Kristel's Here's ROOTing for 2022

I hope to ROOT 50 books again this year.

Welcome back, good luck with your reading goal!

Welcome back, Kristel. Good to see you here for the 2022 ROOTing. Good luck with your reading.

Welcome back, Kristel, and have a great reading year!

Happy reading!

1.
Book The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by Jose Saramago
Format: audio
Original publication date: 1984
Acquisition date/place: 2013, K, audio 2021
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
ROOT

2.
Book Billy Bathgate by E. L. Doctorow
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 1989
Acquisition date/place: not sure, 2018, book, audio through libby
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.5 stars
Book description/summary: Billy makes good in the end
Challenge(s): TBR takedown, Reading 1001, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book: 1001 Books

3.
Book Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
Format: audio, book The Chronicles of Narnia
Original publication date: 1951
Acquisition date/place: 11/10/2012
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: children return to Narnia to help
Challenge(s): BAC, children's lit, ROOT
British: Yes
List book:

4.
Book King Lear
Format: Norton Shakespeare
Original publication date:
Acquisition date/place: 2015-10-24 Abe book
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.5 stars
Book description/summary: daughters at odds
Challenge(s): shakespeare challenge CAT, ROOT
American:
British: yes
List book:

You are doing great, Kristel. 3 ROOTs down. Though I'm not sure which books are ROOTs.

>10 connie53:, 4 but I haven't updated ticker yet. The King Lear that I read is included in the anthology book. I am counting the King Lear but not the anthology as I haven't read all of the anthology.

>11 Kristelh: I was confused because you mention in your notes to which challenges the book belongs. And there is only one ROOT mentioned.

>12 connie53: I probably messed up. If they are on this page, they are a ROOT. Sometimes when I post them elsewhere, I cut and paste and try to remember to fix them, but sometimes I don't. I also try to put in the date that I acquired the book/audio.

You're reading is very interesting and eclectic. Looking forward to following along the rest of the year.

>14 rocketjk:, yes, I am very eclectic. Looking forward to reading ROOTs together.

>13 Kristelh: It makes sense now!

5.
Book A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Format: Kindle
Original publication date: 1991
Acquisition date/place: 4/20/21
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.2 stars
Book description/summary: father and daughters fall apart
Challenge(s): Shakespeare retelling, Pulitzer, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book: Pulitzer

6.
Book The History of the Siege of Lisbon by Jose Saramago
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 1989
Acquisition date/place: 2013, kindle edition
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.8 rounded to 3 pt
Book description/summary: history is "not"
Challenge(s): Reading 1001 botm, ROOT
American:
British:
List book: 1001 Books

7.
Book The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date/place: 6/18/20, Audio File Summer program
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: life of stories visits London
Challenge(s): Alpha, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book:

been busy reading, glad you're back with us!

you're doing great!

8.
Book The Brothers K by David James Duncan
Format: Kindle/audio
Original publication date: 1992
Acquisition date/place: 10/5/2015, kindle
Decimal/ Star rating:
Book description/summary: American twist of Russian brothers K
Challenge(s): f2f bookclub, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book: Nancy Pearl recommendation

>21 Kristelh: I read The Brothers K quite a few years ago. My sister sent it to me as a Hannukkah present. I enjoyed it a lot. I look forward to your comments.

>22 rocketjk: I thought the book was very good but I faulted it for taking so long to engage me. Once engaged then it was a great read. I felt so bad for Irwin and the funeral was very touching to me.

I love your presentation.

>24 Coach_of_Alva: thank you

9.
Book Michael Kohlhaas by Heinrich von Kleist
Format: kindle e book
Original publication date: 1810
Acquisition date/place: 12/20/21
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: eat paper and die
Challenge(s): Reading 1001 BOTM, ROOT
American:
British:
List book: 1001 books

10.
Book Baltasar & Blimunda by Jose Saramago
Format: kindle/audio
Original publication date: 1982
Acquisition date/place: 2/10/2013
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.6 stars
Book description/summary: build a convent, get a son
Challenge(s): Reading 1001, TBR takedown
American:
British:
List book: 1001 books

11.
Book Ubik by Philip K. Dick
Format: Audio
Original publication date: 1969
Acquisition date/place: 6/24/17
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.5 stars
Book description/summary: the half life of humans
Challenge(s): SFF, time travel & ROOT
American: yes
British:
List

12.

Book Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 1598
Acquisition date/place: 2015
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: Much ado about nothing, sums it up
Challenge(s): Shakespeare CAT, ROOT
American:
British: yes
List book:

>25 Kristelh: I don't know how to make the type in my posts appear in bold face. Do you have any advice?

>30 Coach_of_Alva: there are many places to find the hints on how to do fancy things. I am trying to figure out how to show but I am failing
Here’s a link https://www.librarything.com/topic/177029#n7712

>31 Kristelh: Thank you.

13.
Book The Orchard by Yochi Brandes
Format: Book
Original publication date: 2011
Acquisition date/place: 3/7/2018, Early Reviewers
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.2 stars
Book description/summary: the sage sees the future
Challenge(s): Asian authors/Holy Land, ROOT, women in translation
American:
British:
List book:

14.
Book Metamorphoses by Ovid
Format: audio
Original publication date: 8 AD
Acquisition date/place: 2005?
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: poetry, mythology, legend
Challenge(s): Reading 1001 Qrt, ROOT
American:
British:
List book: 1001 Books

15.
Book The Gathering by Anne Enright
Format: kindle/audio
Original publication date: 2007
Acquisition date/place: 2015
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.6
Book description/summary: don't always like people we love
Challenge(s): TBR takedown, ROOT, 75er
American:
British:
List book: Pulitzer, 1001 Books,

16.

Book Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2020
Acquisition date/place: 4/9/21, Audible
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.6 Children raising parents
Challenge(s): f2f bookclub, Booker winners
American:
British: Glasgow, UK
List book: Booker

17.
Book The Hothouse by Wolfgang Koeppen
Format: book
Original publication date: 1953
Acquisition date/place: used book, not sure where I bought it
Decimal/ Star rating: hmm, I probably will give it 3 stars
Book description/summary: in the hothouse of politics
Challenge(s): Reading 1001 botm
American:
British:
List book: 1001 Books

18.

Book The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2019
Acquisition date/place: 6/24/21
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: the hardship of man and muse
Challenge(s): TIOLI, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book:

19.

Book Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
Format: nook/audio
Original publication date: 1847
Acquisition date/place: 1/2/2012
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.5
Book description/summary: independent woman takes on spoiled children
Challenge(s): TBR take down, 1001 Books, ROOT
American:
British: yes
List book: 1001

Hi Kristel. I see you are still reading those ROOTS, keep it up!

>40 connie53:, I have a few on deck for May!

20.

Book Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
Format: Book, audio
Original publication date: 1920
Acquisition date/place: my shelf and also Libby
Decimal/ Star rating: I think it will be around a 3, it was okay
Book description/summary: Dissatisfaction follows you wherever you go
Challenge(s): Reading 1001 BOTM, Reading a book set in your country
American: yes
British:
List book: Sinclair Lewis, Nobel Prize winner

21.
Book Jack Maggs by Peter Carey
Format: audio and book
Original publication date: 1997
Acquisition date/place: library sales, 5/2017
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.5 stars
Book description/summary: orphan survives tough life
Challenge(s): TBR takedown, Reading 1001
American:
British:
List book: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

22. The Norton Complete Shakespeare, King Richard II by William Shakespeare.

Book King Richard II by William Shakespeare
Format: audio and book
Original publication date: 1597
Acquisition date/place: purchased complete Shakespeare, listened to audio by Blackstone, various readers
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: poor king, ends badly, begins King Henry
Challenge(s): Shakespeare CAT
American:
British: yes
List book:

23.
Book Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2002
Acquisition date/place: Summer AudioFileSync Program (Sora) 5/17/21
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: immigrants story of coming to America
Challenge(s): ROOT, something that flies
American: yes, immigrant Ethiopian
British:
List book:

24.
Book Rook by Sharon Cameron
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date/place: Sora, Free 6/3/21
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Genre young adult, adventure, fantasy
Book description/summary: Rook makes Right in Paris
Challenge(s): TIOLI, flying animal
American: yes, Nashville, TN
British:
List book:
Awards YALSA best fiction for young adults 2016

25.
Book The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
Format: audible
Original publication date: 2007
Acquisition date/place: audible, 8/31/2017
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.4 stars, reason, humor, language and sexual content
Book description/summary: the sheep goes to war
Challenge(s): SFF invasion
American: yes
British:
List book: no

genre: SFF
Likes: humor
Dislikes language/sexual content

26.
Book At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien
Format: book (K), audio (hoopla)
Original publication date: 1939
Acquisition date/place: 1/20/20
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: characters turn on writer
Challenge(s): Reading 1001, June BOTM
American:
British: UK, Irish author
List book: 1001, Guardian
genre modernism/fiction
Liked: humor, folklore, Anglo/Gaelic sentences
Disliked: lose, disconnected structure

27.

Book Underworld by Don DeLillo
Format:book/audio
Original publication date: 1997
Acquisition date/place: 10/19/2018
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.9 stars
Book description/summary: follow the ball
Challenge(s): Reading 1001, 2nd Q read 2022.
American: yes
British:
List book: 1001 books

Hi Kristel. I've been neglecting the ROOTers for some time. Live, sunny days, babysitting the grandkids and doing volunteer work for the library at Lonne's school. And reading of course. Today is a rainy day with some thunderstrokes. A perfect Sunday for reading al those neglected threads.

Congrats on reaching the halfway-point

>50 connie53:
Thank you Connie, I think sun, grands and volunteering at the library and reading sound wonderful.

>51 Kristelh: It is. But it leaves enough time for houehold-things, visiting Peet every other day. I rather be busy than being idle.

>52 connie53: so true, I agree.

28.
Book The Wings of the Dove - Henry James
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 1902
Acquisition date/place: 1/20/2016
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.5
Book description/summary: what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive.
Challenge(s): TBR takedown, 1001, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book: 1001, Guardian, etc
Genre literary fiction, classic
Liked: I liked the ending, good job with that, like the symbol of a dove
Disliked: author is too wordy

29. 68.
Book Julius Caesar by Shakespeare
Format: audio
Original publication date: 1623
Acquisition date/place: 8/29/14
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: beware the ides of March
Challenge(s): Shakespeare cat challenge
American:
British: yes
List book:
genre play, history

30.

Book Dubliners by James Joyce
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 1914
Acquisition date/place: 2016
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary:
Challenge(s):the birth of characters
American:
British:
List book: no
genre short stories
European Capitals Dublin
Liked: Irish characters that show up in his later work
Dislike: stories are short

31.
Book The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2006
Acquisition date/place: 11/16/2013
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.6
Book description/summary: New York to India, life is hard
Challenge(s): Asian Author (India), ROOT, 1001, Booker-2006.
American:
British:
List book: 1001, Booker, National Book Critics Circle Award, etc

32.
Book Stiff by Mary Roach
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2003
Acquisition date/place: 6/13/14
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: to compost or not
Challenge(s): nonfiction book by woman, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book:
genre nonfiction
liked: I learned about "green movements" in death and what to do with bodies
disliked: it was informative but some of it was not pleasant

33.
Book Crescendo: The Story of a Musical Genius Who Forever Changed a Southern TownFormat: audio
Original publication date: 2019
Acquisition date/place: 6/10/2021
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: resiliency and friendships join for good
Challenge(s): alphaCAT, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book:
genre biography
Liked: good example of resiliency
Disliked: ?

34.
Book Cleopatra: a life by Stacy Schiff
Format: audio/book
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date/place: 9/28/2014
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: Strong woman Rules shrewdly
Challenge(s): nonfiction, women author, alpha C
American: yes
British:
List book:
Genre nonfiction
Liked: learned things I did not know, did Shakespeare get it right? How about the movie?
Disliked: it was a bit dry

35.
Book A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2020
Acquisition date/place: 6/12/20 Early Reviewers copy
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: Girl meets Swan Boy
Challenge(s): ROOT, Doublespin
American: yes
British:
List book: no
genre fantasy, retelling
Liked: the Christmas theme
Disliked: not engaging

36.
Book The Rape of Nanking
Format: Iris Chang
Original publication date: 1997
Acquisition date/place: 6/3/2016
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8 stars
Book description/summary: Unknown history of Sino-Japan War
Challenge(s): ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book: no
genre nonfiction
Liked: learned something and reinforced that you can't trust history
Disliked: some repetition I think

37.
Book The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date/place: 9/20/18
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.4 stars
Book description/summary: Jasper spurs man on
Challenge(s): ROOT, RandomCAT, Bingo
American: yes
British:
List book: no
Genre post apocalyptic
Liked: the nature, the Cessna
Disliked: the sex scenes

38.
Book Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2016
Acquisition date/place: 2/17/2016
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: mice bring them together
Challenge(s): ShakespeareCAT
American: yes
British:
List book: no
Genre retelling Shakespeare
Liked: Kate does grow
Disliked: characters weren't quite believable

39.
Book Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Siji.
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2000
Acquisition date/place: 10/21/2018
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8 stars
Book description/summary: dangers of reading
Challenge(s): Asian author, ROOT
American:
British:
List book: no
Genre semi autobiographical fiction
Liked: interesting story about reeducation/communism, China
Disliked: sad to burn books

Hello Kristel. Just doing my rounds along the ROOTers again. You are doing great with your reading.

40.
Book The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Format: audio/book
Original publication date: 2007
Acquisition date/place: own, Libby audio
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.4 stars
Book description/summary: girl steals books
Challenge(s): real life bookclub
American:
British:
List book:
genre young adult, fiction
Liked: I like the picture of a German family trying to survive the war
Disliked: a lot of swearing

41.
Book Oscar & Lucinda - Peter Carey
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 1988
Acquisition date/place: 10/29/2016
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8 stars
Book description/summary: life is a gamble in the lucky land
Challenge(s): TBR takedown, ROOT
American:
British:
List book: 1001 Books, Booker Winner
Genre literary fiction
Liked: enjoyed the story of two young people in Australia
Disliked: a lot of details that wasn't necessary

42.
Book The Amateur Marriage - Anne Tyler
Format: book, audio
Original publication date: 2004
Acquisition date/place: 2014, 9, 14
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.6
Book description/summary: flawed people with no insight
Challenge(s): ROOT, TIOLI
American: yes
British:
List book: no
genre fiction
Liked: flawed characters
Disliked: never any insight

43.
Book Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2000
Acquisition date/place: 9/27/2014
Decimal/ Star rating: 2 stars
Book description/summary: Sex does not erase isolation
Challenge(s): Asian author challenge, ROOT, Doublespin (Litsy challenge)
American:
British:
List book:
Genre Fiction, Translated fiction
Liked: I like the music, cat, themes that are often found in Murakami books
Disliked: I prefer not to read details of sexual acts.

44.
Book Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe
Format: Kindle
Original publication date: 1958
Acquisition date/place: 4/28/18
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8
Book description/summary: sooner or later you get caught
Challenge(s): Reading 1001, ROOT
American:
British: yes
List book: Reading 1001
Genre literature
Liked: the setting, 50s, working class
Disliked: poor picture of married women

45.

Book Light in August by William Faulkner
Format: audio
Original publication date: 1932
Acquisition date/place: 8/31/2017, audible
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.9 stars
Book description/summary: a cast of outcasts
Challenge(s): alpha, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book: many lists, modern library for one
genre southern gothic lit
Liked: a good representation of problems set in 1932 still relevant today
Disliked: it was hard to follow because of flashbacks and changing narration

46.

Book 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Format: nook/audio
Original publication date: 2005
Acquisition date/place: 2011 or even longer, nook book
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: a quest in search of the deceased
Challenge(s): TIOLI, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book:
genre young adult
Liked: it was a good book with good morals/character
Disliked: a bit unbelievable but a feel good book

47.
Book Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: originally written in serial monthly submissions in 1978, Published as a hardcover in 2019.
Acquisition date/place: 2018, Indiespensible
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: can't stay in the light
Challenge(s): Asian author challenge, ROOT
American:
British:
List book:
genre literature, Japanese, feminism, translated
Liked: I liked the use of light
Disliked: it is hard to like the unnamed narrator

48.

Book The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date/place: 4/25/2016
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.9 stars
Book description/summary: Paranoid personality makes a poor friend, husband, father
Challenge(s): ROOT, ShakespeareCat
American:
British: yes
List book:
Genre fiction, literary, retelling
Liked: I enjoyed learning about The Winter's Tale
Disliked: did not like the crass use of sexual words

49.
Book The Rings of Saturn
Format: Kindle
Original publication date: 1995
Acquisition date/place: 7/11/2017
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars but probably should be rated higher. Literary device used "the walk" to explore issues of destruction and decay
Book description/summary: walk among the ruins
Challenge(s): ROOT, Reading 1001
American:
British:
List book: 1001, Guardian
Genre fiction written as travelogue
Liked: I liked that it was written like a travelogue and appreciated the exploration of decay and covered a lot of history.
Disliked: it is like a person would think while walking, a bit disjointed but it fits the books goal.

50. 107.
Book News From Nowhere - William Morris
Format: audio book
Original publication date: 1890
Acquisition date/place: 7/23/22 Audible
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.2 stars
Book description/summary: Utopia if we can get rid of the capitalists
Challenge(s): reading 1001
American:
British: yes
List book:
Guardian 1000 (Science Fiction & Fantasy)
1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006/2008/2010/2012 Edition)
Western World's Greatest Books - Project Gutenberg
1898 C.K. Shorter List of Best 100 Novels
Newark Public Library's 1904 List of a Thousand of the Best Novels
Genre fantasy, communist propaganda
Liked: it's over and I don't need to read it again
Disliked: the whole thing

51.
Book A Gate at the Stairs - Lorrie Moore
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2009
Acquisition date/place:
Decimal/ Star rating: 4/29/2017
Book description/summary: racism, war, and clueless
Challenge(s): reading 1001, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book: 1001 Books
genre fiction, post 9/11 literature
Liked: I liked the descriptions of birds, I liked the humor. descriptions of self righteous liberal idealogy.
Disliked: can anyone be that clueless, yes, fraid so

>77 Kristelh: You had me laughing out loud with your like/dislike comments. That was unsuspected and almost made me choke in my tea.

Congrats on reaching your goal!

>79 connie53: Connie, Glad to add a chuckle to your day.

52.
Book A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea - Masaji Ishikawa
Format: Kindle
Original publication date: 2017
Acquisition date/place: 4/24/2018
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: No matter where you go, life is hard but at least you can eat
Challenge(s): ROOT, Asian Author Challenge - Korea
American:
British:
List book:
Genre Autobiography, memoir
Liked: like is not a word you can use with this book but I appreciated reading about the hardship of being 1/2 Korean, 1/2 Japanese and of migrating to North Korea.
Disliked: I did not like knowing that he had to leave his family behind to starve

53.

Book Artist of the Floating World - Kazuo Ishiguro
Format: audio and book
Original publication date: 1986
Acquisition date/place: 3/15/17
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.4 stars
Book description/summary: old man faces his past
Challenge(s): alpha KI, ROOT, 1001
American:
British:
List book: 1001
Genre fiction/literature
Liked: I like stories of old people and also the generational look at family/Japan, post WWII
Disliked: not much plot, character study and that gets a bit slim as well

54.
Book Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter - Randall Balmer
Format: audio
Original publication date: May, 2014
Acquisition date/place: 2014
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.3 stars
Book description/summary: Progressive Evangelical; is it possible?
Challenge(s): TIOLI, ROOT
American: yes
British:
List book:
Genre nonfiction, politics, religion
Liked: I learned something
Disliked: biased presentation???

55.
Book The Secret Agent - Joseph Conrad
Format: Book/audio
Original publication date:1907
Acquisition date/place: 2018/Bookmooch
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.4 stars
Book description/summary: puppets of forces beyond their control
Challenge(s): 1001, TBR takedown, ROOT
American:
British:
List book: 1001
Genre Espionage lit
Liked: I liked that it points out the real victims are innocents
Disliked: it was a bit easy to get lost with the back and forth time frames

56.
Book Possession A Romance by A. S. Byatt
Format: Book/Audio
Original publication date: 1990
Acquisition date/place: Goodwill 11/2/2011
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8 stars
Book description/summary: academia in all its intrigue
Challenge(s): Reading 1001 TBR takedown, ROOT, Booker 1990
American:
British: yes
List book: 1001, Booker
Genre historiographic metafiction
Liked: I liked the story of English academia research using letters, journals, etc.
Disliked: It was so hard to stay engaged

>85 Kristelh: I admit, I found the book difficult going (I'm not a big poetry fan), but I remember being entranced by the movie version with Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle in the historical roles.

>>86 Caramellunacy:, I agree about the poetry.

57.
Book Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
Format: book/audible
Original publication date: 1993
Acquisition date/place: 2014
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8 stars
Book description/summary: Solomon's wisdom
Challenge(s): ROOT, Native American
American: yes
British:
List book:
Genre social/political contemporary fiction
Liked: I liked learning about the Cherokee
Disliked: its a win win

58.
Book Actress by Anne Enright
Format: book, audio
Original publication date: 2020
Acquisition date/place: 2020, 5, 27
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: daughter does postmortem on mother/daughter relationship
Challenge(s): TIOLI, ROOT
American:
British:
List book:
Genre Irish Fiction
Liked: good descriptions of mother/daugher and sexuality
Disliked: a lot of sexual content

59.
Book Fury - Salman Rushdie
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2001
Acquisition date/place: 2017, 5-26.
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.4 stars
Book description/summary: Fury goes with you, you can't run from it.
Challenge(s): Asian-Diaspora, 1001, ROOT
American:
British:
List book: 1001
Genre fiction
Liked: I liked Rushdie's use of language, references to books, myths, authors
Disliked: fury in blue language and sexual content

60.

Book So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ
Format: book
Original publication date: 1980
Acquisition date/place: 3/14/2020
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8 stars
Book description/summary: a work of feminist literature-Africa, Islam
Challenge(s): TBR takedown, ROOT, 1001
American:
British:
List book: 1001, Winner of the Noma Award
Genre epistolary novel
Liked: this is a woman who was loyal to the covenant of her marriage in spite of betrayal
Disliked: at first it was confusing.

61.
Book Anniversaries: From a year in the life of Gesine Cresspahl - Uwe Johnson
Format: e-book
Original publication date: 1970, 1971, 1873, 1983
Acquisition date/place: 12/30/21
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.4 stars
Book description/summary: historical, coming of age, 1930 - 1968 and and exploration of the Sixties.
Challenge(s): yearly read for Reading 1001
American:
British:
List book: 1001
Genre historical fiction, epistolary
Liked: it wasn't hard to read but it also was not compelling. The decision to read a section every day helped to keep me reading and ultimately finish. It was a panoramic view of history.
Disliked: it was often confusing and hard to know who was speaking, even though it had to be Gesine. And the point was often lost or unclear. Perhaps because it was history through Gesine's eyes and the NYT, it was unreliable? It also has or shares a lot of details with the author's life.

62.
Book Blaming - Elizabeth Taylor
Format: e-book
Original publication date: 1976
Acquisition date/place: 11/28/21
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.2
Book description/summary: death, blaming, grief
Challenge(s): reading 1001 Dec botm 2022
American:
British: yes
List book: 1001, Virago
Genre literature, fiction
Liked: exploration of life as a widow/old age
Disliked: disliked the awkward American woman author

63.
Book The Lost Shtetl - Max Gross
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 2020
Acquisition date/place: 8/13/2020
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.4
Book description/summary: marriage conflict brings on the world
Challenge(s): Jewish Book Club read, ROOT
American: yes, Jewish/American
British:
List book: no
Genre fiction
Liked:enjoyed the Yiddish culture, the idea of a a town lost in time.
Disliked: the plot was poorly connected and did not stick the finish

64.

Book The Master of Ballantrae - R. L. Stevenson
Format: book/audio
Original publication date: 1889
Acquisition date/place: 2013
Decimal/ Star rating: 3 stars
Book description/summary: playing on both sides of the fence leads to no one winning
Challenge(s): 1001
American:
British:
List book: 1001
Genre adventure fiction
Liked: historical setting Jacobite Rising, adventure
Disliked: unbelievable, couldn't like any character

Hi Kristel. Popping in to see what you are up too.

And wishing you and yours all the best for 2023 and Happy Holidays.

See you in 2023.

>96 connie53:, Thank you Connie, good to see you here.

65.
Book The Sympathizer - Viet Thanh Nguyen
Format: audio
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date/place: 2021
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: Asian, immigrant, spy
Challenge(s): Asian author challenge, diaspora
American: Pulitzer
British:
List book: Pulitzer, 21st Century Canon
Genre spy, immigrant, etc
Liked: I liked the look at the Asian experience of the war, immigration
Disliked: violence and sexual violence

66.
Book Kim - Rudyard Kipling
Format: audio
Original publication date: 1901
Acquisition date/place: 10/30/2010
Decimal/ Star rating: 4 stars
Book description/summary: adventures of an orphan
Challenge(s): bookspinbingo
American:
British: yes
List book: 1001
Genre fiction, adventure
Liked: fun, adventure
Disliked: got a little lost towards end but probably me not the book