(I bumped it up from my original goal of 36.)
60. Sula - Toni Morrison
59. Fairest of All (Villains #1) - Serena Valentino
58. The Sentence - Louise Erdrich
57. Within These Wicked Walls - Lauren Blackwood
56. The Third Girl - Nell Goodin
55. Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams
54. These Tangled Vines - Julianne MacLean
53. Harlem Shuffle - Colson Whitehead
52. The Adventurer's Son - Roman Dial (audio)
51. Helen of Pasadena - Lian Dolan
50. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow - Laura Taylor Namey (audio)
49. Love & Olives Jenna Evans Welch
48. The Wedding Game - Meghan Quinn
47. The Lost Girls of Devon - Barbara O'Neal
46. The Interestings - Meg Wolitzer
45. While Justice Sleeps - Stacey Abrams
44. When Stars Collide - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
43. Seven Days in June - Tia Williams
42. Shipped - Angie Hockman
41. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
40. The Downstairs Girl - Stacey Lee
39. Small Favors - Erin A. Craig
38. Milk Blood Heat - Dantiel W. Moniz
37. The Tourist Attraction - Sarah Morgenthaler
36. What I Know for Sure - Oprah Winfrey (audio)
35. The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah
34. It took me so long to read this book! It wasn't that I didn't like it, because I did. It was because it is very long (almost 600 pages) and I was reading all these other books at the same time. Shadow of Night is the second book in the witch/vampire trilogy by Deborah Harkness. In this novel, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to the last 1500s. They go to London, France, back to London, to Prague, back to London, and finally back to present day, well 2010 anyway. It's entertaining. I'll read the final book in the series sometime soon. (July)
33. This memoir, Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford, has a lot of buzz around it, and for good reason. The writing is so beautiful and readable, it's almost like a novel. The words and narrative buzz along, and even though some things that Ashley goes through are devastating, there is also friendship and love. (July)
32. The May Reese's Book Club pic, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, is a good mystery novel. Hannah's husband, Owen, disappears suddenly, leaving Hannah a note that says only "Protect Her". The "her" is Owen's 16 year old daughter, Bailey, whom he leaves with $600,000 that she finds in a duffel bag in her school locker. Hannah and Bailey, who are not exactly on great terms to begin with, try to find Owen and figure out what has happened to make him leave so suddenly. There are lots of twists and turns. Loved the last line. (July)
31. The last three books I read were kind of heavy, so I needed something lighter. Simmer Down by Sarah Smith totally fit the bill. It is set in Maui. It involves food trucks and the beautiful people who run them. Nikki run a Phillipina food truck with her mom and they have a prime parking spot next to a beach. One day, a pair of handsome English brothers park their food truck in the same area. There is a food truck turf war between Nikki an Callum that is full of sexual tension. This is a fun book, although there were plenty of times when I found myself shaking my head and thinking "WTF Nikki?" (July)
30. Book number eight for #Ekpesbookclub comes from the weird, wonderful mind of Kiese Laymon. Long Divison is a book within a book; two separate, but related, tales that are kind of mind-bending. I really don't know if I have the proper words to describe this book to you. It's kind of complicated and almost Lewis Carroll-y at times. I will say that Book 2 was riveting. (June)
29. This book, Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, was a Reader's Choice selection at the County Library. I was interested in this book because it involved Mayan folklore. It is set in Mexico in the 1920's. The main character is Casiopea, who is basically her grandfather's servant. One day, left on her own, she opens a chest in her grandfather's room and the Maya god of death is brought back to life, sort of, and he commands Casiopea help him regain his kingdom. They travel through Mexico, meeting other gods and demi-gods along the way. I liked it. (June)
28. Book seven for #Ekpesbookclub was Eternal by Lisa Scottoline (rhymes with fettuccini). This is historical fiction set in Rome in World War II and is a love triangle. The woman is Elisabetta, who has been friends with Marco, a Catholic Fascist, and Sandro, a Jewish Fascist, since they were children. Now that they are teenagers, all three are thinking of the future and romance. Both men love Elisabetta. Who will she choose? I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I haven't read many WWII books set in Rome, and I learned a few things I didn't know. There was a bit of ugly crying toward the end of the book. I knew I was going to do, and I couldn't stop myself. (June)
27. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is the summer YA pick for Reese's Book Club. It has strong Princess Diary vibes with the royal family in play here being the Imperial family in Japan. I totally liked Izumi, the "lost" princess, and I enjoyed watching her grow into her new role while maintaining her individuality. I feel like there could be more books to come, and I will read them! (June)
26. Braving the Wilderness is my first Brene Brown experience. I’ve heard her name in various things, so I decided to give it a shot. I listened to the audio version, read by the author. It was like she was talking to me. I really like that. There were some good insights, too, of course. The gist of the book is about having the courage to be yourself while still having attachments with other people. This is another book that I would like to have an actual copy of because there were parts that I found myself nodding along with in agreement and wishing I could take a minute to write stuff down to ponder later. I love to ponder. (May)
25. I read this book many years ago, maybe when it first came out in 2011. I didn’t remember much about it, except the main characters were a witch and a vampire. For some reason, I really felt like reading it again. It surprised me that there was a wait list at the library; I didn’t realize it had been turned into a series on TV. I was glad when the first book became available. I enjoyed it! It’s a good escape. (May)
I listened to the audio version of this book, and I can’t tell you how many times I said things like, “Oh Jesus” or “Damn, white people are mean”. Wilkerson spared no details in the mistreatment of Black people in the United States, from slavery times to now. This is a fascinating, devastating book. I learned many things that I didn’t know before and the knowledge I did have about the way Black people have been treated here since the 1600s was reinforced by listening to this book. Very powerful. (May)
22. Book number six for #Ekpesbookclub is Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist's Freedom Song by Marlon Peterson. This man has had a tough life. Imprisoned at age 19, he served over 10 years in the New York jail and prison system for being an accomplice to a robbery that turned into a murder, even though he wasn't carrying a gun and was across the street when the bad shit went down. Peterson describes his childhood, making bad decisions, and how he survived time in prison. It isn't an easy story to read. I appreciate his perspectives on incarceration in America. (May)
21. Look at that cute cover! Look at the cute title! Don't bother with what's inside. I felt like reading some light chick lit, and this book is definitely that, but there is no fire in this story. There's no passion. It just plods along as the two main characters think about how much they still love each other and the obstacles they have to overcome to be together. It is chaste and kind of dull. (May)
20. Northern Spy was Reese's Book Club pick for April. I was glad to get it from the library in the same month. It is the story of two sisters, Tessa and Marian, who live in Northern Ireland. Tessa works for the BBC and Marian is a paramedic who is also involved in the IRA. I confess that I didn't realize the Irish Republican Army was still a viable force there in Northern Ireland. I could feel Tessa's fear, tension, and worry throughout the book. It is well written and engaging. You never know who is a good guy and who is a bad guy. That is certainly part of the tension in the story. (May - although most of the reading was done in April, I finished it on May 2.)
19. The fifth book selection this year for #EkpesBookClub. This novel has some definite Jordan Peele vibes to it. The story revolves around Sydney, a Black woman living in her childhood home in Brooklyn. The predominantly Black neighborhood is quickly becoming gentrified, and Sydney's neighbors are going missing. Most of the white people in this story are assholes with the exception of Theo, although I had my doubts about him, also. There were plenty of times when I thought Sydney was a little too paranoid and Theo was a little too good to be true, but the book is a page-turner with a bloody ending. A little over-the-top, but still a fun read. (April)
18. First, can we just a take a minute to admire the gorgeous cover on this book? It is even more stunning in real life. I stared at it often. Firekeeper's Daughter is the spring YA pick for Reese's Book Club. I was thrilled to get it fairly quickly from the library. I might have been the first reader of this particular volume.
I was hooked on this story from the first page. The story centers on Daunis, half Native, half white, former hockey player, aspiring scientist. She sees her best friend get murdered and the suicide of the murderer. She knows that there is a meth problem on her reservation, and she ends up working with the FBI to try to find the suppliers. The novel had me hanging on every word, following along with Daunis who is smart, strong, and so human that I felt like I knew her. It is simply a phenomenal book that I have thought about many times since I finished reading it. (April)
16. I think I heard about this book from one of the many lists I look at from various sources. The premise is cute: a bunch of men have a book club in which they read romance novels. The men call these books "manuals" to help them with their real life relationships. The newest member of the club is Gavin. He and his wife, Thea, are having problems and Gavin has moved out. The reason they are having problems, at least on the surface, is that she fakes it in bed. Of course there is more to it than that and we eventually get to all the real feelings and issues. It's not a great book, but it's not terrible. I just found out this is the first book in a series of four. I am going out on a limb and saying that I'll probably read all of them, even though they don't really fit into the "quality" portion of my reading goal. Sometimes a little romance is A-OK. (April)
The second part of the book is a murder mystery/whodunnit. It's all pretty entertaining. I mostly listened to the audio of this book until I had less than 100 pages to go and the ebook became available, so I finished the book by actually reading it. The reader in the audio version was good, with one exception: whenever she pronounced words with the letter T, it sounded like a D, like "button" was pronounced "buddon". Lots of people do it, but it kinda drives me crazy. (March)
14.This novel, Magic Lessons: A Prequel to Practical Magic, is the origin story of the Owens women. It starts with Maria, a foundling child taken in by Hannah Owens. Hannah is a master of the Nameless Arts and teaches Maria all she knows. When a horrible tragedy befalls Hannah, Maria flees the woods where she grew up and ends up on a ship sailing for Curacao. From Curacao, Maria and her baby go to Massachusetts, to Salem, of course. Terrible things happen in Salem, and Maria flees to Manhattan. All of this takes place in the 1600s. It's a great story with wonderful, and horrible, characters. (March)
13. This is the second time through The Guest List for me. I read it last year when it was a Reese's Book Club selection. This year it was a selection for #EkpesBookClub. This book is also a mystery/thriller told from many points of view and I'd say that the setting for this book, a remote island off the Irish coast, is also a character in the story. The story revolves around a wedding on this island and features the voices of a couple of the guests, the bride, the maid of honor, and the wedding planner/proprietor. There are a lot of unsavory characters in this one and lots of connections between the people. I liked it the first time, and I liked it the second time, too. (March)
11. Infinite Country is the March read for Reese's Book Club. I listened the the audio version. The reader was excellent, a woman named Ines del Castillo. The story is about Elena and Mauro and their three children, Carina, Nando, and Talia. They are a Colombian family that moves to The North (the United States) to make a better life for themselves. The story isn't told chronologically and that threw me at first until I found the rhythm of the storytelling and recognized the different voices. Elena and Mauro's story is told by an omniscient narrator. The kids tell the story in their own voices. The Colombian folk tales that are wound through the novel are enchanting and add depth to what is happening to the family. I cried more several times while listening to this narration. del Castillo inflects so much emotion into the words and gives each of the children a unique voice that is easily recognizable without ever seeming corny. I thought this book was completely wonderful. (March)
8. I wasn't planning on reading this book, but there it was, available as an audiobook from the library, and I thought, "Well, why not?" Best decision I made in February! The audio is narrated by McConaughey and he is charming and funny. I'm sure the physical book is equally entertaining because you could imagine his voice, but in his reading he chuckles, he whispers, and he kinda shouts at times ("Bumper sticker!"). Hearing the audio added an extra layer of goodness for me. Matthew is an interesting dude and has had quite a life so far. I highly recommend this one - my first five-star Goodreads rating of the year. (February)
7. The first volume of President Obama's memoir was the first book choice for #Ekpesbookclub this year. It's a big book. There are technically around 750 pages, but there's an index and a couple of photo sections. Actual pages to read comes around 700 pages. It took us five weeks to read it. Obama himself says right at the beginning that he is "wordy". He is. There is a lot of detail in this book. He explains the history that lead to events that happened during his Administration. He talks about his decision-making processes and the people who advised and talked through policy decisions with him. He talks about his family: his mother, his grandparents, his wife, and his daughters. I found the personal parts of the book to be the most compelling and easiest to read. I got bogged down in other parts of the narrative, trying to keep members of his Cabinet straight in my mind. Once I gave up on that (lol) I fared a lot better. (February)
6. I bought this book a couple of years ago and it's been waiting patiently in my TBR pile. I decided a little romantic novel would be a fun Valentines Day weekend treat, so I started it on Saturday Feb 13 and finished it on Sunday Feb 14. It was a fun, quick read. I liked Darcy and Tom. The chemistry was good and so was their friendship. Cute! (February)
1. I read most of The Marriage Code in December, and actually finished it on New Year’s Day. I really enjoy books about India, Indian people, and food. This book had all of those elements and a sexy little romance, too, so it more than ticked all the boxes. The novel was an Amazon First Reads freebie. Very enjoyable. (January)
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