2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2018
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Steph Conquers Her Bookshelf in 2018
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Books Sitting on the Shelf:
* denotes borrowed
1. The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic #2) by Alice Hoffman
2. Common Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks
3. Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
4. Indebted by Braxton DeGarmo
5. Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
7. Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally
8. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stout
9. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
10. The Spinal Cord Perception by Joshua S. Porter*
11. A Million Junes by Emily Henry
12. The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich
13. American War by Omar El Akkad
14. The Haters by Jesse Andrews
16. Nicotine by Nell Zink*
17. The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister
18. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
19. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
20. Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry
21. Looks that Deceive by Braxton DeGarmo
22. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by JK Rowling
23. The Good Sister by Drusilla Campbell
24. Coda(Coda series, #1) by Emma Trevayne
25. A Girl Like You by Maureen Lindley
26. House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson
27. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
28. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
29. Remember Me by Trezza Azzopardi
30. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
31. The Silver Compass by Holly Kennedy
32. Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler
33. The Secret by Beverly Lewis
34. The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley
35. Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
36. The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
37. A Charmed Life: Growing up in Macbeth's Castle by Liza Campbell
38. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
39. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
40. Emily & Einstein by Linda Francis Lee
41. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
42. Asylum by Madeleine Roux
43. Farundell by L.R. Fredericks
44. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
45. Emma by Jane Austen
46. Room by Emma Donoghue
47. The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
48. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
49. Wake (Wake #1) by Lisa McMann*
50. Fade(Wake #2) by Lisa McMann*
51. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
52. The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts
53. The Cellar by Natasha Preston
54. Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
55. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
56. We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
57. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
58. Night Road by Kristin Hannah
60. Marlena by Julie Buntin
61. Thank You, Goodnight by Andy Abramowitz
62. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
63. Her Giant Octopus Moment by Kay Langdale
64. The Cost of Courage by Joseph Cordaro
65. Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie
66. Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie
67. A Student of Living Things by Susan Richards Shreve
68. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
69. The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
70. A Hard Days Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song by Steve Turner
71. Miss Treadway and the Field of Stars by Miranda Emmerson
72. The Circle by Dave Eggers
74. The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller
75. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
76. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
77. The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
Books I Actually Read:
1. Hotel Silence, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (NetGalley, not owned)- 01/02 - 01/07 - **
2. A List of Cages, Robin Roe - 01/24 - 02/01 - ***
3. The Blinds, Adam Sternbergh - 02/25 - 03/04 - *****
4. Lies She Told, Cate Holahan - 03/04 - 03/07 - **
5. The Sun Is Also A Star, Nicola Yoon - 03/08 - 03/14 - ***
Review for Hotel Silence by Auður Ava ÓlafsdóttirRead: January 2, 2018 to January 7, 2018
Rating: 2 stars
See actual review here.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for allowing me early access to this novel in exchange for a review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.
Hotel Silence is the story of Jónas, a man who has hit rock bottom. He is divorced. His mother is mentally declining. He has recently found out his only child is not biologically his own. Jónas begins to contemplate and plan his suicide. During the planning, he becomes afraid that his daughter will be the one to find his body. Because of this, he decides it will be best to kill himself abroad. Jónas could then have his body shipped back to his homeland of Iceland without scarring anyone he loves. Jónas chooses to travel to an unnamed country that has been torn apart by war. He books himself into Hotel Silence with the intention of killing himself during his stay. However, as Jónas begins to grow close with the siblings that run the hotel and learn more about this war-torn country, he finds that maybe his life still has a purpose after all.
I think something got lost in translation. This is such a fantastic storyline and, with the awards Hotel Silence has won in its native language, I have a feeling that the novel is much better in Icelandic. The current summary calls it "heartwarming" and "delightful", but I didn't get that feeling at all. Rather, the story felt bleak with the occasional moments of happiness.
I also found the writing style to be confusing as well. There were times when Ólafsdóttir would go on and on about certain topics, then skim over the bits I would have liked embellished. I also didn't find the main character be appealing at all. I did, though, find myself enjoying May and Fifi. I thought the siblings were fantastic and had a great purpose within the story. Again, maybe some of this was lost in translation.
If you can read Icelandic, might I suggest that you read Hotel Silence in its original language. I have a feeling you will get more out of it than I did with this English translation.
Good luck, Steph! Several of the books on your list are on my tbr-pile so I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of them :) Happy reading!
I have my mother's books from the Book for the Month Club in the 50s.
Steph wrote: "So, in January 2017, I started a reading challenge in this group...and then swiftly forgot about it. In 2018, I plan to stay on track with this topic to help me reach my reading goal. Like many r..."
Nice goal Steph! I’m a slow reader myself too. Wish I could read more but that’s just the way it is.
Wishing you the best of luck with your goal Steph, looking forward to seeing what you will be reading so please don’t forget about this group and your challenge :)
good luck Steph I wish you the best of luck in the coming year with your reads. Is there a book you can not wait to start?
Hoping you had fun getting lost in some pages in your first month!
Thank you everyone for the good luck wishes! I haven't been back to this thread for awhile, but I haven't forgotten about it either. I also had to add a couple of books since I created this page because I was given a book as a gift and I also had a couple of BOTMs. ...I don't think I'll ever learn to skip a month on BOTM. Haha!Leona wrote: "I have my mother's books from the Book for the Month Club in the 50s."
That is awesome! I love that you've kept them. What an great keepsake. I honestly didn't know BOTM even existed until last year (or maybe the year before.)
Blagica wrote: "good luck Steph I wish you the best of luck in the coming year with your reads. Is there a book you can not wait to start?"
There are several I'm very excited to start. I'm currently reading The Blinds and it's so much more interesting than I had expected it to be. As far as books I'm excited to start, I'm looking forward to the books by Braxton DeGarmo. I bought these books after going to a author visit at my local library. I've heard nothing but great things about his work.
Blagica wrote: "Hoping you had fun getting lost in some pages in your first month!"
It's been a bit slow so far. My challenge says I'm 2 books behind at the moment. A new semester started at school and work really picks up at holidays (I work for a greeting card company, so Valentine's Day took up a lot of my free time.) I was also trying to read Marlena but I couldn't get into it. I'm not marking it as DNF just yet, though because I think I will like it down the road. It just wasn't what I was in the mood more, clearly. I'll catch up though.
Review for A List of Cages by Robin RoeRead: January 24, 2018 to February 1, 2018
Rating: 3 stars
See actual review here.
When I read the blurb for A List of Cages, I knew I had to read this book. It sounded so heartbreakingly interesting. Unfortunately, that's not what I experienced when I read this book. However, I seem to be in the minority.
The story is told from two perspectives: Adam (popular, charming, always-happy high school senior with ADHD) and Julian (sweet, shy, bullied freshman whose parents died when he was young). Adam and Julian have a history. Many years after the two were put together in an elementary school reading program, Julian's parents passed away. Adam's mom became the foster mother of Julian when it was realized Julian had no other family. However, it isn't long before Julian's uncle shows up and takes him in. Adam and Julian, once again, go years without seeing each other until Julian begins high school and Adam is given the senior elective of aide for the school psychologist.
There were subplots, particularly Adam's love life, that I didn't care much about. It didn't seem to add much to the story as a whole. There is so much more I would have liked to have seen explored or focused on instead. Rather we get a couple little throwaway chapters that don't add much to the story.
The loose ends didn't tie up nicely, in my opinion. The ending was extremely predictable. It was an ending similar to what I have read in other novels. By the end, I was hoping there had just been...more.
To give a positive note, because I don't want to seem like a Negative Nancy, I do think Adam and Julian both have very clear voices and personalities. Adam reminded me quite a bit of a friend of mine in terms of personality. These two characters felt especially realistic and are what kept me going through this novel.
Hoping February was a better month for you!
You are doing great. Hoping March is a great month for you. 2 books is a great start 23 to go. Stress free reading is happy reading.
Review for The Blinds by Adam SternberghRead: February 26, 2018 to March 4, 2018
Rating: 5 stars
See actual review here.
“There's nothing special about this place, he thinks. We all forget. Then we forget what we forgot. And that's how we survive.”
I'm beginning to think I like stories about criminals. Not stories about police trying to hunt down criminals, but stories about the criminals themselves.
The Blinds is the story of the small town of Caesura ("rhymes with tempura"), a hidden place fenced in away from the rest of the world in the middle of nowhere. The next town is 100 miles away. Besides one lonely fax machine, the entire town is cut off from contact with the rest of the world. Caesura, or The Blinds as it is nicknamed, is a place for freedom and fresh starts. Every citizen has their own dark past filled with secrets, but none of them remember. The Institute takes criminals and offers them a second chance. The only catch is that they won't remember their crimes. The Institute has perfected a method of removing memories. They will remove your memories of your crimes. You'll know you forgot, but you won't remember just what you forgot.
Despite being filled with criminals, The Blinds hasn't had any major criminal activity in the eight years it has been active. That is until recently. When citizens of the town begin dying at the hands of a gun no one is supposed to access, the town is not only plagued with a newfound violence, but with the unravelling of truths and secrets long removed.
This book kept me hooked the entire time. I found myself developing theories with almost each chapter. There were twists I didn't expect, and twists I had figured out but was happy that it went that way instead of another direction. I thought the characters were interesting, and they are a large part of what kept me going. Not to mention the setting and the plot. This book is part crime, part mystery, and part dystopian. It's set in a unique setting that I haven't read about before. I ended up loving this book far more than I had anticipated.
Review for Lies She Told by Cate HolahanRead: March 4, 2018 to March 7, 2018
Rating: 2 stars
See actual review here.
"Lies She Told" has such an interesting premise. Liza Jones is author who hasn't written a bestselling novel since her debut book, Drowned Secrets. Tasked with writing a hit novel in 30 days, she uses writing as an escape from her reality. She has infertility issues and her husband's best friend and business partner has been missing, leaving him distracted.
Liza writes about Beth, a new mom whose husband is cheating on her with a New York City police officer. Upset, Beth murders the mistress and dumps her body in the East River.
Both the description and the first few chapters make it very clear that both storylines are very similar. After getting that far, I had the entire story figured out. The author tries to put in a few twists to get you off track, but it ultimately ended just like I had expected it would. I mostly just stuck this book out to see if I was right in the end. I was.
I didn't find myself enjoying any of the characters all that much. It seemed as though every chapter Liza was suffering a migraine and Beth was breastfeeding. At first it seemed very much a part of their daily lives, but by the end it was annoying.
I will say that despite the faults I found, I thought the book had a great writing style. I did enjoy how the stories blurred together. There were times when I had to stop and remind myself which backstory was Liza's and which was Beth's. That part was fun to me at least. I just wish it hadn't been so predictable. I feel like I would have liked it more.
Review for The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola YoonRead: March 8, 2018 to March 14, 2018
Rating: 3 stars
See actual review here
“People make mistakes all the time. Small ones, like you get in the wrong checkout line. The one with the lady with a hundred coupons and a checkbook.
Sometimes you make medium-sized ones. You go to medical school instead of pursuing you passion.
Sometimes you make big ones.
You give up.”
The Sun Is Also A Star is a story about choices and chances. Each day we make choices and each choice impacts not only our lives, but the lives of others.
Set in New York City, the story follows the lives of two teenagers who are on the brink of life changing events. For Natasha, she is about to be deported to Jamaica. She's an illegal immigrant who was brought to the US by her parents when she was eight. Now she's fighting against time to try and stay in the only country she truly knows. For Daniel, he is the second-born son of two Korean immigrants. His parents want what is best for him: to go to an Ivy League college and become a doctor. However, Daniel isn't sure if this is what he wants, but he doesn't want to let his parents down.
The two meet, love follows.
This book was in the middle of the road for me. There were many things I loved and disliked about the story. While I feel strongly about the things I loved, I couldn't let go on the nagging negatives I felt about this story that I didn't feel like I could give it anything more than 3 stars.
Here's what I loved:
1. The impact of choices. Something in life are out of your own control. A decision can change your entire life, whether made by you or not. We see this in several places. Natasha is being deported back to Jamaica because she is an illegal immigrant. Her family wouldn't have been at being deported had there not been an incident that revealed their status. This incident wouldn't have happened had someone been happy for someone else. This person would have been happy for the other had they not been living miserably because of the other person's dreams. (view spoiler) All of the choices in the book can keep snowballing back into "this wouldn't have happened if...". I enjoyed thinking more about all of the consequences to even the most mundane of choices.
2. Seeing into the lives of others. I love the cutaway chapters that talk about other characters outside of Natasha and Daniel. It not only allows you to learn more about the people they encounter, but it also shows how simple decisions can change everything for those around you.
3. The ending. I actually really liked how this story ended. This may have been the most believable part of the entire Natasha/Daniel storyline.
Here's what I disliked:
1. Insta-love. I knew it was going to be there, but I didn't realize it would be as much as it actually was. (view spoiler)
2. Some of the coincidences that happen in this book are ridiculous. Some of it is insanely improbable and makes no sense. It's kind of like Nicola Yoon didn't know how to make parts of the story merge so she just kind of came up with these improbable coincidences. (view spoiler)
3. Cringy dialogue. This is covered a bit in my first point, but man are there some moment when I couldn't help but cringe hard at some of what the characters were actually saying. Daniel has a monologue at one point that just made me want to put the book down completely, but the ending was well-worth sticking it out.
Overall, I think there are many people (and the reviews don't lie!) who would love this book. It would be a nice light read for someone who loves a good YA romance where the characters fall quickly and work together to change their own paths in life. It just, it turns out, wasn't completely for me.
A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. I hope that April brings you many more five star reads.
“Reading brings us unknown friends” While the warm weather is coming I hope you make some new friends in May!
“I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library.” I hope you find a corner in Paradise with some great books!!
Like many readers, I have an insane amount of books sitting on my bookshelf (and on the floor, in the closet...). Many of these I have purchased myself (thanks to Book of the Month for reeling me in and feeding my addiction), but some have been borrowed from friends and family. My goal for 2018 is to read the books that I have yet to touch.
I am setting this goal at 25. While I have way more than 25 unread books on my shelf, I am a slower reader. It's possible I may knock out more than this in 2018, but I want to be realistic.
Once I read a book I own, I will donate the copy to the local library unless I am absolutely in love and cannot part with it.
Total Books Read: 05/25 (20%)
Total Books on Bookshelf Read: 04/77 (5.2%)
Total Books Donated: 00/25 (0%)