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2022 Annual Reading Challenge
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Lea's 1st Annual Reading Challenge - 2nd List Complete...There will be no 3rd List! :-)
Lea wrote: "Martha wrote: "Just finished The Foundling & really enjoyed it. Cute characters & not as much of a love story as some others of hers. I'm trying to read one a month by her."I love your plan, Mart..."
Thanks, Lea. It's definitely made a pleasant start to the year.
Dear Mr. Grisham,I finished reading A Time for Mercy this month so I could say I completed a series for about two months, since I heard that you are set to publish a set of short stories with Jake Brigance in them, the lawyer we met in A Time to Kill, who also appeared in Sycamore Row and the book I just read. I really enjoyed the book, although the afterword took me out of it a little bit. It always bums me out when authors don't try to maintain continuity when they write multiple books in the same region. That said, it had been years since I'd read anything set in Ford County Mississippi, and I didn't notice any glaring continuity errors. The story was a good one, and I very much enjoyed it. And I'm glad that there will be more stories set in this area published very soon. I'm not sure, maybe I should wait until I've forgotten some of the details to read other books in the area? Thanks for the entertainment, I enjoyed this book quite a lot!
Regards,
Lea
Lea wrote: "Dear Mr. Grisham,I finished reading A Time for Mercy this month so I could say I completed a series for about two months, since I heard that you are set to publish a set of short ..."
Great letter! I loved both of the first 2 so I guess I need to read this one, too. I haven't read a Grisham in years, Sycamore Row was probably the last one.
Lea wrote: "Dear Mr. Grisham,I finished reading A Time for Mercy this month so I could say I completed a series for about two months, since I heard that you are set to publish a set of short ..."
Ohhh, short stories, not my thing unfortunately. The good thing (for me) about continuity errors is my poor memory...I don't notice them, and I only focus on the current book. Unless I read them back to back, in which case I **might** remember.
Glad you enjoyed this one, I haven't read a Grisham in a long time, I think he has some new(er) books, I'll have to check.
Martha wrote: "Great letter! I loved both of the first 2 so I guess I need to read this one, too. I haven't read a Grisham in years, Sycamore Row was probably the last one."I've been hit or miss on Grisham recently, but I think this is a good one for us, Martha. Sometimes I feel like he has great ideas, but gets bored partially through the novel or runs out of time with his editor and ends them abruptly. The ending on this one seems realistic, maybe not as satisfying as an ending that resolves everything with a nice bow...But at least, I feel like he didn't just write 450 pages and try to end the story in 20 which has been my main Grisham complaint. :-)
Ioana wrote: "Ohhh, short stories, not my thing unfortunately. The good thing (for me) about continuity errors is my poor memory...I don't notice them, and I only focus on the current book. Unless I read them back to back, in which case I **might** remember.Glad you enjoyed this one, I haven't read a Grisham in a long time, I think he has some new(er) books, I'll have to check."
Agree on the short stories, not sure how I'm going to feel about them.
Of course, since I enjoyed this one, I probably won't want to give up on the series, even if it is short stories.
I will probably wait a little bit to forget any inconvenient details that might annoy me if I think too hard about them.
Well, you've read this one, which is a 2020 release, so I'd say you're pretty up to date on Grisham. He came out with two books last year - Sooley, which is about basketball, so I'll probably pass on that one, unless someone tells me it is amazing. The second book The Judge's List is the second book in the Whistler series, which I haven't started yet. Maybe later, I think there are several other Grisham novels I've missed out on over the years that sound more interesting. :-)
I'm in exactly the same spot on Grisham....Sooley, basketball, I don't know, not on my TBR but tell me it's good and I'll add it. I haven't started the Whistler series either. There are still a few older ones that I haven't read, we'll see. There was a time when his same formula bothered me, and I stopped reading his books. But some of the newer books were more original, and I enjoyed them, so I'll go back someday to read more of his books.
Mod
I finished reading A Time for Mercy this month so I could say I completed a series for about two months, since I heard that you are set to publish a set of short ..."
I have generally enjoyed Grisham's books but it's been years since I tried one. I may have to again.
Mod
I finished reading A Time for Mercy this month so I could say I completed a series for about two months, since I heard that you are set to publish a set of short ..."
I love his Ford County stories; it was really good. A Time to Kill was brutal.
Ioana wrote: "I'm in exactly the same spot on Grisham....Sooley, basketball, I don't know, not on my TBR but tell me it's good and I'll add it. I haven't started the Whistler series either. There are still a few older ones that I haven't read, we'll see.There was a time when his same formula bothered me, and I stopped reading his books. But some of the newer books were more original, and I enjoyed them, so I'll go back someday to read more of his books."
Yes, I can see where his same formula for all the books could make you pause reading books. That wasn't the part that really bothered me. My issue was the fact that he would start the books and get me totally invested in the plot and then he'd run out of time or something and the book would end abruptly. It was so unsatisfying to me. :-) But there are some books he's written that I haven't read yet, that I've been told have good endings, so I have a few to try. My next will likely be Camino Winds since it is on my Individual List and would help end a series for me.
Bill wrote: "I have generally enjoyed Grisham's books but it's been years since I tried one. I may have to again."Yes, he's an author that is hard to keep up with - it seems like he writes 2-4 books a year, and that's a lot...even for those of us that read 50+ a year. There are a lot of authors to keep up with. :-) I did like this book, though and I'm looking forward to reading some of the other books by him that I've missed over the years...as long as the ending is satisfactory. :-)
Alondra wrote: "I love his Ford County stories; it was really good. A Time to Kill was brutal."You'll get me reading short stories yet, Alondra. I've been looking at Ford County, but haven't picked it up, because I sometimes struggle with short stories.
You're so right - A Time to Kill was brutal. Important, but brutal. Carl Lee Hailey makes an appearance in A Time for Mercy.
Dear Mr. Kinney,I know I'm too old for your series, but Hard Luck was pretty funny. I liked it better than The Third Wheel. I have a Magic 8 ball on my desk at work, it helps me with my important decision making, so I get that. If only it would help me find my grandma's diamond ring. Thanks for the entertainment, I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Regards,
Lea
Mod
You'll get me reading short stories yet, Alondra. I've been looking at Ford County, but haven't pick..."
Ford County surprised me. Up until then, I had only read Stephen King short stories, because I knew at least with King, that I would get well-developed characters.
Ford County is definitely recommended.
Alondra wrote: "Ford County surprised me. Up until then, I had only read Stephen King short stories, because I knew at least with King, that I would get well-developed characters.Ford County is definitely recommended."
I moved it up my TBR. It had been hanging out in the bottom quartile, but now it is in the top quartile. Thanks for the recommendation, I love it when my friends help me decide where to place a book I'm on the fence about! :-)
Mod
Cool beans. The book surprised me. Like I said, I hardly ever read short stories outside of SK. I really hope you enjoy them.
Alondra wrote: "Cool beans. The book surprised me. Like I said, I hardly ever read short stories outside of SK. I really hope you enjoy them."Thanks, no doubt I will. I almost always like your recommendations.
Dear Mr. Kinney,Your description of the family road trip in The Long Haul had me in stitches. In comparison, I really have nothing to complain about. It read very quickly, I finished in one day. Looking forward to the next installment.
Sincerely,
Lea
Lea wrote: "Dear Mr. Kinney,Your description of the family road trip in The Long Haul had me in stitches. In comparison, I really have nothing to complain about. It read very quickly, I finis..."
I loved this one lol
Dear Ms. Hart,I loved City of Ink. What a satisfying conclusion to the Li Du trilogy. I am really sad that I don't have any more Li Du books to read, but I also wish I'd read this book sooner, closer to when I read Jade Dragon Mountain, because it was hard to remember some of the things I needed to remember from that book. What a great series, thanks for the entertainment!
All the best,
Lea
Dear Mr. Kinney,The bar was pretty high for me, with The Long Haul being so funny, but I didn't think Old School held up to that standard. This one was basically about Greg at camp, and while it was still a decent read, it wasn't as good as some of the other books in the series for me. But, of course, I'll keep reading.
Regards,
Lea
Mod
I loved City of Ink. What a satisfying conclusion to the Li Du trilogy. I am really sad that I don't have any more Li Du books to read, but I also wish I'd read this..."
Already on my list. The letter was short and sweet.
I really need hold off on series/trilogies that are not close to completion. Like you, I forget all the details if I have to wait a year or more for the next book.
Dear Mr. Kinney,I feel like in the last two books, Double Down which I just finished and Old School earlier this month, there was a noticeable difference in quality for me between the first part of the book and the second part of the book. I'm not as interested in what Greg thinks he knew in utero, I am much more interested in all of the pranks that Roderick plays on Greg. I cannot imagine how there can still be five books in this series, surely you must run out of ideas at some point?
Until then, I'll be faithfully reading.
Lea
Alondra wrote: "Already on my list. The letter was short and sweet.I really need hold off on series/trilogies that are not close to completion. Like you, I forget all the details if I have to wait a year or more for the next book."
It's terrible. It takes me years to get back to some of the series. A reader can only remember so much, then something has to go. :-)
I like your letter about City of Ink, Lea. Jade Dragon Mountain sounded pretty interesting that's why I added it to my TBR. so thank you :)
Mod
I really need hold off on series/trilogies that are not close to completion. Like you, I forget all the details if I have to wai..."
Exactly!
Faouzia wrote: "I like your letter about City of Ink, Lea. Jade Dragon Mountain sounded pretty interesting that's why I added it to my TBR. so thank you :)"
Faouzia, I do hope you like the series as much as I did. I really loved the ending. :-)
Alondra wrote: "Exactly!"Next year, remind me, I need a break from long series on my 12 + 4. I know I'm finishing series this year and that's a good thing, but it's a little much at the moment. Middle of the year struggles, I always want to read everyone else's list instead of my own. :-)
Mod
Next year, remind me, I need a break from long series on my 12 + 4. I know I'm finishing series this year and that's a good thing, but it's a little much at the moment. M..."
Okay; let me grab a few more brain cells that specifically "remind" me of things. 🥴🥴🤔😩😩😂😂😂
Lea wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Exactly!"Next year, remind me, I need a break from long series on my 12 + 4. I know I'm finishing series this year and that's a good thing, but it's a little much at the moment. M..."
ON IT
Alondra wrote: "Okay; let me grab a few more brain cells that specifically "remind" me of things. 🥴🥴🤔😩😩😂😂😂"Haha, I know what you mean. We have enough brain cells allocated to remembering what is going on in all of our open series! I have nothing to spare, hopefully you aren't in the same situation! :-) :-) :-)
Alissa wrote: "ON IT"Haha, perfect, have you already started making a 12 + 4 list for me out of all of the books you are disappointed that I haven't read yet? :-)
Mod
Haha, I know what you mean. We have enough brain cells allocated to remembering what is ..."
I have nothing.... in fact, i'm in overdraft
Alondra wrote: "I have nothing.... in fact, i'm in overdraft"This I don't believe, you're one smart cookie. Regardless, like most things, the cure is a to take a reading day. You know, to relax your mind and move your cares away... :-)
Dear Mr. Kinney,OK, The Getaway was absolutely ridiculous in every way, but it kind of worked for me. I felt like there was some cohesion with it being a vacation story, and some of the craziness I could totally see happening. Some of the other stuff was...well...too over the top...or so I hope...but anyway, I went along for the ride.
Onto the next one,
Lea
PS Did I just see the name of the next book in this series is going to be Diper Överlöde? I am hoping that Roderick's band is featured prominently, and I am curious about what sort of promotional products they sell.
Lea wrote: "Dear Mr. Kinney,OK, The Getaway was absolutely ridiculous in every way, but it kind of worked for me. I felt like there was some cohesion with it being a vacation story, and some ..."
Omg that title haha!
Amelia and I liked this one, the chapters with the spider in the bathroom were hilarious
Alissa wrote: "Omg that title haha!Amelia and I liked this one, the chapters with the spider in the bathroom were hilarious"
It's not as good as The Long Haul, but the spider was hilarious and all of the things his Mom tried to do to get that one glorious Christmas card photo. I was glad that he didn't have anything about being able to remember stuff when he was a baby/sperm like the last two books. That kind of got old fast for me. I can't believe I only have 4 left. Or five, once October happens. :-)
Dear Mr. Kinney,I've got questions. What happened to Greg's country report on Malta that he has to re-do? I want to know. And why all the emphasis on the pig that ran away? I assume that will be the focus of a future book. I've got comments too. I thought the part about global warming was a little weird in a book about a snow storm with snow forts, etc. Maybe you could have saved that for a future book set in an abnormally warm Spring or something? Just a thought.
Three more to go,
Lea
Dear Mr. Kinney,I just finished Wrecking Ball and this was a hit for me. I thought the story arc was clever, with the ending tying in something from the beginning. And I laughed aloud a few times with the home improvement construction project and the potential for the move. Of course, none of my questions from the previous book were answered, but I am quite looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
We're down to just two books,
Lea
And with that, this list is officially done. I am planning to read all 16, so I won't start a new list yet. Fingers crossed...
Mod
Congratulations!
Nice job, congrats! I think this was a fun challenge, will do something similar next year?
Thanks, Bill, Michelle and Ioana! It was a fun challenge, but I'm conflicted about what to do next year.
I'm kind of bored with reading through a series at the moment. But who knows? It is such a good feeling to make progress on the series and I never read them otherwise. I feel like this is the only challenge where I can get anywhere with my series. And that makes me feel rebellious.
Mod
It was a fun challenge, but I'm conflicted about what to do next year.
I'm kind of bored with reading through a series at the moment. But who knows? It is such..."
I hate to say that I've been thinking of next year.. lol
I think we should nip this talk of next year in the bud peolple.
Carolien wrote: "Congrats, Lea!"Thanks, Carolien!
Bill wrote: "I hate to say that I've been thinking of next year.. lol"I hate to admit that I have loose plans for my Individual challenge going into 2026.
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I love your plan, Martha. Reading one book a month by a favorite author is like having a series read of non-series books. I love it!