Melissa’s Comments (group member since Mar 16, 2023)

Melissa’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

22/26 Completed

A - David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous
B - Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks
C - Suzanne Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping
D - Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son
E - Percival Everett, Telephone
F - Michael Finkel, The Art Thief
G - Richard Grant, God's Middle Finger
H - Emilia Hart, Weyward
I - Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun
J - Alka Joshi, The Henna Artist
K - Marjan Kamali, The Lion Women of Tehran
L - Susie Luo, Paper Names
M - JAMES MICHENER, The Source
N -
O - George Orwell, 1984
P - Shelley Parker-Chan, She Who Became the Sun
Q -
R - Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory
S - Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
T -
U - Thrity Umrigar, Everybody's Son
V - John Vercher, Devil is Fine
W - Wendy Walker, Emma in the Night
X -
Y- Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing
Z - Gabrielle Zevin, Elsewhere

N Q T X

I am in again for "Devil May Care" level.
25/20+ Completed

1 - Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
2 - Charles D'Angelo, Think and Grow Thin: The Revolutionary Diet and Weight-loss System That Will Change Your Life in 88 Days!
3 - Wendy Walker, Emma in the Night
4 - Emilia Hart, Weyward
5 - Shelley Parker Chan, She Who Became the Sun
6 - Michael Finkel, The Art Thief
7 - Alan Watts, Out of Your Mind
8 - Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory
9 - Kari Aguila, Women's Work
10 - David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World
11 - Susan Vreeland, The Passion of Artemesia
12 - John Vercher, Devil Is Fine
13 - Richard Grant, God's Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre
14 - Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
15 - Victoria Finlay, Color: A Natural History of the Palette
16 - Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing
17 - Cheryl Simone, Midnights with the Mystic: A Little Guide to Freedom and Bliss
18 - Marjan Kamali, The Lion Women of Tehran
19 - Cher, Cher: The Memoir, Part 1
20 - Gareth Brown, The Book of Doors
21 - Alka Joshi, The Henna Artist
22 - Susie Luo, Paper Names
23 - Joseph M. Marshall III, The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History
24 - John Banville, The Sea
25 - Liz Moore, The God of the Woods

I have an intimidating TBR shelf that I have been half-heartedly whittling down...I'm in!

Goal: Knock 40 books off the shelf in 2025! (and "try to" stop adding more!)
Total TBR shelf books completed in 2025: 24 / 40 +3(ip)
...plus....5 books deleted without reading/finishing

Books added to TBR list by year:

2011: 2 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 1


2012: 1 book on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 1


2013: 3 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 2(ip)
(ip) (ip)

2014: 13 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 4


2015: 8 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 2


2016: 15 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 1


2017: 8 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 1


2018: 14 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 1


2019: 9 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025:

2020: 8 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 3


2021: 19 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 2


2022: 35 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025:

2023: 59 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 5 , 1(ip)
(ip)

2024: 47 books on TBR shelf ... Books read in 2025: 3

Melissa wrote: "New 2 U Authors 2024
Goal Level: Devil May Care
Read: 8/20+

1 - Sarah Addison Allen, Other Birds
2 - Dave Asprey, Fast This Way
3 - Rumaan Alam, L..."

Author Alphabet Challenge 2024
Jan 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024

I really enjoyed this in 2023, and 2024!

26/26 Competed!

A - Sarah Addison Allen, Other Birds
B - Alan Brennert, Moloka'i
C - Blake Crouch, Dark Matter
D - John Delony, Own Your Past, Change Your Future
E - Percival Everett, James
F - Ken Follett, Winter of the World
G - Hendrik Groen, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
H - Kristin Hannah, The Women
I - Kazuo Ishiguro, When We Were Orphans
J - Simon Jimenez, The Spear Cuts Through Water
K - Hari Kunzru, Gods Without Men
L - Laila Lalami, The Moor's Account
M - Martin MacInnes, In Ascension
N - Jacqueline Novogratz, The Blue Sweater
O - Nick Offerman, Gumption
P - Jodi Picoult, Mad Honey
Q - Kate Quinn, The Briar Club
R - Dave Ramsey, Baby Steps Millionaires
S - Robin Sharma, The 5am Club
T - Donna Tartt, The Secret History
U - Luis Alberto Urrea, Into the Beautiful North
V - Leo Vardiashvili, Hard by a Great Forest
W - Tara Westover, Educated
X - Gao Xingjian, Soul Mountain
Y - Guzel Yakhina, Zuleikha
Z - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel's Game

New 2 U Authors 2024
Goal Level: Devil May Care
Read: 27 of 20+
1 - Sarah Addison Allen, Other Birds
2 - Dave Asprey, Fast This Way
3 - Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind
4 - G.R. Macallister, Scorpica
5 - Alan Brennert, Moloka'i
6 - Martin MacInnes, In Ascension
7 - Hari Kunzru, Gods Without Men
8 - Dave Ramsey, Baby Steps Millionaires
9 - John Delony, Own your Past, Change Your Future
10 - Robin Sharma, The 5am Club
11 - Hendrik Groen, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
12 - Guzel Yakhina, Zuleikha
13 - Blake Crouch, Dark Matter
14 - Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones
15 - Barbra Streisand, My Name is Barbra
16 - Tara Westover, Educated
17 - There Are Rivers in the Sky, There are Rivers in the Sky
18 - Gao Xingjian, Soul Mountain
19 - Laila Lalami, The Moor's Account
20 - Nick Offerman, Gumption
21 - Percival Everett, James
22 - Simon Jimenez, The Spear Cuts Through Water
23 - Jacqueline Novogratz, The Blue Sweater
24 - Anne Berest, The Postcard
25 - Gillian McAllister, Wrong Place Wrong Time
26 - Luis Alberto Urrea, Into the Beautiful North
27 - Ariel Lawhon, The Frozen River

Ann-Marie wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Actually, ANY Neil Gaiman book read by the author is GOLD."

There are 3 volumes from his Sandman series that are just full of famous narrators (including him) that I absolutely loved."

I listened to "The Sandman: Act 1" by Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs . It also inspired some pretty crazy dreams for me, as a bonus. I have the next two Acts in my queue. Thanks for the recommendation!

My goal for April:
Of Mice and Men ready by Gary Sinise
Completed - fantastic narration!

I've already listened to the following, and highly recommend them:

Travels with Charley: In Search of America read by Gary Sinise

Boys in the Trees read by Carly Simon

A Natural Woman read by Carole King

Good Omens read by Neil Gaiman

Actually, ANY Neil Gaiman book read by the author is GOLD.

The Dutch House read by Tom Hanks

Sounds fun!
Author Alphabet Challenge
1/1/23-12/31/23
Completed: 26/26!

A - Laurie Lico Albanese, Hester
B - Fredrik Backman, The Winners
C - Jeanine Cummins, American Dirt
D - Hernan Diaz, Trust
E - Nikki Erlick, The Measure
F - Ken Follett, Fall of Giants
G - Philippa Gregory, Dawnlands
H - Elin Hilderbrand, Golden Girl
I - Kazou Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
J - Jenny Jackson, Pinneapple Street
K - Kornfield, The Wise Heart
L - Gabrielle Lyon, Forever Strong
M - Emily St. John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility
N - Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, The Mountains Sing
O - Hiroko Oyamada, The Hole
P - Ann Patchett, The Dutch House
Q - Kate Quinn, The Diamond Eye
R - Deanna Raybourn, Killers of a Certain Age
S - Jon Steele, The Watchers
T - Ivan Turgenev, Fathers and Sons
U - Thrity Umrigar, The Space Between Us
V - Abraham Verghese, The Covenant of Water
W - Wingate Lisa, Before We Were Yours
X - Xinran, The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices
Y - Adrienne Young, Spells for Forgetting
Z - Yevgeny Zamyatin, We

This sounds fun!
NU2 Me Authors
Level: Devil May Care, 20+

30 of 20+ Completed!

1. Nikki Erlick, The Measure
2. Elin Hilderbrand, Golden Girl
3. Geraldine Brooks, People of the Book
4. Ann Patchett, The Dutch House
5. Jeanine Cummins, American Dirt
6. Jon Steele, The Watchers
7. Emily St John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility
8. Adrienne Young, Spells for Forgetting
9. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, The Mountains Sing
10. Yevgeny Zamyatin, We
11. Deanna Raybourn, Killers of a Certain Age
12. , Thrity Umrigar, The Space Between Us
13. , Hiroko Oyamada, The Hole
14. , Ivan Turgenev, Fathers and Sons
15 , Naguib Mahfouz, Palace Walk
16 , Alix E Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
17 , Shea Ernshaw, A History of Wild Places
18 Laurie Lico Albanese, Hester
19 Kent Haruf, Our Souls at Night
20 , Candice Millard, River of the Gods
21 , Madeline Miller, Song of Achilles
22 , Maggie O'Farrell, The Marriage Portrait
23 , Jon Acuff, All It Takes Is a Goal
24 , Claire Lombardo
25 , Gabrielle Lyon
26 , Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D Perry
27 , Hernan Diaz
28 , Jenny Jackson
29 , Jack Kornfield
30 , Xinran Xue