Cora's 2022 Challenge

I am ready to try the challenge again. Last year I had a house fire and lost all my books so my 2021 challenge was cut short. But now I am ready to try again in 2022. Luckily, I was able to buy a new kindle and still have all of the kindle books from the cloud.

CATWoman

January: Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
1. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon - Julie Phillips

February: Women in Translation
1. The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa

March: Women Pioneers
1. Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Irin Carmon

April: Women of Colo(u)r
1. Broken Places - Tracy Clark
2. These Toxic Things - Rachel Howzell Hall
3. Almost American Girl - Robin Ha
4. Unraveling - Karen Lord

May: Classics Written by Women

AuthorCAT

January: Indigenous Writer
1. Mongrels - Stephen Graham Jones

February: 19th Century Authors
1. Silas Marner - George Eliot
2. The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe

March: Authors First Published At 40 Or Later
1. Blanche Among the Talented Tenth - Barbara Neely

April: Debut Authors
1. Broken Places - Tracy Clark
2. Suburban Dicks - Fabian Nicieza
3. Hard Rain - Irma Venter
4. Flower Net - Lisa See

May: Authors from Your Own Country
1. Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman
2. Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure - Courtney Milan

SFFKit

January: Villain / Morally Grey
1. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

February: Time Travel
1. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis

March: Historical Sci Fi and Fantasy
1. Relic by Renee Collins

April: Lifespans
1. Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

May: Invasion!

MysteryKIT

January: Series
1. Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill

February: Cold Case
1. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri

March: Small Town, Big Secrets/Lies
1. The Damage - Caitlin Wahrer

April: Noir and Hardboiled
1. Velvet Was the Night - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

May: Detectives in Translation

RandomKIT

January: Home Sweet Home
1. The Dutch House - Ann Patchett

February: Cats
1. The Album of Dr. Moreau - Daryl Gregory
2. The Evil Wizard Smallbone - Delia Sherman
3. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis

March: Hobbies
1. Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents - Pete Souza

April: April Showers
1. Hard Rain - Irma Venter

May: May Flowers

ScaredyKIT

January: Haunted Houses
1. The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story - Kate Summerscale

February: Creepy Crawlies
1. The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe

March: Switched
1. The Echo Wife - Sarah Gailey

April: Serial Killers
1. These Toxic Things - Rachel Howzell Hall
2. Unraveling - Karen Lord

May: Short Stories, Novellas, Antholoogies

AlphaKIT

January: H & R
1. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
2. The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story - Kate Summerscale
3. Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett

February: A & B
1. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
2. Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
3. The Beautiful Ones - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

March: P & S
1. The Echo Wife - Sarah Gailey
2. Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi
3. The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli
4. Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents - Pete Souza

April: L & J
1. Peace Talks - Jim Butcher
2. Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales - P.D. James
3. Unraveling - Karen Lord
4. Flower Net - Lisa See

May: O & D

PBT Monthly Tag

January: Science
1. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - Simon Winchester, 4 stars, 1/8/22
2. Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver
3. The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story - Kate Summerscale

February: Thought Provoking
1. Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
2. The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa
3. Silas Marner - George Eliot

March: Classics
1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie
2. The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli

April: Detective
1. Broken Places - Tracy Clark
2. Peace Talks - Jim Butcher
3. Suburban Dicks - Fabian Nicieza
4. Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales - P.D. James
5. Unraveling - Karen Lord
6. Flower Net - Lisa See

May: Character Driven
1. Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman

Oldest TBR
Books that have been on my TBR the longest

1. The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli

Reading with Max
Books I am reading with Max (my 14 year old son) or those that he recommended to me.

1. A Night Divided - Jennifer A. Nielsen
2. King and the Dragonflies - Kacen Callender

Reading with Emma
Books I am reading with Emma (my 16 year old daughter) or those that she read/recommended to me.

Photography Books

1. Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents - Pete Souza

Who's PBT's Favorite Author Challenge

1. Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver
2. The Dutch House - Ann Patchett
3. Mongrels - Stephen Graham Jones
4. Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
5. Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert
6. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
7. The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie
8. Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro
9. Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales - P.D. James
10. Flower Net - Lisa See
11. Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman

PBT Walk Down History Lane

Loop 1, Book 1: Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - Simon Winchester

2022 Popsugar Challenge

1. Comfort Me With Apples - Catherynne M. Valente
2. Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver
3. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
4. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon - Julie Phillips
5. Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
6. The Album of Dr. Moreau - Daryl Gregory
7. A Night Divided - Jennifer A. Nielsen
8. Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert
9. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
10. The Beautiful Ones - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
11. Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
12. The Echo Wife - Sarah Gailey
13. Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi
14. Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Irin Carmon
15. How Lucky by Will Leitch
16. Velvet Was the Night - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
17. These Toxic Things - Rachel Howzell Hall
18. Broken Places - Tracy Clark
19. Hard Rain - Irma Venter
20. Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure - Courtney Milan

2022 Around the Year Challenge

1. Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill
2. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - Simon Winchester
3. Comfort Me With Apples - Catherynne M. Valente
4. Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver
5. The Dutch House - Ann Patchett
6. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
7. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon - Julie Phillips
8. The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story - Kate Summerscale
9. Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
10. Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl - Jonathan C. Slaght
11. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
12. Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
13. The Album of Dr. Moreau - Daryl Gregory
14. A Night Divided - Jennifer A. Nielsen
15. The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa
16. Silas Marner - George Eliot
17. The Evil Wizard Smallbone - Delia Sherman
18. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
19. Malice - Keigo Higashino
20. Blanche Among the Talented Tenth - Barbara Neely
21. The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie
22. Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
23. The Echo Wife - Sarah Gailey
24. Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi
25. Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Irin Carmon
26. Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro
27. Hard Rain - Irma Venter
28. Almost American Girl - Robin Ha
29. Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman
30. Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure - Courtney Milan

2022 Read Harder Challenge

1. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - Simon Winchester
2. Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver
3. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon - Julie Phillips
4. Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert
5. The Evil Wizard Smallbone - Delia Sherman
6. Flying Lessons & Other Stories - Ellen Oh
7. Almost American Girl - Robin Ha
8. Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure - Courtney Milan

Dragonopoly Game

ROUND ONE
1. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - Simon Winchester
2. Comfort Me With Apples - Catherynne M. Valente
3. The Dutch House - Ann Patchett

ROUND TWO
1. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
2. Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
3. Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
4. The Album of Dr. Moreau - Daryl Gregory

ROUND THREE
1. The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa
2. Silas Marner - George Eliot
3. Malice - Keigo Higashino
4. Relic by Renee Collins
5. Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi
6. The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli

ROUND FOUR
1. Broken Places - Tracy Clark
2. Unraveling - Karen Lord

Edgar Award Nominees

1. The Album of Dr. Moreau - Daryl Gregory
2. Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
3. How Lucky by Will Leitch
4. The Damage - Caitlin Wahrer
5. Suburban Dicks - Fabian Nicieza

Dragon Trim List

1. Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill
2. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
3. Blanche Among the Talented Tenth - Barbara Neely
4. Peace Talks - Jim Butcher

Continuing the Series

1. Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill
2. Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
3. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
4. To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis

Books that Don't Fit In

Books that do not fit into the many challenges I am doing this year.

I am glad you are OK.

Glad you survived! Losing those books must have been devastating...at least the cloud! Here's to a better 2022!

I'm sorry for the loss of your books. Hoping 2022 is a better year!

Wow, so sorry to hear about your house fire. Wishing you only good things in 2022!

How dreadful, I am glad that you are ready to start the challenge again. Have fun with your 2022 reading.

At least the Cloud books gave you a start on a new library and you are ready to try the challenge again. Good luck on your reading and life in general.

Thanks for the good wishes everyone.

1/3/22: Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill

Challenges: MysteryKIT, Around the Year, Dragon Trim, Continuing Series

4 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that there was a bit more about the revolution and politics of Laos. It gave me a great sense of the time and place (1977 Laos). The mysteries were interesting and kept my interest and it set up some interesting story lines for future books in the series.

So sorry about your loss. Happy you're back here again.

>32 Cora-R: - I really like this series, too and hope to get back to it soon.

How awful to lose all your books. Have a great 2022!

Sorry about the house fire. It's devastating to lose one's library. Have a great reading year!

Glad you weren't hurt in the fire. Terrible to lose all your books.

1/8/22: Finished Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 - Simon Winchester

Categories/Challenges: PBT Monthly Tag, PBT Walk Down History Lane, Dragonopoly, ATY, Read Harder

This was an interesting read for me. Although I have heard of Krakatoa, I really did not know much about the volcano or the disaster that resulted from its eruption. Winchester went into great detail about the historical and scientific contexts of the event. He often took the reader on tangents into topics somewhat related to the event. For example he gave the background on the Alfred Wallace/Charles Darwin controversy because Wallace discovered the Wallace line which was important in the development of plate tectonics which can be used to explain why volcanoes such as Krakatoa erupts. If you don't mind the meandering details there is a lot of interesting information. If you just want him to get to the point of the disaster, it may be annoying. Overall, I enjoyed it. I learned a lot about volcanoes and history and I enjoyed the exploration of the science behind how the island is being reborn and repopulated by nature.

1/9/22: Finished Comfort Me With Apples - Catherynne M. Valente

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar, ATY, Dragonopoly

Valente is one of my favorite authors and I was not disappointed by this novella. It was a story that kept me guessing about what was really going on while having a strange fairy tale like feeling. When it had the final reveal, everything suddenly made sense and I don't know how I didn't figure it out earlier. It was an original story that I enjoyed.

1/9/22: Finished Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar, ATY, Read Harder, PBT Tag, PBT WPF, Root

I thought this was an interesting book. I liked Dellarobia, although she could be a little frustrating at times. The book was very respectful of the science as well as the people of the rural community. I did feel like the author only gave us glimpses of the supporting characters. Although it is Dellarobia's story, I wish some of the other characters were given more substance. I felt like we got glimpses, but no more. Overall it was an interesting story with a lot of science and natural history. However the science is only the backdrop for the story of woman who is looking for more out of life.

1/11/22: Finished The Dutch House - Ann Patchett

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Dragonopoly, RandomKIT, PBT WPF, Root

The Dutch House is about a pair of siblings and the house that has always loomed large in their life. I listened to the audiobook and Tom Hanks did an excellent job reading this book. Danny and Maeve were characters that I found myself constantly rooting for despite their flaws. The one theme that I took away from the book was the power of forgiveness and how moving forward people that did unforgivable things can later have a positive influence if you allow them to. It was an interesting story that kept me interested and looking forward to picking up the story again and again.

1/16/22: Finished Mongrels - Stephen Graham Jones

Categories/Challenges: AuthorCAT, WPF, Root

Mongrels is a coming of age story about a boy who lives with his aunt and uncle on the fringes of society. They are outcasts that are barely getting by and constantly on the move. The chapters of the book are vignettes of his life that are not always told in order. There will be a chapter when he is eleven and the next will be when he is fifteen and the next will go back to when he is nine. They also switch from first person to third person between chapters. Despite the confusion this could cause, it worked. All of the chapters and the stories they told fit together and the order makes sense for the story. While this is a story about werewolves, it is much more than that. It is a coming of age story about a boy trying to figure out his place in the world. It has a much more literary feel than other werewolf books I have read. I think that anyone that likes werewolf stories should include this in their reading plans, but that those that like more realism in their books may enjoy it too.

>40 Cora-R: I want to read that one, but I might be tempted by the audio narration on that one.

1/23/22: Finished Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Categories/Challenges: SFFKit, AlphaKit, ATY, Popsugar, Dragonopoly

This book had a lot of potential, but I was a little underwhelmed. I loved most of the supporting characters, but the main character just missed the spot for me. Her motivations were not evil enough, or virtuous enough for my tastes. I wanted her to either embrace the evil motives or have a stronger case for heroes being worse for the world than villains. Overall, it was an OK read. I would love to read a book from some of the other characters points of view.

Cora, not sure how I missed following your thread from the start, but I am now! (Beautiful image in your first post, by the way.)

>44 LibraryCin:
Thanks LibraryCin. Nice to see you here.

1/24/22: Finished James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon by Julie Phillips

Categories/Challenges: CATWoman, ATY, Popsugar, Read Harder

Ally Sheldon led a fascinating life. The prolific amount of letters she wrote allows for a very thorough biography. The author did not have to guess what her subject was thinking because there was often a letter or journal entry where she tells you herself.

1/26/22: Finished The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story - Kate Summerscale

Categories/Challenges: ScaryKIT, ATY, AlphaKIT, PBT Tag

I found this book very interesting. Fodor tries to investigate in a scientific way to find definitive proof. He comes up with three explanations for the things that are happening to Alma: it could truly be that she is haunted by spirits, it could be that she has psychological issues that manifest themselves in supernatural ways, or she could be a fake. I like how the author doesn't try to tell you the answer either, she simply presents all of the evidence that Fodor collected and lets you decide. I also like how the book puts the case in historical context. England had just finished one world war and was on the brink of getting into another one. Spiritualism had taken hold with seances and mediums being plentiful. Overall I recommend this to anyone interested in the subject, just don't pick it up expecting any real answers or a scary ghost story.

1/31/22: Finished Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett

Categories/Challenges: ATY, AlphaKIT, Dragonopoly, WPF, PBT Walk Down History Lane, ROOT

It was a fun book with a lot going on. There were times when it all seemed a bit too much, but that is typical for Discworld. I like the character of death and I am a sucker for stories with death personified in general. I think this would be one that I would prefer in audio or as a TV/movie adaptation to bring all of the craziness to life. Overall, it was a fun read with some great characters and a lot of humor.

2/1/22 Finished Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl - Jonathan C. Slaght

Categories/Challenges: ATY, ROOT

It was an interesting book. I think I learned more about Eastern Russia than the owls.

2/4/22 Finished The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri

Categories/Challenges: MysteryKIT, AlphaKIT, ATY, Dragon Trim, Continuing the Series

This is the second book in the Inspector Montalbano series that takes place in Sicily, Italy. The setting and atmosphere is the best part of the book. I was not a big fan of Inspector Montalbano, he is a bit crude and sexist for my tastes. The mystery was OK and I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first, it picked up once he really began investigating the cold case mystery. Over all it was just OK. I am not sure if I want to keep going in the series.

2/4/22 Finished Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Popsugar, ROOT, AlphaKIT, Dragonopoly, PBT Tag

I really liked this young adult book about a city that had a revolution and banished all monsters. When a creature comes out of Jam's mothers painting and tells her it is here to hunt a monster, Jam can't believe it. How can there still be a monster when they have all been destroyed. Now Jam must help the creature find the monster, before it can hurt someone she cares about. This was an interesting and unique story. I liked the characters of Jam and her friend, Redemption. I liked the different kinds of diversity in the book and how it was just there and not what the story was about. It really made me think about denial and how sometimes people want everything to be OK so bad that they blind themselves to the truth.

2/7/22 Finished The Album of Dr. Moreau - Daryl Gregory

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Popsugar, RandomKIT, Edgar Nominee, Dragonopoly

This was a fun locked door mystery story that featured a boy band comprised of animal/human hybrids. I really liked the two police officers investigating the case and enjoyed trying to figure out who did it along with them. The story involved a little suspension of disbelief as to how the hybrids came to be (but the story's inspiration - The Island of Dr. Moreau had a similar issue) but I did not mind. I appreciated the boy band humor and the references to some pop culture and mystery novels. The ending was satisfying and the format of the book was clever. I look forward to reading more by this author.

2/6/22 Finished A Night Divided - Jennifer A. Nielsen

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Popsugar, Reading with Max

Great middle grade historical fiction. It held the attention of both my 14 year old son and 16 year old daughter during our commute to the gymnastics gym.

2/11/22 Finished The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa

Categories/Challenges: ATY, CATWoman, PBT Tag, Dragonopoly, ROOT

This was a beautifully written book with great characters. It was a moving description of the relationship between people despite the difficulties of a mental disability. It makes the reader think about friendship and how you can know the people that you love, even if you can't remember them. It was a sweet story that the perfect feel good read for stressful times.

>54 Cora-R: - I read this a few months back for our book club and liked it a lot. I also listened to it as an audio book and it was very well done. I think the rhythm of the writing was even more pronounced.

2/14/22 Finished Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar, Read Harder, Who is PBT's Favorite

I liked reading this contemporary romance novel. I liked the diverse characters and how the author avoided a lot of romance novel cliches that normally annoy me in the genre. The characters were loveable and easy to route for. It was a bit steamier than what I usually enjoy, but it was well done and perfect for readers that enjoy their romance on the steamy side. I will definite read more of the Brown Sisters books when I am in the mood for a rom-com romance.

2/16/22 Finished Silas Marner - George Eliot

Categories/Challenges: ATY, AuthorCAT, Dragonopoly, PBT Tag

I really enjoyed this classic novel. I didn't know much about the book when I decided to read it and I am glad I did. It was a heartwarming story about the power of love. It had a great sense of place, bringing the English country village to life. I will definitely move more books by Eliot up on my TBR.

2/21/22 Finished The Evil Wizard Smallbone - Delia Sherman

Categories/Challenges: RandomKIT, ROOT, ATY, Read Harder

The was a fun middle grade novel about a boy who runs away from an abusive home who ends up as the apprentice of an evil wizard in a magical book shop.

2/24/22 Finished To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis

Categories/Challenges: SFFKit, ROOT, Continuing the Series, ATY, Popsugar, RandomKIT

Willis' Oxford Time Travel series are always fun adventures and this is no exception. This one takes us to Victorian England and has a lot of mysteries for the historians to solve. I liked the characters and the sense of time and place. The plot kept me guessing without being too technical with its time travel explanations. There were plenty of fun mentions of literary classics - but some of the discussions spoiled classic mysteries that I had hoped to read soon. Overall a fun read that was light enough to entertain, but deep enough to hold my interest.

>59 Cora-R: I love this book -- glad you enjoyed it as well!

2/25/22 Finished The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe.

Categories/Challenges: ScaryKIT, AuthorCAT

This was a short story. It started out very interesting, but lost my interest about half way through.

>61 Cora-R: I think a lot of us liked the beginning better than the rest although I did find the cryptograph interesting.

2/28/22 Finished The Beautiful Ones - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Categories/Challenges: AlphaKIT, ROOT

I really enjoyed this historical-style romance. The magical elements are very light, so those who want a lot of magic may want to look elsewhere.

3/2/22 Finished Malice - Keigo Higashino

Categories/Challenges: Dragonopoly, ATY

Malice is a murder mystery by Japanese author Keigo Higashino. It is the fourth book in the Detective Kaga Mystery, but the first one that has been translated. When a famous author is murdered and a suspect confesses, Detective Kaga must determine the motive or risk the case falling apart if they recant their confession. This mystery was structured in a very unique way. The murderer is revealed very early on and the mystery is the motive and the means. I really liked the interplay between the suspect and the detective and the twists and turns of the story. I will definitely read more by Higashino.

3/3/22 Finished Blanche Among the Talented Tenth - Barbara Neely

Categories/Challenges: Dragon Next Trim, ATY, AuthorCAT

This is the second book in Neely's Blanche White series. After the events of the first book, Blanche moves herself and her niece and nephew to Boston where the kids can attend a private school with the money that Blanche recently came into. The kids are invited to a summer resort in Maine with some of their new friends. The resort is a resort where upper class black families spend their summers. When Blanche is visiting, one of the prominent members of the club is found dead in a bathtub and Blanche tries to find out how she ended up dead.

Once again I enjoyed reading about Blanche White. She is a great character and offers just the right amount of comic relief to some series subject matter. Neely does not shy away from social commentary in these mysteries. In this one there is a lot of discussion of colorism and the treatment of women in the black community. I enjoyed following Blanche on her journey to find the truth and liked getting to know all of the characters at the resort.

3/5/22 Finished The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

Categories/Challenges: ATY, PBT Tag, Who's PBT's Favorite

I actually liked this one a bit more than some of the later Poirot mysteries I read. This is because Poirot is explaining his methods and thinking to Hastings. In later books it sometimes felt like his theories came out of nowhere, so I appreciated getting more information in this one...even when it was misleading. The mystery kept me guessing with lots of twists and turns as to who the primary suspect was. I liked Hastings and his relationship with Poirot. I will definitely continue to read these mysteries.

>66 Cora-R: One of my favourites! I'm currently enjoying it again via audio, read by Hugh Fraser (Hastings on the TV series).

3/7/22 Finished Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Popsugar, Edgars, ROOT

It was an interesting mystery/thriller. I appreciated the way Washington, DC was described in the book. So many books set in Washington, DC get so much wrong, but this one had all the details correct. I could tell that the author spent a lot of time in the city. I found the characters interesting. Most of them are not very likeable, if there was only one perspective I probably would have gotten annoyed with them quickly, but I really liked them as a group and found myself wanting to read more about them. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this one.

3/9/22 Finished The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Popsugar, ScaredyKIT, AlphaKIT

This was an interesting look at the consequences and ethical issues of human cloning. It made me think and it left me unsettled, but in a good way.

3/14/22 Finished Relic by Renee Collins

Categories/Challenges: SFFKIT, Dragonopoly, ROOT

This book had a lot of potential. It was set in a version of 19th century American west where remains of extinct magical creatures are mined and used for their magical abilities. I liked the magic system a lot and wished that we had more information on it and the types of creatures that left the relics. The characters were the typical western story stereotypes: the evil brothel owner, the kind prostitute, the handsome cowboys, the mysterious Chinaman, the nobel natives, etc. I wanted a little more out of them than typical fill in the blank western town inhabitants. The story was OK, but the idea had such potential that the average execution was a disappointment to me.

3/18/22 Finished Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi

Categories/Challenges: AlphaKIT, ATY, Popsugar, Dragonopoly

This was a strange and confusion book, but not necessarily in a bad way. Once I decided not to try to figure out what was going on and just relax and enjoy the journey it was much easier to navigate. At one point, I thought I could see where the story was going but the end threw a bit of a wrench in that clarity. It was definitely a book that made me think and ponder. It will not be for everyone, but I found it interesting.

3/21/22 Finished Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Irin Carmon

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Popsugar, ROOT, WomanCAT

This was a good summary of RBG and her life. Her personality did shine through. It may not have been as in depth as other biographies, but it was a great introduction to the influential woman and her life.

3/21/22 Finished How Lucky by Will Leitch

Categories/Challenges: Popsugar, Edgars

Interesting mystery featuring a main character with SMA. I loved the characters, including Daniel's friend and Daniel's caretaker. I learned a lot about SMA and enjoyed reading Daniel's point of view.

3/25/22 Finished The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

Categories/Challenges: Edgars, MysteryKIT

The story of a young man who is sexually assaulted and how this traumatic event affects him and his family. I thought it was a well done examination of how trauma affects people and the people they care about. There were some twists and turns that the story took that I wasn't expecting.

3/25/22 Finished King and the Dragonflies - Kacen Callender

Categories/Challenges: Reading with Max

Touching story about a boy coming to terms with his brother's death and the disappearance of his friend.

3/28/22 Finished The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli

Categories/Challenges: AlphaKIT, Dragonopoly, PBT Tag, ROOT, Oldest TBR

The Prince was not exactly what I expected. It was short, but I found it took a few days to read because my mind kept wandering. There were a lot of references to people and places that I was unfamiliar with. I think I would have liked it more if I was more familiar with 16th century European history or if I had an edition that was annotated with more information about that time. Overall, I was able to absorb the main points of each section and some of it could be relevant today, but a lot of it is no longer relevant (at least in the same way) in modern day leadership of nations.

3/30/22 Finished Flying Lessons & Other Stories - Ellen Oh

Categories/Challenges: Read Harder

This was a great collection of diverse stories for middle school kids. I liked them all.

3/30/22 Finished Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents by Pete Souza.

Categories/Challenges: RandomKIT, Photography, Root, AlphaKIT

I really appreciate how Souza can take a candid image and make it look like a work of art. I aspire to be able to do that someday.

4/6/22 Broken Places - Tracy Clark

Categories/Challenges: PBT Tag, Dragonopoly, AuthorCAT, CATWoman

Broken Places is the first in a series about a private detective in Chicago. Cass Raine is an African-American woman who used to be a police officer. She is one of my favorite PI characters I have read in a long time. In this novel, she is trying to solve the murder of her good friend, a priest at the local Catholic church. The mystery was interesting and although I predicted the culprit pretty early on, I enjoyed following Cass as she followed the clues and figured it out. I especially liked all of the supporting characters. Cass has an eclectic group of friends that added just the right amount of comic relief. I will definitely continue reading this series. I gave it 4 1/2 stars.

4/10/22 Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Categories/Challenges: Dragon Next Trim, ROOTs, AlphaKIT, SFFKIT, PBT Tag

I was nice seeing all of Harry's old friends in the 16th book of the Dresden Files. Most of this book was a set up for the next book and the story line was not resolved at the end. I did like it though. It was lighter on the battle scenes (which I hear the next book makes up for) and those are my least favorite part of the books, so that was a positive for me. Overall, a comfort read that was like visiting old friends.

4/11/22 Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Categories/Challenges: WPF, ATY

This was an interesting novel that gives the reader a lot to think about. The overall tone of the book was a bit melancholy. Very similar themes and feeling as Never Let Me Go.

4/12/22 Suburban Dicks - Fabian Nicieza

Categories/Challenges: Edgars, PBT Tag, AuthorCAT

This was a fun read set in a town near my hometown. I liked the characters and the story and look forward to reading more in the series.

4/13/22 Velvet Was the Night - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Categories/Challenges: MysteryKIT, ATY, ROOT

It was well written with complicated characters and a nice sense of place and time, but I really did not enjoy reading it.

4/18/22 These Toxic Things - Rachel Howzell Hall

Categories/Challenges: ScaryKIT, ATY, CATWoman

It was an entertaining thriller, but it was a bit choppy and the pacing seemed a little off for me.

4/19/22 Hard Rain - Irma Venter

Categories/Challenges: RandomKIT, AuthorCAT, Popsugar, ATY, ROOT

Interesting mystery with great sense of place. At times it was a bit unrealistic or the characters reactions to things were a bit off, but overall an entertaining read.

4/20/22 Almost American Girl - Robin Ha

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Read Harder, CATWoman, ROOT

Good graphic novel about a teenage girl who moves from South Korea to Alabama. It helps readers understand what it is like to be different. Great read for kids.

4/21/22 Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales - P.D. James

Categories/Challenges: WPF, PBT Tag, AlphaKIT

Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales includes six murder mystery stories. This is the second collection of mysteries by P.D. James I have read and I definitely liked this one better than The Mistletoe Murder And Other Stories. While all of the stories involved a murder, they were not all the typical whodunnit. I liked that they were all different and distinct rather than blurring together. While I had my favorites in the collection, there weren't any stories that I didn't like. Overall, it was an entertaining read. I look forward to reading one of James' full length novels.

4/30/22 Unraveling - Karen Lord

Categories/Challenges: ScaredyKIT, CATWoman, PBT Tag, Dragonopoly, AlphaKIT

This was a very confusing book. I am not sure I ever had a good handle on what was going on. I think I would have understood better if I had not chosen to listen to the audiobook and read the print version instead. I found myself constantly rewinding and still pretty lost. The parts I did understand were very interesting and inventive.

4/30/22 Flower Net - Lisa See

Categories/Challenges: AuthorCAT, AlphaKIT, PBT Tag, WPF

This was an intriguing mystery that spanned two countries (the United States and China). I liked the book's sense of place and time (it was written in the 1990s). The characters were OK, I think I liked Hulan a bit better than David. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing, but I didn't enjoy the love story aspect. I expected it to be a quicker read, but the descriptions were very detailed and the plot was a bit complicated so it took longer than average for me to finish it. Over all, I liked the setting of the mystery and would read more in the series.

5/2/22 Blackbird House - Alice Hoffman

Categories/Challenges: WPF, PBT Tag, ATY, AuthorCAT

Blackbird House is a book of connected short stories. Each story is about someone that lived in Blackbird House from when it was built in the 1700s through the present day. All of the stories have some form of love as a theme, some are happy and some are a bit sad but they all ended on a pretty hopeful note. They were all extremely well done and were consistently good. The stories often left me wanting more, but still satisfied with the ending.

5/5/22 Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure - Courtney Milan

Categories/Challenges: ATY, Read Harder, Popsugar, AuthorCAT

A fun historical romance novella. Unique in that the romantic partners are both senior women. It was an OK story, but a bit cartoonish.