Kathleen 2022 Annual Reading Challenge

[Kathleen]

A mix of books that I've always meant to read, that were recommended to me, or that just sound interesting. Plus 2 rereads - both (Dune and Stranger in a Strange Land) are books I read around 50 years ago and which I really want to revisit.


1. A Game of Thrones byGeorge R.R. Martin
2. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 09/30/22
3. We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper, 03/10/22
4. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
5. The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance. by Ross King, 12/28/22
6. The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss, 12/31/22
7. Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
8. World Without End by Ken Follett
9. 11/22/63 by Stephen King, 10/31/22
10. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett andNeil Gaiman, 03/30/22
11. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, 01/03/22
12. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, 12/12/22

1. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein, 12/21/22
2. The Once and Future King by T H White
3. Dune by Frank Herbert
4. Empire Falls by Richard Russo

[Martha]

I love your list! I loved 11/22/63 & Good Omens. Happy Reading!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I've only read 1, but did really enjoy 11/22/63 and I hope you do too

[Ioana]

You have some great books on this list: A Game of Thrones (sadly, we're still waiting for the end of this series to be written), 1Q84, World Without End, 11/22/63 are the ones I've read and loved. Others are still on my TBR, I'll be following your reviews. Happy reading!

[Denise]

The Game of Thrones Series is right up there with Lord of the Rings series for me. Good luck with your challenge.

[John]

Great group of selections!

[Bill, Moderator]

Great list. I've enjoyed many of them; Game of Thrones, Jonathan Strange, The Amber Spyglass, Stranger in a Stange Land (Grok), The Once and Future King and Dune. Enjoy your 2022 reading.

[Dawn]

Looks like a great list! Good luck on your challenge!

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

This list is absolutely fabulous. I wouldn't change a thing.

Copy/Paste!!!

11/22/63 is just phenomenal.

Good luck and happy reading

[Kathleen]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I've only read 1, but did really enjoy 11/22/63 and I hope you do too"

Martha wrote: "I love your list! I loved 11/22/63 & Good Omens. Happy Reading!"

I've been meaning to read it for quite awhile. A former roommate worked at The Sixth Floor exhibit and had some interesting stories about how they went about setting up the displays.

[Kathleen]

Bill wrote: "Great list. I've enjoyed many of them; Game of Thrones, Jonathan Strange, The Amber Spyglass, Stranger in a Stange Land (Grok), The Once and Future King and Dune. Enjoy your 2022 reading."

Ioana wrote: "You have some great books on this list: A Game of Thrones (sadly, we're still waiting for the end of this series to be written), 1Q84, World Without End, 11/22/63 are the ones I've read and loved. ..."

I'm really looking forward to this list. Just hoping I wasn't overly optimistic in the number of tomes l can handle.

[Kathleen]

Denise wrote: "The Game of Thrones Series is right up there with Lord of the Rings series for me. Good luck with your challenge."

Hoping I have a similar reaction!

[Bill, Moderator]

Kathleen wrote: "Bill wrote: "Great list. I've enjoyed many of them; Game of Thrones, Jonathan Strange, The Amber Spyglass, Stranger in a Stange Land (Grok), The Once and Future King and Dune. Enjoy your 2022 readi..."

Game of Thrones and Jonathan Strange are tomes but once you get into them, you'll find them hard to put down.

[Vikki, Moderator]

I loved Game Of Thrones and 11/22/63. I finished His Dark Materials last year and felt a little disappointed with Amber Spyglass, I preferred the first 2 books.

[Lea]

Your list looks great, Kathleen. I've read Game of Thrones, 1Q84, The Black Count, World Without End, 11/22/63, Good Omens, The Amber Spyglass, The Once and Future King and Dune. I'm hoping to get to Stranger in a Strange Land one day, I'll be interested to see what you think when you revisit. We Keep the Dead Close also has been recommended to me, but I couldn't squeeze it on my list. Good luck and happy reading!

[Kathleen]

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
***
Mixed feelings on this. The premise is intriguing - an old coffeehouse in a Tokyo alley where one can time travel albeit with severe restrictions. Nothing one does will change the present. One must remain in a chair in the coffeehouse. The experience only lasts until a cup of coffee turns cold.
Where I felt let down was in an uneven writing style (a result of translation?) with a lot of repetition.
In the end I liked the book's idea that while those who make the trip can't change what happens, they are left with a sense of release at being able to say those things that have been left unsaid and finding ways to reconcile with the present time.