Lea's 2023 Filling in the Gaps Independent Challenge

[Patricia]

Great month! I also have Babel on my shelf to read (hopefully, soon!). And I have started Beaches. I should get into it this week. That's the plan anyway. :)

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "Another successful month. Glad you're sticking with Sookie. I probably should have. Good luck with the rest of the month."

Thanks, Bill. Sookie is a nice change from some of the other longer books that I'm reading. Once I finish these, maybe I'll get caught up with Stephanie Plum. I find the genre similar, but I think I like Stephanie Plum a bit better.

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "Nice update, can't wait to hear your thoughts on Babel: An Arcane History"

I'm 55% of the way in, it's another long book. So far, there are things I like very much and things that aren't working as well for me. It's a very interesting book, not really conforming to a single genre. I'm glad I picked it up.

[Ioana]

I think I should read a dictionary, I did not expect to be so interested in the paragraphs/chapters dealing with words history and connections between languages.

[Lea]

Lillie wrote: "Great month so far. You're really inspiring me to start tracking my series books. I always forget them until I see someone talking about one I'm in the middle of.

I'm also curious about how much you end up liking Babel. I've read the author's Poppy Wars series and loved the first book and each subsequent book less and less. I'm hoping Babel is as good as Poppy Wars."

Tracking series is a lot of work, and may take some of the fun out of it. But, I'm glad I do it. I have so many open series, couldn't figure out how that was happening until I started tracking them. At first, I tried to tell myself I wouldn't start any new series until I finished a series. That didn't work for me at all, I just kept getting rebellious. So, three or four years ago, I made a new plan that any new series I start requires me to read the next book within three months and keep going until I've caught up with the series. That allows me to start some new series, but as many as I used to start and not leave them dangling like I used to. I also try to keep up with the series I like as they add books, since that is only one or two books I have to read to keep up. This new plan is sort of working. On 7/28/2020, I had 64 series that needed completion. Today, I have 65 series that need completion, so at least it hasn't gotten too much worse. It's a win for me.

I haven't read the Poppy Wars yet. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I have to say, after reading Babel (a non series, which made me happy...but probably the author will write a sequel someday even though she says she won't right now) I am considering the series.

[Lea]

Patricia wrote: "Great month! I also have Babel on my shelf to read (hopefully, soon!). And I have started Beaches. I should get into it this week. That's the plan anyway. :)"

I hope you can get to both Babel and Beaches. They are completely opposite, but I'm enjoying both! Beaches is such a simple plot, Babel is much more complicated, set in a alternate reality. I really love the characterization in Beaches - you have people that are real - imperfect and flawed. The characters in Babel feel very one-dimensional to me, they are either absolutely evil, or they are good, having surprisingly modern beliefs. I just don't know how to describe it, but I'm glad I read both this month. What one had, the other lacked...and yet they are both interesting.

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "I think I should read a dictionary, I did not expect to be so interested in the paragraphs/chapters dealing with words history and connections between languages."

I think you may want to consider taking a linguistics course - I honestly felt like some of the class lectures and assignments were very similar to the introduction class I took. I feel like this book is half lecture, but such an interesting world. :-)

[Bill, Moderator]

Lea wrote: "Bill wrote: "Another successful month. Glad you're sticking with Sookie. I probably should have. Good luck with the rest of the month."

Thanks, Bill. Sookie is a nice change from some of the other..."

I like the humor of Stephanie Plum and she's a bit sexy.. :0)

[Ioana]

Lea wrote: "I think you may want to consider taking a linguistics course - I honestly felt like some of the class lectures and assignments were very similar to the introduction class I took. I feel like this book is half lecture, but such an interesting world. :-)"

I did not expect to like this book. Fantasy/alternate reality (not my kind of book), fairly flat characters with way too modern ideas for the 1800s, and still...all those did not bother me. And I loved the lecture parts.

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "I like the humor of Stephanie Plum and she's a bit sexy.. :0)"

Yes, some of things that happen are so outrageous, but I have to forgive it, because it is also hilarious. It usually annoys me when a MC can't pick a love interest, but in this case, it works for me. Maybe she is waiting for you, Bill. :-) :-) :-)

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "I did not expect to like this book. Fantasy/alternate reality (not my kind of book), fairly flat characters with way too modern ideas for the 1800s, and still...all those did not bother me. And I loved the lecture parts."

I think linguistics is so interesting. I think you might enjoy The Dictionary of Lost Words too. At least the first 1/3 and the epilogue.

It's so great that you liked the book so much despite it not being your kind of book. I'm feeling the same way. I usually like books that are more subtle (I could barely read Rand), but I can't seem to put this down. I'm 89% of the way in, and I regret that I have to work today. :-)

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Lea wrote: "Beaches - I loved this book. There was a movie from 1988 starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey based on this book, and it is hard for me to say which is better. I do love a good story of friendship between t..."

I think the book was better; but it was a close call. I read it so long ago, that I haven't counted it in my books read. I remember loving it, though. Both book and movie had me bawling, sooooo.... it could go either way. Glad you loved it.

[Lea]

Alondra wrote: "I think the book was better; but it was a close call. I read it so long ago, that I haven't counted it in my books read. I remember loving it, though. Both book and movie had me bawling, sooooo.... it could go either way. Glad you loved it."

It is a close call, I loved both the movie and the book, and bawled through both. I love the story. My bestie and I are so completely different people cannot imagine how we are friends. Needless to say, we see a lot of ourselves in this movie/book. :-) I just love the concept that people who are so different can complement each other and not have to be the same.

[Bill, Moderator]

Lea wrote: "Bill wrote: "I like the humor of Stephanie Plum and she's a bit sexy.. :0)"

Yes, some of things that happen are so outrageous, but I have to forgive it, because it is also hilarious. It usually an..."

Unfortunately, I couldn't hold a candle to Joe Morelli or Ranger.. ;)

[Lea]

July Month End Report

Books Read: 11 books this month and 80 so far this year. 28,485 pages.

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 56/100; 2020 Books 0/1, 2022 Books 6/11, 2023 Books 50/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 14/16

Previously Discussed in my Mid-Month Update:

The Castaways
The Land Beyond the Sea
From Dead to Worse
A Touch of Dead
Beaches

Recently finished:

Babel: An Arcane History - This book is an alternate version of Oxford in 1800s. In this world, silver working has made the British empire powerful, and the application of language translation allows the silver to have its power harnessed. A boy is born in Canton and brought to London to study languages by an Oxford language professor in preparation to attend Oxford and assist with the silver work. I thought this book was good, and it could have been great. However, I had some of the same weariness that I get from reading Ayn Rand, although this book comes from a quite opposite viewpoint. Nonetheless, I find it exhausting to have an author that assumes readers cannot understand nuance and that overexplains everything multiple times. Still, it is a book I would recommend. 3 stars

The House of Fortune - I read the first book in this series, The Miniaturist in 2015, so it had been a long time. (This is one of those sequels where the second book comes out much later than the first - the sequel was published in 2022, versus the first book published in 2014.) I had forgotten most of what happened in the first book, but after I read a summary of what happened in the first book before reading the second book, and I did not feel like I needed to re-read the first book. In my opinion, the first novel was more atmospheric and there was more of a mystery whereas this book was much more straight forward. This book was extremely well written, and the ending was satisfactory, but the journey to get there had some slow points. Again, a book that was good, but could have been great. 3 stars

Divine Justice - This is the fourth installment in The Camel Club series, and dare I say it? This one might have been the best one, it was definitely the best sequel so far for me. (The first book was pretty good too.) I was a bit disappointed with the second and third books in the series, I preferred the plot of this book. Unfortunately, explaining the plot of this book spoils everyone who hasn't read the first books in the series, but those who enjoy suspense novels and legal thrillers may like Baldacci. 3 stars

Winesburg, Ohio - This is a collection of short stories about a small midwestern town. Some of the stories are better than others; I thought some of the stories were amazing and others I did not "get." So, 3 stars

Normal People - OK, I liked this book better than I thought I would, and there are a group of people that would really love this novel. It is an extremely well written story about two complicated people who meet in adolescence, and it follows their relationship through the years. Rooney always makes me feel. She writes about the intricate emotions of characters and the power dynamics in their relationships. Why only 2 stars when I have that much praise for this novel? It's not the fact that I hate every single character in this book. I can usually get past that. However, I read books for entertainment, yet I found myself continuously anxious for the characters in this novel. Mild spoiler: the end of the book (view spoiler)[really has no resolution for the characters, in my opinion and to me, it is like watching a friend destroy their life...I don't want to read about so much misery and suffering without any hope. (hide spoiler)] The characters are real, well written and make me feel. But the book wasn't enjoyable to me. I did enjoy it much more than Beautiful World, Where Are You, but I think Sally Rooney and I just need to part ways. I only read this because my book club did; hopefully, they won't select any more Rooney books, or I might have to miss that meeting. :-) 2 stars

The Wind in the Willows - My previous exposure to this book was riding Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland. I knew there was a book about it, so I finally decided to read it. It is a fun children's book about Mole, Ratty and Badger and their desire to help their friend, Mr. Toad, who becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets himself into all sorts of trouble. It really feels like a collection of short stories, and some are more to my taste than others. I'm glad I read it, the stories were fun, but I do prefer the Narnia books to this one. 3 stars

Currently reading:

Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases - It's weird to be reading a book about somebody who a friend of my friend knows. I heard lots of stories about Holes, so I'm looking forward to reading his book and his side of things. This book is an autobiography of a former cold case investigator for a Sheriff's office in East Bay (bay area east of San Francisco).

PACIFIC Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming of the World's Superpowers. - There are things that make me proud to be an American, and there are things that make me ashamed to be an American. This book is one of the latter. It's important, and I'm reading things that I never paid too much attention to before. Winchester is a good writer, having such a strong journalist instinct. He makes me think.

Hell's Corner is the fifth book in the Camel Club series. I'm about 100 pages in and this one is pretty good too. I'm already sad that I will have finished this series soon. Fortunately, there are plenty more Baldacci novels I haven't read, so I don't think I'll run out any time soon.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Crescent City (1)
2. Heartstopper (1)
3. It Ends with Us (1)
4. Beartown (1)
5. The Space Between Worlds (1) :-)
6. Wanderers (1)
7. The Roots of Chaos (1)
8. Jake Brigance (1)
9. The Inheritance Games (3)
10. The Miniaturist (1)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. The Camel Club (2)
2. Nantucket (1)

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
1. Sookie Stackhouse (5)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Alex Stern (1)
2. Xanth (41)
3. Zoe Washington (1)
4. The Princess Diaries (1)
5. The Jaipur Trilogy (1)
6. You (2)
7. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
8. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
9. Fractalverse (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series: (so you can see how I really made no progress!)
1. Comoran Strike (4)
2. Stephanie Plum (8)

Abandoned series:
1. Blade Runner
2. The Housemaid

Book of the Month: The Land Beyond the Sea
Least Favorite Book: Normal People - it wasn't bad, it just isn't my cup of tea
Biggest Surprise: Beaches by Iris Rainer Dart OK, so this book has been on my TBR forever, but I heard bad things about it from someone I trust, so the book languished on my shelves, with me too nervous to pick it up. I kept thinking "What happens if it ruins the movie for me?" When Alissa suggested reading it for our buddy read, I agreed...I needed to read it some time. I see why that person didn't enjoy the book, but I really did. It surprised me how much I loved the writing and I now want to read the sequel. :-)
Greatest Accomplishment: Finishing Winesburg, Ohio, a book that has been sitting on my GR shelves for over 13 years and on my actual shelves for longer. I feel so accomplished when I finish and enjoy a book that I have passed over many times.

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "Unfortunately, I couldn't hold a candle to Joe Morelli or Ranger.. ;)"

Well, I think a woman with so much indecision in her life clearly needs a third option. :-) :-) :-)

[Bill, Moderator]

I should try the Camel Club. I've enjoyed the first King and Maxwell books by Baldacci. The Wind in the Willows is a fun story, totally agree. One of those classics that should be read.

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "I should try the Camel Club. I've enjoyed the first King and Maxwell books by Baldacci. The Wind in the Willows is a fun story, totally agree. One of those classics that should be read."

I might have enjoyed King and Maxwell better than The Camel Club. I do have the Will Robie series on my TBR, I will start that series next; hopefully, before the end of the year.

Yes, I loved The Wind in the Willows and am so glad I read it. Children's books are a good genre for me, I like to have easy reading before I fall asleep at night.

[Lillie]

Was reading your review of Normal People and I started thinking that you were going to rate it 4 stars. Not going to lie, was relieved that you ended up giving it a much lower rating. I know I’m in the minority in absolutely loathing the book and I refuse to read any of her other books. And I know I shouldn’t worry about how others rate books but I value your reviews (as I do others in this group) that when I see we rate things so differently, I start questioning myself 😂

[Lea]

Lillie wrote: "Was reading your review of Normal People and I started thinking that you were going to rate it 4 stars. Not going to lie, was relieved that you ended up giving it a much lower rating. I know I’m in the minority in absolutely loathing the book and I refuse to read any of her other books. And I know I shouldn’t worry about how others rate books but I value your reviews (as I do others in this group) that when I see we rate things so differently, I start questioning myself 😂"

I know what you mean, sometimes I really feel like I read books wrong when everybody loves them and I cannot. Maybe it "helped" that I went into the book knowing that it probably wouldn't be for me. I loathed her newer book Beautiful World, Where Are You! It was my least favorite book I read in 2022, (and I also read Midnight Sun, so it isn't as though there was no competition for that award...). I only read this one because my book club was reading it and it had won so many awards and some of my friends love this book and the mini series and blah blah blah, and basically, I was so relieved it wasn't as bad as Beautiful World. That said, I just don't like to read books that have no point to them. It makes me sad that there are people that live like this, but I don't learn anything or find it enjoyable or entertaining to read about them.

[Lea]

August Mid Month Report

Books Read: 5 books so far this month and 85 so far this year. 30,490 pages.

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 58/100; 2020 Books 0/1, 2022 Books 6/11, 2023 Books 52/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 14/16

Recently finished:

Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases - This book is about a former cold case investigator for a Sheriff's office in East Bay (bay area east of San Francisco) and his obsession with solving cold cases. I could not put this book down. 4 stars

The Bodyguard - This is a romance by Katherine Center and it was cute. It was about a famous movie star visiting his family because his mother has cancer. His agent has hired a security company, and the person in charge has just stopped dating a co-worker. I liked it. 3 stars

Hell's Corner - This is the fifth book in the Camel Club series. I can't explain the plot without spoiling previous books in the series. I think this one was the best in the series, so far. I only have one novella left. 4 stars

Beautiful Day - I have a love/hate relationship with Elin Hilderbrand and her books, and this one I enjoyed. It's about a family wedding and it has all of the drama you could hope for. I disliked all of the characters, but it was very entertaining. 3 stars

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide - The last chapters of this book were very good. It is basically a memoir about the podcasters of a true crime podcast. Unfortunately, I wasn't that interested in every chapter. It was a very uneven ride for me, but it wasn't terrible. It was OK. 2 stars

Currently reading:

PACIFIC Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming of the World's Superpowers. - Still going, and I am still enjoying.

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed - This is a monster of a book, but it is very good. I'm 92% into this book, so I might be able to finish tomorrow. It's dated, but still very relevant.

The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific - I just started this one.

The Christian Family - I tried to start this book, and set it aside. It's one of the books I was gifted in 2010 and I haven't read it yet. We'll see. It might get abandoned if it still doesn't grip me.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Crescent City (1)
2. Heartstopper (1)
3. It Ends with Us (1)
4. Beartown (1)
5. The Space Between Worlds (1) :-)
6. Wanderers (1)
7. The Roots of Chaos (1)
8. Jake Brigance (1)
9. The Inheritance Games (3)
10. The Miniaturist (1)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. The Camel Club (1)
2. Nantucket (1)

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
1. Sookie Stackhouse (5)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Alex Stern (1)
2. Xanth (41)
3. Zoe Washington (1)
4. The Jaipur Trilogy (1)
5. The Princess Diaries (1)
6. You (2)
7. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
8. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
9. Fractalverse (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series: (so you can see how I really made no progress!)
1. Comoran Strike (4)
2. Stephanie Plum (8)

Abandoned series:
1. Blade Runner
2. The Housemaid

[Michelle]

You make the comment about your series reads that you have really made no progress, but you have found series and characters that you love, and you visit them occasionally that's all the progress you need. No worries! Besides the only way you could truly complete a series is for the author to stop writing it. If you love the series, you definitely don't want that. So glass half full - it's just that you always have something good to read.

[Bill, Moderator]

Quite a mix in your half month update. I think I've read a book by Theroux once upon a time but when I looked through his list, I'm not sure now.. .Maybe The Mosquito Coast (it doesn't sound too familiar though). lol... Anyway, enjoy the rest of August, Lea.

[Ioana]

Your 1st "recently finished" and 1st "currently reading" are both on my TBR.
It's only that I had it under Pacific: The Ocean of the Future and it took me a while to figure out it's the same book. I'll get to them someday.
As for the series...good luck, I feel your pain. I was not looking for another tome, but Mr. Follett just decided to add another one The Armor of Light to a series I thought was complete. I read the book #3 in 2017, and it was the weakest in the series....was this new one really necessary??
Do you plan to read it?

[Lea]

Michelle wrote: "You make the comment about your series reads that you have really made no progress, but you have found series and characters that you love, and you visit them occasionally that's all the progress you need. No worries! Besides the only way you could truly complete a series is for the author to stop writing it. If you love the series, you definitely don't want that. So glass half full - it's just that you always have something good to read."

Yes, you make an excellent point. I have been working hard to complete some of my series, or get closer to completion, because I have way too many series on the go and am forgetting some of the characters and what happened and I don't like to re-read a lot of books. However, you're absolutely right, it always feels bittersweet to get caught up on a series though, for the reasons you mentioned. I currently have 95 series to pick from - they still have books I haven't read. So, I definitely don't and won't ever get to 0, but it would be nice to have a bit less. :-)

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "Quite a mix in your half month update. I think I've read a book by Theroux once upon a time but when I looked through his list, I'm not sure now.. .Maybe The Mosquito Coast (it doesn't sound too familiar though). lol... Anyway, enjoy the rest of August, Lea."

You know how I always say I haven't watched any movies (or TV shows). Well, I have seen movie based off of The Mosquito Coast that Harrison Ford was in. But not the current TV series. And I haven't read the book either. Maybe I should read the book. I definitely need a book set in Honduras for the Around the World Challenge. Somebody recommended Pacific to me, and I know it will work for my Around the World Challenge, I'm just going to have to figure out where in the Pacific it makes sense to have it count. Anyway, hope you enjoy the rest of August too, Bill!

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "Your 1st "recently finished" and 1st "currently reading" are both on my TBR.
It's only that I had it under Pacific: The Ocean of the Future and it took me a while to figure out it's the same book. I'll get to them someday.
As for the series...good luck, I feel your pain. I was not looking for another tome, but Mr. Follett just decided to add another one The Armor of Light to a series I thought was complete. I read the book #3 in 2017, and it was the weakest in the series....was this new one really necessary??
Do you plan to read it?"

You know, I feel like GR needs a few more librarians, because there are many books where I think the titles should be consolidated. I keep finding multiple books nowadays.

I abandoned the Kingsbridge Series after the second book. I was super into The Pillars of the Earth, I gave it 4 stars and enthusiastically recommended it to everyone. But, I think the reason I loved the book was construction of the cathedral. I didn't care about the characters, I felt like they weren't well fleshed out. So, when the sequel came out, World Without End, I might have had sky high expectations, and I just wasn't interested in the bridge the same way I was interested in the cathedral. So, that book got one star from me, and I abandoned the series. I wonder if I just expected too much out of the book. I did read the Century Trilogy, but nothing has measured up to The Pillars of the Earth, for me. You have my permission to skip the book, Ioana, if you didn't enjoy the last one. Or at least wait until others read the book. 928 pages is a big investment for something you aren't sure that you might like! :-)

[Ioana]

From the book blurb: "The long-awaited sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armor of Light, heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond."

Long awaited??? By whom??? Who writes this stuff?

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "From the book blurb: "The long-awaited sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armor of Light, heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond."

Long awaited??? By whom??? Who writes this stuff?"

LOL, maybe long awaited by the publishers? :-)

[Patricia]

I read The Pillars of the Earth years ago & really loved it but haven't tried the sequel. I think because I keep seeing lukewarm reviews like yours. lol I read Fall of Giants a couple of years ago & it just seemed to take forever to read it, so I've pretty much put Follett aside. Always disappointing when you liked one author's books but not any others. His books are too long to only be "ok".
I enjoyed The Bodyguard on audio. One of those books I probably enjoyed it more in that format than in print. Though I did really enjoy reading Happiness for Beginners, so will be looking for more of her books to read.
Enjoy the rest of your August! You've read so many long ones this year!

[Lea]

Patricia wrote: "I read The Pillars of the Earth years ago & really loved it but haven't tried the sequel. I think because I keep seeing lukewarm reviews like yours. lol I read Fall of Giants a couple of years ago & it just seemed to take forever to read it, so I've pretty much put Follett aside. Always disappointing when you liked one author's books but not any others. His books are too long to only be "ok".
I enjoyed The Bodyguard on audio. One of those books I probably enjoyed it more in that format than in print. Though I did really enjoy reading Happiness for Beginners, so will be looking for more of her books to read.
Enjoy the rest of your August! You've read so many long ones this year!"

I haven't read Happiness for Beginners yet, but I did enjoy Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center even more than I enjoyed The Bodyguard.

I agree about Follett. It is so disappointing when we think we've found a favorite author, only to discover that we loved one book and the others aren't as good. And you're absolutely right - his books are really too long to read - too much of an investment - unless there is a big payoff in the end.

I am intentionally trying to read some longer books this year and it feels nice to make some progress on those books, since I usually set them aside for books that aren't going to take as long.

Hope you enjoy the rest of August too. Looking forward to seeing your reviews!

[Lea]

August Month End Report

Books Read: 12 books this month and 92 so far this year. 33,379 pages.

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 63/100; 2020 Books 0/1, 2022 Books 7/11, 2023 Books 56/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 14/16

Previously discussed:

Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases
The Bodyguard
Hell's Corner
Beautiful Day
Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide

Recently finished:
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed - This is a nonfiction book that is allegedly a sequel to one of my favorite books, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, which is an argument as to why western societies were able to dominate the world. If you haven't read it, I recommend it when you are in a thinking mood. It really made me think. This book tackles the questions "What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates?" and I also learned a lot from reading it. As with his other book, I find that I don't always agree with author Jared Diamond, but he does encourage me to think about what I do believe. This wasn't quite as good as the first book for me, but still quite worth the read. I can't believe it took me so long to get to it. 4 stars

The Perfect Couple - The ending to the Nantucket trilogy by author Elin Hilderbrand. All books can be read standalone, they are really quite loosely interrelated. This story is also about a wedding on Nantucket, but in this case, right before the wedding, a body is found. As the police investigates, many secrets are uncovered. All of the people in this book are terrible, but the mystery was entertaining. 3 stars

Hidden Pictures - This won the GRC Best Horror Award, but I thought this was more of a Mystery/Thriller. It's about a babysitter who becomes increasingly alarmed when the child she is caring for starts to draw more and more advanced drawings that no longer look like a child is drawing them. I really liked this one. 4 stars

Dead and Gone - This is the 9th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and it won a GRC Award in 2009. I'm slowly making my way through all the GRC Awards. This one is about what happens after the werewolf community decides to come out of hiding and let the world know that they exist. 3 stars

Gallant - This was the GRC Award winner in 2022 for YA Fiction and Fantasy. I actually liked the book, but it is super slow. It's about an annoying orphan who is mute and grows up at a school where they treat her badly. Her treasured possessions are her mother's journals...and then she hears from a family member inviting her to come home. It reminds me a little bit of the Serafina and the Black Cloak series. It also might be a little forgettable. 2.5 stars

The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific - This is a travel book by Paul Theroux and it is very opinionated. But also very interesting. It was my first book by the author but it will not be my last. I really liked it, but I hope I never ever meet this author in person, because I'd hate to read his impression of me in a book sometime. 4 stars.

The Measure - This book is about all adults receiving a box which has a string inside. The string inside represents the length of their life. What do you do if you know how long you will live? The premise of this book is great, but the execution was clunky for me. I wasn't very invested in the book. I was hoping for something that never happened - mild spoiler. (view spoiler)[I was hoping that we'd find out how and why the strings were sent. (hide spoiler)] 2.5 stars

Currently reading:

PACIFIC Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming of the World's Superpowers. - Still going, and I am still enjoying.

The Christian Family - I'm still not sure about this one, although I'm making slow progress.

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman - Don't do the audiobook on this one, the writing does not lend itself to being read by a narrator.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Crescent City (1)
2. Heartstopper (1)
3. It Ends with Us (1)
4. Beartown (1)
5. The Space Between Worlds (1) :-)
6. Wanderers (1)
7. The Roots of Chaos (1)
8. Jake Brigance (1)
9. The Miniaturist (1)
10. Nantucket (3)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. The Camel Club (1)
2. The Inheritance Games (1)

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
1. Sookie Stackhouse (4)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Alex Stern (1)
2. Xanth (41)
3. Zoe Washington (1)
4. The Jaipur Trilogy (1)
5. The Princess Diaries (1)
6. You (2)
7. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
8. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
9. Fractalverse (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Comoran Strike (4)
2. Stephanie Plum (8)

Abandoned series:
1. Blade Runner
2. The Housemaid

Book of the Month: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Worst Book: No one stars this month, every book was at least OK. Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide probably was my least favorite.
Biggest surprise: Hidden Pictures. I was so sure I would not like this book. How nice to be wrong.
Greatest accomplishment: I have completed reading all of the GRC Awards for 2022. Yay. I still have a few books to read from 2009 - 2011 that I'm picking away at. The books I haven't read include a lot of series reads, so it will probably take me a several years to read all of these books.

[Bill, Moderator]

You're having a great year so far. I've enjoyed most of the Simon Winchester books I've read. I haven't heard of the one you're currently reading. I'll have to check it out.

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "You're having a great year so far. I've enjoyed most of the Simon Winchester books I've read. I haven't heard of the one you're currently reading. I'll have to check it out."

Bill, just in case, the book does seem to have more than one title. I believe that Pacific: The Ocean of the Future is the same book, but the title I'm reading is clearly PACIFIC Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming of the World's Superpowers., so who knows why the difference? I feel like we have an Outlander/Cross Stitch situation, but I don't know the story behind the two titles here?

[Bill, Moderator]

Lea wrote: "Bill wrote: "You're having a great year so far. I've enjoyed most of the Simon Winchester books I've read. I haven't heard of the one you're currently reading. I'll have to check it out."

Bill, ju..."

It's interesting. In wikipeia, it's your title but when you click on it, it goes to a page that shows the Pacific The Ocean of the Future book cover. On Winchester's own page, it's the bigger title.. It might be one of those British / American title difference thingees... although wiki tends to give both if that's the case... LOL

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Great update Lea.

I was looking forward to Gallant by VE Schwab, but good grief; I was hoping it at least got 3 stars.

I don't think the GRCA's are "accurate" in genre or ratings, but what do I know??

[Patricia]

I have the audio of Gallant & haven't been able to finish it. Partly blame the narrator, but I don't think this is her best.
The Cormoran Strike books will fit in with your "hefty book" reading theme! I have The Ink Black Heart on deck on my nook. She has another one coming out soon, so I need to get to it.
Happy Reading!

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "It's interesting. In wikipeia, it's your title but when you click on it, it goes to a page that shows the Pacific The Ocean of the Future book cover. On Winchester's own page, it's the bigger title.. It might be one of those British / American title difference thingees... although wiki tends to give both if that's the case... LOL"

It's confusing, that's why I thought to mention it. I would like to mark both books as read, but then I will really mess up my book count. :-)

[Lea]

Alondra wrote: "Great update Lea.

I was looking forward to Gallant by VE Schwab, but good grief; I was hoping it at least got 3 stars.

I don't think the GRCA's are "accurate" in genre or ratings, but what do I know??"

I hope you like Gallant more than I did. I was disappointed, maybe I expected too much.

You know a lot! And I do agree. The GRCA are not accurate in genre or ratings. A lot of people vote for books that they haven't even read yet. I just like to read what other people are reading and form my own opinion, that's why I've been trying to read the list every year. :-)

[Lea]

Patricia wrote: "I have the audio of Gallant & haven't been able to finish it. Partly blame the narrator, but I don't think this is her best.
The Cormoran Strike books will fit in with your "hefty book" reading theme! I have The Ink Black Heart on deck on my nook. She has another one coming out soon, so I need to get to it.
Happy Reading!"

I definitely need to catch up with the Cormoran Strike books and you're right, they are hefty. I read the first two books and have been meaning to pick up Career of Evil for awhile. I'm glad she's still writing this series. Here's hoping we can both catch up soon.

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Lea wrote: "You know a lot! And I do agree. The GRCA are not accurate in genre or ratings. A lot of people vote for books that they haven't even read yet..."

Yyeesss. This is why I hardly vote, because I know I haven't read anything new. I do like to peruse the lists early, just to see what folks are actually reading. Most of the ones that get voted on , are books that are already on my TBR.

[Ioana]

Alondra wrote: "This is why I hardly vote, because I know I haven't read anything new. I do like to peruse the lists early, just to see what folks are actually reading."

Each year, when voting time comes, I realize I haven't read any of the new releases. So I don't vote, but I know a lot of people vote anyway, even for books they haven't read. For me, the GRCA are a mixed bag, but I rarely agree with their winner.

[Alissa]

I peruse the GRCA for more books to add to my TBR ::shrugs:: lol

[Lea]

Alondra wrote: "Yyeesss. This is why I hardly vote, because I know I haven't read anything new. I do like to peruse the lists early, just to see what folks are actually reading. Most of the ones that get voted on , are books that are already on my TBR."

I always find a few books that weren't on my radar.

Like you, I'm slow to read the new books, so I used to avoid voting.

Lately though, I just go ahead and vote, even if I haven't read them all. Everyone else is doing it. :-)

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "Each year, when voting time comes, I realize I haven't read any of the new releases. So I don't vote, but I know a lot of people vote anyway, even for books they haven't read. For me, the GRCA are a mixed bag, but I rarely agree with their winner."

I do hardly ever agree with their winner, but I am reading all the winners, slowly, but surely. I have read 2012-2022 winners, and I'm working my way slowly through the 2009-2011 winners. I might have read them all in three or four years - there are a lot of series books left, and I try to read the series. And, yes, I'm one of those bad people that votes, even if I haven't read a book. I used to not. But now I do. :-)

[Lea]

Alissa wrote: "I peruse the GRCA for more books to add to my TBR ::shrugs:: lol"

Me too. I love to add books to my TBR, it is a favorite pastime of mine. :-)

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Ioana wrote: "Alondra wrote: "This is why I hardly vote, because I know I haven't read anything new. I do like to peruse the lists early, just to see what folks are actually reading."

Each year, when voting tim..."

Yeah, I don't get that. It's like rating a book that has yet to be published. I hate when folks do that.

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Lea wrote: "I always find a few books that weren't on my radar.

Like you, I'm slow to read the new books, so I used to avoid voting.

Lately though, I just go ahead and vote, even if I haven't read them all. Everyone else is doing it. ..."

Oooohhh, naughty, naughty!! 😈

[Lea]

Alondra wrote: "Oooohhh, naughty, naughty!! 😈"

LOL, I feel a bit guilty, but since I'm reading the winners, I do want a little say in what I'm reading. Not that one vote makes a difference, but hey, sometimes it does. And sometimes I've already read some books in the category and I know which books should definitely not win. But I do think a better award would by readers voting on books five years ago...where we've all had time to read the nominees and have a distinct opinion on what is good and what isn't.

[Lea]

September Month End Report

Books Read: 11 books this month and 103 so far this year. 37,000 pages.

Books from Filling in the Gaps: 71/100; 2020 Books 0/1, 2022 Books 7/11, 2023 Books 64/82

Books from 12+4 Challenge: 14/16

Recently finished:
The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship between a Boy and a Baseball Legend - Buddy read with Ioana and Alissa and Patricia. I liked it a lot. I tend to appreciate Children's books quite a bit. It's a good genre for me. 5 stars

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman - This was boring as an audiobook. Somebody was basically reading a bunch of calendar entries. I did not find it entertaining, even if it was calendar entries for Alan Rickman. 1.5 stars, because of whose calendar it was.

The Christian Family - I was given this book in 2010 and it was still on my book shelves, so I decided to read it. There were portions of this book, such as the part about prayer which I enjoyed. The rest of the book was not recommended. 1.5 stars because of the one chapter.

The Innocent - This was the first in the Will Robie series. A friend had given this book to me many years ago also, but this book was more entertaining for me. It's basically a thriller about a highly skilled assassin who crosses paths which a teenage runaway. I thought the book was much better than it sounds and will continue the series. 3.5 stars

Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis - This was third book in the pseudo series Civilizations Rise and Fall, and in my opinion, the worst of the three. In this book, the author selects seven countries and talks about how they've handled crises. It was interesting, but not as good as Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. 3 stars

Columbine - I've been wanting to read this book for awhile (GRC Awards), but I really had to be in the right frame of mind for this one. It's upsetting and distressing and the issues in this book continue to compound. It's well written and makes me think. It's a hard book. 3.5 stars.

The Blue Castle - A buddy read with Carolien.
L.M. Montgomery is one of my favorite authors, I love Anne of Green Gables. I heard this was even better, but I do not agree. I think Persuasion did it better. 3 stars.

PACIFIC Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming of the World's Superpowers. - I felt like this book started quite strong, but it either fizzled out, or I fizzled out. One or the other. It didn't help that I was listening to this book with my DH, which caused us to stop and start too many times, so much so that at the end, I just powered on ahead of him and finished. 3 stars, but it could have been so much more.

Death of a Salesman - When I joined GR, I thought I'd read this one, but couldn't exactly remember what it was about, so I didn't mark it read. I re-read it today and I think I liked it better than I did in high school, but I still don't love it. It's clever without being enjoyable, but it is well written. 3 stars.

Dead in the Family - 10th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, and not my favorite. It did win a GRC Award, so I've finally finished up to the award book. I will probably continue reading the last three. I still do want to know what happens to Sookie. Kind of. :-) 2 stars.

The Last Song - A GRC Award winning book. I didn't watch the movie. I thought the book was a typical Nicholas Sparks book (view spoiler)[ Somebody will die (hide spoiler)] but I didn't hate it as much as I've hated other books by him in the past. It was all right. 3 stars.

Currently reading:

The Color of Air - A fiction story set on the island of Hawaii, before the volcano erupts in 1918 or so. This book does not grip me and I keep setting it aside for other things.

Progress on the Whack-a-Mole Series Situation –

Series Completed this year (for the moment...):
1. Crescent City (1)
2. Heartstopper (1)
3. It Ends with Us (1)
4. Beartown (1)
5. The Space Between Worlds (1) :-)
6. Wanderers (1)
7. The Roots of Chaos (1)
8. Jake Brigance (1)
9. The Miniaturist (1)
10. Nantucket (3)
11. Civilizations Rise and Fall (2)

Series Started This Year with Books Remaining:
1. The Camel Club (1)
2. The Inheritance Games (1)
3. Will Robie (6)

Series Started Last Year with Books Remaining:
1. Sookie Stackhouse (3)

Series That Added Books This Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Alex Stern (1)
2. Xanth (41)
3. Zoe Washington (1)
4. The Jaipur Trilogy (1)
5. The Princess Diaries (1)
6. You (2)
7. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles (1)
8. Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez (10)
9. Fractalverse (1)
10. Holly Gibney (1)
11. Thursday Murder Club (1)
12. Comoran Strike (4)
13. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1)

Series That Added Books Last Year with number of books I still need to read in that series:
1. Stephanie Plum (8)

Abandoned series:
1. Blade Runner
2. The Housemaid

Book of the Month: The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship between a Boy and a Baseball Legend
Worst Book: Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman - Disappointment may have tainted my view here, but I expected more. It was both boring and disappointing.
Biggest surprise: The Innocent was pretty fun and I did not think it would be.
Greatest accomplishment: I have completed my 2023 Reading Challenge, I have read over 100 books.