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12x12 Travel, High Notes, CultureCATCity of Thieves / David Benioff
3 stars
It’s WWII in Leningrad, Russia. Lev and Kolya are in jail together, but are sent out to find a dozen eggs at a time when there is very little food to be found anywhere. Sorry, not a great summary. I guess that is just what starts it off, as Lev and Kolya travel together from there.
I listened to the audio and, like many audios, there were just too many parts that didn’t hold my attention (hence the sketchy summary). Parts were ok, though, and one part was quite horrifying. Overall, though, it was merely “ok” for me.
12x12 PBT, PBT, AlphaKIT, Trim the TBRI See Rude People / Amy Alkon
4 stars
There is a long subtitle to this one, which pretty much says it all: “One woman’s battle to beat some manners into impolite society”. The author is a blogger and has an advice column. She is quite outspoken when it comes to people being rude. There are chapters on people talking loudly on their cell phones (one of my pet peeves!), parents who don’t parent, telemarketers, and more.
I really enjoyed this. There was plenty of humour and I applaud her for standing up to some of these people! She goes to extremes in some cases (like with the telemarketers… or hunting down the guy who stole her car, and trying to hunt down whoever stole her identity), but good for her!
12x12 Off the Shelf, AlphaKITThe Storied Life of A.J. Fikry / Gabrielle Zevin
4 stars
AJ is only 39, but is a widower. He drinks a bit too much and one night, while passed out, a very valuable book is stolen from him. He also owns a bookstore in the small town on the small island that he lives on. He is pretty disillusioned with life. Shortly after the book is stolen, though, something arrives at the bookstore to wake him up again.
I really enjoyed this! It wasn’t a page-turner or an action-packed book, but it was really enjoyable. I liked most of the characters (though I wasn’t crazy about either Daniel or Ismay). I also loved all the book/literary references! And the tv references, though there weren’t nearly as many of those.
12x12 Nonfiction, PBTHidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race / Margot Lee Shetterly
3.25 stars
This is a history/biography of some of the African-American women who worked for NASA (or NACA, as it was originally) during the 1940s through to the 1970s. While society, in general, had black and white people still segregated, these brilliant women started off working as “computers” (human math calculators) at NACA, and some worked their way up from there (at least as high as they were able to).
I found the biographies of the women much more interesting than the parts that focused more on NACA/NASA and the science/math though I normally am ok with science, but I suppose that depends on the type of science. These women were brilliant, and had to fight hard to get where they were and to keep going. I am so impressed with what they did. I haven’t seen the move (though I’d like to), and I’m going to guess I might like it better.
12x12 Series7th Heaven / James Patterson
3.25 stars
Two storylines ran through this one. Wealthy people are being tied up in their homes and murdered via the home being set on fire. Also, the young (teenage) son of a prominent man has disappeared and a young prostitute is being questioned, as someone saw the boy coming out of her house on the night he disappeared.
I listened to the audio, so I missed things here and there (as I often do, unless it’s particularly engaging!). I found the stories interesting, though I’m not finding the women’s personal lives as interesting as I once did. However, I will continue the series, at least for now.
12x12 SeriesThe Girl in the Spider's Web / David Lagercrantz
2.5 stars
Not too sure how to summarize, as I sort of “missed” what got it started. Ended up with the father of an autistic child working on some sort of artificial intelligence and Lisbeth Salander getting involved to protect the autistic boy.
It was really not interesting throughout most of the first 2/3 of the book, but it picked up for the last 1/3, about the time Lisbeth and August (the autistic boy) were together, but not really enough to increase my rating by much. I don’t plan to continue the series.
12x12 Audio, AlphaKITNot My Father's Son / Alan Cumming
4 stars
Actor Alan Cumming was abused by his father while growing up. As an adult, there is a mystery surrounding his maternal grandfather that he and his mother are just learning about, as well. His memoir tells about both, going back and forth in time.
I actually haven’t seen him in very many movies (or tv), but the most memorable for me was “Circle of Friends” as “creepy” Sean Walsh, so anytime I’ve heard his name in the past or have seen him, my first thought is always oh, it’s “creepy Sean Walsh”! Which is unfortunate.
I thought this memoir was very well done, though. I think (at least based on the book), I might actually like “creepy Sean Walsh” (or, at least, the actor who played him)! He manages to insert some humour into his memoir, as well, despite the horrible things he went through as a child. I found his own story more interesting than his grandfather’s. I listened to the audio, which he narrated himself, and really enjoyed it. He has a beautiful voice and I love the Scottish accent!
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR, RandomCAT, HorrorKIT, Fall FlurryThe Manhattan Hunt Club / John Saul
4 stars
Jeff has been falsely convicted of a crime. But when he is “transferred” out of the prison, he is taken… somewhere and locked in a room with another man. It’s not long after that they are released into the tunnels underneath New York and are told that they’ll “win” if they make it to the surface. Meanwhile, his family and girlfriend think he died in a crash.
I really liked this. It didn’t take long to get sucked in, though it takes a little bit to figure out what’s going on in the book. It’s told from different viewpoints, so the reader is partial to things that the characters aren’t as they try to figure out what’s happening, as well. This was one I didn’t really want to put down – I wanted to keep reading. And, there were a couple of twists!
12x12 KIT Challenges, AlphaKIT, Trim the TBR, Travel Across CanadaVictoria's Castles: A Brief History of Lovers, Madmen, Millionaires, and Ghosts on Canada's Imperial Margins / Paul G. Chamberlain
3.5 stars
This is a short book describing the castles in Victoria, B.C. It describes the architecture, as well as the history of the castles and the people who lived there.
I bought this book as a souvenir the first time I visited Victoria and have finally gotten around to reading it. I saw two castles while I was there (Craigdarroch Castle and Hatley Castle) and apparently there is one more still standing. I enjoyed the book, particularly the histories of the people who lived in them - some politicians, some businessmen. The book was short, and of course, included photos of the castles.
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, Mystery SubgenreThe Watchman / Robert Crais
3.5 stars
Larkin is a spoiled rich girl who gets in a car crash and apparently has witnessed something due to this crash so that someone wants her dead. Joe Pike is brought in to protect her and keep her alive.
The car crash itself was a bit confusing at the start. It happened fast and I had trouble figuring out who was who right off! (And I still had trouble sorting out some of the characters later on, as well!) However, once I figured out the gist (even if I didn’t have the characters straight) of what was happening, some parts were fast-paced, while others weren’t as interesting. I really didn’t like either of the main characters, though, Larkin or Pike (mostly he’s called by his last name). I don’t plan to seek out any more books with Pike in them; I won’t necessarily rule them out altogether, but I won’t go looking for any.
12x12 Off the Shelf, CATWoman, CultureCAT, Trim the TBR, Travel Across CanadaPlainsong / Nancy Huston.
3 stars
Paula’s grandfather has just died. As she goes through some of his journals/writings, she tries to piece together his life.
I think the story was fine, but I didn’t like the way it was written. No chapters, no dialogue. I don’t think this part really bothered me, but, as an fyi, it was written like Paula was talking to her grandfather in what she wrote, using “you”. It also jumps around in time, constantly back and forth, which is something that normally doesn’t bother me, but there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the jumping around, so I didn’t like the way it was done in this book. I did like the history covered in the book (it was set in Alberta and much of it in my city, Calgary). I did not like the person her grandfather was (or who Paula thought she was or who she wrote him to be) – he was a horrible person!
12x12 Oh CanadaThe Heart Goes Last / Margaret Atwood
4 stars
Due to severe economic hard times, like so many other people, Stan and Charmaine are living in their car. When they are given an amazing opportunity to live in a real house, they jump at the chance! But, there’s a catch. They live in the house for one month, then have to live in a prison for the next month, then they alternate months with another couple doing the same thing. When Charmaine meets the man from the couple they alternate with (they aren’t supposed to meet their alternates), things get a little messy.
I really liked this! There were a few sections in the middle that weren’t as good, I didn’t think, and it got a bit silly, even, but overall, I still really enjoyed it! I like Margaret Atwood, but this – at least to me – seemed more appealing somehow and may be one of my favourites by her (though, to be honest, it is hard to compare to some I read years ago, before I did ratings and reviews).
12x12 Audio, Trim, Fall FlurryIt / Stephen King
4.75 stars
When Bill is 11 years old in the late 1950s, his younger brother is murdered. He and his group of friends are being bullied, while kids, in general, are disappearing from their small town of Derry, Maine, in way too high numbers. Although the results are obvious to everyone (the disappearance of kids), it seems only the kids can see some of what’s happening.
I listened to the audio, narrated by Steven Weber. He is very good; he did so well with all Richie’s voices! One thing I didn’t like (though it’s a small thing), and it’s only due to the audio, is with the back and forth in time – only close to the end – it was sometimes hard to tell if it was the adult characters or the kid characters we were following. In the print book, it should be easy enough to figure out. To reiterate, throughout most of the book, the back and forth in time was easy enough to follow, but there was just a little bit near the end where I had a bit of trouble.
The other thing I didn’t like (possible spoiler, though I’m still trying to keep it vague): (view spoiler) Overall, though, I loved the characters, and except for the two small things, I loved the book! It was a reread. I read it in high school, and remember loving it then, too.
12x12 Travel, AlphaKIT, CultureCAT, Fall FlurryThe Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Waning Hours of World War II in Europe / Stephen Harding
3.5 stars
There is a castle in Austria called Schloss Itter. During WWII, there were French VIPs (mostly politicians) who were kept prisoner in Schloss Itter; needless to say, it was a fairly comfortable place to be kept prisoner during the war. When the war was over, though, they needed to be rescued. So, after the war had officially ended, American soldiers came together with a few German soldiers to get the French VIPs out, but there was a battle at the castle before they were able to leave.
This is a story from WWII that I knew nothing about. (Even for all I’ve read, I’m sure there are plenty of lesser-known stories.) It was interesting. In addition to information about the war, the castle, and the battle itself at the castle, there was biographical information about the prisoners, as well as the soldiers who worked together to help out (although, there were a lot of people, so it was still a bit tricky to recall who was who!). I also enjoy biographies, so those parts were some of the most interesting to me in this book, in addition to the battle itself. As a Canadian, I found Rene Levesque’s “cameo” in the book (he appeared later as a journalist) interesting. For the most part, I liked the way this book was written. There were a few dry parts, but mostly I enjoyed it.
12x12 KIT Challenges, HorrorKITThe Sleeper and the Spindle / Neil Gaiman
3.5 stars
There is an entire kingdom asleep next to one where the dark-haired queen (no names are used) will soon be getting married. She feels she and her dwarfs must go save the princess in the sleeping kingdom before her own wedding.
Beautiful illustrations, but very detailed and mostly pencil, so hard to see on my e-reader. I reread it on my PC where the illustrations were larger and easier to see; also couldn’t see on my e-reader, but there were bits of gold in the illustrations, as well. I think, because it’s a short story, I felt like I could read through fairly quickly, but there is some complexity to this one, so I reread the end of it (while on my PC) to get a better idea of what actually happened and the twist at the end. I would recommend reading this one in print, or at least on a larger screen with colour. Quite good, though, and I liked the twist!
12x12 CAT Challeges, RandomCAT, AlphaKIT, PBT High NotesLove Walked In / Marisa de los Santos
3.5 stars
Cornelia works in a cafe and meets someone whom she starts dating. Clare is 11-years old and having a hard time with her mother, as her mother seems to be acting very odd. Clare knows something is wrong and is afraid her mother is sick.
The book started ok for me, but got better. It was ok at the start while I got to know the characters and what was going on. It really picked up for me in the middle after Cornelia and Clare met, but I have very mixed feelings about the ending. I’m settling on rating it “good” at 3.5 stars.
12x12 Series, CATWomanRipley's Game / Patricia Highsmith
3.5 stars
This is the third book in the Tom Ripley series. At least at the start of the book, there is not much focus on Tom, himself. He manages to get involved in the life of a man, Jonathan, who has a disease and isn’t sure how long he is going to live. Jonathan is convinced to help murder someone… then is asked to do it again.
I think I liked this one better than the 2nd book (or what I remember of it!). To be honest, at least in the first half, I was bored when the focus was more on Tom’s life at home with his wife, Heloise, whom I find very boring. I have no interest in their lives. I found following Jonathan and his story much more interesting, and when Tom got more involved with Jonathan, that ramped up my interest. Part of the book was a little more edge-of-your-seat (or my seat, anyway!), I thought. But, I didn’t think the end was realistic… or, realism aside, it wasn’t in character (not Tom’s or Jonathan’s character, but Simone’s charater, Jonathan’s wife). So, overall, it was a “good” read for me.
12x12 Nonfiction, PBTBorn a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood / Trevor Noah
4 stars
Trevor Noah was born in South Africa during apartheid to a black mother and a white father, which was illegal (yes, his being born to an interracial couple was illegal). He mostly grew up with his mother, but had trouble fitting in anywhere, since he was coloured. The book is about Trevor’s childhood; it deals quite a bit with race relations, and also parts deal with his home life with his abusive stepfather.
I listened to the audio, narrated by Trevor himself, which was nice because then I got a proper pronunciation of various words in various languages. The book does hop around chronologically, so there were times I had to stop and think, wait – that hasn’t happened yet! Overall, though, very enjoyable book, and very good audio.
12x12 PBT, PBT, Trim the TBRThe Water is Wide / Pat Conroy
4 stars
When Pat Conroy was a new teacher, he set out for a small island off the coast of South Carolina in 1969/70 to teach poor kids at a black school there. What a culture shock! Not only did these kids mostly not know how to read or write, but they had never experienced Halloween! Pat did a lot for these kids over the year, and taught them in unorthodox ways.
I thought this was a memoir, but it was only at the very end of the book that it said it was “based on” his year on the island. I think it also said “fiction” somewhere, but I may be mixing that up with a review I read. I did disagree with one thing he did/argued for, but overall, I was enjoyed this book. It just might have been nice to know ahead of time that it may not have been a completely true account, though.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBRThe Thistle and the Rose / Jean Plaidy
4 stars
Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII’s older sister) was sent to Scotland when she was 12 or 13 to marry King James IV. She fell immediately in love when she met him, but he died young, in battle. In the years to come, she would fall easily in love and eventually be disappointed. But, she always had her and James’ son, James V, to fight for the crown for.
I don’t remember reading anything about Margaret before (though it appears that I have, but it was a number of years ago), so this was quite interesting. It’s funny, with all I’ve read about Henry (and a little bit about their youngest sister, Mary), I always thought Margaret was kind of boring, but Plaidy made her interesting to me. That may be more because she focused on her personal life than on the politics, though. Of course, the politics always came in to play to determine how her life would go. Of the few by Plaidy I’ve read, this might be one of my favourites.
12x12 Off the Shelf, RandomCAT, AwardsCATRoad Trip Rwanda: A Journey Into the New Heart of Africa / Will Ferguson
4 stars
Author Will Ferguson has a friend in Calgary, Canada, who is originally from Rwanda, Jean-Claude. A 19-year old Jean-Claude, a Tutsi, got out of the country mere months before the genocide in 1994. The two take a trip to Rwanda for a few weeks and Jean-Claude tours Will around.
I learned that Rwanda has come back from the genocide socially and economically ahead of the game, ahead of other African countries, and ahead of many other countries in the world. It’s an impressive turn-around; of course, the ghosts of the genocide are still everywhere in the country. The book includes a brief history of what led to the genocide and the genocide itself, and of course, we learned more about various things that happened in various places throughout the country as Will and Jean-Claude took their trip.
There were a couple of respites from genocide “memories”: they did a tour in the Virunga Mountains to see Dian Fossey’s gorillas; they also went to a national park, where the wildlife is protected. I’ve read about both the genocide and Dian Fossey and the gorillas, so much of the information wasn’t new to me, but this was a reminder. Ferguson often adds humour to his travel books, but this one is a tough one to do that with. There is a bit, but not as much as in his other books. Overall, I thought this was a very good book to get information about the tough topic of the Rwandan genocide, in addition to updates about the country.
12x12 Animals, AlphaKITThe Elephant Whisperer / Lawrence Anthony
4.5 stars
Lawrence Anthony bought a game reserve in South Africa and shortly after, rescued a herd of troublemaking elephants. He was able to calm them down and even befriend them. As the elephants become more well-behaved, his reserve grew with more and more wildlife and stories (good and bad, including poaching, a common threat) on the reserve.
I loved most of this! I listened to the audio, and did lose interest a few times, mostly during parts that weren’t about the animals, and I ended up sobbing as I walked from my work to the train listening at the end of the book!
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, Mystery SubgenreHer Royal Spyness / Rhys Bowen
3.5 stars
It’s 1932. Georgiana (Georgie) is 34th in line to the British throne, but she and her brother, a duke, are broke. Georgie decides not to wait for someone to choose a husband for her and she sets out from Scotland to London and moves into her family castle all by herself, including no servants. She must learn to do many things herself, like starting a fire, cooking, etc. When her brother comes to visit, a man claiming to have won the deed to their castle from their now-dead father shows up. Not long after, Georgie finds his body in their bathtub and her brother has returned to Scotland!
I enjoyed this. It was cute and light and enjoyable. It wasn’t on my tbr and was chosen to fit a challenge, so I’m waffling about adding another series to my tbr, but I think I’ll at least continue with the next one to see where it goes.
12x12 CAT Challenges, CATWoman, CultureCATThe Hero's Walk / Anita Rau Badami
3.5 stars
Sripathi and his daughter had a falling out when she moved to Canada from India and wanted to marry someone she met there. They never spoke again, though Maya went on to have a little girl herself, Nandana. Unfortunately, when Nandana was only 7-years old, Maya and her husband died in a car crash. Sripathi had to collect his granddaughter and bring her to India to take care of her and to live with the rest of the family: his son, Arun, his sister, Putti (who never got married, as their mother never approved of anyone!), their mother, Ammayya, and Sripathi’s wife, Nirmala.
It started a bit slow for me, as I found it tricky to figure out who was who, as there were a lot of characters! There was also (at least at first) some jumping around in time, as characters were lost in their memories, as well as present day, so I found that trickier to follow, as well. I enjoyed Nandana’s story from the start. The book got better in the second half, once I figured out (mostly!) who was who. However, I didn’t like Sripathi much: especially in the first half - I found him to be a very angry man.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR, (Nov) AlphaKITThe Queen's Mistake / Diane Haeger
3.5 stars
Catherine Howard was Henry VIII’s fifth wife; she was also Anne Boleyn’s cousin. Catherine was not even 20 years old yet when she married Henry and Henry was almost 50. Although Henry didn’t know it, Catherine had a bit of a reputation for being promiscuous. When Henry found out, after they had been married for a short time, things did not end well for Catherine.
I have read a little bit about Catherine, but not as much as some of Henry’s other wives. This book didn’t change my opinion of her. I’m not a fan of Catherine herself, although the story was good.
12x12 CAT Challenges, RandomCATSnow Queen and Other Tales / Hans Christian Anderson
2.25 stars
This is a collection of short stories by Hans Christian Anderson. I’m not always a fan of short stories, and this one didn’t win me over, either. For most of them, I just didn’t get interested and pretty much skimmed. There were a few that held my interest, but not many, and of those, two were ones I already knew the general story for, so it was easy to pick up if I missed a bit in the middle. The extra 1/4 star is for the few stories that were ok and (somewhat) held my interest.
12x12 PBT, PBT, HorrorKIT, AlphaKIT, Trim the TBRMeat / Joseph D'Lacey
3.5 stars
In this town, survival is all about the meat. The Magnus Meat Processing Plant, or MMP (which includes the “farm” itself, the slaughterhouse, meat cattle, dairy cattle, veal calves, etc.) pretty much runs the town. Well, that and the religious group that worships meat; the cattle at the MMP are the “Chosen”. The people who work at MMP are the best paid in town and are highly regarded. But, there are a few people in town (including Richard, the man who stuns the cattle before they are killed) who are questioning it all. Richard won’t even eat meat, anymore, and his wife begs him to bring meat home for her and their twin daughters. When things start going badly, there is a showdown between the MMP workers and owner, the bishop and parsons, and the few who are questioning if this is really how it has to be.
Be warned that there are slaughterhouse descriptions in this book. I very rarely eat meat, but I have read and seen enough online to realize that what’s described in the book (the treatment of the cattle, anyway) is, sadly, probably all too real. Also, sadly, very little actually shocked me, though it’s still so horrible. I’d describe the book as a dystopian horror and I’m rating it “good”. I found it very dark and bleak, but also an interesting story.
12x12 KIT Challenges, AlphaKITOnce We Were Brothers / Ronald H. Balson
4 stars
When Ben and Otto were kids, Ben’s Jewish family took in a German boy, Otto, and raised him for a number of years. Shortly before WWII broke out, it was decided that Otto would be safer if he left the Jewish family to work with the Nazis. When Ben is in his 80s and living in Chicago, he comes face-to-face with well-known artist Elliot Rosenzweig, who claims to also be a Holocaust survivor, but Ben recognizes him as Otto and won’t back down. Ben hires lawyer Catherine to help prove that Elliot and Otto are one and the same.
I really liked this story. I wasn’t always crazy about Ben, nor was I crazy about Elliot. I agreed with Catherine through the first half that Ben had zero proof whatsoever and I felt like she was wasting her time – as a lawyer, she doesn’t have a lot of extra time. Unlike Catherine, who came around, I still felt through the entirety of the book that Ben had zero proof and was exasperated with him many times. However, yes, he had a compelling story, no question about it. Overall, I still really liked the book and am giving it a “very good” rating, but I also didn’t cry, which is surprising for me. Oh, just as an fyi (though it has no bearing on my rating one way or the other), I listened to the audio.
12x12 AnimalsH is for Hawk / Helen Macdonald
3 stars
When the author’s father dies, she decides to train a goshawk. She’s been fascinated by hawks since she was a child.
I really enjoyed the parts of the book that actually focused on Mabel, the hawk. It’s too bad there wasn’t more of that in the book. I was bored by the literary criticism she included (not sure the point of it for most of it), and there seemed to be a lot of it! The discussion of one particular book, “The Goshawk”, was one she’d read when she was young, so at least this “fit” the rest of the book, but I wasn’t as interested in that story, though there were parts that were ok. I honestly wasn’t all that interested in her father, either, so the parts about her childhood and her dad weren’t very interesting to me, either. I also still don’t understand the point of taking a wild bird of prey and making it live with a human. I don’t like the idea of it.
The parts with Mabel are about a 4 star for me, but the rest was more of a 2 star, with “The Goshawk” coming in around 3 stars. Averaging it all out, it’s getting an “ok”, 3 stars, from me.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR, PBT, AlphaKITThe Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment / A.J. Jacobs
3.5 stars
A.J. Jacobs decides to put himself through a series of “experiments”, a month at a time. He will live in a different way each month. For example, one month is living rationally, examining and correcting for all his biases (at least as much as possible). Another month, he will tell the truth all the time, whatever comes into his head, he will say. Another month, he helped his nanny with online dating; that is, he mostly looked over the replies and replied back, etc (he calls this his month of living “as a beautiful woman”). He lives by George Washington’s 110 rules. He outsources his life, both his work and personal life. And more.
I enjoyed this! I think I enjoyed all of these. Of course, there were bits of humour here and there. Possibly my favourite was when he did his wife’s bidding for an entire month. This was in return for all the other odd experiments she’d had to put up with. Enjoyable book!
12x12 Animals, AlphaKIT, PBTRanch of Dreams: The Country's Most Unusual Sanctuary, Where Every Animal Has a Story / Cleveland Amory
4 stars
Cleveland Amory started an animal sanctuary in Texas, the Black Beauty Ranch. They’ve had cats, burros, horses, chimpanzees (including Nim Chimpsky), elephants, foxes, prairie dogs, goats and probably others that aren’t coming to my head at this moment. This book tells how the sanctuary got started and many stories of the animals that have come to live there.
I really enjoyed this! It was very fast to read and there were separate chapters devoted to each species. He does also tell of some of the sad stories that led to the various critters coming to live there.
12x12 Audio, Trim the TBR, PBT703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life / Nancy Makin
3 stars
The author had a top weight of 703 lbs. She lost the majority (over 500 lbs) of that weight and recounts her story here in hopes of inspiring other people.
It was a decent story. The author started the story as a child and worked her way forward, but there were large gaps in time in her story. I listened to the audio, so sometimes lost where we were: what age she was, what weight. I found her childhood particularly interesting. She never really said how she lost all the weight, but I still found the perspective interesting. She didn’t leave her house for years; when she did, they needed special equipment to get her out and to the hospital. The comments and stares are things you don’t think about. Even how to do so many things that so many of us take for granted. When she did leave her house, her son would stand in such a way to try to block people’s stares. There are just so many things we take for granted.
12x12 Nonfiction, Trim the TBRThe Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World / Shelley Emling
4 stars
Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, England. She and her father would walk along the short and hunt for fossils. When she was 12, she discovered an entire dinosaur skeleton, the first one (or one of the first)! They weren’t yet called dinosaurs, but she continued to hunt for fossils throughout her life (to sell them so she could support her mother and brother after her father died). She was mostly not recognized for everything she’d done, as she was a woman. It was a time when evolution was not yet known and with all the new discoveries, it was the start of religion vs. science debate. She became friends with many male scientists – geologist and paleontologists.
I really enjoyed this! I was originally introduced to Mary via Tracy Chevalier’s “Remarkable Creatures”, then decided to find some nonfiction. Much of the book was also history, science, geology, paleontology, religion vs. science, as well as a biography about Mary. All of which I found interesting.
12x12 Travel, AwardsCAT, AlphaKIT, CATWomanRaven Black / Ann Cleves
3.5 stars
When 16-year old Catherine, a newcomer to Shetland, is found murdered, people assume the odd guy who was also thought (though it was never proven) to have killed a younger girl years earlier was also responsible for Catherine’s death. The younger girl, though, was never found.
Good book, but lots of characters to keep straight. This was told from different points of view. I was surprised by the ending. I might have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t so distracted while reading. I will continue the series.
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, Mystery Subgenre, CATWoman, AlphaKITGlory in Death / J.D. Robb
3.5 stars
When the prosecuting attorney is found murdered in a bad part of town, Eve Dallas is on the case to find out what happened. Soon after, another high-profile woman is also murdered. Eve’s significant other has connections to both women.
Decent story, but I still don’t like Roarke. Nor do I particularly like Eve much, either, but I do prefer her to Roarke. I might have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t so distracted while reading. I will, for now, continue the series.
12x12 Travel, CATWomanThe Medievalist / Anne-Marie Lacy
4 stars
Jayne is a historian and a descendant of King Richard III of England – the man who may have had his two nephews (Edward IV’s sons) murdered so Richard himself could take the crown. Jayne doesn’t believe this is the case. When Richard’s grave is being dug up, Jayne is a volunteer on site. At the end of the day, when she tries to help by covering up the bones, she grabs on to an artifact… and suddenly wakes up in the Middle Ages amidst tents. Jayne thinks this might be the eve of Richard’s death!
I quite enjoyed this! Obviously implausible, but even taking the time travel element out of it, I don’t believe what the author proposes is very likely. Have to admit, wasn’t crazy about Jayne and Richard’s relationship (ewww – he’s your ancestor!) I still enjoyed the story, though. Jayne got to spend plenty of time in the late 15th century with Richard and with Bess, Edward IV’s eldest daughter. The book was mostly from Jayne’s point of view, but occasionally, we switched to Richard’s; not surprisingly, I found Jayne’s (a woman’s) POV more interesting.
12x12 Off the Shelf, RandomCAT, AlphaKIATWelcome Home: An Animal Rights Perspective on Living with Dogs & Cats / Nathan and Jennifer Winograd
3 stars
This book argues that dogs and cats are ok to keep as pets (in contrast to what PETA and at least one animal rights lawyer suggest).
I agreed with most of what the authors had to say (though not quite everything). Although I knew some of what PETA does (and it’s not what most people think!!!), they provided specific examples, and it’s not good. I did find that part (part 2, that focused on PETA) most interesting. Have to admit, though, that much of it read a bit like an academic paper (but I guess that tells you that there are lots of bibliographic references for what they have to say!). And they include some photos – sad photos. :-(
12x12 Audio, CATWomanThe Girls / Emma Cline
3 stars
This is based on Charles Manson and his cult in the late 1960s. We follow a young Evie, as she gets pulled into the cult by a group of girls she encounters.
I like the idea of the book, but the execution wasn’t so great for me. I didn’t like any of “the girls”, and didn’t “get” Evie’s enthrallment with Susanne or with any of it. Bunch of airheads they all were, I thought! I listened to the audio, and they certainly sounded that way. Not only that, but by the end, a bunch of psycho airheads. I guess I also don’t “get” the culture at the time. I didn’t dislike the story – it was ok. But, I certainly didn’t like any of the characters, nor did I understand their motivation for anything they did, beyond doing whatever-the-heck “Russle” wanted them to do. Sex, drugs… and not much in the way of rock’n’roll.
I'll do some stats, as well. but for now, these are my favourites and least-favourites of the year:My top 10 (4.25+ stars):
Intensity - Dean Koontz
The Good Father - Diane Chamberlain
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell - Nadia Hashimi
The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah
I'll Be Watching You - Charles de Lint
Through a Window - Jane Goodall
Fierce Kingdom - Gin Phillips
Mudbound - Hillary Jordan
The Elephant Whisperer - Lawrence Anthony
A House in the Sky - Amanda Lindhout
Honourable mentions (rereads + one 4.25 stars):
Into Thin Air / Jon Krakauer
IT / Stephen King
Faithful Place / Tana French
Dishonourable mentions (2 or 2.25 stars):
Birdie / Tracy Lindberg
The Underground Railroad / Colson Whitehead
The Ice Limit / Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David Mitchell
The Snow Queen and Other Tales / Hans Christian Anderson
Stats161 books
50,741 pages
= 315 pages / book (average)
New authors to me: 91 out of 161 = 56.5%
Canadian authors: 23 out of 161 = 14.3%
Some genres (some of these will overlap, and I probably missed some, too):
Nonfiction (not including Biography/Memoir): 19 out of 161 = 11.8%
Historical fiction: 25 out of 161 = 15.5%
Young adult: 12 out of 161 = 7.5%
Biography/Memoir: 25 out of 161 = 15.5%
Graphic novels: 3 out of 161 = 1.9%
Mystery/Thriller: 25 out of 161 = 15.5%
Horror: 6 out of 161 = 3.7%
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Girls (other topics)Welcome Home: An Animal Rights Perspective on Living with Dogs & Cats (other topics)
The Medievalist (other topics)
Glory in Death (other topics)
The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World (other topics)
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A World Elsewhere / Wayne Johnston
3 stars
Landish Druken is from Newfoundland and, while attending Princeton, meets George Vanderluyden. They have a falling out, but years later, Vanderluyden has since built a mansion, is married, and has a daughter. He takes in Landish and the boy Landish has taken in, Deacon.
I have to admit to being quite distracted as I read the first 2/3 of the book, so I know I missed some things. For the first 1/3 of the book, I kept reading Landish’s last name as “Drunken”. Oops! It got better (though still wasn’t terribly exciting) for the last 1/3 of the book, when I was able to better focus on it. There were a few twists at the end.
I actually smiled at the dedication and the acknowledgments: I knew his parents and it was dedicated “in loving memory” of them. I was a good friend of his youngest sister so have met some of her siblings, as well (all mentioned in the acknowledgments), though I’ve never met Wayne. Of course, that’s just a personal reaction to those parts of the book that really don’t have to do with the book itself!