4 stars 5/24/22
48. Acevedo, Elizabeth. Inheritance: A Visual Poem 5 stars 5/25/22
49. Klune, T.J. The House in the Cerulean Sea 4 stars 5/28/22
50. Brody, Frances. Dying in the Wool (Kate Shackleton #1) 4 stars 6/3/22
51. Pandian, Gigi. Under Lock & Skeleton Key (Secret Staircase Mystery #1) 4 stars 6/5/22
52. Lindsey, Erin. Murder on Millionaires' Row (#1) 4 stars 6/8/22
53. Hart, Elsa. Jade Dragon Mountain (#1) 3.5 stars 6/12/22
54. Schwab, V.E. A Gathering of Shadows (#2) 4 stars 6/14/22
55. Lo, Malinda. Last Night at the Telegraph Club 5 stars 6/24/22
56. Pek, Jane. The Verifiers 4 stars 7/3/22
57. Castillo, Linda. Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder #1) 3.5 stars 7/5/22
58. Castillo, Linda. Pray for Silence (Kate Burkholder #2) 3.5 stars 7/6/22
59. Castillo, Linda. Breaking Silence (Kate Burkholder #3) 3.5 stars 7/7/22
60. Castillo, Linda. Gone Missing (Kate Burkholder #4) 3.5 stars 7/8/22
61. Schellman, Katharine. Last Call at the Nightingale 4 stars 7/10/22
62. Khavari, Kate. A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons (#1) 3.5 stars 7/17/22
63. Pooley, Clare. Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting 4 stars 7/22/22
64. George, Elizabeth. A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley #1) 3 stars 8/7/22
65. George Elizabeth. Payment in Blood (Inspector Lynley #2) 3 stars 8/9/22
66. Schwab, V.E. A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) 3 stars 8/17/22
67. Luchette, Claire. Agatha of Little Neon 2 stars 8/21/22
68. Gates, Eva. A Death Long Overdue (Lighthouse Library Mystery #7) 2 stars 8/24/22
69. Cahoon, Lynn. The Tuesday Night Survivors' Club (Survivor's Book Club Mystery #1) 4 stars 8/26/22
70. Dean, Becky. Love & Other Great Expectations 3 stars 9/4/22
71. Barry, Max. Providence 3 stars 9/13/22
72. Deb, Sopan. Keya Das's Second Act 3.5 stars 9/19/22
73. Holmes, Linda. Flying Solo 2 stars 9/20/22
74. Pulley, Natasha. The Kingdoms 2.5 stars 9/21/22
75. Silver, Josie. One Night on the Island 3.5 stars 9/22/22
76. Walker, Adrian J. The End of the World Running Club 4 stars 9/26/22
77. Poston, Ashley. The Dead Romantics 4 stars 9/30/33
78. Shapiro, B.A. Metropolis 2.5 stars 10/3/22
79. Tevis, Walter. The Queen's Gambit 3 stars 10/3/22
80. Pinsker, Sarah. And Then There Were 4.5 stars 10/7/22
81. Whelan, Julia. Thank You for Listening 4 stars 10/28/22
82. Robb, J.D. Desperation in Death 4 stars 10/29/22
83. Sampson, Freya. The Lost Ticket 3.5 stars 11/1/22
84. Brightwell, Emily. The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries (Mrs Jeffries #1) 3.5 stars 11/5/22
85. Johnson, Kenneth. Holmes Coming 3.5 stars 11/5/22
86. Golden, S.K. The Socialite's Guide to Murder 3 stars 11/6/22
87. Osman, Richard. The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club #3) 4 stars 11/15/22
88. Chien, Vivien. Murder Lo Mein (Noodle Shop #3) 3.5 stars 11/23/22
89. Brightwell, Emily. Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues (Mrs Jeffries #2) 3.5 stars 11/26/22
90. Brightwell, Emily. The Ghost and Mrs. Jeffries (Mrs Jeffries #3) 3.5 stars 11/29/22
91. Manansala, Mia P. Blackmail and Bibingka (Tita Rosie #3) 4 stars 12/4/22
92. Fink, Joseph & Jeffrey Cranor. Welcome to Night Vale (Night Vale #1) 3.5 stars 12/6/22
93. Kowal, Mary Robinette. The Spare Man 4 stars
94. Anthology. Marple: Twelve New Mysteries 4 stars 12/26/22
95. Martin, Alexa. Better than Fiction 4 stars 12/29/22

Interesting challenge, Lillie. So many authors in genres I think I'm well-read that I've never heard of. Good luck in 2022.

Thanks Bill. I'm trying to expand my horizons so have put more than a couple of new-to-me authors. Hopefully, it'll be an interesting year.

I commented on your books on your 12 + 4 already, so I'll start with the rest of the list.

Remember, I'm a grumpy old lady with a 2.89 GR average.

I loved The Poet X, I listened to the audio on that one, and I recommend it. Poetry being read to me is so much better than reading poetry. It's like how it was meant to be! 4 stars from me.

Middlemarch was a long book and it's almost like it takes the Jane Austen novels to the next stage and goes through what happens after the wedding. It is more complicated than Austen and not as uplifting as it deals with idealism, the status of women, the nature of marriage, religion, hypocrisy, political reform, and education. I liked it, but there was a whole center section in there that got a bit tedious for me. 3 stars from me.

As Good as Dead - I cannot in good conscience recommend this book. The first 60% of it is 4-5 star - I loved the pacing of it. Then something happens and the whole plot falls apart. It does not get better from that point. Read the book. If you get to that point and you'll KNOW what point it is, see whether you can hop on board with the plot or not. If not, message me and I'll tell you what happens in the book. That way, you don't have to read it. Because if you aren't on board with what happens, the story just gets worse. Since the last 40% was 1 star - I gave the whole book 2 stars. Alissa was more grumpy than me. She abandoned the book and gave it 1 star. That said, I hope I'm not programming you to dislike the book. You might like it! If you are OK with where the plot goes, you might really enjoy the book. There are many people that believe this is the best of the three books.

I was super grumpy when I read Possession last time. Somebody told me the book was made for me, I had sky high expectations. I do want to read it again, with a more reasonable set of expectations and see if I still think it is 3 stars. I suspect I would like it better if I re-read it today.

I have Reading List and Firekeeper's Daughter on my Individual Reading lists, so I'm hoping to read both of those this year. Shameless plug: Alissa and I are reading The Reading List as part of our buddy reads in March, if you want to join us, you are most welcome to. Buddy reads folder is down towards the bottom - we are reading something every month. But no pressure, read whatever you want whenever you want to! :-)

Lillie wrote: "
RL Book Club
:

1. Acevedo, Elizabeth. The Poet X (Jan)
2. Serle, Rebecca. In Five Years (Feb)
3. McDiarmid, Jessica. Highway of Tears: A True Story of Rac..."</i>

All I can say is [book:All Systems Red!!! Yyeeesss!!!

I need to catch up, but I love the MC. Murderbot is my spirit animal! LOL

Good luck

Lea wrote: "I loved The Poet X, I listened to the audio on that one, and I recommend it. Poetry being read to me is so much better than reading poetry. It's like how it was meant to be! 4 stars from me.

Middlemarch...I liked it, but there was a whole center section in there that got a bit tedious for me. 3 stars from me.

I was super grumpy when I read Possession last time. "

Love your takes on these books. Thank you!

Think you've given me the push needed to get The Poet X on audio. I have a hard time reading poetry too.

Was afraid of that for Middlemarch. I probably should've started with a shorter novel of hers. Maybe that's one, along with Wolf Hall, that will have to be read a little bit at a time throughout the year.

I'm a little bit hesitant about rereading books that I absolutely loved. Will it hold up? I don't know. I really hope so 🤞🏼

Thanks for the read along invite. I'll have to see when your discussion is. Hopefully, things will line up and I can join my first buddy read ever. No idea how it works, so I'm going to head over to that section now

Alondra wrote: "All I can say is [book:All Systems Red!!! Yyeeesss!!!

I need to catch up, but I love the MC. Murderbot is my spirit animal! LOL "

I love the series too! And it'll be a reread for me. Managed to convince rl book club that they did, in fact, want to read a sci-fi. My talking points being that it's short and fun, mainly short ;)

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Good luck"

Thanks!

Lillie wrote: "Alondra wrote: "All I can say is [book:All Systems Red!!! Yyeeesss!!!

I need to catch up, but I love the MC. Murderbot is my spirit animal! LOL "

I love the series too! And it'll be a reread for ..."

I knew it! After I finished typing that out, I thought to myself, "Didn't Lillie already read this??" LOL

Rereads are so fun.

Amazing list! I can't wait for your reviews!

Michelle wrote: "Amazing list! I can't wait for your reviews!"

Thanks Michelle :)

Good luck, Lillie! Like how you split up your categories! I don’t think I’ve heard of any of your titles except Book Lovers, as I have it on my TBR list. They sound interesting though! Have fun! 🐾

Thanks Emily!

Interesting list! Enjoy your reading Lillie!

Thanks Yolande!

Books 1 & 2 read in 2022. Better put down my thoughts before I forget. Not sure if I'll do monthly wrap ups or review books individually or a combination of both.

Blacktop Wasteland 3 stars
Went into this expecting a mystery detective novel but it turns out to be a crime novel. It took me a while to shift gears but once I did, I found it to be a good story about family and expectations of ourselves and others and what one does in seemingly desperate situations.

The Body Scout 4 stars
How to describe this book? A baseball scout turned into an amateur detective in the future. The first few chapters were hard to get into for me but they were establishing the foundation of the story. Once the plot starting moving forward, it was fun. If you're not a baseball fan, you may not like it as there are several game scenes (not in depth but enough).

The Poet X 5 stars

Such a fantastic coming of age story. Narrated through poetry, it evokes such emotions. I was happy and I was crying right along with the narrator. Wanted to hug her.

The only ick part was that the love interest's name was my brother's name and I cringed every time I read his name. Was going to dock the book 1/2 point but that's a me issue and not a book one.

Highly recommend this book.

Lillie wrote: "The Poet X 5 stars

Such a fantastic coming of age story. Narrated through poetry, it evokes such emotions. I was happy and I was crying right along w..."

I loved Poet X also. A powerful book. Glad you enjoyed it too.

Michelle wrote: "I loved Poet X also. A powerful book. Glad you enjoyed it too."

Thanks. I've really enjoyed her other 2 books as well. Really enjoy her writing. Looks like she'll have another book out this May and I can't wait Inheritance

Book #4 The Girls I've Been 4 stars

Never having read Tess Sharpe I had no expectations from this book. I'd forgotten why I had added this to the list. Was pleasantly surprised to read a fun fast paced story about a con teen girl who gets caught up in a bank robbery. The story alternates between the present day robbery and her past. It's a love story, a friend story, a hostage story, a sister-sister story and at the heart of it a mother-daughter story. Did like that in the physical book the white pages denote the present and the gray pages the past.

Just looked at some of the reviews on the book page and it looks like this book is being developed into a movie and Millie Bobby Brown from the Stranger Things will be staring in it. Should be fun.

Lillie wrote: "Book #4 The Girls I've Been 4 stars

Never having read Tess Sharpe I had no expectations from this book. I'd forgotten why I had added this ..."

I've been wanting to read this one but I was unsure. Glad to see your positive review.

Book #5 The Collector's Daughter 2.5 stars

I struggled to try to figure out why this didn't work for me because I love the Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series and have enjoyed plots that involved Egyptian mummies. It's a historical fiction based on a real life figure, Lady Evelyn Herbert. Howard Carter figures prominently in the story. The curse of Tutankhamun is a part of it. And 2 different timelines, which I like.

Came to the conclusion that it didn't really work for me because it read like someone's diary and in a very passive voice. Lots of telling and not enough showing. I put it down numerous times and completely forgot about it until I passed the table that it sat on.

Saying all that, I didn't hate it, it was alright 🤷🏻‍♀️The most interesting part was the afterword filled with the research the author had done. That raised it 1/2 star.

Lillie wrote: "The Poet X 5 stars

Such a fantastic coming of age story. Narrated through poetry, it evokes such emotions. I was happy and I was crying right along w..."

Not docking 1/2 point because of your brother!! 😩😂😂😂

I am glad you kept that 1/2 on there, Lillie. I am not a poetry fan, but my daughter is. I may need to get her this book.

btw. Kudos on your progress!!! Woot

Alondra wrote: "Not docking 1/2 point because of your brother!! 😩😂😂😂

I am glad you kept that 1/2 on there, Lillie. I am not a poetry fan, but my daughter is. I may need to get her this book.

btw. Kudos on your progress!!! Woot "

I know!! It's not the author's fault that my brother and I, let me put it nicely, don't see eye to eye. I almost put the book down and walked away when I read the name. Glad I didn't and you should definitely read it. My daughter loved it too.

Michelle wrote: "I've been wanting to read this one but I was unsure. Glad to see your positive review."

If you do read it, I'd love to know your thoughts on it.

Book #6 A Spindle Splintered 4 stars

A fractured retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Really enjoyed the feminist take on it. Everything involved included grim medical diagnosis, fairies, curses, alternate realities/worlds and a lgbtq love story. A fast and fun read. Would recommend if you like fairytale retellings.

Two quibbles, one that it's a novella and I could totally see this in a longer format (I'd love to know more about the alternate reality folks) and two is a small thing (view spoiler)[- where are they going to get the fake ids for Primrose? (hide spoiler)]. Don't know why this bothers me but it does. Not even a couple of throw away sentences about it. That's me, nit picky till the end.

Book #7 A Line To Kill 4 stars

My first free read of the year. Another enjoyable outing with Hawthorne and Horowitz. This time they're on a small island off the south coast of England at a literary festival when a murder occurs. Though Hawthorne is an ex-detective, he's asked to help investigate. Liked learning more about Hawthorne but several questions were raised that'll bring me back for book 4.

Lillie wrote: "Book #7 A Line To Kill 4 stars

My first free read of the year. Another enjoyable outing with Hawthorne and Horowitz. This time they're on a smal..."

This series is on my TBR, glad to hear is enjoyable.

Book #8 Flower Net 2 stars

Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me as a mystery. The premise sounds interesting, a murder that brings together investigators from both China and the US to try to solve them. The investigators were, of course, former lovers & hadn’t seen each other in years. I didn’t care. The manipulations of the governments were annoying too. Is that how governments operate? Probably and I didn’t care. What should’ve intrigued me, left me wanting more. This is my first Lisa See book but I’m not sure I’ll pick up another by her in the near future. Took me way too long to read cause I never wanted to pick it up. Didn’t hate it. It was meh.

*reposted from my reading challenge page

Book #9 Where the Drowned Girls Go 3.5 stars

Another novella in the Wayward Children series, think it's book number 7. Love that these are novellas because I'm not sure that they'd stand up to being novel length. This one started off weak but ended up relatively strong albeit abruptly. I'm guessing that in future novellas we'll get more of the back stories to some of the new characters. Still a good series but highly recommend starting at the beginning of the series because they do build on each other. The first one is Every Heart a Doorway

Lillie wrote: "Book #9 Where the Drowned Girls Go 3.5 stars

Another novella in the Wayward Children series, think it's book number 7. Love that the..."

I hear good things about about this series. I like novella length novels, which reminds me to continue on with Murderbot.

Alondra wrote: “I hear good things about about this series. I like novella length novels, which reminds me to continue on with Murderbot."

Read them!! I’d love to know what you think of them.

Book #10 The Heron's Cry 4 stars

Second book in Ann Cleeves’ Two Rivers series with police detective Matthew Venn. Matthew is still trying to work through his past in the town he’s returned to while doing his job solving murders. I really enjoy Cleeves’ writing. Got completely absorbed in the mystery as well as the personal lives of the characters.

January has been a good reading month for me. Read 11 books, 9 from my lists and 2 free reads. 1 audiobook and 10 physical books.

The Poet X was my first 5 star read of 2022. I know know nothing about poetry but if was all like this, I'd have volumes of poetry on my shelves. Beautiful and lyrical, this book took me on a journey of emotions.

Unfortunately, Flower Net was my least favorite read of the month. Rated it 2 stars as it wasn't bad, it was just very clunky. I could see what the author was trying to do but she just wasn't successful.

Books Read:
Blacktop Wasteland 3 stars
The Body Scout 4 stars
The Poet X 5 stars
The Girls I've Been 4 stars
The Collector's Daughter 2.5 stars
A Spindle Splintered 4 stars
A Line To Kill 4 stars
Flower Net 2stars
Where the Drowned Girls Go 3.5 stars
The Heron's Cry 4 stars (read as an audio book)

Book #11 (finished today) The Reading List 4.5 stars
What a great way to end the month. So many emotions! Two lonely people find each other and connect through reading a list of books. Really liked how the author related the books to what was going on in the characters lives.

Lillie wrote: "Alondra wrote: “I hear good things about about this series. I like novella length novels, which reminds me to continue on with Murderbot."

Read them!! I’d love to know what you think of them."

I have the first on my TBR, along with A Spindle Splintered.

Yikes

Alissa and I are reading The Reading List next month. I'm so glad to see that you enjoyed the book!

Lillie wrote: "January has been a good reading month for me. Read 11 books, 9 from my lists and 2 free reads. 1 audiobook and 10 physical books.

The Poet X was my ..."

I absolutely loved both The Poet X and The Reading List. Glad to hear you enjoyed them too! Good month!