Cheryl’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2017)

Cheryl’s comments from the Challenges from Exploding Steamboats group.

Just finished When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill which takes place entirely in Wisconsin.

Good call on Owen Meany! I read 4/5 of that and finally I couldn't take it any more. That was back in the day when I felt like I was obligated to finish the book. I refuse to read anything else by him.

Stina wrote: "Maybe it isn't quite according to Hoyle, but I listened to "Insight and Wisdom Through Loss," which turned out to be an interview of Isabel Allende and not an actual book. And at this point I kinda..."
I think you are safe from the Challenge Police at this point. But if not, let me know and I will be your attorney. :)

Mary wrote: "In the last few days, I have seen Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover mentioned more than once. It was published just last week, so maybe that is why. The blurb says it is set in Idaho."
Glad I peeked at this list because Educated is set primarily in Idaho for the first part of the book. I only read that book because a friend of mine was a roommate of Tara's at BYU.

I wasn't even sure I had a tracking list of any sort on this one, which shows how often I update it.

I have made some progress in the last year (newer reads**) which puts my slate so far at

Alaska -- If You Lived Here I Would Know Your Name
Arizona -- The Last Kind Words Saloon
California -- Of Mice and Men, Walk Across the Sea, I'll Be Gone in the Dark
Colorado -- Aunt Dimity Goes West
District of Columbia -- Washington Schlepped Here, A Family Affair**, Murder in the Yoga Store**
Georgia -- A Remarkable Mother
Idaho -- Educated**
Illinois -- Button Holed, Never a City So Real
Indiana -- She Got Up Off the Couch
Louisiana -- Black Like Me, Feet on the Street,
Maryland --We All Scream for Ice Cream, Manhunt, Gingerdead Man, Rockville Pike**
Massachusetts -- A Year by the Sea, Fever 1793**
New York -- The Archaeology of Home, The Bottom of the Harbor, Apple of My Eye, Death at the Old Hotel, Year of Living Biblically**
North Carolina -- Where the Crawdads Sing**
Ohio -- Emma's Secret
Oklahoma -- Everything Sad is Untrue**
Pennsylvania -- Hallowed Ground
South Carolina -- Gunpowder Green**
Texas -- Tinsel**
Utah -- Desert Solitaire
Washington -- The Lone Range and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, A Ritual Death
Wisconsin -- Gingerbread Cookie Murder

21/51

Interesting additions! For instance, I am tempted to take you up on The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy -- but I might count it as Reread a favorite because this was one of my favorites of all the books I read in college.

Everything Sad is Untrue

Murder in the Yoga Store

Tinsel: A Search for America's Christmas Present

Gunpowder Green

Hurrah! I literally did a fist pump when the notification popped up in my email that you had posted this! I get the impression that you might be a little frustrated with yourself for having so many of the same prompts each year. If it helps at all, this is the one reading challenge goal I manage to achieve every year and I find it incredibly helpful. I have actually cut down (a little) the size of Mt. TBR by trying to use the books I already have to satisfy the prompts. Can't wait to get started on planning for 2023!

Penitent Prioritization

** The oldest ARC you own
** A LitRPG book
** A family member's favorite book
* A food book about a cuisine you've never tried before
* An edition of a literary magazine
* A book from the 2019 Reading Women Award shortlists and honorable mentions
* Read a Victorian (1837-1901) diary or collection of letters
- An indigenous literature award nominee, such as the AIYLA, Burt, Indigenous Voices Awards, Nga Kupu Ora, etc.
- A book from the Sir Julius Vogel Award long-list from any year
- Book becoming a movie in 2021
- Read a genre novel by an Indigenous, First Nations, or Native American author
- Read an SFF anthology edited by a person of color
- Read a food memoir by an author of color
- Read a book from the neighborhood library box -- DONE -- March: Book 3 by John Lewis
- A book by a Slovak author
- A book with a spine you love
- A Bookoplathon Chance card book
- A Victorian sensation novel

Lost Levels

*2021: Level 3*
- Read a book by an author with the same first name as one of your grandparents. -- DONE -- A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery
- Free Space! Pick any book.
Level 3
- A book that you intended to read on last year's challenge
- Free Space! Pick any book.
Level 4
- Read a book that a movie/show you've watched is based on but have yet to read
- Read any book from the Men's Health most popular book list
- Free Space! Pick any book.
Level 5
- Read a book by Georges Simenon -- DONE -- Omnibus 3: Maigret Has Doubts, The Old Man, and Maigret and the Minister
- Read a banned book from the specified ALA list
- Read a book that Linz read previously
- Free Space! Pick any book.

The Usual Fails

- A book by an Eastern European author -- DONE -- The Cat King of Havana
- A "Sense of Gender Award" winner, or a similar award such as the Otherwise Award (adjust as needed for age appropriateness and accessibility)
- A book featuring a parallel reality
- Read a biography of an author you admire
- Read an adventure story by a BIPOC author
- Read a new-to-you literary magazine (print or digital)
- Read a memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary
- Read a "Best ____ Writing of the year" book for a topic and year of your choice
- Read an award-winning book from the year you were born
- Book becoming movie in 2022
- Bottom of your to-read list
- Author who shares your initials
- Reread a favorite
- A second-person narrative
- A book picked based on its spine
- Jane Austen-inspired
- Read the second book in a trilogy -- DONE -- The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
- Read the third book in a trilogy -- DONE -- The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
- A food-related memoir -- DONE -- A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena diBlasi
- Read a book with snow on the cover -- DONE -- Last Christmas in Paris
- Read a book that gives you thrills and chills
- A middle grade book set in Asia or featuring an Asian main character
- A middle grade book older than you -- DONE -- A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- A middle grade book with an orphan main character
- A book translated from Korean -- DONE -- Tales of Korea by Im Bang, Yi Ryuk, and translated by James Scarth Gale
- A historical fiction novel featuring Korea
- A book featuring a Korean diaspora character
- An award-winning Korean novel
- A biography or book about history -- DONE -- March: Book One by John Lewis
- A book you've been wanting to re-read
- A graphic novel -- DONE -- March: Book Two by John Lewis
- A book longer than 700 pages
- A book with the number 7 in the title or subtitle
- A book recommended to you by someone with a viewpoint different from yours
- A book you read as a child
- A 5-star prediction -- DONE -- A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
- A book with a scripted font for the title
- Read a book that represents chaos to you -- DONE - Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Read a slasher
- A book in French or Italian
- A book with a title starting with the letter R
- A book by a Grand Master -- DONE - Orsinian Tales by Ursula K. LeGuin
- A nonfiction book related to the word "element" -- DONE -- When Breath Becomes Air
- A nonfiction book related to the word "border" -- DONE -- Terra Incognita
- A nonfiction book related to the word "secret" -- DONE-- Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, by Dani Shapiro
- A Victorian work with a Bildungsroman
- A Victorian work with chronic illness/disability rep
- A book with gods or godlike characters, or themes of religions, cults, or mythology -- DONE -- Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell
- A book with a colour in the title -- DONE -- White Fragility
- A book with spooky vibes
- Scroll through a social media feed and read the first book you own or have access to

Specific Titles

- Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
- Shirley by Charlotte Bronte
- The Brave by James Bird
- The Blood Countess by Elizabeth Bathory
- The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
- Walkaway by Cory Doctorow
- Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer
- Pony by R.J. Palacio
- A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
- Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen
- The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

I am trying to meet my goal for the challenge this year so I am peeking at all of the topics that have threds. I see that this one links a "free book" to the grandparent's name prompt -- and I am currently reading that one. So I will pick my most challenging but unallocated read for the year to this prompt -- when I figure out what it is.

I counted Ships in the Desert for this one because it is set in Kazakhstan, which is definitely far away, if not the opposite side and is very different from my world.

So, The Demigod Files, an accompaniment to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, had a deckled edge. Color me surprised to use this book to check off this prompt.

I have read only two winners from this competition -- Bel Canto (5 stars from me) and We Need to Talk About Kevin (don't remember if I gave it 3 or 4 stars, but I am still disturbed by it 4 years or so later). I have heard good things about Hamnet and I like Barbara Kingsolver. So I would say that it is a better than 50/50 shot -- but not 2/3 for things I would like.

I have read several of the Provence non-fiction books and one of the author's novels. I would recommend A Year in Provence -- it is a collection of vignettes that are funny and poignant and can be done in bits and pieces. The first one starts with a person power-washing their underwear and there are quite a few forays into the rural French food scene.

Wow. I may stick to seeing if I have any unread books from my dad's library in my stack. Auto repair is a foreign language for me (just trying to read the owner's manual on how to replace my windshield wipers took days). I am not sure about a book on soil -- although I will keep my eyes out for your review. The tractor book might be interesting, but I would have to track it down.

Copying the whole list, including the ones crossed out and the new ones added. Will update as I get around to it.


-A book longer than 700 pages
- The oldest ARC you own
- A book published on your birthday (any year)
- A LitRPG book
- A family member's favorite book

- A book that was published in 1995
- A food book about a cuisine you've never tried before
- An edition of a literary magazine
- Borrowed from a friend
- A book set on the opposite side of the planet -- DONE -- Ships in the Desert (Kazakhstan)
- A winner of the Stella Prize or the Women's Prize for Fiction
- A book from the 2019 Reading Women Award shortlists and honorable mentions
- A book by Isabel Allende
- Read a Victorian (1837-1901) diary or collection of letters

Level 2
- The original "Beauty & the Beast" fairy tale
- Free Space! Pick any book.
Level 3
- Read a book by an author with the same first name as one of your grandparents. -- DONE -- A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Sparks
- Free Space! Pick any book. -- DONE -- Encyclopedia of Counseling
Level 5
- Read a book by John Irving.
- Free Space! Pick any book.

- An indigenous literature award nominee, such as the AIYLA, Burt, Indigenous Voices Awards, Nga Kupu Ora, etc.
- A book from the Sir Julius Vogel Award long-list from any year
- A book written in an endangered (or now extinct) language
- A book by a prisoner or about prison systems
- A book involving recovery from a natural disaster
- A book about or by a Little Person
- Book becoming a movie in 2021
- Bestselling memoir
- A sequel
- Oprah Winfrey Book Club pick
- A book everyone is talking about
- Set before the 17th century
- Book with a deckled edge -- DONE -- The Demigod Files
- An alternate history novel
- An epistolary
- Winner of the National Book Award (any year)
- Read a non-European novel in translation
- Read a genre novel by an Indigenous, First Nations, or Native American author
- A book that has won the Women's Prize for Fiction
- A bestseller from the 1990s
- A locked-room mystery -- DONE - The Sugar Cookie Murder
- Read a book from Dad's library
- Read a NetGalley book
- Read a book from the neighborhood library box -- DONE -- The Cat Saw Murder
- A fantasy book released in 2021
- A military sci fi -- DONE -- We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- A book by a Slovak author
- A book set in winter -- DONE -- Spinning Silver
- An SFF book with a trope you love
- A nonfiction book someone you love loves
- A historical fiction book in a series you love
- A book with a spine you love
- A book set in a place you have visited --DONE -- When in Rome
- Book about a war that is not World War II-- DONE -- The Hamiliton Affair
- A book with a person's name in the title -- DONE -- Coffin in Fashion
- A book from your birth decade
- A book set in the present day
- The first book in a series
- A Bookoplathon Chance card book
- A book in an atypical genre for you --DONE -- 21 Proms (teenage romance)
- A book already on your e-reader
- A book with a purple cover -- DONE -- Sew Deadly
- An audiobook that is a tear-jerker
- An audiobook that made you gasp or laugh out loud -- DONE -- I Remember Nothing
- A wildly popular audiobook you've never read before
- A book with a word in the title that is related to an Element (earth, air, water, or fire)
- A Victorian book set in either the countryside or the city -- DONE -- The Wicked Boy
- A Victorian sensation novel
- A book with a group of teens as the main characters -- DONE -- A Deadly Education
- A book with a camp setting
- A middle grade book -- DONE -- Everything Sad is Untrue
- A book by a Mediterranean author -- DONE -- The Sound of the Dragon's Feet by Alki Zei
- Debut novel of a famous author
- A fanfic
- The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
- A Victorian mystery or one set in the Victorian era -- DONE -- The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets
- A mystery with a bilingual detective or one set in a village -- DONE -- The Beckoning Lady
- A mystery that features a great team -- DONE -- Mrs Jeffries Wins the Prize
- A Golden Age mystery or one set between 1920 and 1945
- A translated mystery or one set in a country not your own -- DONE -- The Meerkat Murders
- A mystery with a private detective -- DONE -- Latter End


- Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
- Shirley by Charlotte Bronte
- The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner
- The Brave by James Bird
- Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell
- The Blood Countess by Elizabeth Bathory
- The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
- Walkaway by Cory Doctorow
- Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer

I think your dad's front door is a little out of my way, but the Book from Dad's Library intrigues me. My dad has been gone more than 15 years, but I found some favorite authors by raiding his library as a kid.

I might see if I have any of my dad's books on my own shelves. But I am hoping you might post a list of 10 or 20 (as recommended by your dad?) on the thread for that prompt.

A friend handed me a bag of books to add to local Little Free Libraries and it had Issue #98 of Glimmer Train in it. Never heard of Glimmer Train before and I really disliked some of the stories, but I read it.