Ann A's 70 for 2024

[Ann A]

2023 was a crazy busy year and I don't expect 2024 to be much calmer, so I'll lower my goal a little and just see how it goes. Happy New Year and Happy Reading to all!

[Ann A]

1 - Brida - I'm hoping to get through many books from my neglected shelves this year. I've had this one a LONG time. Maybe 3 or 4 memorable lines, otherwise meh. 3*

[Tiffany, Administrator]

Ann A wrote: "2023 was a crazy busy year and I don't expect 2024 to be much calmer, so I'll lower my goal a little and just see how it goes. Happy New Year and Happy Reading to all!"

Happy new year! And happy reading :)

[Ann A]

2 - Circe
I'm not much of a mythology fan, but this was so superbly written I really enjoyed it. 4*

3 - The Great Believers
Powerful and heartbreaking. 4*

4 - My Name is Barbra
Yes it was long, but as a fan I found most of it very interesting. I recommend the audio as there are "extras" and music (you can easily listen at 1.25 - Babs talks sloowwly). 4*

[Ann A]

5 - What You Are Looking For Is in the Library
Gotta love when the library is a main character. 3 1/2*

6 - Julia
Retelling a classic is a daunting task, and this one didn't work for me. 2*

7 - Death of an Expert Witness
I do love my British murder mysteries. 4*

[Ann A]

8 - Let Us Descend
If I think of it as poetry, it makes a real impact. As a novel, too much magical realism for my taste. 3*

9 - Voyager: Constellations of Memory
This one is right up my alley. Quoting a blurb from the GR description because it's perfect: "Fernandez braids astronomy and astrology, neuroscience and memory, family history and national history into this brief but intensely imagined autobiographical essay." 4 1/2*

10 - Rouge
This had me intrigued for a while, but I became less and less enamored and felt the ending meandered around trying to find its way. 2*

[Ann A]

11 - The Rachel Incident
Started off slowly, but became a page-turner. Rachel herself is a train wreck, but you can't look away. 3 1/2*

12 - A Taste for Death
Dalgliesh at it again. 4*

13 - Romney: A Reckoning
I'm not a big Romney fan, but the man at least has some ethics. An interesting read. 4*

[Ann A]

14 - The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Only for the intrepid. Some interesting sections, but I was quite often bored. Barely 3*

15 - The Redbreast
Not without its implausible moments and some work to keep the characters and sub-plots straight, but overall an intelligent and satisfying read. 4*

16 - Horse
Great story, stellar writing, and interesting characters. Historical fiction at its best. 5* (ETA: the audio was excellent)

[Ann A]

17 - Happiness Falls
I liked this a lot, although I could have done without the heavy-handed foreshadowing. Fascinating subject matter, and I'll think about communication in a new way now. 4*

18 - Nemesis
I've become enamored with this series. I feel it's higher-level writing than most novels in the crime genre. 4*

19 - Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life
Just didn't like this as well "Under the Tuscan Sun" or "Bella Tuscany". It didn't quite flow, and some sections (particularly the religious art ones) dragged on too long. 3*

[Ann A]

20 - Leslie F*cking Jones
So I bought the book and listened to the audiobook from the library. The audio has WAY more content and just loosely follows the outline of the book. It was very interesting, but the constant vulgar language started to wear on me so I'm subtracting half a star. 3*

21 - The Light Pirate
Terrifying, yet also beautiful. 4*

22 - The Hollow
Christie seemed to flesh out her characters more than she usually does. Loved it. 5*

[Ann A]

23 - The Secret in the Old Attic
I may have to put these nostalgia reads to bed for good - especially evident when reading one right after Agatha Christie. Just no. Haha. 2*

24 - All the Sinners Bleed
I really struggled with how to rate this. It's well-written with compelling characters, but the level of violence and "grittiness" was just a little too much for me. Rounded down to 3.5*

[Tiffany, Administrator]

Ann A wrote: "23 - The Secret in the Old Attic
I may have to put these nostalgia reads to bed for good - especially evident when reading one right after Agatha Christie. Just no. Haha. 2*"

Awwww :(

[Ann A]

Tiffany wrote: "Ann A wrote: "23 - The Secret in the Old Attic
I may have to put these nostalgia reads to bed for good - especially evident when reading one right after Agatha Christie. Just no. Hah..."

Awwww :(

I know - kind of sad, but I have re-read 21 of them and that may be enough. ;)

[Ann A]

25 - Days Without End
Good war novel. 4*

26 - The Devil's Star
I like this series, but can't remember why I gave this one 3 stars. It may have stretched the believability factor.

27 - The Eyes and the Impossible
Lovely Newbery winner. 4*

[Ann A]

28 - Making It So
This looked interesting even though I'm not a Trekkie and didn't know much about Patrick Stewart! It was very good (listened to the audio). 4*

29 - Clear
Lovely writing. 4*

30 - Adam Bede
Hefty classic. It was fine, but didn't live up to Eliot's masterpiece (IMHO), Middlemarch. 3 1/2*

[Ann A]

31 - Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady
Apparently the longest book in the English language. It took me over a year to read it. I can see why some hate it, but the writing is very impressive - especially how the characters basically say the same things over and over, but in different ways! 3*

32 - The Stand
This had been on my shelf for decades. It felt a bit dated, but was entertaining enough. 3*

33 - What Maisie Knew
Henry James is hard work, but I keep going back for more. 3*

[Ann A]

34 - Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story
Far exceeded my expectations. Bono is a complicated, talented man. A nice blend of stories about his music, activism, and personal life. I recommend the audiobook. 4*

35 - Wellness
A LOT to unpack here. Mostly fascinating and entertaining. I was especially impressed by the extensive bibliography. 4*

36 - Precious and Grace
I think I'm done with this series. I enjoyed it at the beginning, but now it's too "samesy". 3*

[Ann A]

37 - Henry VIII
I read this before seeing the play. It's ok - not a favorite Shakespeare. 3*

38 - Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? A Modern Guide to Manners
Rarely thought this was funny, and there's definitely not much insight in the way of manners. 2*

39 - Remarkably Bright Creatures
Can't quite get past the whole octopus thing, but the characters are so endearing I can overlook it. 4*

[Ann A]

40 - True Love
Recommended only for the avid JLo fan (I'm more a "casual" fan). I picked this up on a bargain table several years ago. Working on those old shelves! 3*

41 - Thereby Hangs a Tail
Cute mystery series told from the dog's viewpoint. I'm in the mood for more substance lately, so it's just 3 1/2*.

[Ann A]

42 - The Alternatives
Didn't fully connect with the characters, but not sorry I read it. The ending was annoying. 3*

43 - Bear
Phillips' writing is mesmerizing. I feel a little guilty for not liking the main character. She and her sister were interesting, though. 3.5*

44 - Butter
Based on true events, but I was never more than casually interested in how things would turn out. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I were I a foodie. 2*

[Ann A]

45 - To Say Nothing of the Dog
Loads of fun! 4.5*

46 - The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present
I enjoyed slowly working my way through this book, listening to each song as I read about it. This guy has been writing songs for nearly 70 years! 5*

47 - Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Not a "comfort" read, but SO important. Should be required reading for everyone. 5*

[Ann A]

48 - Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems
I don't read much poetry, but I will be reading more Billy Collins. Loved this! 5*

49 - The End of Drum-Time
Perhaps the plot was a little loose, but I loved the characters and learning about the Sami reindeer herders. 4*

50 - An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s
I've read some great nonfiction this year, but this was the best of the bunch. 5*

[Ann A]

51 - The Copenhagen Trilogy
I can see why Ditlevsen is considered one of Denmark's best writers. I was drawn in by her brutal honesty in describing her life. Compelling reading. 4.5*

52 - Mrs. Dalloway
I found sections to be brilliant, but got bogged down in others. 3*

53 -Lone Women
Felt like a bunch of puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit together. I'd love to read a good book about lone women homesteaders in Montana. For me, this wasn't it. 2*

[Ann A]

54 - Lessons in Chemistry
Finally got to this! I enjoyed it enough to overlook the parts that bothered me (I'm hard on books). 4*

55 - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass
I'm counting this as two books because they were published separately and are listed separately on the 1001 books list. A reread of Alice has been on my radar since I found out Lennon and McCartney were great Lewis Carroll fans. 4*

56 - see #55

[Ann A]

57 - Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
I couldn't quite believe everything, but still a fascinating read. 4*

58 - Trespasses
Absorbing story of a young schoolteacher in Ireland during The Troubles. It all felt very authentic. 4*

59 - Solutions and Other Problems
I loved "Hyperbole and a Half", but didn't connect with this one. 2*

[Ann A]

60 - Death Comes As the End
Entertaining enough, but not up to par with some of Christie's others. 3*

61 - James
I was afraid I might be disappointed after all the hype. I wasn't! I loved it! (Btw: the audio is fantastic.) 5*

62 - Love Medicine
I find Erdrich's writing beautiful and heartbreaking. I feel a real connection to Native American culture, and Erdrich is one of my favorite authors. 4*

[Ann A]

63 - Low-Hanging Fruit: Sparkling Whines, Champagne Problems, and Pressing Issues from My Gay Agenda
I'm a fan of Randy Rainbow's videos, but guess I wasn't in the mood for this book. Some chapters were better than others, but one was entirely TMI. 3*

64 - Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie
Again, a big fan of Carly Simon, but didn't love this book. It didn't really seem to be about the friendship. Lots of name-dropping and discussion of Carly's personal issues. 3*

65 - Parrot and Olivier in America
Big, ambitious story with impressive writing. With all the jumping between the two main characters and time periods I'd get confused, though. I should have read it more quickly to keep everything fresh. 3.5*

[Ann A]

66 - Birnam Wood
Catton had me from page one. 5*

67 - The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir
Maybe 1/4 is about the TV show but Bishop has had an interesting life, including winning a Tony as an original cast member of "A Chorus Line". The audio is great. 5*

68 - Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty
I always enjoy Hillary's books, but now that the election is over I would recommend skipping the "what if he wins" chapter. Too disturbing. 4*

[Ann A]

69 - Margo's Got Money Troubles
I really felt my age reading this (!) but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 3 1/2*

70 - Pardonable Lies
Maisie Dobbs seems to grow on me with each successive book. There was just one plot element I found not believable. (view spoiler)[(That Peter and Ralph had a close connection during the war.) (hide spoiler)] 4*

***** I made it just under the wire - reached my goal of 70 books!

[Tiffany, Administrator]

Ann A wrote: "***** I made it just under the wire - reached my goal of 70 books!"

Woohoo! Congrats!!