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2024 Independent Challenge
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Ioana's 2024 Independent Challenge
I hope you will. I need to find #2 and #3 now...
Alissa wrote: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND added Jade City =)"I hope you'll like it, and if not, don't come after me 🤣🤣🤣
Make sure your library has all 3 books, these are not stand alones. You know what happens next (the war, duh)...the 2nd book is aptly named Jade War....but there is no cliffhanger. Thankfully!
Curses! Goodreads friends strike again. Just added Jade City to my library list.
Mod
Simple, clean and all business!
The pressure...the pressure....I'm so afraid to recommend books, but you know what, that's what you do too, and you're the reason my TBR exploded. I hope you all will like these.
The Tiffany Girls was our real life book club pick for February. It was ok, with some interesting bits about the Tiffany glass manufacturing, cutting and assembling process, but pretty boring and predictable otherwise. Maybe 3 stars.A church in a nearby town has real Tiffany windows, so we're going to visit the church next week.
I love stained glass. But maybe not enough to rush to read this book.
Lea wrote: "I love stained glass. But maybe not enough to rush to read this book."You will not miss much, there are tons of better books out there.
Ioana wrote: "The Tiffany Girls was our real life book club pick for February. It was ok, with some interesting bits about the Tiffany glass manufacturing, cutting and assembling process, but pre..."I love it when you can follow up a book with a related road trip. Hope the windows are worth it!
Mod
I think I will like them. They "talk" to me...
Michelle wrote: "I love it when you can follow up a book with a related road trip. Hope the windows are worth it!"I hope so too. And if they don't, it will still be fun!
Alondra wrote: "I think I will like them. They "talk" to me..."LOL, I'm still looking for #2 and #3...and hope to join that conversation :-)
Yellowface. I had no idea what to expect, and it made me think a lot about the current practices in the publishing industry, the way writers are treated and treat each other, the way their work is accepted (or acceptable) in today's world, where diversity, racism and cultural appropriation are scrutinized and decide what can/should be published or not. Then these practices may influence what authors write. I believe that a lot of what happens in Yellowface is based on R.F.Kuang's personal experience.I liked the ending, I think it was appropriate in a circle of life kind of way.
With not a single likeable character, this was a fun book, hard to put down. 3.5 stars, not sure if to round it up or down.
You have me intrigued on the book Small Mercies..... Starting Yellowface tomorrow so excited to join the conversation.
Great job for January!!
Mod
I added this today based on someones review (Alissa? Lea? good grief); and hope to grab it soon. Sounds very interesting.
Alondra wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Yellowface. I had no idea what to expect, and it made me think a lot about the current practices in the publishing industry, the way writers are treated and treat each..."Hey Alondra, there is a group of us doing a buddy read on Yellowface, if you get the book and want to join in --> https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Lindsey wrote: "You have me intrigued on the book Small Mercies..... Starting Yellowface tomorrow so excited to join the conversation.
Great job for January!!"
It's a give and take game 😉
In the end, we all win!
Alondra wrote: "Ioana wrote: "Yellowface. I had no idea what to expect, and it made me think a lot about the current practices in the publishing industry, the way writers are treated and treat each..."Hope you can join out buddy read, it's a good book for discussion. Can't wait to see what everyone thought of it, and the ending.
Mod
Thank you, Lindsey. If I snag a copy before then, I will join.
To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a novella, but with a lot going on. And I don't necessarily mean action.A group of 4 astronauts are exploring the universe, in search of life. New technology allows them to modify their body characteristics to adapt to each planet's characteristics, and they are trying to be 100% non-intrusive, so not to change anything on the visited planet.
Each planet is different, and each life form is different.
But the beauty of the book is the internal contemplation of these situations, the emotions the 4 astronauts are going through. And the ending.
Ioana wrote: "To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a novella, but with a lot going on. And I don't necessarily mean action.A group of 4 astronauts are exploring the universe, in search of life. New tec..."
You don't say whether you liked it. I hope you liked it. Just as you said it was a short book without a lot of action but there was so much to think about. I think that is Becky Chambers forte an exciting setting but the action is largely internal. She always leaves me with a sense of peaceful conflict resolution at the end even when, as with this book, the end is actually not good.
Mod
A group of 4 astronauts are exploring the universe, in search of life. New tec..."
I found it quite fascinating. Lots packed into such a short book.
Michelle wrote: "You don't say whether you liked it. I hope you liked it."Ohh, I did, I really did. Becky Chambers can write, and I will read anything else she'll come up with.
I don't think the ending was not good, I think it can be anything you want it to be. But when you're so far away from home, any option is not a good option, you just need to make the best of it.
I agree actually it wasn't a not good ending. I just can't quite find the right adjective. Maybe dire?
Criminal, #6 in the Will Trent series. Not my favorite in the series, I did not like the back and forth 2-timelines narrative. Yes, it gives us a lot of Amanda's and Will's background, but I did not enjoy the constant switch. Maybe it was better in read form? 3 stars.
Alondra wrote: "Just look at these covers: Simple, clean and all business!"
curse it! I've added it to my list too 😂
Ioana wrote: "2024 started well, even though this was mostly read in 2023. But finished now, so it counts.The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. Fantasy is hit or miss for me, and this one was a hit. Maybe because the main character was a mature woman and not a teenager, there was no love triangle, but a good story, interesting magic creatures, pirates and demons, sorcery, ancient magic artifacts...what's not to like? 4 stars, maybe even 4.5."
I loved this one too. I'm going to go and try her Daevabad series again. I read the first one, The City of Brass, and I didn't really care for it. Maybe I'll try it in audiobook format.
Mod
Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1) by Fonda Lee
Jade War (The Green Bone Saga, #2) by Fonda Lee
Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee
Simple, clean and all business!"
curse it! I've added it to my list too 😂 ..."
As you should. LOL
Lillie wrote: "I loved this one too. I'm going to go and try her Daevabad series again. I read the first one, The City of Brass, and I didn't really care for it. Maybe I'll try it in audiobook format."I don't think I've ever tried this one before...I've heard mixed opinions, so I'm not sure what to do. Let me know if you try it again.
Feb reads that I did not get a chance to post updates for:Crying in H Mart - I live in an area with a large Korean population, and our own H Mart, so a lot of this book felt very familiar. 3 stars
The Kaiju Preservation Society - Hugo and Locus Awards nominee/winner, for my challenge to read more from these categories. Scalzi was definitely bored during the pandemic 🤣 3.5 stars
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - I had this on my TBR for many years, and I'm so glad I finally got to read it. I've never heard of ocular albinism before, and this was such a heart warming story. It shows that what we are born with (or without) is not a pre-destination...we really can influence our fate through our actions. 4 stars.
Late March update:The Third Victim - not her best, not her worst book. The 2nd in the series, which I might continue. 2.5 stars.
Weyward - I did not hate it, but did not love it. I found it did not bring anything new, same story of a woman (or 3, in this case) with knowledge of herbs and nature, being feared by men because of this knowledge. Add a little magical realism, a crow, and that's about it.
I was hoping for a nicer tie in the end of the 3 lives, but that left me wanting too. 2.5 strs, rounded up.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder - I love NF books about events that are less known, and this was one of those. I was really excited to buddy read this book with Lea. Unfortunately, I found the writing dry, and even though I intellectually understood what each person had to go through, I could not get emotionally involved and care. Sadly, the ending did not help either, justice was not served. 3 stars.
If It Bleeds - short stories are not my thing, but I had to read this for Holly. I love that character, and love the way she interacts with other people. This was the strongest of the 4 (or 5?) short stories and my favorite. Can't wait to read Holly now. Overall, 3 stars.
Nettle & Bone - Hugo, Nebula and Locus award winner/nominee, this was very enjoyable. Not earth shattering in concepts or ideas, but readable and entertaining. The romance part was not really necessary, but it was brief and not over-shadowing the real story. Do I think it was worth all the awards? No, but it was fun. 3.5 stars.
Looks like you have been busy Ioana. Glad you liked Nettle & Bone and If It Bleeds. Do pick up Holly. If you love the character, I don't think you will be disappointed. I totally agree with you on Weyward and The Wager. Both were unmemorable. You are really branching out into Fantasy/Sci Fi with Kingfisher and Scalzi. Scalzi is one I have mixed feelings about. I am always drawn in by the premise, but I think he looses sight of the story by the end. Kaiju was one of the few of his that I have read that I did not feel that way. Glad you liked it.
Mod
The Third Victim - not her best, not her worst book. The 2nd in the series, which I might continue. 2.5 stars.
Weyward - I did not hate it, but di..."
I preferred The Third Victim to the first in the series. Gardner isn't my favorite mystery / thriller writer but I may read more of her work.
I can't wait to read Holly with you. I'm hoping to finish The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder this weekend, but I am 88% of the way through and I'm inclined to agree with Michelle and you.
Michelle wrote: "I totally agree with you on Weyward and The Wager. Both were unmemorable. You are really branching out into Fantasy/Sci Fi with Kingfisher and Scalzi. Scalzi is one I have mixed feelings about. I am always drawn in by the premise, but I think he looses sight of the story by the end."I had higher expectations for both Weyward and The Wager. I was disappointed.
I've read a few other Scalzi books before, and my favorite so far was Old Man's War. Unfortunately, the next in the series were not as good, so I think I stopped after the 3rd one.
I liked the Kaiju premise, and also the ending, but the middle was...meh. Still, a fun read that was exactly what I needed at that time.
Bill wrote: "Gardner isn't my favorite mystery / thriller writer but I may read more of her work."Me too. There is a time and place for books where you know what to expect.
Lea wrote: "I can't wait to read Holly with you. I'm hoping to finish The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder this weekend, but I am 88% of the way through and I'm inc..."I so wanted to like The Wager, such an interesting story! Oh, well...
I'm sure we'll both like Holly, I can't wait.
Mod
Me too. There is a time and place for books where you know what to expect."
Thrills, chills and vitamin pills.. 😁
Bill wrote: "Thrills, chills and vitamin pills.. 😁"Exactly!
And then you can attack another heavy book...
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession. I've never heard of Stéphane Breitwieser before this book. For years in the late 90s, he and his girlfriend stole hundreds of pieces of art, some small, some very large, paintings, sculptures and not only, from museums and various art establishments. It's hard to value art that is not for sale, but it was estimated that the entire "collection" was worth more than 1 million dollars, maybe even 2.He never sold anything, he just wanted to poses the objects, and stashed them all in his mother's house attic.
In the end, 2 things shocked me: punishment for stealing invaluable art is (or was at that time) minimal, as it's not a violent crime. Secondly, in an attempt to save her son, his mother disposes of everything, by burning, chopping or trowing away in the river all pieces. Only about half of them were recovered 😢
I liked the 2nd part of the book more, and by then, I could not put it down. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
I just picked up The Art Thief from the library & hope to get to it soon. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.--I loved Nettle & Bone, but was kind of surprised it won the Hugo. I do enjoy her books overall though.
Mod
Great update, Ioana. I've only read one Kingfisher novel and it was underwhelming. I think I had high hopes and the book was just mid for me. I still want to read more from this author though.
If it bleeds was hit or miss throughout, but I agree, the short story with Holly was so good.
I'm hoping to read The Art Thief this month also. It sounds very interesting.
Patricia wrote: "I just picked up The Art Thief from the library & hope to get to it soon. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.--I loved Nettle & Bone, but was kind of surprised it won the Hugo. I do enjoy ..."This was my first Kingfisher book. I agree, I don't think it was Hugo award calibre, but it was enjoyable and I will try to read more of her books.
Alondra wrote: "I've only read one Kingfisher novel and it was underwhelming. I think I had high hopes and the book was just mid for me. I still want to read more from this author though."Which other book did you read? I really don't understand why some books get so much hype, while others struggle to get readers...
Lea wrote: "I'm hoping to read The Art Thief this month also. It sounds very interesting."I hope you'll enjoy it. Crazy world!
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. I've tried this as an audiobook years ago, and could not get into it. This time I read the real book, and really enjoyed it.Eleanor is quirky, funny and has issues. It was interesting to watch her development, see her transform, make friends, realize the good things in her life, admit the bad parts, and just live and move on. In the end, Eleanor is fine. 4 stars
The Recital Quick short read while waiting for #9 of this series. Not too much action (compared to the full size books in the series), but fun and uplifting. Joey and Evan are tough, strong, willing and able to hunt and kill the bad guys, but they are human, have emotions and needs friends to support them sometimes.Joey's first piano recital is one such time, and all her tough friends risk their safety to be there. 4 stars.
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Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! I found all of these at a local UBS, and they were all on sale for under $5. I grabbed them so fast.
Since you like it, I will probably love it. Yes! 💪🏽💪🏽