WINTER 2022/2023 READING CHALLENGE

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Christine wrote: "My main focus will be catching up on the Outlander series. I've re-read the 1st four books and have all the rest. I just love those characters. I'm also going to finish Ken Follett's Century Trilog..."

I've never read the Outlander books, but I've been considering starting them for over a decade. Last year, I read book one in Ken Follet's Century Trilogy, considering tackling book two in the near future, but these books are a massive commitment.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Christine wrote: " I'm listening to Now is Not the Time to Panic and I am loving it."

I have the audiobook ready to go, but still waiting for a printed library copy to follow along with.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Rachel wrote: "I’m always somewhat intimidated by big books but hope to read one or two myself this year.
Happy Reading! :D."

Me too on the big books. That Ken Follet book I read last Fall nearly did me in. My preference is books that are 200-400 pages in length. I also prefer films that are less than two hours. Coincidently, today was my day off so I watched a free movie at the movie theater. I highly recommend WOMEN TALKING. That's my favorite film in the theater right now.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I have just finished a book with the letters H-A-N-D in the title. The Silent Land by Graham Joyce. This is the second book I've read by the author, and I've enjoyed both - hope to read more in the near future. Graham Joyce is a well-known British author of speculative fiction, he died in 2014. I find a connection with his writing.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Rachel wrote: "You find some really interesting titles at your little free library. Hope you enjoy your books! Look forward to hearing your thoughts on them.."

I'm thankful to have a Little Free Library where people participate with give and take. We are in a high-density condo complex - all the people visiting the Little Free Library yields some interesting results.

My neighborhood Little Free Library and this group's Seasonal Reading Challenges are my main introduction to new authors. I know Goodreads offers lots of recommendations, but it's too overwhelming to consider what all my Goodreads friends are reading. It's better if I can focus - open the Little Free Library and see what is available, what looks interesting.

Likewise, I appreciate the narrow focus of the Seasonal Reading Challenges - four times a year, I am able to focus on titles that match the specific list. Thanks for keeping it going Rachel! :-)

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I’m always somewhat intimidated by big books but hope to read one or two myself this year.
Happy Reading! :D."

Me too on the big books. That Ken Follet book I read last Fall nearly ..."

I also prefer movies that are under 2 hours. I feel like they used to generally be an hour and a half give or take when I was younger and now they seem to be longer. I’ll check out WOMEN TALKING. Thanks for the recommendation. :)

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I have just finished a book with the letters H-A-N-D in the title. The Silent Land by Graham Joyce. This is the second book I've read by the author, and I've enjoyed both - hope to read more in the..."

Thanks for the update, Dustin! :D

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Rachel wrote: "You find some really interesting titles at your little free library. Hope you enjoy your books! Look forward to hearing your thoughts on them.."

I'm thankful to have a Little Free L..."

You’re welcome, Dustin. Thanks for still doing the challenges with me. :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Rachel wrote: "I also prefer movies that are under 2 hours. I feel like they used to generally be an hour and a half give or take when I was younger and now they seem to be longer. I’ll check out WOMEN TALKING. Thanks for the recommendation. :)."

Women Talking run time is 1 hour 44 minutes :-)

[Danell]

I finished Remarkable Bright Creatures. It was good

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Danell wrote: "I finished Remarkable Bright Creatures. It was good"

I've ordered a copy - should have it next week. My library is backed up on holds, so I decided to go ahead and buy the book.

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I finished Remarkable Bright Creatures. It was good"

Thanks for the update, Danell! :D

[Danell]

I don’t think I’ll get to read Now is Not the Time to Panic. I’m 94th in line at the library.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I'm glad you liked Remarkably Bright Creatures. That is a good sign since we typically like the same kind of books, you know with both of our names starting with the letter D and all.
Actually, I ordered Now Is Not The Time to Panic from thriftbooks. Since items are moving so slow at the library and I can only hold 25 items on my card, I decided to but that book too and put other items on hold that I don't need in such a timely manner and items I'm not willing to purchase. I just got tired of waiting. February is approaching! And February is a short month.

[Danell]

February is also your birthday month

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Danell wrote: "February is also your birthday month"

Interesting that you remember. February is the weirdest month of the year :-)

[Rachel]

Hey everyone!

Will announcing next season’s group reads ahead of time help with the hold time? I can’t put a hold on my library’s ebooks until they come out but think it might be different at other libraries.

Also, would you like me to include one older title as a bonus group read?

Your feedback is always much appreciated. Thanks! :D

[Rachel]

I finished Now Is Not The Time To Panic. It was a liked it but didn’t love it book for me. I really enjoyed his last book Nothing To See Here.

I did really enjoy How Not To Drown In A Glass Of Water by Angie Cruz. Focuses on a very flawed but likable character. The audiobook is FANTASTIC.

Also really enjoyed Confessions by Kanae Minato . This is a crazy revenge story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would skip the synopsis because it gives a lot away. It’s about a teacher who’s very unhappy with a couple of her students. After her final lecture, their lives will never be the same. It’s one of those books you can’t over analyze-you just have to let yourself enjoy the ride. . I also listened to this on audio.

[Danell]

I read The Extraordinary life of Sam Hell, which works for H-A-N-D. Very good book!!

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I read The Extraordinary life of Sam Hell, which works for H-A-N-D. Very good book!!"


Thanks for the update, Danell!
I’ve never heard of this book. Just added it to my tbr. Thanks! :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Rachel wrote: "I finished Now Is Not The Time To Panic. It was a liked it but didn’t love it book for me. I really enjoyed his last book Nothing To See Here."

I read Now Is Not the Time to Panic last week. I'm happy to report enjoying it even more than Rachel and Danell :-) It was really short and old school with part of story set in 1996. One of the best books I've read in January for sure. I'm thinking of revisiting not only Nothing to See Here but also some earlier titles by the author since I enjoyed this new release so much.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Last week, I started reading The Measure by Nikki Erlick. This is a book that was nominated as best debut novel in the Goodreads Choice Awards but didn't win. Well, I don't think I'm a fan. I put the book aside to read some more interesting titles this weekend, but I'll finish it tomorrow and probably donate it to my neighborhood Little Free Library. The idea of the story is intriguing but the novel is very political, seems a little forced with the inclusions of so many literary references and too much relationship drama for my liking.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Currently Reading Remarkably Bright Creatures. This one is pretty good. Probably not a 5 star rating from me, but likely 4 stars.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Rachel wrote: "Hey everyone!

Will announcing next season’s group reads ahead of time help with the hold time? I can’t put a hold on my library’s ebooks until they come out but think it might be different at oth..."

This Winter was uncharacteristically difficult at my library since it closed for weeks due to meth contamination, closed for several holidays, and closed one day due to weather. Everything slowed down.

I can put a hold on titles pretty early at my library- as soon as the library has ordered the item. Usually new releases haven't been too much of a problem. It's always in the Winter when it becomes an issue. I remember when we featured Isabelle Wilkerson in 2021, I ended up buying her book because the wait list was too long at the library, but most of the time I can get the books in time for the reading challenges.

I have put a hold on the January new release that was featured this season: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. There's a good chance I'll be able to get the book from the library and read it before the end of February.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I finished Now Is Not The Time To Panic. It was a liked it but didn’t love it book for me. I really enjoyed his last book Nothing To See Here."

I read Now Is Not the Time to Panic ..."

I’m really glad you enjoyed it! :)
He definitely has a unique style of storytelling.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Currently Reading Remarkably Bright Creatures. This one is pretty good. Probably not a 5 star rating from me, but likely 4 stars.
"

Glad this is another win. :)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Yes. I bought 3 new books for the Winter Challenge and 2 out of the 3 are winners that I will be keeping for my personal library. Someone in my neighborhood will appreciate finding The Measure in the Little Free Library, so overall it's a win :-)

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Hey everyone!

Will announcing next season’s group reads ahead of time help with the hold time? I can’t put a hold on my library’s ebooks until they come out but think it might be d..."

I appreciate the feedback. Thanks! :D

I’m looking forward to reading Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Hope you enjoy it. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[Danell]

I finished Killers of a certain age, which works for a Goodreads loser. I thought it was a cute fun read

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I finished Killers of a certain age, which works for a Goodreads loser. I thought it was a cute fun read"

Thanks for the update, Danell! :D

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Danell wrote: "I finished Killers of a certain age, which works for a Goodreads loser. I thought it was a cute fun read"

I like the title. Haven't heard anything about that book.

[Danell]

I finished Take My Hand, which works for #2, all letters in order, lol. Great book!

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I finished Take My Hand, which works for #2, all letters in order, lol. Great book!"

Thanks for the update, Danell! :D
I really liked that book too.

[Danell]

I read Verity by Collene Hoover. Great book!! I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I read Verity by Collene Hoover. Great book!! I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it."

Thanks for the update, Danell! :)
I’ve gone back and forth about picking that book up. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Rachel]

Hey everyone!

I’m going to post the spring challenge soon. I have the group read picked out but am having difficulty deciding on a bonus group read. I’m not sure it’s even necessary but I like for everyone to have choices.

Some ideas for the bonus group read in mystery/thriller/crime genre:

I have some questions for you by Rebecca Makkai

Small mercies by Dennis Lehane

All that is mine I carry with me by William Landay

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Fire and Water by Rene Denfeld

Other genres:

Happy Place by Emily Henry

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

Maame by Jessica George


Please note that some of these books aren’t available until May.
Let me know which if any sound good to you. Thanks!

[Franzi]

Helloooo my bookish friends

I’m popping by to share my winter challenge results :) I’ll post them below

Ive not read as many books as i would have liked but considering how busy I was it’s ok really and I’m happy with my four challenge reads. Ive read several others - not challenge related. My highlight this winter is Caraval. What a fab fantasy novel! I will continue the series and read the second book of the trilogy in March.

Looking forward to the new prompts and spring soooo much! It’s been a particularly grey and yucky winter over here in Germany … not much snow and we’ve gone weeks without seeing the sun. So draining! So here’s to more daylight and sunshine and flowers and lounging outside soaking up the sun :)
Hope you’re all well and take care!
Franzi
———————

This winter, complete 3 (or more) of the following:

1. Colleen Hoover - Reminders of him
- I’m only a quarter in but will finish it by the end of the month. So far I’m not overly impressed. I prefer her Verity / Layla - style novels.


2. READ A BOOK WITH THE LETTERS H-A-N-D IN THE TITLE/SUBTITLE

Hideaway in Iceland by Victoria Walker


5. READ A BOOK IN WHICH ONE OF THE WORDS IN THE TITLE/SUBTITLE REFERS TO A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY (SON, DAUGHTER, ETC.

Secrets between sisters by Annie Lyons


6.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
I really really liked this book and already gifted it to my sisters forbore birthday three weeks ago. I’d never have found it without you! So thanks very much :)

[Franzi]

Rachel I loooove the sound of The Ferryman and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

They’re both completely different but sound amazing.

I got excited when I read „Emily Henry“ she wrote Beach Read, didn’t she? Sounds like a loooot of other books I’ve read and that seem to be published more and more and are pretty samey so that’s a „no“ from me ;-)

Love the variety of your suggestions, thank you!!

[Rachel]

Franzi wrote: "Helloooo my bookish friends

I’m popping by to share my winter challenge results :) I’ll post them below

Ive not read as many books as i would have liked but considering how busy I was it’s ok re..."

So wonderful to see you post, Franzi! Missed you! :)

Thanks for all the updates-glad you enjoyed Remarkably bright creatures. Hope your sister likes it too.

[Rachel]

Franzi wrote: "Rachel I loooove the sound of The Ferryman and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

They’re both completely different but sound amazing.

I got excited when I read „Em..."

Thank you for the feedback. I think those books sound really good too. :D

Emily Henry is the author of beach read.

[Danell]

We have such a lovely group! Thank you my bookish friends for being there. Every one of you makes the world better! Happy reading!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Bonus Group Read
My first choice would be All That is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay
My second choice would be The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

I'm interested in Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice and I Have Some Questions for You - I'm just not sure if I can get an old school audiobook on CD. I haven't advanced to digital yet.
All That is Mine and The Ferryman are both available on Audio CD

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "We have such a lovely group! Thank you my bookish friends for being there. Every one of you makes the world better! Happy reading!"

This is a great group. You’re a big part of that Danell! Thanks for being a friend. :)

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Bonus Group Read
My first choice would be All That is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay
My second choice would be The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

I'm interested in Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advi..."

Thanks for the feedback Dustin! :D
I’m really interested in the William Landay book because I loved Defending Jacob. I’ve never read Justin Cronin but The Ferryman sounds really interesting.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I haven't read Defending Jacob, but now I'm curious.
I tried Cronin over a decade ago and didn't connect, but The Ferryman sounds more interesting to me.

I'm still looking into those authors listed in task #1. I'll definitely be reading Becky Chambers :-) I guess I'm a science fiction fan now. Her books are all highly rated and I can get audiobooks for many of her works through the library.

[Rachel]

Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I haven't read Defending Jacob, but now I'm curious.
I tried Cronin over a decade ago and didn't connect, but The Ferryman sounds more interesting to me.

I'm still looking into those authors list..."

I look forward to hearing your thoughts if you decide to pick up defending jacob-I just thought it was really well done and memorable.
I haven’t read Becky Chambers but have heard good things. :D

[Danell]

I own Defending Jacob, never read it though

[Rachel]

I forgot to update that I finished How to sell a haunted house by Grady Hendrix (h-a-n-d) and Everyone in my family has killed someone by Benjamin Stevenson. Unfortunately I wasn’t a big fan of either.

I loved the premise of the Grady Hendrix book-unfortunately that’s the only thing I loved. I think it’s a bad sign when you find yourself rooting for the crazy puppet because the characters are so annoying lol. That said, many people love the book.

I had high hopes for the group read. It wasn’t terrible but I didn’t enjoy it. I just thought it took a very long time to get to where it was going.

[Christine]

With my usual mad dash at the end, I got the winter challenge done.

I really enjoyed How could you not love Marcellus and Tova. I agree with Rachel that is was predictable but still a feel good one.

My least favorite choice was the one I made from Rory Gilmore's reading list: Its been in my stacks for years. Now its not, lol. i should have read it at 18. It would have been more relevant then.

As for my bonus book choice, I'm choosing

Sorry I haven't been around much. I went to Antarctica for 2 weeks, a trip of a lifetime and then shortly after we got home, my dog died. She was 14 so it wasn't unexpected but......you know. The year has started with a real high and then a real low.

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "With my usual mad dash at the end, I got the winter challenge done.

I really enjoyed How could you not love Marcellus and Tova. I agree with Rachel ..."

Thanks for all the updates, Christine! :)
I had a feeling you were on vacation when I didn’t see you post for a while. What was Antarctica like? Glad you had a good time.

Sorry about your dog-even when they’re old it’s so hard to lose them. They’re like family. Hugs to you.

Thanks for your feedback about the bonus group read. :)