75 Books...More or Less! discussion
Archive (2020 GR Completed)
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Karina's 2020 Reading Challenge (75)
Elyse wrote: "Karina wrote: "26. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly HarmsI really enjoyed this read. It's just an easy book to read in one sitting (if I didn't buy Zelda: Breath of the Wild for my Switch a..."
I think I am going to have to buy it!
27. A Woman is No Man by Etaf RumThis was some heavy reading but I am glad that I did read it. Learning about another culture and how women are treated and survive is amazing to me.
Four stars
Mod
I really enjoyed this read. It's just an easy book to read in one sitting (if I didn't buy Zelda: Breath of the Wild f..."
Do it! It's so cute!!
Mod
This was some heavy reading but I am glad that I did read it. Learning about another culture and how women are treated and survive is amazing to me.
Four stars"
This is definitely on my TBR.
28. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin KwanFinally reading the second book in the series. These books are fun reads. I’m not huge into all the labels and stuff but the family drama is hilarious. The second book was a nice easy, quick read.
Three stars
29. Before She Knew Him by Peter SwansonAs someone who grew up in New England, born in RI, lived in Boston and currently residing in Connecticut, nothing irks me more when I read books set in these states and the towns they use are fictional. Don't ask me why. I dislike the book because of the fake town names. Same with The Winter Sister (I disliked that book for other reasons but fake towns in CT was a sin) but the premise of the book was fine, not memorable but come on! No more fake towns!
Three stars
30. The Things We wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew WhalenI finally finished this book. This book didn’t necessarily have much of a plot, just some people’s lives coming together over a summer. There were a couple of far fetched endings but this was a fast read once I sat and read.
2.5 stars
31. Chemistry by Weike Wang This book left me thinking and I didn’t think it was going to. I liked it more than I thought I was going to. I am always unsure about these stream of consciousness type books but this one didn’t seem so over the place.
Three stars
32. Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination With the Afterlife by Lisa MillerThis is a book I've had for years and I am not a religious person by any means but I am fascinated about the history of heaven. This was interesting. I wish I learned more about other cultures and their beliefs about heaven or reincarnation. It mostly stuck to Christianity and Judaism.
Three stars
33. Sword of Destiny by Andrzej SapkowskiI enjoyed this collection of short stories so much more than The Last Wish. I didn't think I wanted to dive into the rest of the series but I do, I just have so many books I need to read!
3.5 stars
34. Casino Royale by Ian FlemingI’ve always been a fan of the Bond films but had never read any of the books. Casino Royale is my favorite (and the best) Bond film and I had this book on my kindle for well over a year now and finally got around to reading it. I knew these books were pretty dense towards women (since it was written in 1960 and it is Bond) but it still got some eye rolls from me. I don’t always say this but the movie was better. I don’t know how many more Bond books I’ll delve into, but I’ve already watched Casino Royale twice in the past month and will do so again next week.
Three stars (barely)
35. The Eye of the World by Robert JordanThis book was recommended to me by a friend who says this is his favorite fantasy series so I decided while In quarantine to take the plunge. I enjoyed it and I think I will eventually read the other books in this series but will probably wait for the library to be open again so I can read the others.
3.5 stars
36. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I first started it. I wanted to shake Queenie through the pages but it was actually pretty good with some great themes.
3.5 stars
37. You and Me and Us by Alison HammerThis book was part of the Bookspark summer reading camp and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but I was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed it more than I thought I was going to.
3.5 stars
38. Seduction: Sex, Lied and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood by Karina LongworthI love old Hollywood history and I love Karina Longworth’s podcast, You Must Remember This. I knew I was going to enjoy this book and I wasn’t disappointed. Howard Hughes was an interesting man and what he did to women in Hollywood WHEW
4.5 stars
39. The Surgeon by Tess GerritsenThis is the first book in the Rizzoli and Isles series (I have never seen the show) but I did read one or two books in the series a long time ago (not realizing it was a series) so I bought the first book sometime last year and finally got around to it. I needed a easy, quick, don't think about it read. I will definitely continue to read this series. It talks about Boston and I lived there for three years in college.
Three stars
40. Miracle Creek by Angie KimAnother book from my Book of the Month box (April 2019) which I enjoyed more than I was going to. The mystery is uncovered in a court room setting, giving a different character perspective on the events that caused the Miracle Submarine to explode, resulting in two patient deaths. It's a good slow burn but there was a point when I wanted it to move along just a little quicker.
3.5 stars
41. Main Street by Sinclair LewisThis is my first Lewis novel and it didn’t disappoint. Could it have been a little shorter? Yes. However, it moved along quite nicely.
3.5 stars
42. The Color of the Law by Richard Rothstein I bought this book and when it was first published and glad I’ve finally read it. It’s such a compelling book that I feel everyone needs to read and to really understand how our government segregated the Black community when it came to housing, etc.
Four stars
Mod
I’ve always been a fan of the Bond films but had never read any of the books. Casino Royale is my favorite (and the best) Bond film and I had this book on my kindl..."
I felt exactly the same!!!! I love all the movies and was so disappointed in the book.
43. Wow, No Thank You by Samantha IrbyThis was such a funny collection of essays. I really enjoyed reading these.
4.5 stars
44. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy NelsonI am not big into YA normally, I didn't hate this book, it kept moving along but I can't find myself enjoying teenage angst! The story itself wasn't bad, I was just annoyed with the kids half the time. Ugh, I can't believe I've turned into that person now that I am in my 30s.
I will keep trying with YA, I must!
Three stars
Mod
I am not big into YA normally, I didn't hate this book, it kept moving along but I can't find myself enjoying teenage angst! The story itself wasn't bad, ..."
Hahahaha, I do too get annoyed at teenage angst these days!
45. White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo I think this is a good starter book to give to your White Family /friends but again, it is a starter book. You need to continue to educate yourself and continue to read other books.
Four stars
46. A Widow for One Year by John Irving John Irving cannot write a female character to save his life and of course the protagonist is female. None of the female characters are relatable or real. This book took me forever to finish. I only read it because I had to read it for book club and thank goodness the meeting has been pushed so many times.
Two stars
Mod
John Irving cannot write a female character to save his life and of course the protagonist is female. None of the female characters are relatable or real. ..."
I haven't found an Irving book I've liked. Though I have only only tried to read two.
47. The Once and Future King by T.H. WhiteI actually enjoyed this story a lot. A retelling of the Arthurian legend, it’s four stories combined into one book. The first two were my favorite (the first one, The Sword in the Stone is the basis for the Disney film which I love) and then there is a longer one about Lancelot and the last one is the most depressing of all (the breaking up of the knights of the round table)
Four stars (and library book 4/6 finished and yes I’ve had these since Pre-pandemic!)
48. The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer This book was more of a romance than what I was expecting. I wish it was less so. I love historical fiction and the setting in Paris makes me want to go so bad. Otherwise, I didn’t love the story and wished I knew more about Lee after she left Man.
3 stars
Mod
I actually enjoyed this story a lot. A retelling of the Arthurian legend, it’s four stories combined into one book. The first two were my favorite (the f..."
On my TBR so badly. Yet another e-book I own that I haven't gotten to yet.
49. Family Trust by Kathy Wang This is book 5/6 from my stack of library books I took out pre-covid and I don’t know why it took me so long to get to it! It’s actually a pretty good summer read and I read it relatively quickly. The story plodded in the middle and I never got the full resolution/story at the end because I felt some plot points just never were fully explained.
Three stars
50. The Midwich Cuckoos by John WyndhamI have never seen the Village of the Damned or the sequel or the 1995 remake. This book is on Boxall's 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list, so I found it that way. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I was going to.
Three stars
Elyse wrote: "Karina wrote: "47. The Once and Future King by T.H. WhiteI actually enjoyed this story a lot. A retelling of the Arthurian legend, it’s four stories combined into one book. The first two were my ..."
You'll read it... someday! lol
Karina wrote: "46. A Widow for One Year by John Irving John Irving cannot write a female character to save his life and of course the protagonist is female. None of the female characters are relatable or real. ..."
Same. I read A Prayer for Owen Meany in high school and I still remember how much I hated it! Irving has another book on the 1001 book list but I am going to avoid it. Too bad it wasn't this book and then I could be done with him. I lied. HE HAS TWO OTHERS! The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules. I will wait on those.
Mod
John Irving cannot write a female character to save his life and of course the protagonist is female. None of the female characters are rela..."
I tried Owen Meany and The Hotel New Hampshire a few years ago. I might have started to like The Hotel New Hampshire but I had already kept it too long from the library and have not re-borrowed it again. lol. I tried watching The World According to Garp and was bored so I probably won't like the book. I watched The Cider House Rules when I was pretty young and don't remember much about it. I think it was a long movie. lol.
51. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv ConstantineThis is one of the many books I’ve picked up this year in quarantine (I’ve had nothing else to do...) and I’ve picked up several that are Reese’s book club picks.
No one in this story is likable and it’s actually kind of sad but the “twist” I’ve seen before with The Wife Between Us (I think the books came out the same year) though the ending is a bit different.
3.5 stars
52. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Putting my power outage out here in CT to good use and finished this book in 24 hours. So good. We need Toni Morrison to be mandatory required reading. She deserves all the acclaim!
Five stars
53. Sharp Objects by Gillian FlynnI hated Gone Girl. There were absolutely no redeeming qualities of any of those characters and I was reluctant to pick up this book but I really wanted to watch the mini series on HBO so I got this book. I enjoyed the mystery of this book but it is seriously disturbing. There aren’t very many redeeming qualities for any of these main characters either. It is quite disturbing.
2.5 stars rounded to 3 because of the actual mystery
Mod
I hated Gone Girl. There were absolutely no redeeming qualities of any of those characters and I was reluctant to pick up this book but I really wanted to watch ..."
I liked Dark Places the most out of Flynn's novels. Sharp Objects the least. Gone Girl is in the middle. The Grown-Up though is an excellent short story!
Mod
I hated Gone Girl. There were absolutely no redeeming qualities of any of those characters and I was reluctant to pick up this book but I really w..."
I'll have to read Dark Places. I enjoyed Gone Girl but did not like Sharp Objects very much.
54. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo Read. This. Book. I think I may have stated that White Fragility was a good place to start and maybe for some people in your life that may work but read this and make sure everyone in your life reads this book. It is wonderful, it makes you think and it’s the best place to start on your anti-racism journey.
5 stars
55. The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund CrispinI ordered this book from the library (which I forgot about) and it came in last week so I decided to read it since I was in a mood for some mystery (think I’m going with a mystery theme for the rest of August) and it was just okay. Why I just stayed up way past my bed time to finish this is beyond me. The prose is really good but the mystery is not compelling or fun to follow. There are better English mystery writers in this category.
2.5 stars
56. Beach Read by Emily HenryI decided to break my own rule and read my BOTM books out of order because this book has been all the summer reading lists. It truly is a beach read. Fast paced and held my interest. I am probably in the minority that I wasn't the biggest fan of January and Gus, but the book held my interest and was a quick read, and honestly, that's all I am looking for in a beach read.
This book is 1/3 from my April 2020 BOTM (the fact I am so behind and have to differentiate the year is so bad!)
3 stars
Mod
I decided to break my own rule and read my BOTM books out of order because this book has been all the summer reading lists. It truly is a beach read. Fast paced and h..."
I chose this one as well and might read it soon too due to the overwhelming response to it!
Elyse wrote: "Karina wrote: "56. Beach Read by Emily HenryI decided to break my own rule and read my BOTM books out of order because this book has been all the summer reading lists. It truly is a beach read. F..."
Definitely read it if you want to finish something in a day or two!
57. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. ButlerI had to read this book for my book club and WHEW I know this is suppose to be "sci-fi" but damn, it feels like this could happen to us SOON! Butler has such a way with words and prose, I loved reading this book even though I feel as the world is going to end up a hellscape and we're all going to be starving and on our own. However, I really do think everyone should read the book. The only reason this book prevents me from giving it 5 stars is because of all the religion talk and because I have a big aversion to religion, parts of the book that talk about "Earthseed" and Lauren starting this new religion were parts that I did not enjoy.
Four stars
58. Manhattan Transfer by John Dos PassosFinally finished my other library book. So many books I need to read and just not enough time. This book appears on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list and honestly, it was fine, could do without.
3 stars
I really need to read books on my Read What You Own because I feel as if I’m getting behind there!
59. Necessary People by Anna PitoniakI needed to switch to a book that I thought was a mystery or thriller. basically something that didn't require much thought but had a thrill to it. Necessary People was a fast read, not quite a thriller or mystery but it did have some twists. I actually hated both protagonists so that wasn't fun but it was a good filler read and one from my BOTM 2019 boxes.
Three stars
60. The Stargazey by Martha GrimesI love the Richard Jury detective series. I love British mysteries (even though Grimes is from the US) and the last couple of books in the series have just been OK and I really enjoyed this one a lot.
Four stars
61. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot This was a book club read and I’m glad I was able to learn more about Henrietta Lacks and the contribution that her cells, HeLa, have done for the scientific community and our lives. However, this book gives me profound dread as ultimately, I feel as if the Lacks family is once again exploited, and this book is ultimately problematic for me.
This book gets 3 stars based on the writing and subject matter. It was a fast read and very fascinating but the way Rebecca inserts herself into the story was a turn off.
I really enjoyed this read. It's just an easy book to read in one sitting (if I didn't buy Zelda: Breath of the Wild for my Switch and Animal Cross..."
AC has definitely gotten in my way of reading. lol. But it's very relaxing to play after work!