Lynsey's First Step....

As it has been said, "the first step is admitting you have a problem." After years of collecting books that I want to read and after 2020 causing the worst reading slump in my personal history, it seems a good year to set some goals and knock some books off my tbr! I have been more active in groups on library thing in the past and some people may remember me. I look forward to reconnecting and meeting new people!

Welcome to the group, Lynsey! I hope you find it helps in your quest to read some of your TBRs (and hopefully isn't *too* enabling!).

Hi Lynsey. Always good to 'read' a new face. Welcome to the group. Happy ROOTing.

Welcome aboard and good luck with your challenge! This group is a great motivator, I find :)

>2 Jackie_K: Thanks Jackie! Looking forward to a year of good reading!

>3 connie53: Thanks for the welcome, Connie!

>4 rabbitprincess: Thanks for the welcome! I am sure it will be a great motivator! I have always enjoyed seeing what others are reading and impressed by how much and how fast some people can read.

Glad you're with us!

>8 cyderry: Thanks Cyderry!

Welcome! I hope you find the company motivating!

>10 MissWatson: I'm sure I will. My biggest challenge is that I get way too many book ideas and my tbr list gets longer and longer. Well I guess that's a good challenge.

1. Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon - 4 stars

A fun, page-turning read about Nancy Wake. A female leader in the French resistance during WW2.

2. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra - 5 stars

Sure there were some stories I preferred more than others in this collection but each story was exceptionally crafted. The collection in it's entirety is super. A new favorite and one I will definitely reread.

>13 Lynsey2: I have this on my TBR pile, having heard good things about it - glad you enjoyed it too!

>14 Jackie_K: I really enjoyed A Constellation of Vital Phenomena but was expecting not to like his second book as much just because i tend not to like most author's second novels. I was wrong. His way with characters and his use of very dry humor and irony really appeals to me

3. Minnesota 1918: When Flu, Fire, and War Ravaged the State by Curt Brown - 3 stars

Ahhh history...the more things change, the more they remain the same.

4. The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman - 5 stars

Through Penman's research and detailed writing she was able to give me another plausible portrayal of Richard III than the one I was familiar with.

5. Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen - 3 stars

Definitely had it's humorous moments but overall fell flat for me.

>17 Lynsey2: A 5 star book! That's always great.

>17 Lynsey2: I love Sharon Kay Penman's books! I'm reading Falls the Shadow at the moment myself.

>19 connie53: Yes, I can't wait to read more of her books!

>20 rabbitprincess: This was my first Penman. I look forward to seeing your comments on Falls the Shadow.

6. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue - 4 stars
This was a solid read about a Camerooninan family and their struggle to make it in America during the financial crisis of the early 2000's. It was not without it's flaws but I find myself wishing I had someone to discuss this book with. If a character in a book acts "out of character" is that an inconsistency by the author or an intentional complexity of the character?

>23 Lynsey2: I haven't read the book, so this is a generic comment:

To me, it depends on how well it's done. Humans are complex and sometimes they do unexpected things, so characters in a novel should too. The question is: Do I believe it? Or do I feel the author has cut a corner or mishandled her own character for a sensational effect or to create a happy ending?

>24 Henrik_Madsen: Thanks Henrik, A generic comment was exactly what I was hoping for! I felt that in Behold the Dreamers> it was done for dramatic effect but humans certainly can do dramatic things that don't make sense. overall I enjoyed the book and was emotionally invested in the characters worlds enough to argue whether they would or wouldn't have done certain actions. :)

7. He Was Taught To Be This Way by Adrian Michael

You're right on track, Lynsey. Good for you!

>27 connie53: Thanks Connie! Trying to keep up but i'm afraid i've made a quite large goal without considering the number of really big books on my shelf.

8. The Children Act by Ian McEwan - 4 stars
One of my favorite authors. He rarely disappoints.

9. Claudine's House by Colette - 3.5 stars
A collection of memories of a childhood in a small french village. There were definitely stories I enjoyed more than others.

10. The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan - 4 stars
A detailed look at humans and their relationship with nature with regards to 4 plants; apple, tulip, marijuana and potato. This occasionally gets a little bogged down and repetitive but overall an interesting read.

Just popping in to wish you and yours a Happy Easter, Lynsey.

>28 Lynsey2: You can always change your goal. Just mention it in the Progress thread and change your ticker.

>32 connie53: Thanks Connie! Happy Easter to you too! And thanks for the information about changing my goal. I will give that some consideration.

11. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari - 3.5 stars
This was a bit of a slog for me. It started out strong, immediately grabbing my attention but as the book went on I quickly lost interest. Some interesting ideas but overall this felt like a book of personal opinion without much substance to it.

12. Heaven's Keep by William Kent Krueger -3.5
Book 9 in the Cork O'Connor Series. Better than book 8 but not as good as some of his earlier books. And frankly I didn't like the ending.

13. Love and Ruin by Paula McLain - 4 stars
The story of Martha Gellhorn, Ernest Hemingway's third wife. I preferred The Paris Wife by McLain but still enjoyed this one. At times I found the Gellhorn character hard to empathize with but over the course of the book I grew to appreciate her determination to follow her own dreams.

14. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
A riveting story with a strong message. Unfortunately, the theme of desire, love, money and greed and how they all get intermixed felt like it was pummeled into me. The prose became very repetitious as did the dialogue.

15. El Sancocho del Sábado by Leyla Torres
A children's book in spanish that has been on my book shelf since my adult son was in Spanish immersion. Unfortunately it is still more advanced than my current spanish reading level and there was a lot of new vocabulary for me in this book.
It is a nice story about a young girl who goes to the market on Saturday with her grandparents and barters to get the ingredients to make sancocho.

>38 Lynsey2: Spanish is not one of my languages but it sounds lovely.

>39 connie53: I took four years of spanish in high school but never really learned to speak it. This is a new goal of mine and I now spend 30 minutes to an hour every day reading it or listening to it and sometimes speaking it. I figure if I keep working at it one day, I will be able to communicate in Spanish. I also hope to travel to more spanish speaking countries once the pandemic quiets down.
What other languages do you speak?

16. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman - 4 stars
For two thirds of this book I was sure it was going to be a five star read for me. I love Hoffman's descriptive prose. She can really set a scene and I felt like I was in 1900 NYC. She did a great job building suspense and I couldn't put the book down. However the love story just happened and wasn't really given the attention it deserved and it felt like the author somehow lost her way at the end. Overall, a book worth reading. Also, my first Alice Hoffman novel and will plan to read more of her books.

>40 Lynsey2: I had five years of French and three years of German in High School but that was between 1966 and 1969. I understand French and speak a little bit and think I could read a simple kids-book. I was awful in German, but I now understand it and speak some. Just enough for simple questions and answers. We live near the German border, perhaps 2 km. distance. And the French speaking part off Belgium is not too far away and in my town is a big outlet center that attracts German and Belgium people. So occasionally a person asks for directions when they are lost.

>42 connie53: I just looked at your profile, so being from the Netherlands I assume you also speak Dutch. A language I started learning a few years back before a trip to Aruba. I learned enough to recognize certain words and order off a menu. And then quickly learned it was entirely unnecessary as nearly everyone in aruba speaks 4 languages; Dutch, Spanish, English and Papiamento. I have to admit some envy at this ability. I truly wish I had learned another language when I was younger.

>43 Lynsey2: LOL. Yes I speak Dutch to. I'm a real Dutch girl born in The Hague and moved to a small town (Roermond) in the south when I was 10 years old and never moved again to another town. I moved when I married and since then three times.

17. Vermillion Drift by William Kent Krueger - 4 stars

Book 10 in the Cork O'Conner series. Best one i've read since his earlier books. I do like his characters and his sense of place. Learned a little about the Iron range in this one too. Being from Minnesota it is fun for me to read books set in the state.

18. The Rain Before It Falls by Jonathan Coe - 2 stars

May is never a good month for me reading wise as I usually am so busy that it is a challenge to find a book that will distract me from everything I have going on. I chose this one because it was described as a psychological mystery. Unfortunately there was nothing very mysterious about the book. I found the writers style to be tedious and the story failed to interest me. Unfortunately, what should have been a quick and easy read took me over a month to get through. I would pick it up and read a chapter and then avoid it like the plague.
I should have given up on it but I kept saying to myself that it's short. Just finish it. arrrgh. one of the longest books i've read.

>46 Lynsey2: Those short books that take so much longer to read than anticipated are so annoying! I hope your next book is more interesting.

>47 rabbitprincess: Thanks rabbitprincess! I'm bound to have something more captivating on my shelf!

>47 rabbitprincess: I hope so too, Linsey. Did you find anything that interested you to read?

19. Northwest Angle by William Kent Krueger - 4 stars
One of the better books in this Mystery series set in Northern Minnesota. A definite page turner.

>50 Lynsey2: I love a good mystery, so I went to see what else this author has written and was surprised to see I have a book of his on my to-read list already (Ordinary Grace), which I don’t think is part of this series. Any recommendations for a good place to start the series?

>51 Charon07: This is a series that I highly recommend reading in order. While each book can stand alone it really follows the life of the detective and his family and each book builds on what you know about them so far. The first book in the series is Iron Lake.
I enjoyed Ordinary Grace too but it is definitely different from his mystery series.

20. Deacon King Kong by James McBride - 4 stars
An entertaining read with a great cast of characters centered around a housing project in Brooklyn in the 1960's.

21. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - 3 stars

What started out as an intriguing story with detailed prose describing Amsterdam in the 17th century turned into an overblown, ridiculously dramatic book that just didnt work.

>54 Lynsey2: There was a BBC miniseries based on The Miniaturist, and I rather enjoyed it, but it didn’t inspire me to read the book.

>54 Lynsey2:. I had about the same feeling. Potential but it did not meet that.

>55 Charon07: Charon, this is probably one of those times where the "movie" is better than the book. It doesn't happen too often for me. I usually prefer the book.

>56 connie53: Connie, glad to hear i'm not alone!

22. Trickster's Point by William Kent Krueger - 3 stars
Overall, I really do enjoy this series; particularly the Northern Minnesota setting. That being said, i'm generally not a series reader because it seems too difficult for an author to keep it interesting and fresh. The story and dialogue in this one felt a little canned.

23. Giver by Adrian Michael - 3.5 stars

A self-published collection of poetry/thoughts on being who you are and that is enough. The author has gathered a following on Instagram. And what is palatable one day at a time on the internet becomes a little overly sweet in a book. Still I give the author kudos for doing the hard work of putting himself out there and printing, marketing and distributing all of his books.

24. The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy - 4 stars

This was a fascinating psychological study of a man driven to murdering his wife by lust, jealousy and a really skewed view of morality.

>61 Lynsey2: I’m currently reading (though at the moment bogged down by) Anna Karenina. The Kreutzer Sonata sounds like it might be more compelling.

>62 Charon07: It definitely has to be read in context with the time it was written in but I enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed War and Piece. Anna Karenina is on my list.

25. The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker - 4 stars
The sequel to The Golem and the Jinni, which i loved! It would be hard to match the originality and creativity of The Golem and the Jinni since the story is more of the same.
I still enjoyed this story even though part of me wished she had left the first book as a stand alone.

>64 Lynsey2: Too much pressure from readers demanding more, maybe?

>65 MissWatson: Possibly. It has been 8 years since The Golem and the Jinni was published.

26. Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich - 3 stars
This is a hard book for me to review. Louise Erdrich was one of those authors that I have felt guilty about not having read. And coming from Minnesota I expected to read her books and like them. After feeling mediocre about Future Home of the Living God, I decided to try this award winner. Unfortunately, i feel about the same. I find it difficult to connect to her stories. Perhaps it is the short story format of Love Medicine It is not my preferred style of fiction but I also feel a disconnect with the characters whose lives i'm just not interested in.

I hope you reach your goal in time, Lynsey! And that the books you read will be better than the one in >67 Lynsey2:.

>68 connie53: Thanks Connie! I have quite a ways to reach my goal but I haven't given up on it yet!

27. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave - 3 stars
I listened to the audio of this on a road trip with friends and while it made for entertaining discussions unfortunately most were at the author and narrator's expense.

28. Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz - 4 stars
An interesting portrait of lower caste lives in an Egyptian neighborhood.

29. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles - 3.5 stars
I am counting this as a root despite being newly published. I eagerly awaited the release of Amor Towles' third novel and despite being out of town, found a bookstore and bought it on it's release day. While The Lincoln Highway does not quite measure up to Rules of Civility: A Novel or A Gentleman in Moscow it is still a fine read. I enjoyed the characters but with the perspective changing between them, the story bogged down a bit by repetition. While not his best work, I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoyed his previous novels and enjoys a good morality tale.

30. The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris - Reread
The most beautiful book I own. It is a gloomy day here in Northern Minnesota and there is nothing that I enjoy more than rereading this book, with a cup of tea in hand while I look out at the changing seasons.

31. Memento Mori by Muriel Spark - 4 stars
This is a funny little book. Funny if you have a dry and somewhat twisted sense of humor. Several senior members of a community start receiving anonymous calls telling them to "remember you must die". They all handle these mysterious calls differently as they do their old age. Many interesting characters. Worth a read.

32. The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg - 4 stars
Sometimes one just needs a nice story, well told. This story of a friendship between an elderly gentleman and a troubled teenager melted my cold, cold heart.

33. De la cabeza a los pies por Eric Carle
Continuing to read my son's Spanish books. I thought this one was going to be super easy but it turned out to be the right level for me. Most I understood yet still added new words to my vocabulary.

Hi Lynsey, just trying to keep up with threads. I hope all is well.

>77 connie53: Hi Connie! All is well here. It has been a busy month so not as much reading accomplished as I would like. Still plodding through Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates. I am appreciating the book but it is heavy, both literally and metaphorically so I read a bit and then move on to my spanish studies. How are things in your part of the world?

>78 Lynsey2: Mainly cold! Things just are so strange with Covid playing a big role in lives everywhere.

>79 connie53: Strange is an understatement. :)

34. Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates -3.5 stars

Hello Lynsey!

Trying to catch up on threads again. I want to wish you

>82 connie53: Thanks Connie!
Hope your holidays have been good!

A bit more quiet than in earlier years, Lynsey. Due to Covid restrictions of course. I hope to see you in the 2022 ROOT group.

https://www.librarything.nl/ngroups/23590/2022-ROOT-CHALLENGE