Ann A’s Comments (group member since Apr 18, 2010)

Ann A’s comments from the Challenge: 50 Books group.

1 - Angle of Investigation - Just a short, but I'm counting it! I'll read anything Connelly writes. 4*

2 - Death of a Celebrity - I always enjoy hanging out with Hamish in Scotland. 4*

3 - Christmas in Plains: Memories - 4*

4 - Educated - Couldn't put this down. 5*

5 - The Scarecrow - Not quite up to par for Connelly, but still good. 3 1/2*

I didn't reach 100 in 2018, but I'm going to go for it again. I've GOT to make some progress on my giant TBR!

Good luck!

I've decided not to enter the rest of my 2018 books here - too time-consuming. I read a total of 91 regular books and 2 shorts. Didn't quite meet my goal of 100, but got pretty close!

Hope everyone had a super year of reading. Onward and upward to 2019!

short - Blue on Black 4*

46 - The Rosie Effect 4*

47 - Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole 4*

48 - Rainbow Valley 3*

49 - Henry VI, Part 1 4*

50 - White Tears 4*

Still trying to get all my books added for 2018. I'll have to forego most comments. I'll do better at keeping up this year!

41 - Missing Joseph 4*

42 - Little Fires Everywhere - Intense! 4*

43 - All the Little Liars 4*

44 - How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays 4*

45 - My Cousin Rachel
Liked this better than 'Rebecca'. 4*

38 - Moby-Dick or, The Whale
More hard work than enjoyment, I'm afraid. Maybe I'll revisit it some day. 2 1/2*

39 - We Have Always Lived in the Castle
I'm not a big fan of horror, but I appreciate the eerie, subtle kind at which Jackson is a master. 4*

40 - Death of a Macho Man
Fun times with Hamish. 4*

34 - Exit West
I'm a big fan of Mohsin Hamid, although I didn't like this one as well as The Reluctant Fundamentalist. 4*

35 - Death of a Nag
I did guess "who dunnit", but still enjoyed hanging out with lovable, goofy Hamish. 4*

36 - North and South
One of my favorite "1001 books" so far. There are similarities to Jane Austen, but Gaskell digs deeper into social issues. 5*

37 - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine 4*

I'll have to cut down on my comments, as I'm so far behind on listing my books read!

30 - The End of the Affair
Great writing, but too much religion for me. 3*

31 - Nemesis 3*

32 - The Underground Railroad 3 1/2*
Was expecting more from this - not sure why.

33 - First Among Sequels
My favorite romp so far into the world of Thursday Next. I continue to marvel (and chuckle) at the wit of Jasper Fforde. 4*

27 - Boys in the Trees: A Memoir
4-ish stars, although there was more than I wanted to know about Carly and James.

28 - Hamilton: The Revolution
All sorts of fascinating tidbits for Hamilton junkies. Love the book, love the musical, love Lin-Manuel Miranda. 5*

29 - Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Excellent book. These stories are heartbreaking, but as long as we have organizations like The Equal Justice Initiative, we have to be hopeful. 5*

23 - Lincoln in the Bardo
Great audiobook performance with an all-star cast. The story was daring, innovative, etc. - just not really my cup of tea. 3*

24 - Idaho
Some beautiful writing, but I had a lot of issues with it. 3*

25 - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Quite a (1000-page) story. 4*

26 - Sing, Unburied, Sing 4*

19 - The Sign of Four
I enjoy Sherlock Holmes, but this wasn't my favorite. 3*

20 - Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living
I enjoyed this when I read it, but not much of it stuck with me (except there were a few recipes I want to try). 4*

21 - Neverwhere
I wasn't a big fan of "American Gods", so I was surprised to like this as much as I did. 4*

22 - Pachinko
Favorite of the year so far. 5*

15 - Death of a Charming Man
These eaudiobooks are an entertaining walking companion. 4*

16 - Dark Shadows: Heiress of Collinwood
It was fun revisiting some of the characters from the original TV series, but I think I'd rather re-watch those episodes than continue to read the new books. 3*

17 - Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
I was disappointed after all the hype. Interesting memoir of "hillbilly makes good", nothing more. 3*

18 - Meditation in 7 Easy Steps
Motivation to continue working on meditation practice and staying present. 4*

12 - The Hound of the Baskervilles (1001 books)
Can't believe I haven't read this before now. 4*

13 - You Can't Spell America Without Me: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump
Had higher expectations... 3*

14 - The Cat Who Tailed a Thief
Nice, cozy little mystery. Trying to get through some books that have been on my shelves for years and years...3*

8 - The Hippopotamus Pool 3 1/2*

9 - I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship: Hilarious, Heartwarming Tales about Man's Best Friend from America's Favorite Humorists
Fun book (recommended for dog lovers only). 4*

10 - Fever Dream
Confusing at first, but it ended up passing my "unique, but not TOO strange" test. 3*

11 - The Yellow Birds
I haven't been so powerfully affected by a war novel since All Quiet on the Western Front. 5*

4 - 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
I got bogged down in a few places, but most of it was very interesting. 4*

5 - Tell the Wolves I'm Home
A lovely debut novel that had me totally absorbed. 4*

6 - Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions 4*

7 - A Matter of Time
A lot of characters to keep track of at first, but I love Deshpande's writing, and will be searching for more of her work . 4*

Let's go for 100 again (including at least 20 from the 1001 list). Good luck to all and many happy 2018 reading hours!

1 - 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Interesting stuff. I've become a bit of a history buff (after disliking it in high school). 4*

2 - Uncommon Type: Some Stories
I was surprised at how much I liked this. Is there anything Tom Hanks can't do? The last few stories lost some steam for me. 4*

3 - A Bollywood Affair
I like a little believability with my chick-lit. 1*

Congratulations on finishing 50! Hope you had a great reading year.

Congratulations on finishing 55 books!

Congratulations! 72 books is great!