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2023 Independent Challenges
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Ioana's 2023 Independent Challenge
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Set in South Carolina, told from Bone's (who's 13) point of ..."
Yay!! So glad you liked this book. I read this many moons ago and always recommend it. :)
Alissa wrote: "This was on my work-in-progress 2024 Individual Challenge for my #1 in series. I believe it will stay on the list =)"Good! It'a a page turner, so you'll finish it in a few days. No big commitment, unless you realize it's only the beginning of yet another series 🤔
Alondra wrote: "I read this many moons ago and always recommend it."I think you put it on my TBR, many moons ago (according to GR in Oct 2015). Thank you!
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The Firemaker, my first Peter May book. I really enjoyed this police procedural one, set in China, with lots of references to the Chinese life and culture. Wi..."
Saga is indeed great, such a neat graphic novel series. I'm glad I read The Haunting of Hill House too, not terrifying but still interesting. Five Little Indians is indeed a book that should be read and discussed, not a topic that should be hidden. I've started watching a CBC series about residential schools as well. Like the book, not one to 'like', but one to watch.
Bill wrote: "Five Little Indians is indeed a book that should be read and discussed, not a topic that should be hidden. I've started watching a CBC series about residential schools as well. Like the book, not one to 'like', but one to watch."It's amazing how years later, we realize how many horrible things were done to other human beings or to the planet itself. And not by deranged individuals, but by the government and society, in the name of the greater good. Makes you wonder, 40-50 years from now, how will we feel about some of the things we do today?
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I think you put it on my TBR, many moons ago (according to GR in Oct 2015). Thank you!"
Really?? Then, double-YAY!! 😁🥳
Too bad that GR does not have anymore that feature to keep track of who recommended you a book...I know, it was all to "enhance" our experience when they were bought by Amazon...
The Story of a New Name is the 2nd book in the The Neapolitan Novels series, the story of a friendship between 2 girls through the years. The 1st book is the childhood years, this 2nd one is their highschool years. Their lives are different, one gets married at 15, one continues her education; and their friendship is tumultuous, with some amazing acts of love and support, but also jealousy and betrayal. I love the audiobook and the narrator Hillary Huber, the cadence she uses to tell the story. Can't wait to get to the next one in the series, there are 4 all together. 4 stars.
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Excellent point. I hope we can survive what we are doing to each other these days. I hope the younger generation takes over sooner rather than later.
Bill wrote: "I hope we can survive what we are doing to each other these days. I hope the younger generation takes over sooner rather than later."Fingers crossed, Bill! 🤞 🤞 🤞
Ioana wrote: "The Story of a New Name is the 2nd book in the The Neapolitan Novels series, the story of a friendship between 2 girls through the years. The 1st book is the childhood years, this 2..."I enjoyed The Story of a New Name a few months ago. I had read the first several years ago & though it took me awhile to get into it, I ended up enjoying it. I had not realized at the time that it was a series, so when I started hearing all the hype about it, decided to read it again. Glad I did. It was much better for me the second time. Hope you get to the third soon!
Patricia wrote: "Ioana wrote: "The Story of a New Name is the 2nd book in the The Neapolitan Novels series, the story of a friendship between 2 girls through the years. The 1st book is the childhood..."I think I'll aim for #3 in Nov and #4 in Dec. This way they are not really back-to-back, but close enough so I can still remember the details.
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I know, it was all to "enhance" our experience when they were bought by Amazon..."
I liked that feature; along with friend suggestions. Found a lot of cool readers that way.
"Enhance" Ugh; yep.
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...and clean up our mess? Like our parents did? Baby-Boomers really messed the following generations up. You used to be able to work through school; work hard and gain something. Now? It's a whole dumpster fire. They may just run screaming and pulling out their hair. 🤔😩😩🤦🏾
Alondra wrote: "I liked that feature; along with friend suggestions. Found a lot of cool readers that way."Me too.
Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them was fun and interesting, and I loved it. Form the black plague to typhus to leprosy, from polio to AIDS, and everything in between, this books covers all the plagues that we know of, and some unknown ones too. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
Hello Beautiful Some of my book club readers enjoyed this more, but for me, meh. Predictable, with no likeable characters, and a nicely bow wrapped ending earned it a 2.5 stars. Maybe 3.
Hidden Pictures I know I'm in minority, don't yell at me, but if this was the 2022 GCA winner for best horror, how bad were the non-winners? I lost interest around the mid-point, but was curious enough to see how it would end. I don't know which ending would've been a good one, but the one Jason Rekulak picked was not. Really??? I'll go and hide now. 2 stars.
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I looked at the choices for that year. I don't remember any of these and NONE are on my TBR. They seemed to be following the mediocre model in horror for that year. 😬😬🤷🏽♀️
Alondra wrote: "I looked at the choices for that year. I don't remember any of these and NONE are on my TBR. They seemed to be following the mediocre model in horror for that year. 😬😬🤷🏽♀️"I have a few others on my TBR, but now...I don't know...
I know I am in minority, and if you liked Lessons in Chemistry stop reading now, this will not be pretty, but it's only my opinion.It was my book club's choice, and I knew it was not going to be a favorite, but I expected to at least like it. Sorry, I did not. I wanted to like it, because....female scientist in the 60s, of course it sounds interesting. We need books like this. But this was not a fantasy book, and still there was nothing believable in it.
Elizabeth, the MC - nobody, scientist or not, speaks like this. Even scientists refer to water as water, not H2O, to salt as salt, not sodium chloride, vinegar as vinegar, not CH3COOH, and so on. They use stoves at home, not Bunsen burners, they child-proof their homes instead of letting their child discover what's harmful on their own, etc.
I can accept the unbelievable relation with Calvin Evans (love happens), but the cooking show? Given to complete nodoby? Just like that? The way she talks with her boss's boss and goes off-script every single show and doesn't get fired on the spot? In the 60s? Canned soups and TV dinners were at their best, not "poison". There are so many current topics and ideas that did not exist then (or if they existed were not expressed), but are sprinkled throughout the book as real, I don't even know where to start. Ohhh, on the rowing part, and her advanced knowledge of animal biology...should I go on?
Mad, the daughter - if she was 15 or 16, I would accept the way she talks as obnoxious sometimes, but believable. But she's 4!!! Yes, good genes and careful upbringing, but which 4 year old reads Nabokov, discusses religion (like an adult) with a reverend, questions the "child-size" truth she is told and asks "what **really** happened? Researches her family tree at the library, has philosophical discussions with adults, etc. At some point I thought I missed something and the story moved 30 years in the future. Nope...still in kindergarten.
The dog - why couldn't he stay just a dog, that does not have a point of view and doesn't think like a human? In human sentences? I'm still confused, did the dog read Proust? How did he know to leave that specific book on the nightstand?
There is a lot more that I don't agree with: I know times were tough for women, but all men are painted with the same brush. Maybe it's true, but 1-dimensional characters that are either all good or all bad don't make for good books.
I am not a religious person, but I accept that a lot of people are, and that does not make them bad or ignorant. Belief is a lot more than science, and needs to be accepted as such. Especially in a book that tries to do the same with other controversial concepts (at least, controversial in the 60s).
In the end, a 2 stars book for me, because I save my 1 star ratings for books I DNF. Sorry, fans of the book. For me, it had great potential, but the execution was horrendous.
We may be in the minority, but I totally agree with you about this book! Thank you for taking the time to write this. To be fair, I didn't even finish the book. About the third time that she went on about what idiots Christians are & how they don't believe in science (or faith-based people, whatever she called them), I was done. I am a Christian & certainly read other books that may be offensive in some ways, so it wasn't just that. I found the main character extremely obnoxious & unlikable, so that was just the last straw. I'm still amazed that B&N picked it as their book of the year. Anyway, good for you for being able to finish and write a coherent review.
Everything you disliked about Lessons in Chemistry, I also disliked. I did end up giving the book 3 stars, maybe in an effort to overcompensate since I felt the book had been over hyped and I expected better. When I'm disappointed, I tend to rate books lower. I agree with your review, and I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the book as much as you hoped either. It did have such great potential, but the execution was not good.
Lea wrote: "Everything you disliked about Lessons in Chemistry, I also disliked. I did end up giving the book 3 stars, maybe in an effort to overcompensate since I felt the book had been over h..."My book club will meet next week, and everybody but one, that I know of, liked the book. Some mentioned it as "one of the best books" she's ever read. It will make for an interesting discussion...
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It was my book club's choice, and I knew it was n..."
This is why I was waffling. I always pay attention to the 2 or 3 star reviews, because they tend to be honest. They all said the same.
If I am going to read contemporary or "chick-lit"; then I want to enjoy it and not be ticked off or irritated with characters. Unless it is meant to be like that. Like, The Dinner. I hated everybody. LOL
I am one of the people who 5-starred Lessons in Chemistry but I LOVED reading your review and your thoughts!!! I love how different all of our opinions are!
Alissa wrote: "I am one of the people who 5-starred Lessons in Chemistry but I LOVED reading your review and your thoughts!!! I love how different all of our opinions are!"I know, I was SO afraid you'd yell at me...
Phew!
Ioana wrote: "I know I am in minority, and if you liked Lessons in Chemistry stop reading now, this will not be pretty, but it's only my opinion.It was my book club's choice, and I knew it was n..."
I also was not as enamored of this book as the majority of reviewers were. It was okay for me, but I suppose I wanted more given the hype. I am also not watching the series.
Lessons in Chemistry was a 5 star read for me as well but I have not only found all the comments here interesting, I find that I agree with most of them. I could even add a few. For me it was more about the concept than how realistic the story was. I like how so many people can read the same book and take away different parts of it.
I find it amazing and wonderful that we can all think differently about the same book, but not deny each other's point of view. I did not like it, but you did, and I am truly happy that you did.
My brain needs to know the difference between fiction and non-fiction, and maybe that's why the latter is a very high percentage of what I read. This one did not fit in any category, and not by design, so it did not work for me.
Left vs right brain? Who knows...
I think part of my disappointment in this book came from thinking it sounded just like a book I would like, and then I didn't. Most readers loved the main character & I didn't. This is why reading others' reviews is helpful but can't make the final decision for you. This was not a book my book club read but we did end up discussing it one day. I think everyone who had read it liked it (but me). I'm sure your book club will have an interesting discussion next week, Ioana! Which is what makes book clubs fun! No ever reads a book the same way.
I agree with everything you said. I usually read overly hyped books after the dust settles, to keep my expectations down, but sometimes it doesn't happen that way.And I ddi not like the main character either :(
I really enjoyed On the Beach, thank you Bill for introducing me to N.Shute. The end of the world is near, and still people are decent, love each other, care for and respect each other. It should be a very depressing read, and still is not. The characters' humanity shines and while sad, I was invested in their lives and the way each of them lived, what they knew would be their last days. Written in 1957, this aged extremely well. 4 stars
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. The story of Elena and Lila's friendship continues, and now they are in their mid 20s. Their lives and their relationship are complicated, and I can't wait to get to the 4th (and last) book in this series. Can't wait to see how this will end...
Son of Rosemary: The Sequel to Rosemary's Baby. What a waste of time...other than the fact the 1st book was good, this one has nothing going for it. And the ending....really??? It's short, but not worth it.
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I agree, Ioana. It was very tame considering; but I really think that had everything to do with location. The good ole USA would not be so somber and reconciled; but that is just my opinion. It was a good book.
Alondra wrote: "It was very tame considering; but I really think that had everything to do with location. The good ole USA would not be so somber and reconciled; but that is just my opinion. It was a good book."Now thinking about it, you're right. They have no guns in Australia. Compare this with the books in this series, dealing with pretty much the same scenario: One Second After
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I have Son of Rosemary on my bookshelf. I liked Rosemary's Baby as well. That's too bad about the sequel. I've found that Ira Levin can be hit or miss.
Thank you for the Alas, Babylon recommendation. No, I haven't read it (yet), but now I plan to.Son of Rosemary is maybe ok, but the ending is a terrible disappointment. I did not have high expectations, but even so, it was a big let down.
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I bought it last year. I need to pick it up. Its either on Kindle or the 2nd one I have on kindle. I will be reading it
Alondra wrote: "I bought it last year. I need to pick it up. Its either on Kindle or the 2nd one I have on kindle. I will be reading it"I think you'd like it, some people are monsters.
Bill wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed, if you can call it that, On the Beach. For an end of the world saga, it does indeed kind of leave you with positive thoughts. Strange, eh? Have you ever tried [book:Alas, Baby..."I second Bill on the Alas Babylon recommendation. I read it growing up too and loved it. Beware though, I credit that book with my love of Apocalypse Lit.
Michelle wrote: "I second Bill on the Alas Babylon recommendation. I read it growing up too and loved it. Beware though, I credit that book with my love of Apocalypse Lit."LOL, Apocalypse Lit is one of my loves too. Next to all/any other dark fictional topics and any non-fictional ones, which are not too happy to start with. No pretty unicorns on my shelves... but no vampires either.
The Armour of Light is the newest (and the last, for now) in the Kingsbridge series. There was no need for another book, and this could very well be a stand alone. It follows the same formula as many other Follett books (lots of characters, some smart and ahead of their time, some villains, in the end good and progress prevail), and while it was not a bad book, I think time can be better spent. It's over 1000 pages, over 21 hrs audio...if there ever is another one I don't think I will bother. 3 stars.
I'm glad I abandoned the Kingsbridge series; thanks for reading this one and confirming that for me, Ioana.
Fledgling. I loved Kindred and Parable of the Sower, and I wanted to love this one too. I did not, it was just ok. Vampires are not my thing, but these were different, and I was intrigued. There are some interesting themes, racism and free will, love, justice, ethic behavior, slavery, but a lot of uncomfortable/wrong scenes (view spoiler). Too many unhealthy relationships, that are/feel predatory. No. 2 stars.
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Those are common themes for her books, but sometimes it can be overwhelming. Part of me wants to try Kindred; but the themes are just too much.
Alondra wrote: "Those are common themes for her books, but sometimes it can be overwhelming. Part of me wants to try Kindred; but the themes are just too much."Kindred was very good, I hope you'll get to it someday. This one...pedophilia and polygamy as ok/acceptable/normal behavior for humans, no.
Forsaken Country is the 6th and the last book in the Detective Max Rupert series. It is a solid series, and while it should be read in order, each book can be a stand-alone. A fast read and a very good story, highly recommended. 4 stars.
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This was on my work-in-progress 2024 Individual Challenge for my #1 in series. I believe it will stay on the list =)