Reader's Choice Spring 2022

[Britt, Book Habitue]

2/3 of the way through Fifty Words for Rain and it's.... painful. I mean, it's well-written but it feels like a train wreck of how many bad things can happen to one person.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Ugh. Fifty Words for Rain did not get any better.
9 down

[Audrey]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Ugh. Fifty Words for Rain did not get any better.
9 down"

That didn't look too interesting to me. I am about a quarter into the Sisters of Tuscany; it's not bad.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

The Safe Place-- an interesting story I guess but overall just kind of ugh. Like those "am I the jerk" reddit threads where the answer is ESH-- everyone sucks here.

10 down, so that's halfway there

[Patty]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "The Safe Place-- an interesting story I guess but overall just kind of ugh. Like those "am I the jerk" reddit threads where the answer is ESH-- everyone sucks here.

10 down, so that's halfway there"

I have to agree with you.

[Elizabeth]

You read so many books already. Go Britt!

[Patty]

Finished The Vanishing at Loxby Manor. I liked it quite a bit. 4 stars.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Raft of Stars was....fine? Can't decide if it wanted to be Huck Finn or a fable or what exactly. Lots of unintentionally farcical things and many "well that escalated quickly" moments and a level of "I have no idea what I just read".

[Audrey]

I also went about a 3.5 stars on Sisters of Tuscany. Overall enjoyable but a little slow at times.

I got through a lot of Interior Chinatown yesterday. Odd and surreal but it works.

[Mary]

I finished Winter Counts on audio (3 stars) and The Last Flight (4 stars).

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Fortune Favors the Dead- solid 4 star mystery. I say it's somewhere between a noir and a cozy.

[Patty]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Pretty Little Wife is a solid 4 star dark psychological thriller. Very Criminal Minds in some ways."

I agree!

[Patty]

@Ellen How do you determine the winner? Do you count only the 5 stars or the 4 and 5? Do you take away if there are 1 stars? Or what?

[Audrey]

Patty wrote: "@Ellen How do you determine the winner? Do you count only the 5 stars or the 4 and 5? Do you take away if there are 1 stars? Or what?"

Great question! I have also wondered this.

[Audrey]

Interior Chinatown -- brilliant even if kind of odd.

Just started The Safe Place. The Loxby Manor audiobook estimates 15 weeks to arrive, so I may have to get the physical book for that to beat the voting deadline.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Oof. I'm finally down to ~4 weeks on Loxby. it's been a long wait.

Memoirs are usually less my thing, but 5 stars for Crying in H Mart! I'm super annoyed at the negative reviews that seem to think it's unoriginal (it's literally her life guys) or undeserving of publication. Don't knock a book for being what it is.
13 down

[Mary]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Oof. I'm finally down to ~4 weeks on Loxby. it's been a long wait.

Memoirs are usually less my thing, but 5 stars for Crying in H Mart! I'm super annoyed at the negative reviews that seem to think..."

I loved that book!

[Mary]

I just finished The Vanishing at Loxby Manor and honestly found it lacking. I gave it three stars but may have been a little generous. I can see how some people would enjoy it, but it was not for me. The characters' actions were unrealistic and the mystery failed to hold my interest.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

5 stars for The Smallest Lights in the Universe, though I gotta say, both memoirs this round being about grief is a bit of a downer.

[Greg]

What is the date when the votes are due?

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Pretty sure it's April 30?

[Greg]

Ok, I've decided to go ahead and chase this 'challenge' (reading all the Reader's Choice books and submitting reviews/votes by the end of April). I'm incorporating these into an existing challenge (SLC's 50 Book Adult challenge) rather than adding as a separate challenge, since I've already got 279 prompts/books on my challenge list this year...

So, I've already read one of the books:

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane. 4 stars from me.

[Debbie]

Greg wrote: "Ok, I've decided to go ahead and chase this 'challenge' (reading all the Reader's Choice books and submitting reviews/votes by the end of April). I'm incorporating these into an existing challenge ..."

Dear Lord! And I'm hoping to pass 60! But thee have always been a fast reader.

[Greg]

But thee have always been a fast reader.

I am. Audiobooks are key! (I do more than just audio, but they make large numbers possible).

But, even for me, this is a LOT. I've probably bitten off more than I can chew. But, I'm trying anyway.

[Darin]

I keep meaning to jump into these conversations, but, even with notifications, just forget to do it.
I'm a library employee, and am currently on the committee that selects the books, but it doesn't always mean I love all of the books. So, with that being said, here is what I have read/listened to so far:
Crying in H Mart - 4
Fifty Words for Rain - 4 (I thought it was well-written, but agree with others of you that how much wrong can happen to a person, and agreed that the ending left something to be desired) (now wondering why I gave it 4 stars!)
Fortune Favors the Dead - 4
If the Boot Fits - 3 (I actually didn't finish, because the swearing bothered me. I liked the idea of the story and where it was headed, but it was hard to listen to)
Interior Chinatown - 4
Last Flight - 5
Midnight Bargain - 3 (I agree with someone who said that the guys drove her crazy...and I'm a guy. I didn't finish this one because I ran out of time, but liked it okay)
Mother Code - 4
Paris Secret - 4
Pretty Little Wife - 4
Raft of Stars - 4
Safe Place - 4
Smallest Lights... - 5
Star-Crossed Sisters... - 4 (rounded up from 3.5)
Winter Counts - 4 (so...this is one I did recommend, but in my review, I did say there was a lot of swearing that I felt wasn't necessary. And, yes, it was a bit violent. I liked it primarily for the Native American fiction, and thought it would be quite different from the usual RC titles. It won the Anthony Award (literary mysteries) in 2021, plus was nominated for an Edgar Award, among others)

Currently listening to Vanishing at Loxby Manor - well, I’m giving this one a 3. It is good, but I probably won’t finish it - I’ll turn it in early because I know there is a long wait. Good, but right now, I’m just not into it.
Will start listening to Death at High Tide.
I liked the idea Greg had of listing them, and then going back with a rating. Perhaps I’ll remember to do that next time.
Sorry for the giant, long post.

Death at High Tide - 3.5 rounded up to a 4 - pretty good, solid mystery.
Duke Who Didn’t - I just couldn’t get into it - romance books are generally not what I read. I will probably not even vote.
We Hear Voices - pretty good - I left a review, though, that explains why I didn’t finish.
Witch's Heart - interesting, liked it a lot more than I thought I would - 4 stars.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Audio books are absolutely key. Especially if you can turn up the speed. I was really excited that all of the Readers' Choice this time are available on audio.

[Greg]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Audio books are absolutely key. Especially if you can turn up the speed. I was really excited that all of the Readers' Choice this time are available on audio."

I wasn't able to find The Duke Who Didn't on audio. I think that was the only one.

I'm mostly hoping to get them all in time!

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Oh maybe I did read that one as an ebook. If I'm honest, romance can sometimes be ... awkward on audio.

[Audrey]

I don't think I've ever read all of the nominees. But I'm getting through more with audiobooks.

[Greg]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Oh maybe I did read that one as an ebook. If I'm honest, romance can sometimes be ... awkward on audio."

Yes. And, it can also be awkward when you're reading a book with a cover like that on the train...

especially as a man...

[Greg]

Rather than doing this in multiple posts, I'll do one, and update it as I go.


4 - Crying in H Mart
3 - Death at High Tide
1 - The Duke Who Didn't
1 - Fifty Words for Rain
3 - Fortune Favors the Dead
2 - If the Boot Fits
4 - Interior Chinatown
4 - The Last Flight
3 - The Midnight Bargain
3 - The Mother Code
3 - The Paris Secret
4 - Pretty Little Wife
3 - Raft of Stars
4 - The Safe Place
4 - The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
3 - The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
2 - The Vanishing at Loxby Manor
4 - We Hear Voices
3 - Winter Counts
4 - The Witch's Heart

All complete and votes submitted!

[Ellen]

Patty wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Pretty Little Wife is a solid 4 star dark psychological thriller. Very Criminal Minds in some ways."

I agree!"

Sorry for the late response! (Long weekend). Currently, all the votes are tallied but only the 4&5 star votes are the ones that count towards becoming the winner. This may be changing for a new system but that's how we're currently determining the winner.
I will say, as someone who tallies the votes for my branch, almost every book runs the entire range, from 1 to 5 stars. So there's always someone who loves it and someone who hates it.

And yes, all ballots should be turned in by April 30!

[Britt, Book Habitue]

The Paris Secret was beautiful. 5 stars.

15 down, 5 to go

[Patty]

Ellen wrote: "Patty wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "Pretty Little Wife is a solid 4 star dark psychological thriller. Very Criminal Minds in some ways."

I agree!"

Sorry for the late response! (Long weekend..."

Thank you! I was thinking when I asked that depending on how they were tallied it might change my vote. Like I am on the line between a 3 and a 4 and for good reads I would put it as a 3, but in my own tabulating a 3 would still be a good book worth reading so I might put it as a 4 for the library or vice versa. It's rare that I will give a book a 1 or a 5.

[Patty]

I like the list idea.

- Crying in H Mart
3 - Death at High Tide
- The Duke Who Didn't
4 - Fifty Words for Rain
2 - Fortune Favors the Dead
- - If the Boot Fits
3- Interior Chinatown
- - The Last Flight
3 - The Midnight Bargain
- - The Mother Code
4 - The Paris Secret
4 - Pretty Little Wife
4 - Raft of Stars
4 - The Safe Place
- - The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
3 - The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
4 - The Vanishing at Loxby Manor
- We Hear Voices
1 - Winter Counts
- - The Witch's Heart

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Sigh. I have wanted to love Vanishing at Loxby Manor. I'm generously rounding up to 3 stars because I didn't hate the experience but the more I think about it and my brain picks it apart the more I find to be irritated about lol. I found it slow with poorly developed characters and didactic speeches shoehorned in at the end.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Death at High Tide was fine, but as someone who loves cozy mysteries...it just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I might read the next one but I'm not in a rush to do so.
17 down

[Britt, Book Habitue]

The Witch's Heart. Meh. I don't understand why, but while I've always loved and adored all things Greek/Roman mythology I just.... don't care when it's Scandinavian mythology. There is absolutely no reason for this, and yet here we are.
18 down, just 2 left

[Audrey]

Finished The Safe Place -- nothing much happens until nearly the end. None of the characters is likable.

[Debbie]

Audrey wrote: "Finished The Safe Place -- nothing much happens until nearly the end. None of the characters is likable."

Makes you wonder why it was a Reader's Choice, eh?

[Audrey]

Debbie wrote: "Audrey wrote: "Finished The Safe Place -- nothing much happens until nearly the end. None of the characters is likable."

Makes you wonder why it was a Reader's Choice, eh?"

Occasionally I do wonder. :)
This wasn't bad, however, just less thrilling than I'd hoped.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

We Hear Voices. Man....can you imagine writing a sci-fi about a pandemic and then a real pandemic starting when you go to publish? *facepalm*
Anyway, 4 stars though possibly that's rounding up from 3.5.

[Greg]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "We Hear Voices. Man....can you imagine writing a sci-fi about a pandemic and then a real pandemic starting when you go to publish? *facepalm*
Anyway, 4 stars though possibly that's rounding up from..."

Scifi is intended to be somewhat prophetic... bet she was patting herself right on the back!

[Britt, Book Habitue]

The Mother Code ended up being a solid 4 stars even though I wasn't really looking forward to it. (Though a second book involving a pandemic type situation felt a little too soon lol)
20/20 complete!

[Ellen]

Greg wrote: "Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "We Hear Voices. Man....can you imagine writing a sci-fi about a pandemic and then a real pandemic starting when you go to publish? *facepalm*
Anyway, 4 stars though poss..."

Wahoo! Way to go Britt! You finished all 20 with time to spare!

[Audrey]

Wow!

[Debbie]

Good job Britt!

[Greg]

Britt, Book Habitue wrote: "20/20 complete!"

Nicely done! You beat me by a few hours...I'll finish my last one tomorrow morning. We both have Mother Code for our finale.

[Debbie]

Britt's speed on this has made me dizzy! Greg's used to, but I'm used to it now.

[Audrey]

I am half-way through The Paris Secret -- pretty good so far. I have a couple more I definitely want to get to, and then I'll see how much time is left.