LibraryLover23's 2019 Challenge

Hello everyone! This is the start of my 11th year on LT and my 10th as a member of the 75ers. For the past few years I honestly haven't met any of the reading challenges I've set for myself so I've decided to forgo trying and just read what I want, when I want. I think by letting go of the high bars I set for myself I might be able to indulge in more rereads, newer library books, chunksters, etc. without the guilt of worrying about the numbers and reducing my TBR. (Although of course, reducing the TBR is still always the ultimate goal!) I hope everyone has a great reading year!

Some of my favorite, new-to-me books of last year:
Lincoln In The Bardo: A Novel by George Saunders (Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook version)
A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin (Write faster, George!)
The Raven And The Nightingale: A Modern Mystery Of Edgar Allan Poe by Joanne Dobson (College-set literary mystery series that I greatly enjoy)
A Celebration Of Wellness and A Vegetarian's Ecstasy by James Levin, M.D. and Natalie Cederquist (Vegan cookbooks that came into my life serendipitously, they're filled with whimsical drawings and positive self-affirmations. I flip through them often just for the warm fuzzies.)
The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (I was suitably impressed)
The World Of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes That Inspired The Little House Books by Marta McDowell (A look at the Little House books through a natural lens)
I'll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search For The Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara (I lost sleep over this one, and not in a good way)
Going Into Town: A Love Letter To New York by Roz Chast (Love Roz Chast)

Previous Reading Challenges:
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018

2019 Reading List

January
1. Barracoon: The Story Of The Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston
2. Cultivated Gardener: Trees edited by Kristin Joyce
3. Cultivated Gardener: Vegetables edited by Kristin Joyce
4. The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
5. Alive: The Story Of The Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read

February
6. Homeward Hound by Rita Mae Brown
7. The Path To Tranquility by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
8. Book Lust To Go: Recommended Reading For Travelers, Vagabonds, And Dreamers by Nancy Pearl
9. The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
10. Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer by Patrick Süskind
11. The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie

March
12. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life And Freedom On Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin
13. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
14. 50 Ways To Save Lancaster County: An Environmental And Social Guide To What You Can Do To Help Save Our County by Philip R. Holzinger
15. Gone by Michael Grant
16. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

April
17. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
18. Legal Tender: Women & The Secret Life Of Money by Christian McEwen
19. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
20. The Last House On Sycamore Street by Paige Roberts

May
21. Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky
22. The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction And Purpose by Oprah Winfrey
23. The Salt Path: A Memoir by Raynor Winn
24. Meet The Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames

June
25. Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
26. Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson
27. Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor
28. Morning, Noon & Night by Sidney Sheldon
29. Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich

July
30. The Road To Memphis by Mildred D. Taylor
31. Foxfire 2: Ghost Stories, Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning And Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin's, Wagon Making And More Affairs Of Plain Living edited by Eliot Wigginton
32. Your Money Or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money And Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
33. The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander
34. Dearest Dorothy, Merry Everything! by Charlene Ann Baumbich
35. Neon Prey by John Sandford

August
36. Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
37. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
38. Hannibal by Thomas Harris
39. Womentality: Thirteen Empowering Stories By Everyday Women Who Said Goodbye To The Workplace And Hello To Their Lives edited by Erin Wildermuth
40. The Editor by Steven Rowley

September
41. Hope Farm by Peggy Frew
42. The Forgotten Affairs Of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith
43. Hand To Mouth: Living In Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado
44. The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift As A Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn
45. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
46. The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes

October
47. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet
48. Book Crush For Kids And Teens: Recommended Reading For Every Mood, Moment, And Interest by Nancy Pearl
49. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
50. The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide To The Natural Magic Of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, And More by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

November
51. House Of Stairs by William Sleator
52. Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel In Monthly Installments With Recipes, Romances And Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel
53. The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
54. Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

December
55. In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
56. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
57. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
58. I Am Half-Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley

Here's a list of the series I'm currently reading, or ones that I hope to start soon. It's just a place for me to keep track.

Aidan, Pamela—Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series (read 1 out of 3) Next up: Duty And Desire
Alexander, Lloyd—The Prydain Chronicles (read 5 out of 5)
Banks, Lynne Reid—The Indian In The Cupboard series (read 1 out of 5 but want to reread them all) Next up: The Indian In The Cupboard
Bradley, Alan—Flavia de Luce series (read 4 out of 10) Next up: Speaking From Among The Bones
Castillo, Linda—Kate Burkholder series (read 8 out of 12) Next up: Down A Dark Road
Castle, Richard—Nikki Heat series (read 2 out of 10) Next up: Heat Rises
Cronin, Justin—The Passage Trilogy (read 1 out of 3) Next up: The Twelve
Dobson, Joanne—Karen Pelletier series (read 3 out of 6) Next up: Cold And Pure And Very Dead
Evanovich, Janet—Stephanie Plum series (read 25 out of 26) Next up: Twisted Twenty-Six
Grafton, Sue—Alphabet Mysteries (read 3 out of 25) Next up: “D" Is For Deadbeat
Harris, Charlaine—Harper Connelly series (read 4 out of 4)
Harris, Thomas—Hannibal Lecter series (read 4 out of 4)
Littlefield, Sophie—Stella Hardesty series (read 3 out of 5) Next up: A Bad Day For Mercy
Martin, George R.R.—A Song Of Ice And Fire series (read 5 out of 7) Next up: The Winds Of Winter
Nix, Garth—The Abhorsen Trilogy (read 0 out of 3) Next up: Sabriel
Penny, Louise—Three Pines series (read 10 out of 16) Next up: The Nature Of The Beast
Pullman, Philip—His Dark Materials series (read 1 out of 3) Next up: The Subtle Knife
Quinn, Spencer—Chet and Bernie Mysteries (read 8 out of 10) Next up: Heart Of Barkness
Smith, Alexander McCall—Isabel Dalhousie series (read 8 out of 13) Next up: The Uncommon Appeal Of Clouds
Smith, Alexander McCall—No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (read 12 out of 21) Next up: The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection
Spencer-Fleming, Julia—Reverend Clare Fergusson series (read 6 out of 9) Next up: One Was A Soldier
Stewart, Mary—Arthurian Saga series (read 0 out of 5) Next up: The Crystal Cave
Tolkien, J.R.R.—Lord Of The Rings (read 1 out of 4) Next up: The Fellowship Of The Ring

These are the remaining Stephen King books I have to read as part of the King's Dear Constant Readers readalong. I've fallen off greatly with this challenge as I haven't read any of his stuff in ages but I feel the pull of jumping in again.

I've read his entire bibliography up to this point, these are the ones that are left (I'm skipping some of the e-books and things). Titles came from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King_bibliography although of course, more can be added at any time.

Mr. Mercedes
Revival
Finders Keepers
The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams
End Of Watch
Charlie The Choo-Choo
Sleeping Beauties
The Outsider
Elevation
The Institute
If It Bleeds

Welcome back!

>5 drneutron: Thank you, and thanks for setting up the group!

Happy reading in 2019!

>7 FAMeulstee: Thank you, same to you!

1. Barracoon: The Story Of The Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston (171 p.)
In the 1920's Hurston traveled to Alabama to interview Cudjo Lewis, the last known surviving African from the last known American slave ship. Through a series of interviews Lewis (or Kossola, his African name) related to her his childhood in Africa, his capture at the hands of a warring tribe, his passage across the Atlantic, his time spent in slavery, and his eventual freedom. It's a fascinating perspective, unpublished during Hurston's lifetime in part because no one wanted to publish a book written in vernacular. I think the book is stronger for that however, written in Lewis' "own voice" as it were, and it's a great start to my reading year.

Happy New Year!

>10 The_Hibernator: Thank you! I love that picture. Happy New Year to you too!

Happy New Year! What a great first read. One for my WL.

>12 BLBera: Thank you! I had heard about it on the news and when I saw my library had a copy available I snatched it up. It's a short, fairly quick read too.

Happy 2019
A year full of books
A year full of friends
A year full of all your wishes realised

I look forward to keeping up with you, LL, this year.

>14 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! I look forward to following along with your reading as well.

2. Cultivated Gardener: Trees edited by Kristin Joyce (96 p.)
3. Cultivated Gardener: Vegetables edited by Kristin Joyce (96 p.)
Two art books that caught my eye at a used bookstore. They're two in a series of four (sadly, the store didn't have the other two volumes), but they're neat little coffee table-type books filled with paintings and poems and excerpts from books that reference either trees or vegetables. Some of the paintings are breathtaking and the little snippets of text make you think. I'm glad I found them.

4. The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James (Kindle)
A governess in charge of two young children starts to see the ghosts of both her predecessor and a valet, and she becomes convinced that they're out to corrupt her charges. I found James' writing style a little difficult to follow at times with his long, run-on sentences, although I appreciated the ambiguity of the story itself. The ending also completely surprised me, I didn't see that coming at all.

5. Alive: The Story Of The Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read (398 p.)
In 1972 a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes mountains. Of the 45 passengers some died on impact, some in an avalanche that occurred later, and 16 ultimately survived the ordeal which lasted for 70 days. This book was so well-written and impactful - I was particularly struck by the resourcefulness they used to survive and how their faith carried them through their ordeal.

January Books Read
1. Barracoon: The Story Of The Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston
2. Cultivated Gardener: Trees edited by Kristin Joyce
3. Cultivated Gardener: Vegetables edited by Kristin Joyce
4. The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
5. Alive: The Story Of The Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read

January Books Acquired
The Jeopardy! Book Of Answers by Harry Friedman and Barry Garron
Who Put That Hair In My Toothbrush? by Jerry Spinelli (both were gifts)

6. Homeward Hound by Rita Mae Brown (304 p.)
I enjoy Brown's Sneaky Pie series but I wasn't too keen on this one. Jane "Sister" Arnold, a Master of Foxhounds, is surprised when a visitor joining her foxhunt goes missing during a blizzard. The visitor in question was in town looking for an area where his company could build a pipeline, giving him no shortage of potential enemies.

Without having read prior installments I had a hard time keeping the characters straight, and my overall impression of them was somewhat negative as they seemed to be a rather entitled group. The emphasis of the story was more on the hunts than on the actual mystery (we won't even get into my personal beliefs on hunting, although thankfully foxhunting these days apparently doesn't involve any actual killing). I don't think I'll bother with any of the others in this series, although as I said before I'm happy to read Brown's Sneaky Pie books anytime.

7. The Path To Tranquility by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (audiobook)
A collection of thoughts and quotes from the Buddhist leader. He talked a lot about interconnectedness, and stressed our similarities rather than our differences, which I found comforting.

8. Book Lust To Go: Recommended Reading For Travelers, Vagabonds, And Dreamers by Nancy Pearl (301 p.)
I just love Nancy Pearl. She must be one of the most prolific readers on planet Earth - I'd consider myself fairly well-read, but I haven't heard of probably 80% of the books/authors that she recommends. And I always laugh when she says things like "this series was so good I went back and reread the previous 22 entries," or something to that effect. I'm trying to think how I can incorporate more of her recommendations into my reading life because she has a lot and they all sound fabulous. (Her Twitter account is great too and well worth a look.)

9. The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope (280 p.)
When her sister angers Queen Mary, Kate is sent to live under house arrest at a remote castle known as the Perilous Gard. While there she hears tales of Fairy Folk who live under the hill and who steal people to "pay the teind" to the old gods. Could that be what happened to the castle owner's missing daughter? Kate learns that and more in this enjoyable juvenile fantasy.

10. Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer by Patrick Süskind (255 p.)
Can't say I particularly enjoyed this one - a man with a supernatural sense of smell becomes a great perfumer and then progresses to murdering young women and girls in an effort to capture their scent. Between the icky protagonist and some of the strange plot progressions (Jean-Baptiste's seven-year interlude living in a cave and that ridiculous ending come to mind), it all added up to a rather unsatisfying reading experience. That being said, I did like the glimpse of 18th century French life. If the book had focused more on the historical angle and less on all the endless sniffings I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

11. The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie (Kindle)
A much better read than my previous book. I greatly appreciate the twists and turns that Christie provides, as well as the fast-moving plot. My favorite of hers remains The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, but I greatly enjoyed this whodunit set at a wealthy English home with no shortage of suspects. Christie is a master at this type of story.

February Books Read
6. Homeward Hound by Rita Mae Brown
7. The Path To Tranquility by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
8. Book Lust To Go: Recommended Reading For Travelers, Vagabonds, And Dreamers by Nancy Pearl
9. The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
10. Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer by Patrick Süskind
11. The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie

February Books Acquired
None!

12. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life And Freedom On Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin (audiobook)
A difficult subject matter wonderfully told - Anthony Ray Hinton spent thirty years on Alabama's death row for a crime he didn't commit before finally being released. The circumstances that led to him being there would be almost laughable if they weren't so horrific - incompetent lawyers, racism, and poverty all led to his demise. But through it all he retained his sense of humor, along with a strong faith in God and a never-ending sense of hope.

13. Less by Andrew Sean Greer (261 p.)
After his ex-boyfriend decides to marry another man, writer Arthur Less accepts every literary invitation that comes his way, leading him on an around-the-world trip in an attempt to outrun his despair. Less is an endearing character to say the least, you never stop rooting for him on his madcap, comical, yet still poignant journey.

>28 LibraryLover23: ooohhhh, I like the sound of that one.

>29 fairywings: It won the Pulitzer too if that's any extra incentive for you!

14. 50 Ways To Save Lancaster County: An Environmental And Social Guide To What You Can Do To Help Save Our County by Philip R. Holzinger (212 p.)
Oh, Phil. If only more of us would heed your sage advice. I wonder what he makes of our current urban sprawl (this was published in the 90's). I remember when the only Target store around was in York, now we have three of our own. New shopping centers keep going up, while the department stores at the mall keep going out of business. It's all very disheartening. But this book offers practical advice that anyone can follow - recycling, composting, voluntary simplicity, driving less, eating more of a plant-based diet, gardening, etc. We're on the same wavelength, Phil and I. And of course I also appreciate the local aspect, which lists specific groups and agencies who can directly help.

15. Gone by Michael Grant (558 p.)
Under The Dome for kids. After everyone fifteen and over disappears (and a barrier comes down protecting them from the outside world), the kids left behind start jockeying for power, setting up a battle between the private school and public school kids. That's not all however, as animals have also started to mutate, and some of the kids learn they have superpowers. Some parts of this book were so tense I could barely stand to read it, but by the end it all felt a little too much for me. A bit over the top. I'm not sorry I read it, but I also have no desire to read the others in the series.

16. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (audiobook)
I love this one, particularly the audiobook version. Being an optimist at heart the book's positive message dials my happiness level up to 10. I imagine if you're a pessimist you probably wouldn't like it as much.

March Books Read
12. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life And Freedom On Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin
13. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
14. 50 Ways To Save Lancaster County: An Environmental And Social Guide To What You Can Do To Help Save Our County by Philip R. Holzinger
15. Gone by Michael Grant
16. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

March Books Acquired
Vegan's Daily Companion: 365 Days Of Inspiration For Cooking, Eating, And Living Compassionately by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Bringing It To The Table: On Farming And Food by Wendell Barry
The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide To The Natural Magic Of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, And More by Arin Murphy-Hiscock (bought these three at The Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg, PA)
What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris
Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel In Monthly Installments With Recipes, Romances, And Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (these three came from a local indie bookstore)
A Death In Vienna by Frank Tallis
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
The Gathering Dark by James Oswald (and these three came from a library book sale)

This month was rather stressful so I indulged in book buying. I've also noticed a direct correlation between lack of free time in my life and the urge to buy more books. It's like if I buy the books, I'll free up the time I need to read them, right? That's what I tell myself anyway!

I bought a copy of Less on the weekend, hopefully I will get to it in the next week or so.

>35 fairywings: Oh good, I hope you like it!

Wishing you a lovely weekend, LL.

>37 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! We had nice, warmer weather, so it's finally starting to feel like spring. I hope you had a nice weekend too.

17. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (437 p.)
Retired Detective Bill Hodges is still brooding over one final case that was unsolved when he left the force - that of "Mr. Mercedes," a man who plowed a car into a group of people, leaving several dead. When Mr. Mercedes contacts him a game of cat and mouse begins, and Hodges has to race against time to make sure he doesn't kill again. I liked this one a lot, the chapters alternate back and forth between Hodges and Hartsfield (the killer), and I'm curious to see how things will progress in the later books as this is the first in a trilogy.

18. Legal Tender: Women & The Secret Life Of Money by Christian McEwen (128 p.)
McEwen interviewed more than fifty women to get their perspectives on money - the good, the bad, and the ugly. The book is a collection of (super short) vignettes encompassing both the haves and the have-nots. I'm an absolute sucker for money-related books like this so, as the target audience, I can say I enjoyed it very much.

Here's my favorite story:

This is another story...I'm sure nobody else will have a story like this. Third grade, I've just come from China, middle of the year, first time ever in a school. I'm standing in line with the other third graders, and everybody's boasting, about "My father this," and "My parents that." And I'm thinking, What can I say that's going to impress them? And I say, "Well, we're poor!"
Dead silence! It's like, What did I say? Why don't they think that's wonderful? I thought that was really the proud way to be. (p. 31)

19. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (415 p.)
Third in the Flavia de Luce series opens with Flavia visiting a Gypsy fortune-teller's tent, then inviting the woman to bring her caravan to stay on the grounds of Buckshaw, Flavia's family's rambling estate. Not long after she arrives the Gypsy woman is attacked, and then a local ne'er-do-well is found murdered, hanging from Buckshaw's fountain. Flavia of course immediately takes it upon herself to investigate the crimes, often staying one or two steps ahead of the police (although it doesn't help that she withholds evidence from them). I'm a big fan of this series, I find Flavia endlessly endearing and I love that she's brilliant in some areas (like chemistry) and totally clueless in others (her family's entanglements and relationships).

20. The Last House On Sycamore Street by Paige Roberts (292 p.)
A little uneven but still compelling look at the Kravitz family who, after buying a new home on Sycamore Street, befriend the previous owners and get drawn into their world, which turns out to be more complicated than any of them bargained for. Some of the characters' actions didn't ring true for me (for example, if the kid you were babysitting for has a life-threatening allergic reaction, would you call your daughter-in-law before calling 911? I don't think so.) But I do think the author dealt with addiction in a very moving and realistic way, a topic I don't come across in fiction very often, despite its real-world prevalence.

April Books Read
17. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
18. Legal Tender: Women & The Secret Life Of Money by Christian McEwen
19. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
20. The Last House On Sycamore Street by Paige Roberts

April Books Acquired
Herbs + Flowers: Plant Grow Eat by Pip McCormac (a gift)
Rabbit Food Cookbook: Practical Vegan Recipes, Food History, And Other Miscellany by Beth A. Barnett (it was only $1, I couldn't resist!)

21. Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky (431 p.)
Two books of a planned five-book series about the German occupation of France during World War II. What makes this story unique is that the author wrote it during the time period in which it was occurring, and like the characters, didn't know the outcome of the war. It lends a sense of authenticity and urgency that's missing from historical fiction books about this time period.

What's sad about the whole thing (and the reason only two of the five books were written), is that the author was of Russian-Jewish descent and was deported to Auschwitz where she died in 1942. The edition I read included the author's correspondence which was gut-wrenching, particularly the letters Némirovsky's husband wrote to friends pleading for help after she was deported. (He too was eventually arrested and died in a concentration camp.) From a historical perspective it's a fascinating piece of literature, but it makes you wonder what could have been had she been allowed to live her life.

>24 LibraryLover23: I owned a copy of Perfume, I think in high school, and I was so put off by the obvious misogyny when I finally got round to reading the back cover that I recycled it the next day. Years later, I realized it was the historical fiction version of American Psycho.

>41 LibraryLover23: I've read a few of the Flavia books, including the most recent one, The Golden Tresses of the Dead. If it is, in fact, the last Flavia mystery, Alan Bradley went out on a high note.

>45 libraryperilous: I wouldn't say you're missing much by skipping Perfume! And I really enjoy the Flavia books, they're a nice treat every now and then.

22. The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction And Purpose by Oprah Winfrey (208 p.)
Loved this one. Loved. It. Oprah interviews authors, celebrities and spiritual leaders about finding one's purpose in life. I agree wholeheartedly with all of their teachings and sentiments. This would make a nice gift book, including possibly for myself.

23. The Salt Path: A Memoir by Raynor Winn (270 p.)
I read a positive review of this book that likened it to the British version of Wild, so I hightailed it to the nearest library and checked out a copy. And I did enjoy it, I thought the writing was very pretty and lyrical. However I did find it a bit repetitive at times. The plot of the book is that after losing their farm and receiving a devastating medical diagnosis the author and her husband decided to walk the South West Coast Path, 630 miles of rugged, scenic pathways along the southern end of England. It was good, I liked the descriptions, but in comparison of the two I think I prefer Wild.

>46 LibraryLover23: Ha! I don't think I'll add it back to the TBR. :)

>48 LibraryLover23: I love the Wainwright prize, and The Salt Path was on the shortlist last year. I should bump up my plan to work my way through the prize's longlisted titles. The 2019 longlist should be up in early June.

>49 libraryperilous: I just looked up the Wainwright Prize and it looks like all the books they promote would be right up my alley! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

24. Meet The Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames (229 p.)
Frugalwoods is a popular personal finance blog that I enjoy, although it was never one of my top, top favorites. This book is a distillation of the blog posts, about how a married couple reached FI and realized their dream of homesteading in Vermont. I would've liked more nitty-gritty number details, but the gist of their plan and the author's breezy writing style made up for it.

>50 LibraryLover23: You're welcome. There's also the Jefferies prize. I'm surprised Mark Cocker's manifesto didn't win the 2018 award. Perhaps it was deemed too political to be more than a nominee.

>52 libraryperilous: Interesting. *Rushes off to add new titles to wishlist* I'm also reading Bill Bryson's Notes From A Small Island right now and he's very critical of Britain's lack of preservation efforts, and this was back in the early '90's I think? It's all very disheartening.

May Books Read
21. Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky
22. The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction And Purpose by Oprah Winfrey
23. The Salt Path: A Memoir by Raynor Winn
24. Meet The Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames

May Books Acquired
Cold And Pure And Very Dead by Joanne Dobson
The Maltese Manuscript by Joanne Dobson (bought with a gift card)
The Editor by Steven Rowley (a gift)
Say Nothing: A True Story Of Murder And Memory In Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (50 cents at a yard sale)

>53 LibraryLover23: That's the only Bryson I think I'd really like. I should bump it up the ol' TBR list. Yes, agree and another thing that depresses me about conservation in the UK is the way it's controlled by special interest groups more interested in looking like they are preserving things than in helping people and nature cohabit in symbiotic ways.

>55 libraryperilous: I actually wouldn't rush to read it, he's been kind of mean-spirited throughout; I think I prefer his A Walk In The Woods, about hiking the Appalachian Trail.

25. Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (276 p.)
In 1930's Mississippi the Logan family is fiercely protective of their land, despite pressure from white landowners to sell. When Mama loses her teaching job and impulsive family friend T.J. falls in with the wrong group, the family bands together even stronger than before. This is a powerful book with a strong message, although I found T.J.'s storyline to be (understandably) rather upsetting.

26. Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson (324 p.)
Blech. Bryson's stuff is usually a surefire, solid read for me but this one left me cold. His trying (and failing) to understand a Glaswegian accent had me in stitches, but his over-the-top rudeness to everyone from hotel workers to restaurant employees did not sit well with me at all. It's a shame because I thought a funny, behind-the-scenes travel guide of Britain would be a hit, but unfortunately it was too much moaning and groaning. I have a few other books of his on the shelves already, I'm hoping this was just a misstep in his oeuvre.

>56 LibraryLover23: Hee! I actually noped out on A Walk in the Woods because I thought he was too mean-spirited in it! It sounds like there's even more of that in Notes from a Small Island. I shall take your advice not to rush it.

>57 LibraryLover23: I owned a copy of Taylor's book when I was a child. I cannot remember whether or not I read it.

>59 libraryperilous: I'm only just now getting to her books, and although the main character in this series is a child, these books can definitely be appreciated by an adult reader.

27. Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor (394 p.)
A continuation of the Logan family's story started in Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Cassie is now a little older and a little wiser, but there's still a lot to learn, including the fate of family friend T.J. who was accused of murdering a white man, Stacey's longing to go off to work and help the family financially, and talk of forming a union between the black and white families to counteract the unfair labor practices. By the end of this book I felt there was maybe one too many storylines coming into play, but it was still a sobering read about the lengths people go to to keep their family together.

28. Morning, Noon & Night by Sidney Sheldon (388 p.)
When wealthy businessman Harry Stanford dies under mysterious circumstances, his three children come together to learn the fate of his vast fortune. Trouble arises when a fourth, illegitimate child of Harry's shows up to claim her share. I remember liking Sheldon's novels a lot when I was younger but I was sort of surprised at the cheesiness of this one. There was never a dull moment however, the sentences and chapters are short and simplistic but there was a sudden twist on just about every other page. It made for good, fluffy reading while I was traveling.

29. Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich (311 p.)
Twenty five books in it's pretty much the same old, same old, but I love these books anyway. Stephanie and Lula take over running a deli after a string of previous managers goes missing. I was bummed there was no Grandma Mazur action, but the ending contains a cliffhanger involving her so I'm sure all will be forgiven with the next book.

June Books Read
25. Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
26. Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson
27. Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor
28. Morning, Noon & Night by Sidney Sheldon
29. Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich

June Books Acquired
Esther's Gift by Jan Karon
The Mitford Snowmen by Jan Karon
The Grave's A Fine And Private Place by Alan Bradley
The Cat Who Covered The World: The Adventures Of Henrietta And Her Foreign Correspondent by Christopher S. Wren
An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor
The Cartel by Don Winslow
Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson (bought these at the library's fill-a-bag sale)
The Joy Of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats And Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (gift card)
Black Klansman: Race, Hate, And The Undercover Investigation Of A Lifetime by Ron Stallworth
The City Baker's Guide To Country Living: A Novel by Louise Miller
Vegan Reset: The 28-Day Plan To Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle by Kim-Julie Hansen (bought at Trident Bookstore in Boston, MA)
I Will Have Vengeance: The Winter Of Commissario Ricciardi by Maurizio De Giovanni (bought at I AM Books in Boston, MA)

Just stopping by to wish you a lovely Sunday, LL

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Joy of Vegan Baking was one of the first vegan cookbooks I read. I'm neither a cook nor a baker, but I was looking for inspiration to stick with my vegan plans. Her next cookbook, The Vegan Table, is a favorite of mine.

>65 PaulCranswick: Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful Sunday as well. :)

>66 libraryperilous: I'm an okay cook but I love, love, love baking. It's become a bit of a passion of mine. My omnivorous family members who turn up their noses at my meals will gladly gobble up my vegan desserts. I also bought CPG's Vegan's Daily Companion earlier this year, all of a sudden she's on my radar. And now I'll have to at least borrow The Vegan Table from the library, I just looked at a preview, it looks great!

>67 LibraryLover23: Oh, ha. I'm hopeless at anything in the kitchen and don't enjoy it enough to improve. Very cool that your omnivores like your vegan goodies! Do you know how to make substitutions in non-vegan recipes, or do you just stick with vegan baking cookbooks?

I really like CPG. She's so sunny and pretty! She's very compassionate about animals and passionate about their rights. It's easy to lose sight of that when you just eat vegan for health purposes.

>68 libraryperilous: I do a bit of both, sometimes I just try to make swaps with things but if that doesn't work I'll look for a vegan recipe to try and perfect it!

30. The Road To Memphis by Mildred D. Taylor (290 p.)
Another book in the Logan family series finds Cassie, her brother Stacey, and their friends trying to get Moe Turner to Memphis to catch a train after an altercation with three white men. I thought this was the strongest entry of the series with the storylines all coming together nicely at the end, although of course, not without sorrow involved.

31. Foxfire 2: Ghost Stories, Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning And Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin's, Wagon Making And More Affairs Of Plain Living edited by Eliot Wigginton (410 p.)
Back in the 60's Eliot Wigginton used the idea of a magazine about old-time Appalachian life to entice his English students to interview relatives and neighbors and use their writing skills along the way. The result was a magazine which in turn became a series of books. To me it's fascinating reading, if there was ever an apocalypse or something and we had no internet these books would teach me all I would need to know to survive. (From which wild plants are edible, to how to make clothes, to how to build a log cabin from scratch, etc.) Good stuff.

I used to love reading the Firefox books when I was younger. What a blast from the past!

>72 drneutron: They're fascinating! It's amazing how self-sufficient people used to be...

32. Your Money Or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money And Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin (350 p.)
This was exactly the right book for me at exactly the right time. I think it's considered the "grandfather" of the personal finance movement and for good reason. All personal finance boils down to one basic principle (spend less than you earn), but this was presented to me in a way I hadn't quite seen before and for that I'm grateful.

Two points that stuck out to me were the concept of having "enough" which is the point where the fulfillment curve is at its peak, anything beyond that shifts from being usable and wanted to becoming clutter and our enjoyment level goes down. It put me uncomfortably in mind of my current book buying habits and really gave me pause. I plan on reevaluating this more in the future. Another point that stuck out to me was the concept that Americans are no longer considered "citizens" but instead are thought of as "consumers." The very definition of consume is to "use up, waste, destroy and squander." It's considered unpatriotic to not spend money.

Beyond that the authors outline nine steps to follow which will rework how you think about money, possessions, time and life energy. I loved it.

Dropping by to wish you a lovely Sunday, LL

>75 PaulCranswick: A belated thank you, Paul!

33. The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander (767 p.)
A sweeping children's fantasy series which is loosely based on Welsh mythology. The edition that I read contains the five books that make up the series plus a few short stories.

The Book Of Three: Taran, an assistant pig-keeper, leaves home for the first time when the oracular pig Hen Wen escapes. Out in the forest he befriends a motley group of companions which includes the Princess Eilonwy, faithful Gurgi, and (my personal favorite) Fflewddur Fflam the bard. The crew encounters many adventures along the way, which finally leads them to a showdown with Arawn Death-Lord's war lord, the Horned King.

The Black Cauldron: Taran and company work together to destroy Arawn's black cauldron which produces the Cauldron-Born, deathless warriors who do Arawn's bidding.

The Castle Of Llyr: Taran sets off with Eilonwy back to her homeland where she must learn the rules and customs of being a princess. Of course, things don't go according to plan...

Taran Wanderer: Taran and Gurgi journey throughout Prydain so Taran can learn more about his heritage and place in the world.

The High King: Taran and friends face off against Arawn once and for all.

The short stories include tales of Dallben's childhood with the three enchantresses of Morva, Doli the dwarf's encounter with a farmer, and how Spiral Castle and the sword Dyrnwyn came to be.

Overall I thought it was a great series, I was sorry to see it end.

Those are some good ones!

>78 drneutron: I miss the characters already!

34. Dearest Dorothy, Merry Everything! by Charlene Ann Baumbich (255 p.)
Taking a little Christmas in July interlude with this story about life in a small Illinois town one Christmas season. This is the fifth in the series, and as I haven't read any of the others it was a little bit hard for me to keep everyone straight. But it was a pleasant diversion, primarily centering on town matriarch Dorothy and a newer resident who wants to build a mini mall, much to some of the townspeople's chagrin. It was sort of Mitford-esque, although I have yet to find a series that can match that one's charm.

35. Neon Prey by John Sandford (390 p.)
I don't read this series in order, rather I jump around from book to book. This is the newest in the series; now a US Marshal, Lucas Davenport travels around the country, wherever the latest high-profile case takes him. In this book's case that's New Orleans, LA and Vegas (hence the "neon" title). What's great about these books is that you see the crime from the perspectives of law enforcement and the bad guys, and although you don't want the bad to guys to win, it's thrilling to see how/if/when they'll get caught. Another great entry to the series.

July Books Read
30. The Road To Memphis by Mildred D. Taylor
31. Foxfire 2: Ghost Stories, Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning And Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin's, Wagon Making And More Affairs Of Plain Living edited by Eliot Wigginton
32. Your Money Or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money And Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
33. The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander
34. Dearest Dorothy, Merry Everything! by Charlene Ann Baumbich
35. Neon Prey by John Sandford

July Books Acquired
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle (from the "free" pile at the library)
Hope Farm by Peggy Frew (won through LT's Early Reviewers)
Lady Susan / The Watsons / Sanditon by Jane Austen
Vegan Meals For One Or Two: Your Own Personal Recipes by Chef Nancy Berkoff, R.D. (these two came from Book Owl Books in Portsmouth, VA)

I've been reluctant to read any of Austen's lesser-known works. But one of my favorite BookTubers, Katie at Books and Things, absolutely raves about Lady Susan. I'm rereading all six of Austen's novels this summer, and I think I'm going to read Lady as well.

I've only read one of Lloyd Alexander's books, Time Cat, but the Prydain books sound very interesting.

>83 libraryperilous: That sounds like an awesome summer reread. I've read most, but not all, of hers and none of these three. I'm glad to hear Lady Susan gets high praise from others!

36. Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris (306 p.)
Fourth and final book in the Harper Connelly series. Harper was struck by lightning as a teen and as a result can find dead bodies and determine the cause of death. Each book has dealt with a missing person or murder of some kind, with the mysterious fate of Harper's missing sister always lurking in the background. This book finally solves that mystery and ends the series as a whole on a satisfying note. In my ranking of Harris' series (the ones I've read) I would put the early Sookie Stackhouse books second, but these definitely come before the middle and later Sookie books, if that makes sense. (Lily Bard remains my favorite.)

ETA: I forgot about the Midnight Crossroad series, those are great too. Now I'm not sure what order to rank them in (although I'm comfortable keeping Lily Bard first). I also like how the characters from Harris' series intersect, it keeps things interesting.

I might include Lady Susan amongst my intended reading soon too since so many people seem to like it so.

>86 PaulCranswick: I'm looking forward to it, I hope you like it too!

37. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (262 p.)
A beautifully written book but also incredibly depressing. Maybe that wasn't the author's intention but that was my interpretation of it. Eilis leaves her Irish hometown for a better life in America. Although she didn't want to leave and is desperately homesick at first, she eventually starts to adjust, making friends and eventually finding a boyfriend. After news from home sends her back to Ireland she's torn once again between staying or leaving. It was hard to put this one down between readings, but it left me feeling a little drained with its melancholy mood.

>88 LibraryLover23: I love Brooklyn, but the ending is tough for me to swallow. The film, which is excellent, paints a more hopeful picture of her return to Brooklyn, I thought.

>89 Cait86: I'm glad to hear that, I was sort of waffling on whether or not I wanted to watch the movie, but I think I'll definitely make the effort. I was just particularly sad about her leaving her mother behind, that was the toughest part I think.

38. Hannibal by Thomas Harris (546 p.)
Conclusion to the Clarice Starling/Hannibal Lecter story and not at all what I was expecting. (The fourth and final book in this series is actually a prequel, about Lecter's childhood.) The main part of the story was very good - Lecter on the lam in Europe and America with short, action-heavy chapters focusing on the good guys, the bad guys, and the really bad guys. I was disgusted by certain scenes and descriptions, although oddly it's not nearly as bad to read about Lecter going after somebody, as he becomes something of an antihero over the course of this series. But that ending, what was up with that ending? That just stretched my limits of credulity. I'm not buying it.

39. Womentality: Thirteen Empowering Stories By Everyday Women Who Said Goodbye To The Workplace And Hello To Their Lives edited by Erin Wildermuth (193 p.)
I was elated to win this one through Early Reviewers - the subject is right up my alley as I have an abiding interest in nontraditional work lifestyles and personal finance. Working the 9-5 grind for the majority of a person's life just seems crazy to me. There has to be another way and there is, as this book shows: thirteen women who left the traditional workforce for freelance, work-from-home options. A couple of these essays were a little uneven but all were inspiring in their own way. I also appreciated the international perspective, it gives a sense of "if she can do it, I can do it too."

>92 LibraryLover23: I quit my high-stress (80+-hr week) job at age 30 and traveled solo around the world for 18 months. Then I went back to work, saved up some more cash, and did the whole thing over again. I'm now 40 and getting ready to take my third long-term trip. This time, I'm going to freelance as I'm traveling.

I'm not married and have no plans to have any children (mine or any partner's), so it was pretty easy for me to pack up and go. However, I haven't had my own apartment for a few years, as I've been crashing with my parents between trips. I miss that autonomy, so I'm planning on making this trip my last hurrah, then moving back to New York and parking myself in grad school for the next decade, lol. Guess I'm not ready to fully grow up. :)

Anyway, I wish we had a better attitude toward work in the US. Both more respectful of the dignity of all kinds of work, and also less "Bootstraps! Work hard and overcome everything!" We also need to do a better job of not alienating and embarrassing the non-working population, especially in the language politicians use. Sigh.

>93 libraryperilous: That is amazing. I bow down to your awesomeness. I have a bunch of questions - where all did you go? Does this mean you're a minimalist? (I would imagine you wouldn't be lugging huge trunks around the world.) Did you ever write/blog about your experiences? What are you going to study in grad school? You don't have answer these questions, I'm just fascinated and being nosy! But in all seriousness that sounds like an amazing thing to do, good for you.

I'm similar to you in that I'm single with no kids (and no plans for kids) and as such I have a bit more freedom when it comes to decisions regarding my work life/home life/finances, etc. Two of the women featured in Womentality were freelancers who were traveling the world, and the book itself inspired me to work harder at honing my freelancing skills.

40. The Editor by Steven Rowley (310 p.)
After James writes a semi-autobiographical novel about his fraught relationship with his mother, he's thrilled when it's optioned for publication, and gobsmacked when he learns his editor is none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Set in the early 90's in NYC the book examines James' initial awe and eventual friendship with Jackie, as well as what transpires with his mother after she learns the book's contents. I liked it, it makes me want to learn more about Jackie's time as an editor and which books she actually did choose to edit.

>94 LibraryLover23: Ha, thank you, and hello fellow singleton with no kids! I definitely need to hone my freelance skills.

I've never blogged about my travels, but this will be the third long-term trip. The first one: lived in Egypt and London for six months each, plus went to Jordan, Kuwait, and the Emirates. The next one: Paris, London, and Morocco. This one is supposed to be Oz/New Zealand and sub-Saharan Africa, but I'm not sure my budget will suffice. I may end up just hitting surfing spots in Latin America for a few months.

I travel light, and I don't have a lot of stuff--mostly books. It's all stashed in the bedroom my dad keeps for me at his house. My next apartment will feature all new furnishings. I'm okay with that, because I want to do this kind of travel while I'm younger. Lately, I've felt the pull of having my own place again, and grad school will mean I can't afford trips. (Grad school will be a master's in library science with a focus on archiving, plus a second master's in either Middle Eastern studies or foreign affairs. I worry that foreign affairs is too math-y. The focus is on economics. I'm more interested in historical diplomacy + activist groups.)

Ooh, sorry for the wall o' text, but I wanted to answer your questions. I appreciate your support for my trip!

>95 LibraryLover23: This sounds like a lovely novel. If you like poetry, Caroline Kennedy edited a volume of her mother's favorite poems, The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

>92 LibraryLover23: I added this to my wishlist.

>93 libraryperilous: I'm also inspired by your example & glad to get more of the scoop of your adventures. :-)

>96 libraryperilous: That is so cool, it's amazing that you've gotten to see and stay in all of those places. And those sound like fascinating subjects for grad school, best wishes to you in your travels and endeavors! :)

One of the books the author mentions as source material in The Editor is Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography In Books which also sounds interesting.

>97 lottpoet: I hope you like it, it's really gotten me motivated to try for more freelancing work. And I really liked the international perspective, some of the women have to overcome language barriers, political upheaval and other trials and yet they still manage to make it work.

August Books Read
36. Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
37. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín
38. Hannibal by Thomas Harris
39. Womentality: Thirteen Empowering Stories By Everyday Women Who Said Goodbye To The Workplace And Hello To Their Lives edited by Erin Wildermuth
40. The Editor by Steven Rowley

August Books Acquired
Womentality: Thirteen Empowering Stories By Everyday Women Who Said Goodbye To The Workplace And Hello To Their Lives edited by Erin Wildermuth (won through LT's Early Reviewers)
Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts And Minds About Animals And Food by Gene Baur (I listened to Gene Baur speak at a local farm sanctuary recently. He's eloquent and adorable. Go Gene!)

41. Hope Farm by Peggy Frew (343 p.)
I've had a fantastic run of Early Reviewer books lately, it's an embarrassment of riches really. Reading over the description of this one I think they had me at "hippie commune." The story is about Silver and her mother Ishtar who have lived a nomadic life, bouncing around from communes to ashrams, until the charismatic Miller leads them to Hope Farm where their lives will irrevocably be changed. Silver is the narrator, with Ishtar's storyline interspersing and going back in time to before Silver was born, until they both eventually intersect. It was an interesting plot device and gave an added layer to the story. And it was a very well-told story, dealing with loss, love, and the complicated relationship between a mother and her daughter.

Wow, you've been reading some great stuff this year! I'm impressed that you read all of The Prydain Chronicles too, what a chunkster! I'm adding it to my TBR, of course, because 1) I keep forgetting the title and author, and 2) I loved The Black Cauldron movie when I was a kid. I've got the last two Harper Connelly books to read too, and I'm looking forward to them.

>97 lottpoet:, >98 LibraryLover23: Thank you both for your support!

I think I need to get hold of a copy of Womentality for some inspo.

Love Gene Baur. He's so sincere!

>101 LauraBrook: I really liked The Prydain Chronicles, it worked perfectly as a long summer read. I wonder if the movie follows the book or if it's a loose adaptation? I may have to look into this!

>102 libraryperilous: Gene Baur is awesome. He signed my book, "thanks for your compassion." Love him.

42. The Forgotten Affairs Of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith (261 p.)
Number 8 in the Isabel Dalhousie series. I enjoy this series very much - McCall Smith isn't known for action-heavy plots, rather he's known for a sense of place and a clear look into his characters' thoughts. In this series' case the setting is Edinburgh, Scotland, and the main character is Isabel, a philosopher. Isabel, as you'd expect, does a lot of ruminating, with her thoughts ranging from the profound to the silly. This book involved Isabel helping an Australian woman discover her Scottish heritage, along with some minor dustups with her niece Cat and her arch nemesis' nephew, Max Lettuce. It was a pleasant diversion to a place I'd love to visit in person someday.

43. Hand To Mouth: Living In Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado (audiobook)
I'm of two minds about this one - on the one hand I can sympathize with the author's frustration at an unequal, unfair society that treats poor people poorly, and on the other I couldn't really stand her angry audiobook narration and endless use of sarcasm.

Tirado wrote a post called "Poverty Thoughts" that went viral (the article can be found here: https://thoughtcatalog.com/linda-tirado/2013/11/why-i-make-terrible-decisions-or..., and this book is an expansion on that post's ideas. I read a lot of personal finance info, so as someone who has come across literally thousands of ideas to both spend less and earn more I wasn't fully buying all of Tirado's arguments. She's also very defensive of her choices, which is understandable, but when you put yourself out there with a book like this you're bound to have some criticism. (Her defense basically consisted of arguments like, "go screw yourself.") The overall message is that she wants people to change their attitudes toward poor people but her angry negativity just turned me off. My advice? If you're interested read the article, skip the book.

44. The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift As A Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn (959 p.)
This is probably my favorite personal finance book, a collection of newsletters from the 90's on how to live well on less. I liked the first book the best because the articles and tips are short and sweet, in the later books she gets more in depth, and I'm not always interested in all of the subjects she covers. At the very end she lists success stories from readers and these are the very best parts of the book, and where I get mounds of inspiration. I'll do what I always do when I finish this book, flip back to the beginning and start reading it again, in chunks here and there whenever I need a money-saving boost.

45. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (352 p.)
I wanted to like this one more than I did. It's a neat concept - Jacob grew up with stories and photographs of the strange children's home his grandfather grew up in, and after his grandfather's violent death he goes back to Wales to explore the home further. The rest of the book involves time loops, strange, deadly creatures, and even odder photographs sprinkled throughout. I think my problem with it is that I never really connected with any of the characters (I also had a hard time keeping the peculiars straight), which always dings my enjoyment of a book.

46. The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes (163 p.)
A sad but beautifully written book about an older man's reexamining of his life, particularly his memories of his childhood friend and the girl they each dated. That makes it sound simplistic but it was a much deeper, meaningful reading experience than that. For a short book it packs a powerful punch.

>107 LibraryLover23: I had this on my TBR for a spell. I ultimately deleted it because it seemed a little too twee, or McSweeney's-esque, however you want to put it. Anyway, it sounded like an interesting topic for a picture book, not an entire series of novels.

>108 LibraryLover23: Have you read anything else by Barnes? I've heard good things about Arthur and George.

>109 libraryperilous: Yeah, I think I was disappointed in Miss Peregrine in part because the pictures came first and the story second. The pictures were fascinating, but I felt like the author was stretching it at times to make the story fit with the pictures.

And no, I haven't read anything else by Barnes, although he's definitely an author whose works I would like to explore more!

September Books Read
41. Hope Farm by Peggy Frew
42. The Forgotten Affairs Of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith
43. Hand To Mouth: Living In Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado
44. The Complete Tightwad Gazette: Promoting Thrift As A Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn
45. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
46. The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes

September Books Acquired
Simply In Season: Recipes That Celebrate Fresh, Local Foods In The Spirit Of More-With-Less by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert
West With The Night by Beryl Markham
Madame Tussaud: A Novel Of The French Revolution by Michelle Moran
A History Of The World In Six Glasses by Tom Standage
The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Bought these at one of my favorite book sales, a retirement home community that sells cheap books in great condition. I got these and one or two gift books for $5 total.)

>110 LibraryLover23: Barnes is a writer worth spending more time with.

>112 PaulCranswick: Yes, he's definitely on my radar now. Unfortunately that's the only book of his I own, but I'll be on the lookout at book sales and libraries!

47. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet (297 p.)
Enjoyable cozy mystery set in an isolated but picturesque English village. The characters made this one stand out for me, from the overbearing town busybody whose murder sets off the plot, to the former MI5 agent, now vicar, who investigates the crime. (Shout-out goes to Awena Owen who runs the town's New Age shop and makes delicious vegetarian meals.) The setting worked for me, the characters were memorable, this would be a series worth exploring further.

>114 LibraryLover23: Oh, this sounds charming.

>115 libraryperilous: It was!

48. Book Crush For Kids And Teens: Recommended Reading For Every Mood, Moment, And Interest by Nancy Pearl (288 p.)
I wish Nancy would write more in this series because I love these books. These are her recommendations for children's and young adult literature, separated by topics like Queens of Fantasy, Dragooned by Dragons, The Kids Next Door and others. It adds thousands of ideas to my TBR-someday list, and rereading these are always a surefire way to get me out of any reading slump I may be heading toward.

>117 LibraryLover23: I enjoyed this one more than her adult and travel books recommendations. I especially liked the categories! I also love children's books, so ...

>118 libraryperilous: Ha! I enjoy all of the books in this series, I think because she's so passionate about reading and so excited about books, she gets me excited about books. (Not that it takes much to get me excited about books.)

49. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (325 p.)
A violent, somewhat strange Western about two brothers who work as hired guns. The story finds Eli (the nicer one who is sometimes prone to fits of rage) and Charlie (the one with no conscience) going after a man who they learn has a formula to find gold. I found the traveling part of the story to be more interesting than the end of the book, when they finally reach their destination. I also had a hard time with the violence inflicted on animals (surprise, surprise) but it was also infused throughout with a kind of morbid, gallows humor that I could appreciate. I'm kind of curious now to watch the movie version to see how it's all portrayed.

50. The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide To The Natural Magic Of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, And More by Arin Murphy-Hiscock (256 p.)
A book on how to be a "green witch" or, in other words, how to be more in tune with nature. I liked it a lot, it includes recipes, crafts, gardening tips and more. Some of the rituals were a little out there, but the overall sentiment is one I can get behind.

October Books Read
47. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet
48. Book Crush For Kids And Teens: Recommended Reading For Every Mood, Moment, And Interest by Nancy Pearl
49. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
50. The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide To The Natural Magic Of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, And More by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

October Books Acquired
Hearse And Buggy: An Amish Mystery by Laura Bradford
Elevation by Stephen King
Shadow Of Night by Deborah Harkness
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen (these all came from the library bookstore's half-off sale)

51. House Of Stairs by William Sleator (166 p.)
Five orphans awaken in a space filled with nothing but stairs. Stairs going up, down, and sideways, with virtually no end. Coming together they learn there's also a machine there that will provide them with food, but first they have to figure out what the machine wants. Over time, as they learn the machine's process it changes, forcing them to readjust their behavior in order to maintain survival. This was an interesting, eerie young adult book that would be fun to read in a book group setting as there's a lot to discuss.

>123 LibraryLover23: This one shows up in the Name That Book group frequently. Apparently, it's quite memorable. I've never read it, though I do have a vague memory of reading Sleator's Interstellar Pig in elementary school.

>124 libraryperilous: I think I first came across it as a Nancy Pearl recommendation and she rarely steers me wrong!

52. Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel In Monthly Installments With Recipes, Romances And Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel (246 p.)
Tita is devastated when she learns she can't marry her boyfriend due to the family tradition of the youngest daughter needing to stay behind to care for her mother. Even worse, Pedro will now marry Tita's sister in an attempt to at least stay close to her. Tita pours all her feelings into her cooking and, magically, whatever she is feeling at the time gets transferred to whoever is eating her food.

This one started out really strong for me. I loved the magical realism aspect and the cooking parts, but it petered out a bit at the end. Some of the characters' actions didn't ring true, like the strange fate of Tita's sad sack sister, the one who married Pedro. (I also kind of wanted Tita to end up with John, by the end I didn't like Pedro all that much.) I liked the book overall, I just wasn't quite as enamored with it as I thought I would be.

>126 LibraryLover23: Like Water for Chocolate is a rare exception for me: I like the film and don't like the book.

>127 libraryperilous: I just saw that the movie version is on Netflix streaming. I'm currently watching Alias Grace (which is also pretty good) and then I'd like to watch that one!

53. The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron (340 p.)
Bought this one in Maine at a "local authors to try" table. It gives a great sense of place (in this book's case, the Maine woods), where game warden Mike Bowditch lives. Mike is shocked to find out his ne'er-do-well father has been accused of murder, he then puts his career on the line trying to prove his father's innocence. It was a good setting with strong, vivid characters, but I just wasn't totally enamored with the ending. It was a believable ending, just not where I was expecting the story to go.

54. Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris (323 p.)
Conclusion to the story of Hannibal Lecter, but actually a prequel, jumping back to Lecter's idyllic childhood which was shattered when WWII broke out and his family came under attack. If there was any doubt about Lecter being an antihero this story puts that to rest, you root for Lecter to go after the "bad guys" who killed his family (in a myriad of gruesome ways), and of course Lecter always manages to stay one step ahead of everyone else. Ranking this series I think I would put Red Dragon first and Hannibal last. It's a toss-up between this and The Silence Of The Lambs for the second and third slots.

November Books Read
51. House Of Stairs by William Sleator
52. Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel In Monthly Installments With Recipes, Romances And Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel
53. The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
54. Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

November Books Acquired
The Lady Killer by Masako Togawa
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
The Book Stops Here: A Bibliophile Mystery by Kate Carlisle
Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
Shakespeare's Pub: A Barstool History Of London As Seen Through The Windows Of Its Oldest Pub - The George Inn by Pete Brown
The Immortal Evening: A Legendary Dinner With Keats, Wordsworth, And Lamb by Stanley Plumly
And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander
The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy Ph.D., D.D.
A Little History Of The World by E. H. Gombrich
Catherine The Great: Portrait Of A Woman by Robert K. Massie (These came from Iris' Books at Saturday's Market (which, sadly, closed this month), LT's Early Reviewers, a Christmas bazaar, Midtown Scholar bookstore in Harrisburg, and a thrift shop. I'm going to see how long I can go without buying any more books because friends, I have a serious book-buying addiction!)

I've heard wondrous things about The Sparrow. I need to bump up that one.

I, too, am trying to curb my book-buying habits, but, alas, my dad gave me money for SantaThing, so ...

>132 libraryperilous: I've heard good things too, I'm looking forward to it!

Well, if you're given money/books that doesn't count, does it? ;)

55. In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd (264 p.)
The book that the movie "A Christmas Story" is based on. Shepherd co-wrote the screenplay for the film, does the narration, and can be found in the mall scene when he says, "Hey kid, the line ends here, it begins there." Not all of the stories in this somewhat semi-autobiographical book are found in the film, but the crucial one (will Ralphie get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas?) is front and center. Overall I found the pacing of some of the stories to be a little slow at times, but at other points it was laugh-out-loud funny. This probably won't become a perennial Christmas reread for me, but the film version remains a favorite.

Fun side facts: Shepherd's dramatizing of the ordinary, everyday aspects of life was a huge influence on comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who even named his third child Shepherd.

The coming-of-age theme and adult narration of the film "A Christmas Story" went on to inspire TV shows such as "The Wonder Years."

>134 LibraryLover23: I've never been able to get through the film, lol. Apparently, I am stuck at pre-transformation Grinch. Does the tongue frozen to the pole incident occur in the book?

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

>135 libraryperilous: Ha! No, actually that scene isn't in the book, but I believe that shows up in one of his other collections. This one had the BB gun, the fight with the bully, the Little Orphan Annie secret decoder pin, and the Major Award/leg lamp. :)

>136 PaulCranswick: Happy holidays to you too Paul!

56. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (80 p.)
A seasonal favorite about the always-misbehaving Herdman kids taking over the local Christmas pageant and teaching the townspeople a thing or two about the true meaning of Christmas.

57. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (238 p.)
In order to impress a girl, Tristran Thorn promises to bring her back a fallen star. Things aren't so simple however, as not only does the star not want to go anywhere with Tristran, but others are after the star as well, including a witch who wants to use the star to bring back her youth. This was an enjoyable fantasy, with likable characters and some rather tense moments that upped the excitement factor. Might be my favorite Gaiman that I've read so far.

Nice one! If you haven't seen the movie, it's also worth a look. Different from the book, but with the same spirit.

>140 drneutron: I will keep that in mind, thanks for the recommendation!

58. I Am Half-Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley (297 p.)
Christmas has come to Buckshaw, and in an effort to raise money for the crumbling estate's upkeep, Flavia's father has allowed a film crew to make a movie on the property. When the townspeople come for a charity performance to see world-famous Phyllis Wyvern, a snowstorm traps them all at Buckshaw, and when Phyllis winds up dead, one of the houseguests or film crew must be to blame... Add to that Flavia's science experiment to find out once and for all if Father Christmas actually exists, and you have one very exciting Christmas Eve. I love this series, the characters are what make it stand out for me and I have a huge soft spot in particular for Dogger, the family's butler with an intriguing past. I greatly enjoyed this one.

December Books Read
55. In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
56. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
57. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
58. I Am Half-Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley

December Books Acquired
Foxfire 3: Animal Care, Banjos And Dulcimers, Hide Tanning, Summer And Fall Wild Plant Foods, Butter Churns, Ginseng, And Still More Affairs Of Plain Living edited by Eliot Wigginton (a gift)
Living More With Less by Doris Janzen Longacre
366 Simply Delicious Dairy-Free Recipes by Robin Robertson (thrift shop)

Moving over to the 2020 group soon, see you there!