Ioana's 2022 Independent Challenge

[Ioana]

Alissa wrote: "Girl, you are kicking butt! What great books you've read so far!"

LOL, working on in...but still looking for that rare 5 stars one.

[Ioana]

Book #16 of 2022: Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries was an interesting collection of weird, medical cases, rare diseases or complications. I love medical stories and mysteries, I was (still am) a huge fan of Dr. House, but this book left me wanting the same as any other short stories book usually does....I liked it, but I wanted more. More background, more follow-up....3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

[Ioana]

Book #17 of 2022: The Book of Lost Names. Sadly, I don't think I'm ready for WW2 HF books yet...I know I'm in the minority, but I found it predictable and following the same formula that's been so overused lately. I guessed the traitor, the ending...I'll wait a couple of years to read another one. 3 stars

[Ioana]

Book #18 of 2022: Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel. Don't listen to me, this was another WW2 book, and I loved it. I loved the original book when I read it 10 years ago, and I loved the graphic novel now. Reading it while Russia invades Ukraine puts all these horrors under a different light, everything is closer and more real. And terrifying.

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "Book #18 of 2022: Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel. Don't listen to me, this was another WW2 book, and I loved it. I loved the original book when I read it 10 years ago, and I loved the graphic novel now. Reading it while Russia invades Ukraine puts all these horrors under a different light, everything is closer and more real. And terrifying."

I hope to eventually read that book, but, like you, I've read a lot from the WW2 genre and in these times, it reminds me how little we humans learn at all.

[Ioana]

Lea wrote: "I hope to eventually read that book, but, like you, I've read a lot from the WW2 genre and in these times, it reminds me how little we humans learn at all.."

This book (I mean the original one) was different, and a 5 star for me. Not about the Nazis and the French resistance, not about the Nazis and the Jews, but about people from Lithuania and how Russians treated them during and after the war, during the Stalin repression and their Siberia deportation. These were not war enemies...
Highly recommended.

[Ioana]

Book #19 of 2022: The Rook. Fantasy, not my go-to genre, this was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you Alondra for recommending it, I need to get #2 in this series, in preparation for #3 which is supposed to be released in Oct this year.

[Lillie]

Ioana wrote: "Book #19 of 2022: The Rook. Fantasy, not my go-to genre, this was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you Alondra for recommending it, I need to get #2 in this series, in preparatio..."

Woohoo! This is one of my absolute favorites. So glad you enjoyed it 😀

[Bill, Moderator]

Ioana wrote: "Book #19 of 2022: The Rook. Fantasy, not my go-to genre, this was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you Alondra for recommending it, I need to get #2 in this series, in preparatio..."

I loved the TV series. I've got both books awaiting my attention.

[Ioana]

Bill wrote: "I loved the TV series. I've got both books awaiting my attention."

I watch so little TV...I had no idea there was a series. When?

[Ioana]

Lillie wrote: "Woohoo! This is one of my absolute favorites. So glad you enjoyed it 😀"

It took me a while, but I got to it eventually 🤣

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Bill wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Book #19 of 2022: The Rook. Fantasy, not my go-to genre, this was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you Alondra for recommending it, I need to get #2 in this series,..."

I watched the TV series unaware it was based on a book. Was released in 2019

[Alissa]

Ioana wrote: "Book #19 of 2022: The Rook. Fantasy, not my go-to genre, this was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you Alondra for recommending it, I need to get #2 in this series, in preparatio..."

This is on my TBR list- should I bump it up?
Alondra picks usually get bumped up since she knows what she's talking about ;-)

[Ioana]

Alissa wrote: "This is on my TBR list- should I bump it up?
Alondra picks usually get bumped up since she knows what she's talking about ;-)."

I would say 'yes'. There's little fantasy that I enjoy, but this book was one of them. Fresh concept, lots of fun, yes, read it!

[Michelle]

Ioana wrote: "Book #19 of 2022: The Rook. Fantasy, not my go-to genre, this was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you Alondra for recommending it, I need to get #2 in this series, in preparatio..."

Glad you enjoyed it Ioana. The Rook is terrific.

[Ioana]

Michelle wrote: "Glad you enjoyed it Ioana. The Rook is terrific.."

Did you read the next one, Stiletto?

[Michelle]

Ioana wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Glad you enjoyed it Ioana. The Rook is terrific.."

Did you read the next one, Stiletto?"

I did. It was also a strong book and I enjoyed it but not quite as much. The second book changed narrators and I missed the old one.

[Ioana]

Michelle wrote: "I did. It was also a strong book and I enjoyed it but not quite as much. The second book changed narrators and I missed the old one."

A lot of time the 2nd book is not as strong as the 1st one. But hey, a 3rd one is coming out this year!

[Bill, Moderator]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Bill wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Book #19 of 2022: The Rook. Fantasy, not my go-to genre, this was fun and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you Alondra for recommending it, I need to get #2 in..."

Same here

[Ioana]

Book #20 of 2022: How Beautiful We Were. Beautifully written and beautifully narrated, this is a story of a small village in Africa (fictional place, fictional country) where Europeans come to drill for oil. The land, the environment, the people all suffer, children die, water is polluted, crops don't grow anymore, Europeans and the country's government get rich.
There is hope in the end, the community gets smarter, acquires knowledge and gathers the will and means to stand up for what's right, for their land and way of living, but this was not easy fight. A book that rings trues and poses lots of questions, I think it would be a great book club read. 3 stars.

[Carolien]

Ioana wrote: "Book #20 of 2022: How Beautiful We Were. Beautifully written and beautifully narrated, this is a story of a small village in Africa (fictional place, fictional country) where Europe..."

On the TBR. Glad to see it is a challenging read.

[Ioana]

Carolien wrote: "On the TBR. Glad to see it is a challenging read."

I think you would like it, the audiobook is excellent.

[Lea]

I'm just lurking here, trying not to get "Rook"ed into another series. Until I see How Beautiful We Were...also on my TBR...you're reading so many good books! :-)

[Ioana]

Lea wrote: "I'm just lurking here, trying not to get "Rook"ed into another series. Until I see How Beautiful We Were...also on my TBR...you're reading so many good books! :-)"

They are both good, for different reasons, different moods and different purposes. No reason why you can't/shouldn't read them both :-)

[Ioana]

Books #21 of 2022: Every Dead Thing. I enjoyed this mystery, but not as much as I thought I would, but enough to make me read the next one in the series. It was my first John Connolly book. 3 stars.

Book #22 of 2022: A Drink Before the War. Another good first in the series (also a mystery), Dennis Lehane does not disappoint. Interesting characters and back stories, looking forward to the next one. 3 stars.

[Bill, Moderator]

Ioana wrote: "Books #21 of 2022: Every Dead Thing. I enjoyed this mystery, but not as much as I thought I would, but enough to make me read the next one in the series. It was my first John Connolly..."

I've only read one Connolly so far too. I do want to explore more.

[Ioana]

Bill wrote: "I've only read one Connolly so far too. I do want to explore more."

Me too.

[Alissa]

I went to add How Beautiful We Were and it was already on my TBR ;-)
That cover is haunting

[Ioana]

Alissa wrote: "I went to add How Beautiful We Were and it was already on my TBR ;-)
That cover is haunting"

I know, right? Have you read her Behold the Dreamers? Very good, too.

[Ioana]

Book #23 of 2022: 'Salem's Lot. Unpopular opinion...it was ok, definitely not my favorite SK. I'll run and hide now.

Book #24 of 2022: The Death of Vivek Oji. Recommended by Veronica, this was a very good one. We know from the title and the first few lines that Vivek is dead and the entire book, told in several voices (mother, cousin, friends) is the way we find out why and how. This book touches on so many subjects, love, identity, understanding, acceptance, friendship, it would make a great book club read and I'm sure would spark interesting discussions. If you can, get the audiobook, it's wonderfully narrated. 4 very well deserved stars, recommended.

[Michelle]

Ioana wrote: "Book #23 of 2022: 'Salem's Lot. Unpopular opinion...it was ok, definitely not my favorite SK. I'll run and hide now.

Book #24 of 2022: The Death of Vivek Oji. Recommen..."

I haven't read Salem's Lot but don't feel bad about not liking it. I catorgorize all Stephen King books into Great King, Good King or Bad King. I don't know what it is but sometimes I really don't like one of his books - so Bad King. I think Good King and Great King vary from person to person. For instance, if you want another very unpopular opinion, the entire Dark Tower series is for me Bad King. Sorry! On the other hand, The Shawshank Redemption - Great King.

[Lillie]

Ioana wrote: "Book #23 of 2022: 'Salem's Lot. Unpopular opinion...it was ok, definitely not my favorite SK. I'll run and hide now.

Michelle wrote: "I haven't read Salem's Lot but don't feel bad about not liking it. I catorgorize all Stephen King books into Great King, Good King or Bad King. I don't know what it is but sometimes I really don't like one of his books - so Bad King. I think Good King and Great King vary from person to person. For instance, if you want another very unpopular opinion, the entire Dark Tower series is for me Bad King. Sorry! On the other hand, The Shawshank Redemption - Great King.."

I love this Michelle! He's such a prolific writer that categorizing his work that way makes sense. And, it's great because it's different for each of us. Great King for me would be 11/22/63, Good King is The Shining and Bad King The Dark Towers (sorry Alondra!!)- only read the first one but I'm pretty sure I won't revisit the series.

[Michelle]

Lillie wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Book #23 of 2022: 'Salem's Lot. Unpopular opinion...it was ok, definitely not my favorite SK. I'll run and hide now.

Michelle wrote: "I haven't read Salem's Lot but don't feel bad ab..."

11/22/63 would definitely be Great King for me too. It is Good King but the ending is Bad King. I have theories about why his work is this way for me but I think you hit on one theory. He has written so much they can't all be winners. I will say though he is a wonderful story teller and when he is really trying his writing is amazing.

[Ioana]

Michelle wrote: "I will say though he is a wonderful story teller and when he is really trying his writing is amazing."

I so much agree with this, and your split: great, good, bad. It applies to how I feel about his books, too. 11/22/63 is definitely great, probably my favorite. That, and Shawshank Redemption. And The Green Mile.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I completely agree about Sai King - one of the books I struggle to read is IT. Looking forward to getting back to some of his newer books though

[Ioana]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I completely agree about Sai King - one of the books I struggle to read is IT. Looking forward to getting back to some of his newer books though"

Yeah, me too...both in the "bad" category... I think we should both run now.

[Lea]

I'll join you both in putting It in the Bad King category. It is my least favorite King book thus far. It's so unfortunate, it is a favorite for so many, but I'm glad that Desley and you agree. :-)

[Ioana]

Lea wrote: "I'll join you both in putting It in the Bad King category. It is my least favorite King book thus far. It's so unfortunate, it is a favorite for so many, but I'm glad that Desley and ..."

I was afraid I'd be alone here...too bad neither of you enjoyed IT (how did you feel about 'Salem's Lot?), but good to have company 🙂

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "I was afraid I'd be alone here...too bad neither of you enjoyed IT (how did you feel about 'Salem's Lot?), but good to have company 🙂"

I gave it three stars, so Good King for me. Not Great King. I totally agreed with your assessment. :-)

[Bill, Moderator]

Lea wrote: "I'll join you both in putting It in the Bad King category. It is my least favorite King book thus far. It's so unfortunate, it is a favorite for so many, but I'm glad that Desley and ..."

I think it depends what you want from King; downright horror or something more. I tend to like his early more basic horror; Cujo, The Shining, etc. I do like others like The Green Mile, The Gunslinger books, The Stand but some like Rose Madder, The Dark Half, Dolores Claiborne, Gerald's Game (his middlish period I guess) left me cold and kind of turned me off reading anymore of his books. I have tried a few of his latest books, still kind of on the cusp (no, there is a proper expression here which escapes me this morning) with him right now. I've got a few on my shelf to explore.

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "I think it depends what you want from King; downright horror or something more. I tend to like his early more basic horror; Cujo, The Shining, etc. I do like others like The Green Mile, The Gunslinger books, The Stand but some like Rose Madder, The Dark Half, Dolores Claiborne, Gerald's Game (his middlish period I guess) left me cold and kind of turned me off reading anymore of his books. I have tried a few of his latest books, still kind of on the cusp (no, there is a proper expression here which escapes me this morning) with him right now. I've got a few on my shelf to explore."

For me, it's all a mix. My favorite book by King is The Shining, but I also loved 11/22/63, The Stand, Misery, Under the Dome, Mr. Mercedes trilogy, The Institute, Everything's Eventual. I ended up liking the Dark Tower series, but I did not enjoy the first book, The Gunslinger. I wonder if I might like it more now that I've read the entire series. But It was the worst for me, that's one I won't re-read. :-)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Lea wrote: "I'll join you both in putting It in the Bad King category. It is my least favorite King book thus far. It's so unfortunate, it is a favorite for so many, but I'm glad that Desley and ..."

My least favourite (that I generally get the title wrong of!) is The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon.

[Ioana]

Bill wrote: "I think it depends what you want from King; downright horror or something more."

Interesting question, Bill. Definitely not downright horror, just a good story that moves, with interesting characters. I just checked, I've read 30 of SK's books...and there are a lot more on my TBR. Some I loved, so I thought were very good, some ok, some did not like.

But with so many books that are so different, it's just natural that different books appeal to different readers. I'll keep reading them 🙂

[Ioana]

Lea wrote: "For me, it's all a mix. My favorite book by King is The Shining, but I also loved 11/22/63, The Stand, Misery, Under the Dome, Mr. Mercedes trilogy, The Institute, Everything's Eventual. I ended up liking the Dark Tower series, but I did not enjoy the first book, The Gunslinger. I wonder if I might like it more now that I've read the entire series. But It was the worst for me, that's one I won't re-read. :-)"

Lea, I haven't read all of these, but the ones I've read were all 4 or 5 stars, so I totally agree with your list. I must put the others on my TBR, if they are not already: Misery, The Institute, Everything's Eventual.
I agree about The Gunslinger, but I enjoyed the rest of the series (mostly). Song of Susannah dragged a little bit too much...

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Oh, I also didn't like Lisey's story, I tried a re read and couldn't finish it.

[Ioana]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "My least favourite (that I generally get the title wrong of!) is The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon."

I haven't read that one...yet. I try to do a couple SK every year, and I still have a lot. According to this list, there are 94 novels and novellas: https://www.hookedtobooks.com/the-com...

[Ioana]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Oh, I also didn't like Lisey's story, I tried a re read and couldn't finish it."

Good to know, that one is not even on my TBR, so let's keep it that way. Thank you!

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Ioana wrote: "Book #23 of 2022: 'Salem's Lot. Unpopular opinion...it was ok, definitely not my favorite SK. I'll run and hide now.

Book #24 of 2022: The Death of Vivek Oji. Recommen..."

Seriously??? *sigh*.... probably the only book that still creeps me out. Don't worry, I shall find something else to recommend. 😈

[Ioana]

Yeah, I had a feeling you'd say that. Sorry, it did not work for me, but with very few exceptions, SK was an unexpected (good) surprise for me. I was afraid of him and I started reading him because of you; he's definitely a favorite author now.
Keep recommending books, you're good at it, you little 😈

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Ioana wrote: "Yeah, I had a feeling you'd say that. Sorry, it did not work for me, but with very few exceptions, SK was an unexpected (good) surprise for me. I was afraid of him and I started reading him because..."

Hehehehehe... do NOT encourage me. 🤔😏😏