Reader's Choice Spring 2024

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Wormhole was an interesting mash up of genres. Some of the writing felt like it was trying too hard....I haven't had to look up so many words in a loooong time, lol. The depiction of a neurodivergent character in the future honestly was just depressing though. Surely we'll be better than that as a society.
Overall an interesting read.

Running List:
Thank You for Listening - 3
The Nightmare Man - read
You Are Here - 3
The Perfect Neighborhood - 3
You Should Smile More - 4
The Chinese Groove - 3
The Other Family Doctor - 3.5
Kit McBride Gets a Wife- 4
Learning America - read
Better the Blood - 4
Lone Women - 3.5
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia - 5
Mr Perfect on Paper - 3
Joan- dnf
Circus Train - 3
The Storyteller's Death- 4
Wormhole - 3.5

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone was fantastic. Definitely worth the wait.

Running List:
Thank You for Listening - 3
The Nightmare Man - read
You Are Here - 3
The Perfect Neighborhood - 3
You Should Smile More - 4
The Chinese Groove - 3
The Other Family Doctor - 3.5
Kit McBride Gets a Wife- 4
Learning America - read
Better the Blood - 4
Lone Women - 3.5
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia - 5
Mr Perfect on Paper - 3
Joan- dnf
Circus Train - 3
The Storyteller's Death- 4
Wormhole - 3.5
Everyone in my Family - 5

[Audrey]

Everyone Has Killed is my favorite so far.

The Chinese Groove was sweet. That's 18/20.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Mixed feelings on Collected Regrets of Clover. In some ways it was sweet and poignant. In other ways it was irritating and far too long. Clover herself is.... contradictory and frustrating and often super annoying. And since she's the narrator..... sigh.

Running List:
Thank You for Listening - 3
The Nightmare Man - read
You Are Here - 3
The Perfect Neighborhood - 3
You Should Smile More - 4
The Chinese Groove - 3
The Other Family Doctor - 3.5
Kit McBride Gets a Wife-4
Learning America - read
Better the Blood - 4
Lone Women - 3.5
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia - 5
Mr Perfect on Paper - 3
Joan - dnf
Circus Train - 3
The Storyteller's Death- 4
Wormhole - 3.5
Everyone in my Family - 5
Collected Regrets of Clover - 3

I only have one left. It's been a very "mid" round for me lol. Lots of 3s, some 4s.... my two 5s tie for my favorite.

[Audrey]

Clover was too annoying to keep reading.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

I pushed through and the ending was reasonably satisfying but I totally can't blame you for bailing. There is an element of "well that's a bunch of time I'll never get back" for sure.

[Audrey]

Which is your last book?

[Britt, Book Habitue]

Wolf Trap.
Which I technically started but it has to go back and I remember nothing so I need to start over, lol.

[Audrey]

That one was okay.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

FINISHED
Wolf Trap was a decent thriller. Having a hard time deciding between 3 and 4 stars so 3.5 I guess?
A little hard to keep track of aaaaallllll the characters. Might have been easier on paper instead of audio.

Running List:
Thank You for Listening - 3
The Nightmare Man - read
You Are Here - 3
The Perfect Neighborhood - 3
You Should Smile More - 4
The Chinese Groove - 3
The Other Family Doctor - 3.5
Kit McBride Gets a Wife- 4
Learning America - read
Better the Blood - 4
Lone Women - 3.5
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia - 5
Mr Perfect on Paper - 3
Joan- dnf
Circus Train - 3
The Storyteller's Death- 4
Wormhole - 3.5
Everyone in my Family - 5
Collected Regrets of Clover - 3
Wolf Trap - 3.5

So...yeah. That's a wrap with 2 hours to spare lol.

Interesting round. I think it might be my fewest high-ranked round. And I think I only need to own Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia and Everyone in my Family.

[Amanda]

I'm not organized enough to post as I go, and I forgot to post my finished list sooner, but I figured I would anyway. I normally pick and choose from the list, but after I found some I really liked last time, that were books I normally wouldn't pick up, I went for them all again this time. I was disappointed as it was much more a mixed bag for me this time around, with some I regretted spending any time on. But once again, I was surprised by what I did enjoy.  

Just a note, I have to say I cannot for anything listen to a book, it loses my attention almost immediately. But my husband mostly listens and I caught parts of some of them, and wow, I've learned the reader can make or break the audio book rendition. Some I enjoyed reading just sounded boring and flat in audiobook, and there was one that finally  matched what I had in my mind closely enough that I enjoyed the parts I heard. 

4     Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
        One I had already read, I feel like I got a bonus

3.5  Better the Blood

2.5  The Perfect Neighborhood
        It wasn't terrible, it just sorta fell flat, and the end didn't need to be tacked on.

4     You Should Smile More
       If they keep picking romances like this, I may change my mind about the genre. Laugh out loud funny, and the only book on the list I felt okay about my daughter reading (she wanted to try the adult list)

1      Wolf Trap
        I enjoy this type of book. I did not, however, enjoy this book. 

4     Thank You for Listening
        Another laugh out loud funny (definitely not kid safe)

4     The Chinese Groove
        Beyond the other good parts, this one reminds me  how much I miss what malls were

3     The Other Family Doctor
        It was interesting and entertaining, and then she got stuck on one topic, which would have been fine if that were how the book were marketed, but it definitely veered far off the funny vignette path

4     You Are Here

4     Kit McBride Gets a Wife
        I've got the next volume on my want to read list.

4     Joan
       I was surprised by how interesting a secular explaination for Joan of Arc turned out to be. On the other hand, I'm tired of this trend of taking a familiar story and finding the darkest way possible to present it. So I go back and forth on this. Mostly, I enjoyed the psychology of it

1      Lone Women
       What the? Wow, so many things that were just thrown in as some big important element, to be promptly dropped and forgotten. I kept reading to the end, thinking there would be a payoff....

3     The Storyteller's Death

4     The Collected Regrets of Clover

3     Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
       A good solid okay

1      Mr. Perfect on Paper
        I tried to finish it, I really did. I've got a whole stack of books that I know I'll enjoy that are a better way to spend my time though

5     Learning America
      Suprised to enjoy this. Some excellent thoughts on education, whatever side of the politcal tracks you live on.

3.5  Circus Train
      It lost me at the end

3     Wormhole
       I don't know why I didn't like this more, it  had a lot of what I enjoy. Pretty good.

1     The Nightmare Man
      I initially rated this 2*. I finally took it down to 1, because every time it crossed my mind, the only thing I can think of is how bored I found myself. I love Stephen King. I can't figure out why anyone would ever compare the two. A horror story does not a Stephen King make.

[Patty]

Amanda wrote: "I'm not organized enough to post as I go, and I forgot to post my finished list sooner, but I figured I would anyway. I normally pick and choose from the list, but after I found some I really liked..."

Perfect explanation of The Other Family Doctor - that she got stuck on one topic!

[Audrey]

I skimmed through Learning America; bits were interesting and some others not so much. Did not get to You Are Here; it just sounded so boring, and my instincts tend to be correct with that genre.

[Ellen]

And the results are in! Since I know you all love seeing the full ranked list, here it is!
1. The Collected Regrets of Clover
2. The Circus Train
3. Kit McBride Gets a Wife
4. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
5. The Perfect Neighborhood
6. You Should Smile More
7. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
8. Thank You for Listening
9. Mr. Perfect on Paper
10. The Storyteller's Death
11. The Other Family Doctor
12. Lone Women
13. You Are Here
14. Better the Blood
15. Wolf Trap
16. The Nightmare Man
17. Joan
18. Learning America
19. Wormhole
20. The Chinese Groove

Thank you all so much for your support of this program! I love seeing your thoughts as you read through the list.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

I'm sometimes thoroughly baffled by the ranked list....

This is one of those times lol.

[Patty]

Ellen wrote: "And the results are in! Since I know you all love seeing the full ranked list, here it is!
1. The Collected Regrets of Clover
2. The Circus Train
3. Kit McBride Gets a Wife
4. Everyone in My Family..."
Thank You!

[Audrey]

I am baffled. Clover was the worst book on the list.

[Ellen]

It's always incredibly fascinating to see what the results are! People have such varying tastes and preferences so it can be surprising. Chinese Groove was my favorite and it's all the way at 20th.

[Audrey]

I liked Chinese Groove more than Circus Train. I'll have to post my own ranked order.

[Debbie]

Audrey wrote: "I liked Chinese Groove more than Circus Train. I'll have to post my own ranked order."

Please do!

[Audrey]

Final Results, Personal Ranking:

(Favorites at top)
1. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone – 4.5
2. Thank You for Listening – 4
3. Lone Women – 4
4. You Should Smile More – 3.5-4
5. Wormhole – 3.5-4
6. The Nightmare Man – 3.5-4
7. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries – 3.5
8. Kit McBride Gets a Wife – 3.5
9. The Other Family Doctor – 3 to 3.5
10. The Chinese Groove – 3
11. The Storyteller's Death – 3
12. Mr. Perfect on Paper – 3
13. The Circus Train – 3
14. The Perfect Neighborhood – 3
15. Joan – 3
16. Wolf Trap – 2
17. Better the Blood – 2
18. The Collected Regrets of Clover – 1 (DNF)

Skimmed:
Learning America: One Woman's Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children

Didn't read:
You Are Here