AlphaKIT - Yearlong X and Z

Welcome to the 2022 AlphaKIT yearlong thread for X and Z.

There are no rules. Use the letter however you like. Just have fun and enjoy reading.

and

Please remember to update the wiki with your reading:
Yearlong X and Z thread

Thank you for setting up this thread!

Like last year, I have lined up several books by Diana Xarissa, and Stefanie Zweig is my go-to author for Z, although I might read something different for Z as well.

Planning on reading Red Clocks by Lens Zumas.

The Bluebird Effect / Julie Zickefoose
4 stars

The author grew up with parents who enjoyed watching birds and helping them. As an adult she has regularly helped rehabilitate injured and raise orphaned wild birds, and this book contains stories of all the different types of birds she has helped. She is also an artist, so while helping them, she has drawn them at different stages (often as they grow), so many of her illustrations and paintings, with notes alongside, are included.

I really liked this. I do enjoy watching birds myself, but what a lot of work and effort it takes to raise the babies! The author also touches on habitat destruction, hunting, outdoor cats and other threats to wild birds, as well. The illustrations were beautiful, and I have to admit, although I prefer reading on my old Kobo Touch (black & white), the Kobo doesn’t always recognize DRM-free for library books, anymore, so I often end up reading on my tablet via Libby. The colour was really nice for the beautiful illustrations and paintings in this book.

I forgot to say I read This Immortal by Roger Zelazny.

I am reading The Wizard's Butler which has a "z" in the title.

I pulled up Zora Neale Hurston's Dust Tracks on the Road from my unfinished TBR and was so glad I did.

Woohoo, I got a Z book! An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts by Silvia Zucca.

I loved every moment of The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart.

I finished a Z book: On Beauty by Zadie Smith.

COMPLETED Dos Equis by Anthony Bidulka (apparently the title means Double X in Spanish).

Starting "Towards Zero" by Agatha Christie

I read Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho.

I also read Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin which is a children's book about instruments in an orchestra.

I read Dead Lagoon: An Aurelio Zen mystery by Michael Dibdin for Z.

I read Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser for L then I noticed Louis XIV would allow it to work for X too.

I read L’assommoir by Emile Zola for Z.

Oops - wrong AlphaKIT thread!
*deleting and moving to proper thread!

Finished the Blue Ant Trilogy (by William Gibson) with Zero History. I might actually make all 26 letters this year! :-)

Starting "The Zig Zag Girl" by Elly Griffiths

COMPLETED The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths

>20 Robertgreaves: That's from one of my favourite series. Brighton in the fifties, can't beat it.

Starting Hands Like Clouds by Mark Zuehlke

I have finished Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and it was good overall. A story of two kids who meet as teens and again in their early twenties and end up forming a video game company. Long but engaging!

COMPLETED Hands Like Clouds by Mark Zuehlke

Starting "X, Y & Z" by Dermot Turing

COMPLETED X, Y & Z by Dermot Turing

>25 Robertgreaves: Read your review and dnloaded the ebook version. This looks like it’s going to be good! 🙂

Read Xavier In The Meantime for X - highly recommend this and the first book, Aster's Good, Right Things.

I read Aunt Bessie Considers by Diana Xarissa. She will probably be my go to author for X for many years to come, seeing her huge body of work!

Finished Aunt Bessie Assumes (Isle of Man Mystery #1; by Diana Xarissa)! Short cozy set on The Isle of Man-- reminds me of the Hamish MacBeth TV series. Features an older Mrs. Pollifax-type woman living on a North Sea island with a community of friends.

I managed to finish Aunt Bessie Believes by Diana Xarissa for my "X" read.