♥Dawn Michelle's AMBITIOUS Reading Challenge♥

[Dawn Michelle]

As of right now, my goal is 250. That seems doable [even though I just said to someone that this pace isn't sustainable, yet I keep finding more books to read so here we are] and I can always change it. ;-)

Once again doing the "Big Reads" challenge [more and more and more classics] and the "Read What You Own" challenge, which really worked well for me in 2021 in getting books read, books deleted and a more cohesive list made. Then there is NetGalley, but with the new rules my friend and I have set up for ourselves, it should not be nearly as overwhelming as it was last year. Looking forward to a good reading year.

7.8.2022
Well. This year has really flown and my reading is still insane. Maybe this is what it is going to be like now? I have read some good ones and some bad ones and have truly enjoyed the first 6 months. Only once have I wished all of it gone and all it took was some re-working of my list and removal of ones I didn't really want to read and all was happy again!!
Changing my goal to 350. That seems very doable right now. LOL

[Elyse, Moderator]

Welcome back, Dawn Michelle!

[Andrea, Moderator]

You got this! This seems easy peasy for you after nearly 375 this year.

[Dawn Michelle]

Andrea wrote: "You got this! This seems easy peasy for you after nearly 375 this year."

Elyse wrote: "Welcome back, Dawn Michelle!"

Thank you Elyse and Andrea!!! ♥

[Dawn Michelle]

1. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes [Book 4] - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
January 1 - January 8, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Stephen Fry [♥], Narrator
Kindle
312 pages
5 Stars



2. Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices
S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed - Editors
January 1 - January 8, 2022
Read What You Own
The Cool Book Club: Joy W
Hoopla Audiobook: Siiri Scott and Neil Shah, Narrators
Print Book [HC]
272 pages
5 Stars



3. Imbibe
From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar
David Wondrich
January 1 - January 4, 2022
Read What You Own
Literati Book Club: January
Hoopla Audiobook: David Colacci, Narrator
Print Book [HC]
317 pages
4 Stars




4. Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor's Fight for Fairness - Laura Coates
January 1 - January 6, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #29
Kindle
272 pages
5 Stars




5. I Wish, Wish, Wish for You - Sandra Magsamen
[Melisa Fernandez Nitsche - Illustrator]
January 3, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
40 pages
5 GLORIOUS STARS



6. Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
January 1 - January 2, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 Big Reads Challenge
Hoopla Audiobook: Ralph Cosham [♥], Narrator
Kindle
239 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

Joanne wrote: "Go dawn, your an inspiration to always aim higher in reading more books. 🙌🙌 each year, and go beyond what your goal is."

Thank you so much Joanne!!! ♥

[Dawn Michelle]

I woke up this morning [1.2.2022] hating everything [I suffer from depression and anxiety, so these things happen] and after reading a post about challenges online, decided I WAY overextended myself this year and that I wasn't actually reading books I wanted to read, and that I missed reading simply for pleasure. SO...

I have changed all my plans. I will still read from the RWYO list I made, but I will read them as they move me and not in any particular order [January was pretty much set out and I already have audiobooks for quite a few books so I will do January as planned and then move on to this new plan in February - though I have changed what I could about January with the stuff I don't have downloaded or on hold yet].

I want to go back to reading for pleasure. Reading a whole book in a day if I want instead of breaking 2700 books up into teeny increments just to get them done. That starts today.

I am so grateful for the safety of this group, where I can "spew" when I need to and know that I will face no judgement and get only support. This group has truly helped keep me going these past two years especially. I can never thank you all enough.

[Charleen]

I totally get those "hate everything" days. Good luck with throwing out your plans!

[Elyse, Moderator]

Fuck goals and reading challenges! You do and read what and when is best for you. Because the only person you're competing with is yourself. Sure, you like to challenge yourself. But you also need to know your limits and do not make your passion or hobby your job. Do it because you enjoy it, not for any other reason. ♥️ And you're damn right, you always have this safe place!!

[Dawn Michelle]

Joanne wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Fuck goals and reading challenges! You do and read what and when is best for you. Because the only person you're competing with is yourself. Sure, you like to challenge yourself. But ..."

Elyse wrote: "Fuck goals and reading challenges! You do and read what and when is best for you. Because the only person you're competing with is yourself. Sure, you like to challenge yourself. But you also need ..."

Charleen wrote: "I totally get those "hate everything" days. Good luck with throwing out your plans!"


You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have such peace now with my new "plan". You all are the BEST!! ♥

[Dawn Michelle]

7. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
January 5 - January 17, 2022
Read What You Own
RWYO Challenge [10.22.2012]
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #7
Carnegie Audiobook: Simon Prebble [♥], Narrator
Kindle
865 pages
4 Stars



8. Up to No Gouda [Grilled Cheese #1] - Linda Reilly
January 20 - January 22, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
NetGalley Audiobook: Mia Gaskin [♥], Narrator
Kindle
280 pages
4 Stars



9. The Conference of the Birds [Miss Peregrine #5] - Ransom Riggs
January 6 - January 8, 2022
Read What You Own
Carnegie Audiobook: Kirby Heyborne [♥], Narrator
Kindle
348 pages
4 Stars



10. While the World Watched
A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age During the Civil Rights Movement
Carolyn Maull McKinstry with Denise George
January 9 - January 11, 2022
Read What You Own
RWYO Challenge [10.23.2012]
Hoopla Audiobook: Felicia Bullock, Narrator
Kindle
316 pages
5 Stars



11. A Three Book Problem [Sherlock Holmes Book Shop #7] - Vicki Delany
January 24 - January 25, 2022*
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Hoopla eBook**
Kindle Fire
320 pages
3 Stars



12. Crimes and Covers [Magical Bookshop #5] - Amanda Flower
January 26 - January 29, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Hoopla eBook*
Kindle Fire
304 pages
4 Stars



13. An Abolitionist's Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World
Patrisse Cullors
January 12 - January 15, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #14
NetGalley Audiobook: Ariel Blake, Narrator
Kindle
288 pages
5 Stars



14. The Desolation of Devil's Acre [Miss Peregrine #6] - Ransom Riggs
January 14 - January 18, 2022
Read What You Own
Carnegie Audiobook: Kirby Heyborne [♥], Narrator
Kindle
512 pages
5 Stars



* The file for this NetGalley book is absolute crap. I totally understand misspellings and off-grammar, but when there are missing words and only partial words, it makes it nearly impossible to read. So I had to wait until it was published and then had to get the book from Hoopla [there is no audiobook]. NOT sure when it will get read, but it will happen at some point. I am beyond annoyed and will be letting the publisher know as well.

** he file for this NetGalley book is absolute crap. I totally understand misspellings and off-grammar, but when there are missing words and only partial words, it makes it nearly impossible to read. So I had to wait until it was published and then had to get the audiobook from Hoopla. What I had forgotten though was how much I DESPISE this narrator. She is just hideous. So now I have the eBook from Hoopla and will have to read read it. NOT sure when it will get read, but it will happen at some point. I am beyond annoyed and will be letting the publisher know as well.

[Connie]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "As of right now, my goal is 250. That seems doable [even though I just said to someone that this pace isn't sustainable, yet I keep finding more books to read so here we are] and I can always chang..."

Good Luck, Dawn! Here's to reading a book in a day! Man, I love those days!

[Dawn Michelle]

Connie wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "As of right now, my goal is 250. That seems doable [even though I just said to someone that this pace isn't sustainable, yet I keep finding more books to read so here we are] ..."

Thank you Connie!!

[Juli, Moderator]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "I woke up this morning [1.2.2022] hating everything [I suffer from depression and anxiety, so these things happen] and after reading a post about challenges online, decided I WAY overextended mysel..."

I applaud you for being mindful and putting yourself first! I am honored you feel safe enough to share this with us! You got this!

[Dawn Michelle]

Juli wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "I woke up this morning [1.2.2022] hating everything [I suffer from depression and anxiety, so these things happen] and after reading a post about challenges online, decided I ..."

Thank you so much Juli!! ♥

[Dawn Michelle]

15. The Twelve Jays of Christmas [Meg Langslow #30] - Donna Andrews
January 10 - January 15, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Kindle
304 pages
5 Stars



16. Harbour Street [Vera Stanhope #6] - Ann Cleeves
January 10 - January 13, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #4
Hoopla: Janine Birkett, Narrator
Kindle
383 pages
5 Stars



17. Murder at a Scottish Social [Scottish Shire #3] - Traci Hall
January 16 - January 24, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
304 pages
2 Stars



18. Love Grows Everywhere - Barry Timms [Tisha Lee - Illustrator]
January 28, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars



19. Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson
January 19, 2022
Read What You Own
Hoopla Audiobook: Bailey Carr, Narrator [Blech]
Print Book [PB]
272 pages
4 Stars



20. Housecat Trouble - Mason Dickerson
January 28, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
176 pages
4 Stars



21. Poppy Harmon Investigates [Desert Flower #1] - Lee Hollis
January 26, 2022
Hoopla eBook
Hoopla Audiobook: Kim Niemi, Narrator
Kindle Fire
289 pages
4 Stars



22. A Taste for Poison
Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them
Neil Bradbury
January 20 - January 21, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
NetGalley Audiobook: Derek Perkins [♥], Narrator
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #41
Kindle
304 pages
5 Stars



23. Soaring in Style: How Amelia Earhart Became a Fashion Icon
Jennifer Lane Wilson [Lissy Marlin - Illustrator]
January 28, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
4 Stars



24. All My Friends Are Still Dead - Avery Monsen and Jory John
January 28, 2022
Read What You Own
Kindle Fire
108 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

25. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death
Caitlin Doughty
January 23, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Caitlin Doughty, Narrator
4hrs 29min [237 pages]
5 Stars



26. A Grave Matter [Lady Darby #3] - Anna Lee Huber
January 23 - January 25, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Hoopla Audiobook: Heather Wilds [♥], Narrator
Kindle
433 pages
4 Stars

[Juli, Moderator]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "25. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death
Caitlin Doughty
January 23, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Caitlin Doughty, Narrator
4hrs 29min [237 pages]
5 Star..."

I love Caitlin Doughty!

[Dawn Michelle]

Juli wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "25. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death
Caitlin Doughty
January 23, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Caitlin Doughty, Narrator
4hrs 29m..."

This was my first one by her [I have her other two as well]; I really cannot wait to dive into the other ones. It was just so good and funny and gross.

[Dawn Michelle]

27. Killer Research [Library Lovers #12] - Jenn McKinlay
January 27, 2022
FLP OverDrive
Hoopla Audiobook: Allyson Ryan, Narrator
Kindle
304 pages
4 Stars



28. A Study in Death [Lady Darby #4] - Anna Lee Huber
January 29 - January 30, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Hoopla Audiobook: Heather Wilds [♥], Narrator
Kindle
336 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

29. Galatea - Madeline Miller
January 30, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #35
Kindle
37 pages
3 Stars



30. Final Draft: A Sloan Krause Mystery Short Collaboration - Ellie Alexander
January 30, 2022
Read What You Own
Kindle
56 pages
1 Star



31. The Girls on the Shore [Two Rivers #2.5] - Ann Cleeves
January 31, 2022
Read What You Own
Kindle
36 pages
4 Stars



32. A Pressing Engagement [Lady Darby #4.5] - Anna Lee Huber
January 31, 2022
Read What You Own
Kindle
79 pages
4 Stars

[Andrea]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "I woke up this morning [1.2.2022] hating everything [I suffer from depression and anxiety, so these things happen] and after reading a post about challenges online, decided I WAY overextended mysel..."

Oh my gosh, I've felt this way! My anxiety and OCD sometimes cause me to get obsessed with "the goal" instead of just reading what I want, when I want. I'm in this mind-set right now and working to get OUT of it! I desperately need reading to be fun again.

[Andrea]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "25. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death
Caitlin Doughty
January 23, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Caitlin Doughty, Narrator
4hrs 29min [237 pages]
5 Star..."

I loved this little book! I've worked with children for years and I can just hear them asking these questions! Fun read!!

[Dawn Michelle]

Andrea wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "I woke up this morning [1.2.2022] hating everything [I suffer from depression and anxiety, so these things happen] and after reading a post about challenges online, decided I ..."


Oh Andrea!! I so hope that reading becomes fun for both us soon!! This is the longest I have struggled with it and when I look at what I have to read next month [NG obligations] I just want to throw everything away. I guess its just one book at a time right? I also plan on just reading whatever moves me instead of planning anything else out - maybe that will work. I hope that you find something that makes it a happy thing for you quickly. ♥

[Dawn Michelle]

Andrea wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "25. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death
Caitlin Doughty
January 23, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Caitlin Doughty, Narrator
4hrs 29m..."


I too have worked with kids and they ask the most amazing questions and I thought of them all while listening to this book. It was just so good and funny and SO SO true. :-)

[Dawn Michelle]

33. Rosa Parks - Mariapaola Pesce [Matteo Mancini - Illustrator]
February 2, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
128 pages
5 Stars



DNF. Circus of Wonders - Elizabeth Macneal
February 2 - DID NOT FINISH
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
368 pages
Zero Stars



34. When a Killer Calls
A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling, and Justice in a Small Town
John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker
February 3 - February 5, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Audible: Keith Sellon-Wright, Narrator
Kindle
336 pages
4 Stars



35. Poppy Harmon and the Hung Jury [Desert Flowers #2] - Lee Hollis
February 1 - February 2, 2022
Hoopla eBook
Hoopla Audiobook: Kim Niemi, Narrator
Kindle Fire
320 pages
3 Stars



36. Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops - Shaun Bythell
February 5, 2022
TCBC [Brandi]
Audible +: Peter Kenny, Narrator
2 hrs [128 pages]
ZERO STARS**



37. Love and Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love - Kim Fay
February 3 - February 5, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
2022 2nd Reading Challenge [52]: #41
Kindle
192 pages
5 Stars



**This is my review for Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops - since it is a book-club book, I cannot post my review yet and none of my book-club friends are in this group, so I am posting it here.
WHAT a pretentious asshat. I was so sad when I saw what our book-club book pick was as I have tried to read this pretentious "author" before and despised every second I had to spend within his claptrap of a book and actually ended up not finishing that one because UGH. The best thing I can say about this mess of a book is that is was short, but seriously, there is two hours I will never, ever get back. He is just so full of himself and if I am ever in that area of the world, HIS store will be the only one I will be skipping and I won't be shy in sharing why [WHY anyone would want to frequent a bookstore where the owner routinely makes fun of his customers is beyond me]. UGH UGH UGH.

[Dawn Michelle]

38. A Dream of Death [Kate Hamilton #1] - Connie Berry
February 3 - February 5, 2022
Hoopla eBook
Hoopla Audiobook: Ruth Urquhart, Narrator
Kindle Fire
315 pages
4 Stars



39. As Death Draws Near [Lady Darby #5] - Anna Lee Huber
February 6 - February 9, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Hoopla Audiobook: Heather Wilds [♥], Narrator
Kindle
349 pages
5 Stars



40. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
February 6 - February 10, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 Big Reads Challenge
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #5
Butler Library Classics Book Club
Audible: Simon Vance [♥], Narrator
Kindle
571 pages
3 Stars



41. Absence of Mallets [Fixer-Upper #9] - Kate Carlisle
February 8 - February 11, 2022
FLP OverDrive
Kindle
302 pages
5 Stars



42. Star Mother [Book 1] - Charlie N. Holmberg
February 6 - February 9, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 2nd Reading Challenge [52]: #40
Audible: Khristine Hvam, Narrator
Kindle
268 pages
4 Stars



43. Thursday's Child [Book 1] - Noel Streatfeild
February 10, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Lucy Scott [♥], Narrator
Kindle
321 pages
4 Stars



44. An Improbable Friendship
The Remarkable Lives of Israeli Ruth Dayan and Palestinian Ramonda Tawil and Their Forty-Year Peace Mission
David Anthony
February 11 - February 15, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Denise Chamberlain, Narrator
Kindle
287 pages
2 Stars



DNF. In the Blood [Jefferson Tayte Genealogical #1] - Steve Robinson
February 11 - February 12, 2022 [DNF @30%]
Read What You Own
Audible: Simon Vance [♥], Narrator
Kindle
392 pages
ZERO STARS



45. Bone Deep: Untangling the Betsy Faria Case
Charles Henry Bosworth and Joel J. Schwartz
February 11 - February 14, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
NetGalley Audiobook: Gary Bennett [♥], Narrator
Kindle
463 pages
5 Stars



46. A Legacy of Murder [Kate Hamilton #2] - Connie Berry
February 13 - February 16, 2022
Hoopla eBook
Hoopla Audiobook: Ruth Urquhart, Narrator
Kindle Fire
336 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

It is amazing how eight books doesn't look overwhelming when you want to read ALL but one of them!!! :-)

[Stacie]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "It is amazing how eight books doesn't look overwhelming when you want to read ALL but one of them!!! :-)".

Haha! I love that feeling (and the one you don't want to read? Chuck it! Life's too short to waste precious reading time on things you don't care about)

[Dawn Michelle]

Stacie wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "It is amazing how eight books doesn't look overwhelming when you want to read ALL but one of them!!! :-)".

Haha! I love that feeling (and the one you don't want to read? Chu..."


It IS such a great feeling!! The one I don't want to read is for NG and so I have to at least try [when I requested it, I had forgotten how much I didn't like the series and that is why I quit it before. I need better notes LOL], but trust me, it will be gone if it doesn't do anything for me. :-)

[Dawn Michelle]

I have a TON of graphic novels and picture books for NetGalley so I decided to knock them out one day at a time and loop them all in one grouping here. SO much easier. :-)

[Dawn Michelle]

47. The Land of Trolls: Book 1 [Felix and Calcite] - Artur Laperla
February 7, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
3 Stars



48. Big Nate: Beware of Low-Flying Corn Muffins [Big Nate #26] - Lincoln Peirce
February 11, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
176 pages
3 Stars



49. Blue Badger - Huw Lewis-Jones [Ben Sanders - Illustrator]
February 12, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars



50. In the Clouds - Elly MacKay
February 12, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
48 pages
5 Stars



51. The Garden We Share - Zoe Tucker [Julianna Swaney - Illustrator]
February 13, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
2022 2nd Reading Challenge [52]: #16
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars



52. Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes - Mahak Jain [Anu Chouhan - Illustrator]
February 13, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
36 pages
5 Stars



53. The King of the Copper Mountains - Paul Biegel
Sally Collins [Illustrator], Gillian Hume [Translator]
February 16 - February 19, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
176 pages
5 Stars



54. Aaahh! - Guiherme Karsten [Eric M.B. Becker - Translator]
February 17, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
40 pages
2 Stars



55. The Boy Who Loved Boxes: A Children's Book for Adults - Michael Albanese
[Todd Wilkerson - Illustrator]
February 19, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars



56. To the Front!
Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam
Claudia Friddell [Christopher Cyr - Illustrator]
February 19, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
40 pages
5 Stars



57. Mr. Gray and Frieda Frolic - Binette Schroeder [David Henry Wilson - Translator]
February 23, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

58. Far to Go [Margaret Thursday #2] - Noel Streatfeild
February 15, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Audible: Lucy Scott [♥], Narrator
Kindle
161 pages
4 Stars



59. The Long Walk Home - Will North
February 16 - February 19, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible +: Kate Reading, Narrator
Kindle
329 pages



60. A Brush with Shadows [Lady Darby #6] - Anna Lee Huber
February 17 - February 20, 2022
FLP OverDrive
Hoopla Audiobook: Heather Wilds [♥], Narrator
Kindle
383 pages
5 Stars



61. The Mysterious Howling [The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1]
Maryrose Wood
February 17 - February 19, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 RWYO Challenge [10.25.2012]
Hoopla Audiobook: Katherine Kellgren [♥], Narrator
Kindle
276 pages
3 Stars



62. The Martian - Andy Weir
February 20 - February 22.2022
Read What You Own
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #3 [Raquel]
Audible: Wil Wheaton [♥], Narrator
Kindle
385 pages
5 Stars



63. Making a Psychopath
My Journey into Seven Dangerous Minds
Mark Freestone
February 12 - February 18, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
304 pages
4 Stars

[Elyse, Moderator]

Dawn Michelle wrote: "60. The Martian - Andy Weir
February 21 - CURRENTLY READING
Read What You Own
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #3 [Raquel]
Audible: Wil Wheaton [♥], Narrator
Kindle
385 pages..."

If you read the Audible reviews, OMG they tear Wil apart! But I listened to it and I loved it! It's Wil! IDK what the problem is! lol.

[Dawn Michelle]

Elyse wrote: "Dawn Michelle wrote: "60. The Martian - Andy Weir
February 21 - CURRENTLY READING
Read What You Own
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #3 [Raquel]
Audible: Wil Wheaton [♥], Narrator
Kindle
385 pages..."
..."


I get the importance of reviews and I totally understand bad narrators, but I am not sure why some [who are good] get ripped to shreds. I have to wonder if they just have issues with him overall? IDK. I have listened to him before and enjoy him greatly, so I am really looking forward to this. And if I love it, I plan on writing a GLOWING review about how awesome he is. ;-)

[Stacie]

Elyse wrote: ..."If you read the Audible reviews, OMG they tear Wil apart! But I listened to it and I loved it! It's Wil! IDK what the problem is! lol..."

I think that most of the negative reviews are colored by the fact that they listened to the RC Bray version, loved and have great memories of it, and now can't get that version anymore... what they can get is different and they are feeling super salty about it. Honestly, when I first started listening I didn't like Wil's narration because it differed from the way I remembered Bray's version to be (key phrase: "the way I remembered"... because when I listened to the Bray version again it wasn't as perfect as I remembered!).

[Dawn Michelle]

Stacie wrote: "Elyse wrote: ..."If you read the Audible reviews, OMG they tear Wil apart! But I listened to it and I loved it! It's Wil! IDK what the problem is! lol..."

I think that most of the negative reviews..."


Kind of like the people who started Harry Potter with Stephen Fry and then got switched to Jim Dale [though that's probably unfair as both are spectacular!].

[Dawn Michelle]

64. The Moth Catcher [Vera #7] - Ann Cleeves
February 21 - February 24, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Carnegie Audiobook: Janine Birkett, Narrator
Kindle
401 pages
4 Stars



65. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven [The Five People You Meet in Heaven #2]
Mitch Albom
February 23, 2022
Read What You Own
Jolabokaflod 2021
Hoopla: Mitch Albom, Narrator
Print Book [HC]
224 pages
4 Stars



66. An Artless Demise [Lady Darby #7] - Anna Lee Huber
February 24 - February 26, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Carnegie Audiobook: Heather Wilds [♥], Narrator
Kindle
413 pages
5 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

67. My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me
A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past
Jennifer Teege with Nikola Sellmair [Carolin Sommer - Translator]
February 25, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Audible + : Robin Miles, Narrator
Kindle
244 pages
2 Stars

Well, there is 7+ hours I will never get back....

[Dawn Michelle]

68. Prime Meridian - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
February 20, 2022
Read What You Own
Kindle
99 pages
1 Star



69. 10 at 10: The Surprising Childhoods of Ten Remarkable People - Carlyn Beccia
February 24, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
56 pages
5 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

70. The Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Michael Schumacher
February 21 - February 26, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 RWYO Challenge [4.27.2014]
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #31
Kindle
258 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

71. Little Moments of Love: A Catana Comics - Catana Chetwynd
February 27, 2022
Hoopla eBook
Kindle Fire
160 pages
4 Stars



72. A Stroke of Malice [Lady Darby #8] - Anna Lee Huber
February 27 - February 28, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Carnegie Audiobook: Heather Wilds [♥], Narrator
Kindle
384 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

I know the following list seems daunting [it probably is], but I have a huge month coming up with multiple Dr. appointments [ALL unpleasant - one is a plastic surgeon to discuss MOHRS surgery for cancer UNDER MY EYE. EEK!!!] and I just need some order in my life with all the chaos and this was the best way to start with that.
I hope everyone has had a great reading month and that that streak continues into March!! Spring is coming, I am sure of it. :-)

[Dawn Michelle]

73. The Berlin Exchange - Joseph Kanon
March 1- March 4, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Audible: Jonathan Davis, Narrator
Kindle
316 pages
3 Stars



74. The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice
Benjamin Gilmer
March 1 - March 7, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
295 pages



75. Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story - Diane Setterfield
March 1 - March 4, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 RWYO Challenge [9.19.2013]
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #1
Audible: Jack Davenport, Narrator
Kindle
337 pages
4 Stars



76. Jackaby [Jackaby #1] - William Ritter
March 5 - March 6, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Nicola Barber [♥], Narrator
Kindle
321 pages
5 Stars



77. Totally Fine [and Other Lies I've Told Myself]
What My Decade in Grief Taught Me About Life
Tiffany Phillippou
March 5 - March 7, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
NetGalley Audiobook: Tiffany Phillippou, Narrator
Kindle
253 pages
4 Stars



78. Star Father [Star Mother #2] - Charlie N. Holmberg
March 8 - March 10, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
2022 2nd Reading Challenge [52]: #19
Audible: Karen Chilton, Narrator
Kindle
319 pages
4 Stars



79. The Map [Jackaby #1.5] - William Ritter
March 7 - March 9, 2022
Read What You Own
Kindle
57 pages
5 Stars



DNF. The Orchard - Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry
March 9 - March 13, 2022 [DNF @44%]
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
384 pages
2 Stars**



80. Starry Night, Blurry Dreams - Henn Kim
March 10, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
304 pages
5 Stars



81. Beastly Bones [Jackaby #2] - William Ritter
March 7 - March 8, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Nicola Barber [♥], Narrator
Kindle
305 pages
5 Stars



82. The Gardener of Alcatraz: A True Story - Emma Bland Smith [Jenn Ely - Illustrator]
March 13, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
40 pages
5 Stars



83. Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer [Desert Flower #3] - Lee Hollis
March 9 - March 11, 2022
Hoopla eBook
Hoopla Audiobook: Kim Niemi, Narrator
Kindle Fire
223 pages
4 Stars



84. A Wicked Conceit [Lady Darby #9] - Anna Lee Huber
March 12 - March 15, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Hoopla Audiobook: Heather Wilds [♥], Narrator
Kindle
382 pages
5 Stars



85. Troublemaker - John Cho
March 16 - March 22, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
224 pages
4 Stars



86. Ghostly Echoes [Jackaby #3] - William Ritter
March 11 - March 12, 2022
Read What You Own
Hoopla Audiobook: Nicola Barber ♥], Narrator
Kindle
353 pages
5 Stars



87. The Art of Betrayal [Kate Hamilton #3] - Connie Berry
March 15 - March 17, 2022
Hoopla eBook
Hoopla Audiobook: Ruth Urquhart, Narrator
Kindle Fire
327 pages
4 Stars



88. Danger on the Atlantic [Jane Wunderly #3] - Erica Ruth Neubauer
March 14 - March 19, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
304 pages
4 Stars



89. Behind the Scenes with Burt: A Breaking Cat News Adventure - Georgia Dunn
March 20, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
193 pages
2 Stars



90. Today is Different - Doua Moua [Kim Holt - Illustrator]
March 20, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars



91. The Dire King [Jackaby #4] - William Ritter
March 13 - March 14, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #26
Hoopla Audiobook: Nicola Barber, Narrator
Kindle
353 pages
5 Stars



92. The Easy Life in Kamusari [Forest #1] - Shion Miura [Juliet Winters Carpenter - Translator]
March 16 - March 19, 2022
Read What You Own
Audible: Brian Nishii [♥], Narrator
Kindle
205 pages
4 Stars



93. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden - Hannah Green
March 22 - March 24, 2022
Read What You Own
Hoopla Audiobook: Amanda Leigh Cobb, Narrator
Kindle
256 pages
4 Stars



94. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
*OR*
Gustavus Vassa, The African
Olaudah Equiano
March 19 - March 21, 2022
Amazon Prime Reading
Audible +: Anthony Mark Barrows, Narrator
2022 Big Reads Challenge
Read Around the World: Benin
Kindle
254 pages
4 Stars






** My review for this book to explain the 2 star review on a DNF:
I kept reading this until I just couldn't anymore. I could see what was coming and I knew I just couldn't go there.
This book would be a tough read at any time [most books about or set in the U.S.S.R/Russia usually are], but right now, given the current events, its an extremely hard sell. There is just no happiness here; even when the girls are at the dacha and swimming in the river etc, there is little happiness in their lives. And it doesn't take a detective to figure out what is going on and that it is going to end in tragedy.

I ended up stopping at 44% when I realized that I was dreading reading this every day. It was just overwhelmingly sad and I already have so much of that in my life. I am disappointed as I was looking forward to this book, not really knowing what it was about. I give full props to those who could finish this - they are much stronger than I am.

I DID give this 2 stars and here is why; this rating is simply because in the midst of the slowness and plodding and blatant vulgarity, there were real gems here - some beautiful sentences and writing and that is what kept me going until I just couldn't anymore.

[Dawn Michelle]

95. Cheddar Off Dead [Cheese Shop #1] - Korina Moss
March 21 - March 26, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
304 pages
4 Stars



96. The Tears of a Man Flow Inward: Growing Up in the Civil War in Burundi
Pacifique Irankunda
March 30, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Read Around the World: Burundi
Audible: Pacifique Irankunda, Narrator
Kindle
224 pages



97. Quackling: A Feathered Fairy Tale - Aaron Shepherd [Wendy Edelson - Illustrator]
March 30, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
25 pages
5 Stars




98. The Button Box - Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams
[Harshad Marathe - Illustrator]
March 29, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
152 pages
5 Stars



99. Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation - Maud Newton
March 30 - April 9, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
384 pages
3 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

100. The Thin Man - Dashiell Hammett
March 20 - March 21, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 Big Reads Challenge
Audible +: William Dufris, Narrator
Print Book [PB]
201 pages
3 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

101. The Girl From Lamaha Street
A Guyanese Girl at a 1960's English Boarding School and Her Search for Belonging
Sharon Maas
March 22 - March 25, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Read Around the World: Guyana
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #2
NetGalley Audiobook: Donna Berlin [♥], Narrator
Kindle
310 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

102. The First Phone Call from Heaven - Mitch Albom
March 25 - March 27, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 RWYO Challenge [9.19.2013]
Hoopla Audiobook: Mitch Albom, Narrator
Print Book [HC]
336 pages
4 Stars



103. Cry, the Beloved Country - Alan Paton
March 26 - March 28, 2022
Read What You Own
Read Around the World: South Africa [3]
2022 Big Reads Challenge
1001 Book List
Hoopla Audiobook: Michael York, Narrator
Print Book [PB]
283 pages
4 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

104. The Equestrienne - Ursula Kovalyk [Julie and Peter Sherwood - Translators]
March 27, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Read What You Own: Slovakia
Kindle
150 pages
3 Stars

[Dawn Michelle]

105. In On the Joke: The Original Queens of Standup Comedy - Shawn Levy
April 2 - April 11, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
400 pages
2 Stars



106. The King's Shadow
Obsession, Betrayal, and the Deadly Quest for the Lost City of Alexandria
Edmund Richardson
April 1 - April 3, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
NetGalley Audiobook: Julian Elfer [♥], Narrator
Kindle
352 pages
2 Stars



107. Songs of Willow Frost - Jamie Ford
April 1 - April 11, 2022
Read What You Own
TCBC - April: DMK
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #11
FLP Audiobook: Ryan Gesell, Narrator
Print Book [PB]
338 pages
3 Stars



108. The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov
April 1 - April 8, 2022
Read What You Own
Read Around the World: Ukraine
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #13
2022 Big Reads Challenge
Hoopla Audiobook: Julian Rhind-Tutt, Narrator
Kindle
445 pages
3 Stars



109. She Matters: A Life in Friendships - Susanna Sonneberg
April 4 - April 6, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 RWYO Challenge [1.7.2013]
Hoopla Audiobook: Susanna Sonneberg, Narrator
Print Book [PB]
304 pages
1 Star



110. Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe - Keith O'Brien
April 10 - April 19, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Audible: Eileen Stevens, Narrator
Kindle
480 pages
5 Stars



111. Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey
April 30, 2022
Carnegie OverDrive
Carnegie Audiobook: Matthew McConaughey [♥], Narrator
Kindle
288 pages
5 Stars



112. The Heart of the Matter - Graham Greene
April 7 - April 10, 2022
Read What You Own
2022 Reading Challenge [50]: #9
Hoopla Audiobook: Joseph Potter [YUCK], Narrator
Kindle
260 pages
3 Stars



113. The Consequences of Fear [Maisie Dobbs #16] - Jacqueline Winspear
April 9 - April 13, 2022
Read What You Own
Hoopla Audiobook: Orlagh Cassidy [♥], Narrator
Print Book [PB]
352 pages
5 Stars



114. Don McLean's American Pie: A Fable - Meteor 17 Books
April 10, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
40 pages
4 Stars



115. Be A Good Ancestor - Leona Prince and Gabrielle Prince [Carla Joseph - Illustrator]
April 10, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
4 Stars



116. I Am Quiet: A Story for the Introvert in All of Us - Andie Powers
[Betsy Peterson - Illustrator]
April 12, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars



117. Things They Lost - Okwiri Oduor
April 14 - April 18, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Read Around the World: Kenya [2]
Audible: Christel Mutombo, Narrator
Kindle
352 pages
2 Stars



DNR. Unlikely Animals - Annie Hartnett
April 13, 2022 [Did Not Read/Corrupt File]
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
368 pages
ZERO STARS



DNF. Slaves for Peanuts
A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop that Changed History
Jori Lewis
April 21 - May 5, 2022 [DID NOT FINISH]
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle
352 pages
ZERO STARS



118. Badger is Bored - Moritz Petz [Amelie Jackowski - Illustrator]
April 15, 2022
Read What You Own
NetGalley ARC
Kindle Fire
32 pages
5 Stars