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2022 Independent Challenges
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Ioana's 2022 Independent Challenge
Michelle wrote: "LOL. I did label this Good King Ioana. (I rate them Great King, Good King and Bad King) I also gave it 4 stars. Like you I loved the characters in this one."Yes, very good King, I really enjoyed it. I forgot you had 3 categories, now I will remember 🤣
Michelle wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Book #59 of 2022: Every Last Fear - definitely not for me, I should know better....oh well.Book #60 of 2022: The Institute. Someone here (Michelle?) ..."
Ha I love that Michelle!
Book #62 of 2022: Mademoiselle Chanel It was my first book about her life, and now I want to find and read a non-fiction one. This was fiction, but what an interesting character and life. I know the facts I've read are real, but I want to know more. If you know of a good biography (or memoir?) about Chanel, please let me know. 4 stars.
Sounds interesting, Ioana. I haven't read anything about Chanel either. :-)
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Book #60 of 2022: The Institute. Someone here (Michelle?) categorizes SK..."
Yay! So glad you enjoyed The Institute!! Now, you have to read
Alondra wrote: Yay! So glad you enjoyed The Institute!! Now, you have to read Fairy Tale by Stephen King."No, I haven't, but it's on my list 😉
Next year maybe. This year I'm behind my goal, I should do some graphic novels but that feels like cheating...
Lea wrote: "Sounds interesting, Ioana. I haven't read anything about Chanel either. :-)"She really had an interesting life: WW1, the great depression, WW2 and everything in between, plus, she met some very interesting people.
Book #63 of 2022: Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted. After quite a few scary episodes ignored by her and/or her doctors, Suleika is finally diagnosed with leukemia at 22. She needs to put everything on hold (life, career, Paris) and move back with her parents for chemo, more chemo, clinical trials, and finally a bone marrow transplant. And while that is (kind of) the end of cancer, this young woman now needs to learn again how to live. It's a well written story (she won an Emmy for her New York Times column “Life, Interrupted” written while undergoing chemo) with horrific details and a hopeful ending. Cancer affected not only her, but her family, friends, love relationships and everything in between. Rebuilding them is just what she has to do after she's declared cured. Amazing story, with the audiobook narrated by the author. 4 stars.
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No, I haven't, but it's on my list 😉
Next year maybe. This year I'm behind my goal, I sho..."
Graphic novels are not cheating. Most are novella-sized, and besides, I read them all the time. A book, is a book, is a book. If it has a beginning, middle and an end; it counts!!
Alondra wrote: "A book, is a book, is a book. If it has a beginning, middle and an end; it counts!!."I love this approach, I'll just have to use it more often.
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I love this approach, I'll just have to use it more often."
hehehehehehe.....
Book #64 of 2022: The Lady of the Rivers. I have a lot of HF series that I started long time ago, and put aside for some reason. I decided to go back to them, and I'm happy I did. Philippa Gregory did not disappoint, and she introduced me to a character I've never heard before: Jacquetta of Luxemburg and her life and role at the English court during the Henry the VI-th reign. Very interesting, to say the least. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
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I've only read one Phillippa Gregory book. I keep meaning to try more.... Glad you enjoyed.
Book # 65 of 2022: Somebody I Used to Know: A Memoir. An amazing perspective, from a personal point of view of someone diagnosed with early dementia/Alzheimer's. If you liked Still Alice, you have to read this one! 4 stars.
Book # 66 of 2022: The Vengeance of Mothers. I really liked the 1st book in this series, One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd when I read it, almost 10 years ago. This one was ok, but not as good. I was not a fan of the format, the overlap of the same story told from multiple points of view. It was interesting, but kind of repetitive in parts. There is a 3rd book in this series, but none of my libraries has it, and I will not try to find it in other places. I did not think the 1st book needed a 2nd, and I'm fine with where this one ended. 3 stars.
Ioana wrote: "Book # 65 of 2022: Somebody I Used to Know: A Memoir. An amazing perspective, from a personal point of view of someone diagnosed with early dementia/Alzheimer's. If you liked [book:..."Sounds amazing and also an important read. I added it
I loved Still Alice, so I'm adding Somebody I Used to Know too. I haven't read One Thousand White Women either...books with series are my nemisis...but maybe I will move it up since it looks like reading the rest of the series is not necessary.
Alissa wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Book # 65 of 2022: Somebody I Used to Know: A Memoir. An amazing perspective, from a personal point of view of someone diagnosed with early dementia/Alzheimer's. If yo..."Agreed, important read. She makes some interesting points regarding the way we treat our loved ones affected by this. Our good intentions are not necessarily right or enough, and our help is sometimes the wrong approach.
Lea wrote: "I loved Still Alice, so I'm adding Somebody I Used to Know too. I haven't read One Thousand White Women either...books with series are my nemisis...but maybe I will move it up since it looks like r..."I think you'll like both of them. Knowing you, you might "need" to read the other 2 books following One Thousand White Women, but I don't think it's necessary. Considering I've read the 2nd book almost 10 years after the first one, it was like reading a stand alone. It was fine.
Book #67 of 2022: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I knew nothing about the blue people of Kentucky, nor FDR's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project. This book was truly enlightening and I've enjoyed. It did not need a sequel, but it seems this is fashionable now, and there is one. And I'll try to read it. 3.5 stars.
Ioana wrote: "Book #67 of 2022: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I knew nothing about the blue people of Kentucky, nor FDR's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project. This book was truly enlighten..."I read the sequel and enjoyed it Ioana but I don't think it had the impact of the first one. It was a good book and did address some controversial issues. I think you could read it or not as you wish.
Michelle wrote: "I read the sequel and enjoyed it Ioana but I don't think it had the impact of the first one. It was a good book and did address some controversial issues. I think you could read it or not as you wish."I had a feeling that might be the case...but at only a little over 300 pages, I might give it a try. I have another selfish reason for that: I've only finished one series this year, and this will be a easy one, with only 2 books :-)
Ioana wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I read the sequel and enjoyed it Ioana but I don't think it had the impact of the first one. It was a good book and did address some controversial issues. I think you could read it..."LOL I would definitely go for it then. It's a good book. You won't be sorry and you will have finished a series. No down side.
Book #68 of 2022: American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road. I had never heard of the Silk Road website before. Well, I've never shopped for drugs, guns, mushrooms, organs, or any other illegal items or substances, so maybe that's why. But this book was fascinating, recommended to all non-fiction and/or true crime fans. 4 stars
Book #69 of 2022: Khan: Empire of Silver. This series is consistently good, and I'm so happy I got back into it. I did not know that the Mongol Empire's campaign into Europe actually happened after Genghis Khan's death. And if the actual events and timelines were not manipulated to fit the story (I need to read more about this), wow, Europe was really lucky. They were winning and had to turn around...History would've been completely different if they continued. 4 stars.
The last two books you read seem very interesting. The only Silk Road that I’ve ever known about is the ancient one going from China to Europe. Which incidentally I’m low key obsessed with. And anything I know about Genghis Khan is what we’ve been taught at a book. Saw that this is a 5 book series. Does it hold up throughout?
Ioana wrote: "Book #68 of 2022: American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road. I had never heard of the Silk Road website before. Well, I've never shopped for d..."I learned a little about this guy in Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption but it was one of the more fascinating sidebars. I would love to know more. Thanks for the add to my infinite TBR.
Lillie wrote: "The last two books you read seem very interesting. The only Silk Road that I’ve ever known about is the ancient one going from China to Europe. Which incidentally I’m low key obsessed with. And a..."
LOL, regarding the Silk Road...yes, that's the only one I was aware of too, and I would not mind traveling parts of it. This one was a different kind of road entirely, but not less dangerous.
The Genghis Khan series is very good. My first one was a 5 star, and the next 3 ones 4 stars each. Good characters, interesting relationships and culture, I'll definitely read the last one, which I expect must be about Kublai Khan (I think that because that's the only name I recognized from my history class, but that was many, many years ago and my interest in history was zero at the time).
Michelle wrote: "I learned a little about this guy in Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption but it was one of the more fascinating sidebars. I would love to know more. Thanks for the add to my infinite TBR."The bitcoin book is on my TBR. I know very little about bitcoin, and to be honest, I don't understand how it works. I hope I'll understand more after reading it.
Book #69 of 2022: My Sister Rosa. I have conflicting feelings about this, but I enjoyed it and it kept me listening. I think the main topic should've been kept to nature/nurture and parenting, but the author tried to include too many other big topics: religion, sex orientation, race, and they got lost. The ending was not satisfying, although I don't know what a "right" ending would've been. Maybe this was "right", I need to think more about it. I also have doubts about how a 10 year old (admittedly, smart above her years) talks. Some of the dialogue did not seem realistic and I really don't like books where children speak/think like adults.
Overall, a good book and I just hope it's only fiction and there are no such psychopath kids out there.
Some really interesting reads, Ioana! Jacquetta of Luxembourg? Never heard of her and will now have to read this one. And should probably read the Genghis Khan series as well. I have a (real) Silk Road reading project starting soon.
Carolien wrote: "Some really interesting reads, Ioana! Jacquetta of Luxembourg? Never heard of her and will now have to read this one. And should probably read the Genghis Khan series as well. I have a (real) Silk ..."I think you'd like the Genghis Khan series. Conn Iggulden has a few others, other times and places, and I hope to read more of his work. I hope to finish Conqueror next year, and maybe read the Emperor series after that. We'll see.
What are you reading about the real Silk Road?
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World is the start and then books written by authors from most of the countries along the Silk Road. I hope that I will so be able to make some progress on my Around the World challenge with some of the less obvious countries like the various Stans.
I'll keep an eye on your books (I always do, you read some very interesting books) and I added The Silk Roads to my TBR. One of my co-workers went on a tour to some of the Stans, and loved it. It was organized by the Smithsonian Museum, and focused on their rug making and fabric weaving. They don't offer that one anymore, but look at this: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/t...
Ioana wrote: "I'll keep an eye on your books (I always do, you read some very interesting books) and I added The Silk Roads to my TBR. One of my co-workers went on a tour to some of the Stans, and loved it. It was organized by the Smithsonian Museum, and focused on their rug making and fabric weaving. They don't offer that one anymore, but look at this: https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/t..."
That was a dangerous link. I had no idea that the Smithsonian offered tours. I tend not to enjoy guided tours, but love to get ideas from them, so that was a lot of fun seeing what they offer. Best/worst type of enabling! :-)
Carolien wrote: "The Silk Roads: A New History of the World is the start and then books written by authors from most of the countries along the Silk Road."Read this book several years ago and learned quite a bit from it. This area of the world, and in particular, the Silk Road fascinates me. Having read several books on the subject and seen documentaries, I still want more. My mom’s friend was an art historian whose work focused on the Silk Road. She was always so animated talking about it that it caught my interest.
Hope this book does the same for you.
Lea wrote: "I had no idea that the Smithsonian offered tours. I tend not to enjoy guided tours, but love to get ideas from them, so that was a lot of fun seeing what they offer. Best/worst type of enabling! :-)"My travel wish list is almost as extensive as my TBR, and would definitely require several lives to complete. That, and a lot more $$$ 🤣
Lillie wrote: "Read this book several years ago and learned quite a bit from it. This area of the world, and in particular, the Silk Road fascinates me. "I don't think I've read any book about the Silk Road, nor the Stans (or set in any of the Stans) in general. The 3rd book of the Conqueror series included the time of the Mongols conquering these territories, but nothing about their more recent history. I will definitely read the book you recommended.
Book #70 of 2022: Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod. The Iditarod had always intrigued me, and I wanted to know more about it. This book is not exactly what I had in mind, but it was a good introduction and I enjoyed the humorous way it was presented. I wish the actual Iditarod part was more detailed, and I wanted to know more about the relationships that form (or not) between mushers, about the way they train (mentally and physically), the way they run the race, etc. I think I was hoping of a book like Krakauer's Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, with lots of details, history and personal impressions. This was not like that, but again, really enjoyable. 3.5 stars
Somewhere I missed to discuss a book, I'm not sure which one...Book #72 of 2022: An Anonymous Girl. Ever since Gone Girl, there are a lot of books with "Girl" in the title, and sadly, most of them are dull and easily forgettable. This one was fun, although I guessed (most of) the ending very early on. Still, the ride was fun and even if not all the twists and turns believable, it kept me engaged. 3.5*
Book #73 of 2022: Pied Piper. Another Bill recommended book, and I loved it. If/when you're ever in mood for a feel good book, but not a fluffy one, read this one. Good story (even if with too many happy coincidences), interesting characters and dialogues, this is a whole package. My 2nd book by Nevil Shute, definitely not the last. Thank you, Bill.
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I'm glad you enjoyed. I've always found Shute to be a great story teller and he somehow (in most of his stories) manages to find the good in people, the honesty, the understated heroism.
Book #74 of 2022: Fly Away. Because with it, I can count 3 series as completed this year. True, each one had only 2 books, but...3 series completed, right? Hopefully better next year.I did not have high expectations and I was right...the book would've been better without (view spoiler). 2.5 stars.
Ioana wrote: "Book #74 of 2022: Fly Away. Because with it, I can count 3 series as completed this year. True, each one had only 2 books, but...3 series completed, right? Hopefully better next yea..."Two book series count!
Almost end of December update:The Nature of Fragile Things. Part HF, part mystery set in 1906 San Francisco, this was one of the few books I've enjoyed lately. I don't know why, it reminded me (in a good way) of James M. Cain books. I wish the earthquake chapters/descriptions were more elaborated, but I get it, the earthquake was only the backdrop. Overall, a very enjoyable read, recommended, 4 stars.
After that, just a long list of 3 stars. Not bad, but not books that I would whole heartedly recommend. You know, if you have nothing better to do... Or maybe it was not the books, but me. Anyway...
The Fountains of Silence. I generally like Ruta Sepetys's books, but this one was just ok. Interesting times, interesting history, but that was about it. I did not care about the characters, nor the story.
Darling Rose Gold. I know I'm in minority and a lot of my GR friends loved this, but morally, I could not agree with Rose Gold's behavior, no matter its reasons and justifications.
Fallen #5 in the Will Trent series, and the weakest so far, IMHO. Maybe it was me, so I'll read the next one to determine if to continue or not.
The Other Daughter Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite authors, but this book was so predictable, no real mystery. I kept reading waiting for a twist to show me I got it all wrong, but that twist never came.
The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear. Finally an interesting book. OMG, what a nightmare must've been to be a woman in the 1960s. And how courageous Elizabeth Packard was, to stand up against her husband and the society.
After The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, Kate Moore brings another amazing woman to life. I can't wait for her next book.
Sorry to hear that your December books weren't fabulous, but at least they weren't bad either. I own Fallen - it was given to me - but that's a series I haven't begun just yet. I am intrigued about The Nature of Fragile Things! :-)
Lea wrote: "Sorry to hear that your December books weren't fabulous, but at least they weren't bad either. I own Fallen - it was given to me - but that's a series I haven't begun just yet. I am intrigued about..."I am officially in search and in need of a fabulous book. My average rating for the year is 3.4, which is only the 2nd lowest since I've started keeping track on GR.
The Importance of Being Earnest and Four Other Plays. Probably my last read of 2022, short, funny and witty. I would like to see it as a play.
I felt the same way about Rose Gold. I just couldn't get past my dislike of the characters. Hope the new year brings you all 5 star book!
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Book #60 of 2022: The Institute. Someone here (Michelle?) categorizes SK..."
LOL. I did label this Good King Ioana. (I rate them Great King, Good King and Bad King) I also gave it 4 stars. Like you I loved the characters in this one.