Reading Challenge 2022

[Allison Joy]

8/20 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card -- a re-read of one of my favorites. Much better than the movie.

9/20 - The Color Purple by Alice Walker -- One of those books I should have read long ago, but glad I finally got the chance to read it. I liked the format of the letters.

 

[RangerPooh]

24/30 Wedding Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Book 19 of the Hannah Swenson series.

 

[Disney_Alli]

Oh man I’ve been HORRIBLE about updating on here!
35) Part of Your World - Abby Jimenez
I loved this book. I’ve loved all of her books. The author also owns a bakery that’s competed on cupcake wars and gone viral a few times (anyone remember a geode cake from a few years ago?) and makes me laugh endlessly

36) The Asset - Anna del Mar
This was okay. I mostly read it because the second book in this series is set in Alaska and it was on my list to read on my Alaskan cruise

37) Stealing Shadows - Kay Hooper
A re-read of an old favorite series. Eventually I want to get caught back up (I feel like I say that a lot…)

38) Scream for Us - Molly Doyle
Smutty fun. Great as an audiobook.

39) Out of the Shadows - Kay Hooper
Book 3 in this series. I was going to skip book 2 in this series as it isn’t my favorite but…

40) Hiding in the Shadows - Kay Hooper
It was available from the library and I’m pretty sure I skipped it on my last re-read so I went for it anyway

41) The Tourist Attraction - Sarah Morgenthaler
Book 1 in a series set in “Moose Springs” Alaska. I read this one on the Wonder (pictured below reading on deck on glacier day.



42) echo - Seven Rue
I loved it. Maybe I’m weird. Banned from Amazon. Also set in Alaska and read on my cruise.

43) Touching Evil - Kay Hooper
Book 1 in the next trilogy of this series. Carrying on.

44) My Dad’s Best Friend - Katee Robert
Smutty fun again.

10 more in my next comment…

 

[Disney_Alli]

45) Endurance - Amy Daws
“Football” playing brothers the Harris’ this is the second in the series.

46) Desperate Measures - Katee Robert
Book 1 in the Wicked Villains series. What if the princesses fell in love with the villains? This was Jafar and Jasmine. Warning: it’s spicy!

47) Wrapped in Ink - Carrie Ann Ryan
Book 1 in a spin off series. It was on sale on Chirp and I love a good audiobook for work. I’ve read a bunch of this author before but not this spin off before

48) Praise - Sara Cate
Loved this. Spicy! Book 1 in a series

49) Eyes on Me - Sara Cate
Book 2. Also spicy. Loved it too

50) Give Me More - Sara Cate
Book 3 extra spicy. Also great. Book 4 comes out in august and I’m counting down!

51) Sated in Ink - Carrie Ann Ryan
Book 2 in the same series as above. Also on sale on Chirp. Another fun one for work

52) Birthday Girl - Penelope Douglas
I think I’d have liked this more if I hadn’t just read Praise as they had similar plots and overall I liked Praise more but this was still good.

53) Lessons in Corruption - Giana Darling
This surprised me by being set in and around Vancouver lol. I enjoyed it. I read the preview for book 2 and immediately downloaded it

54) Hard Sell - Hudson Lin
I knew the author of this one was Canadian but when the book opened in Calgary (my home city) it made me laugh. One of my picks for Pride month a LGBTQ+ book by an LGBTQ+ author. Bonus as she’s also Canadian.

…and now I’m caught up lol

 

[bobbiwoz]

32/50. The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede.
Sept 11, 2001, 38 jetliners bound for US were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland. This is the story of how the surrounding towns dealt with the influx of so many people. Its an amazing, heartwarming story. 4.5/5

Channel of Peace Stranded in Gander on 9/11 by Kevin Tuerff
This was 33/50, and also 4.5/5
Kevin was on a plane and has promoted Random Acts of Kindness through his company and elsewhere because he was inspired by the people of Gander. One character in the play “Come From Away“ is based on him! I would love to see this play someday!

 

[mrs. magoo]

17/30 - Orient by Christopher Bollen - This was another book I picked up from a little small library. This one was pretty good. It was a mystery but the characters were so well developed. I liked it and would recommend it but it was slow in the beginning.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

58. Looking for Alaska by John Green

The last in the series of banned books I am reading. Our local school district banned this book from their school library as well, and I wanted to read it to see what the fuss was about. The novel tells the story of a high school student who goes to a private prep school out of state. Among the new people he meets is a girl named Alaska, and the tale follows their friendship, the group of young adults, and the trials and tribulations of their year. The novel does have some moments of emotional turmoil, some misbehaving (mostly mild), and teens who drink and smoke. But banning it? Not a book I would ban, and certainly one that I did let my teen read when they were in high school.

Didn't really understand why this book got banned either. I think they were just trying to fill the list.

 

[Caseheidi]

40/60 Kitty in the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville series book 1) by Carrie Vaughn
This is another Urban Fantasy series that my Husband had recommended to me. Kitty is a Radio DJ who one night instead of spinning records ends up in a long conversation regarding the Supernatural community (of which she is a part, having become a werewolf about 4 years prior). This one night turns into a cult series where members of the community can ask advise and discuss the topics. One night a hitman calls the show, and is on his way to kill her... Kitty learns a lot more about the super naturals in her town, and learns to stand on her own.

41/60 Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville series book 2) by Carrie Vaughn
Kitty is called upon to testify at a Senate committee hearing to represent super naturals, where she loses her privacy and her face is plastered all over the place. She gains new friends and enemies while defending herself against a Senator who thinks all things supernatural are evil.

42/60 Kitty Takes a Holiday (Kitty Norville series book 3) by Carrie Vaughn
After the excitement of her past year, Kitty rents a cabin in the wilds of Colorado for some rest, taking a break from her radio show and a contract to write a book. Of course, all is not peaceful as someone seems to be targeting her trying to get her to leave. Then Cormic shows up with an injured Ben (her lawyer) and things seem to be out of control.

I am still reading Kitty Takes a Holiday, but should finish it today. I am enjoying this series. It is fun and easy reading. There are currently 15 books, and many short stories in this series. As I have a busy summer with lots of trips, this is a good series for me to work on, something that is easy to read and fun.

 

[Toolulu22]

5/24: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand. I have really begun to enjoy this author and have been reading some earlier books as I wait for her latest release. I loved this book. The story is about identical twin sisters who were separated when their parents divorced, each living with a different parent. The sisters go down very different paths and end up not speaking for a long time until a death in the family starts a series of events in motion and forces them to face the past.

 

[willowsnn3]

#26/50 Undone by Karin Slaughter
When a tortured young woman enters the trauma center of an Atlanta hospital, Dr. Sara Linton is thrust into a desperate police investigation with Special Agent Will Trent and his partner, Faith Mitchell. Though guarding their own wounds and their own secrets, Sara, Will, and Faith find that they are all that stand between a madman and his next victim.

I have always considered this as the final book in the Grant County series but it is actually the 3rd book in the Will Trent series.
But this one gave me a bit of closure as to the knowledge that the Grant County series is really over by following up with the "where are they now" of a couple of my favorite characters & intermingling them into the Will Trent series.

 

[MGMmjl]

16/30 - Last Light by Terri Blackstock

Description:
"Birmingham, Alabama, has lost all power. Its streets are jammed with cars that won’t start and its airport is engulfed in flames from burning planes. All communications—cell phones, computers, even radios—are silent. Every home and business is dark. Is it a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or something far worse?

In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to a time before electricity, the Branning family faces a choice. Will they hoard their possessions in order to survive—or trust God to provide as they share their resources with those around them? Yesterday’s world is gone. Family and community are all that remain. And the outage is revealing the worst in some.

Desperation can be dangerous—especially when a killer lives among them."

The first in a 4-book series. I enjoyed this one a lot, and look forward to reading more in the series!

 

[Allison Joy]

16/30 - Last Light by Terri Blackstock

Description:
"Birmingham, Alabama, has lost all power. Its streets are jammed with cars that won’t start and its airport is engulfed in flames from burning planes. All communications—cell phones, computers, even radios—are silent. Every home and business is dark. Is it a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, or something far worse?

In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to a time before electricity, the Branning family faces a choice. Will they hoard their possessions in order to survive—or trust God to provide as they share their resources with those around them? Yesterday’s world is gone. Family and community are all that remain. And the outage is revealing the worst in some.

Desperation can be dangerous—especially when a killer lives among them."

The first in a 4-book series. I enjoyed this one a lot, and look forward to reading more in the series!

Oh, I read this series a few years ago. GREAT series, and one of the few Christian fiction series I probably wouldn't mind re-reading.

Just in case you've never read one of my "rants" about Christian fiction... It's not about the faith aspect. I don't mind that, so long as they aren't hitting you over the head with it all the time. I mean... I am a Christian. But... As a nearly 40 year old female who's never even been on a date, I can't stand that fact that pretty much every single woman eventually has to get married, and most are actively looking and wondering why God hasn't given them the right man yet, and blah, blah, blah. Just let a single woman be single! Without her lamenting about it every other page! And without a guy pursuing her, even if she doesn't show an interest back right away. I'm just... done with that. Done. Let her be single, and don't make that a focus. Just... let her be her own person. Don't focus on the fact that she's single. It's like a scarlet letter in many Christian fiction books. Okay. Rant over. I now return you to your regular reading challenge posts. *grins*

 

[KevM]

June reads:

77) Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender – YA Contemporary. A transgender teen’s journey of self-discovery, identity, and finding love. 4.75/5

78) Y'all Means All: The Emerging Voices Queering Appalachia edited by Z. Zane McNeill – Non-Fiction/Essays. 17 short essays by LGBTQ+ folks covering a wide range of life as being queer in Appalchia. 4/5

79) Corydon by André Gide – Fiction/Philosophy. Written between 1911 -1920 this is a collection of 4 short dialogues on homosexuality and its place in society. I can see why it would have been remarkable for its time, but it is very dated. 2.75/5

80) The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo – Fantasy. The first book in the Singing Hills Cycle series. Shortly after the death of the Empress a traveling cleric meets an elderly woman who was once a handmaiden to the Empress. The former handmaiden then tells them the story of the Empress. 4.5/5

81) On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong – Literary Fiction/Poetry. The poets debut novel, written as an epistolary, it is a collection of nonlinear letters from a son to his mother. 4/5

82) Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf – Classic. Published in 1924, Woolf’s classic centered around Clarissa Dalloway as she deals with last minute preparations for a party, whilst remembering long gone days and looking towards what’s to come. A good look at the post-WWI English society. 3.5/5

83) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – Sci-Fi. The first book in the Wayfairers series. Centered around the newest member of the odd, diverse, motley crew of the Wayfairer as the crew is taking on a job of a lifetime. 4.5/5

84) The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass – YA Horror. One part paranormal, one part social thriller. Jake can see the dead which isn’t to bas as most of the ded don’t interact with the living. However, that changes when Jake begins seeing Sawyer, the kid who killed 16 people at another local school the year before. 3.5/5

85) Homie: Poems by Danez Smith – Poetry. Smith is a queer, non-binary, & HIV-positive poet. Homie is their latest collection of poems dealing with the power of friendship in these trying times. 4.5/5

86) While They Sleep (Under the Bed is Another Country) by Raquel Salas Rivera – Poetry. Rivera is a queer, non-binary Puerto Rican living in Philadelphia. This poetry collection looks at the imperialist/colonial trauma of Puerto Rico at the hands of the US. The first part of each poem is written in English followed by a second part of the poem in Spanish. 5/5

87) When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo – Fantasy. The second book in the Singing Hills Cycle series. This time the cleric finds themselves surrounded by a hungry pack of tigers. To buy time until a recue the cleric askes the lead tiger to tell her story of her love. 4/5

88) Affinity by Sarah Waters – Historical Fiction/Gothic. In Victorian England a high-class lady, recovering from a suicide attempt, begins to visit a woman’s prison. There she becomes infatuated with a spiritualist imprisoned after a séance turned deadly. Told through diary entries from both women. 3.5/5

89) Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde – Non-Fiction/Essays. In this collection of 15 essays and speeches Lorde takes on racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, & classism. 5/5

90) Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes by Travis Baldree – Fantasy. As the title says a low sakes high fantasy novel. Extremely fun and enjoyable. An Orc warrior has decided she has had enough of that life and settles down to open up a coffee tavern. 5/5

91) Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand -YA Horror. On Sawkill Rock there is the urban legend of The Collector, responsible for the disappearance of dozens of girls over decades. Now three girls who have all suffered from these losses are ready to figure out what’s happening and fight back. 4/5

92) In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado – Non-Fiction/Memoir. Machado’s moving memoir of suffering in and ultimately breaking away from an abusive relationship. 4.75/5

93) Feminist, Queer, Crip by Alison Kafer – Non-Fiction/Social Justice. A collection of essays looking at the intersection of feminist, queer, and crip theories. 4.5/5

94) More Than Organs by Kay Ulanday Barrett – Poetry. Barrett is a disabled, transgendered queer poet. This is their second poetry collection. 4.5/5

95) Dreadnought by April Daniels – YA Fantasy/Superhero. The first book in the Nemesis series. When Dreadnought, the world’s greatest hero dies right in front of Danny his powers transferred to her. Included in this transference was changing her body into what she always knew it should look like. While figuring out how to be a hero and who killed Dreadnought before they come for her, she also has to deal with transphobic family and teammates.. 4/5

96) Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton – Non-Fiction/History. More academic than I thought it would be going in, the subtitle is a pretty good explainer for what the book is. A good, but very academic read. 4/5

97) Gay Berlin: Birthplace of a Modern Identity by Robert M. Beachy – Non-Fiction/History. More academic than I thought it would be going in. This looks at Berlin’s place in LGBTQ+ history form scholars to activists to medical professionals. Covering from the mid-1800s to the beginning of the Nazi crackdown. A good but very academic read. 4/5

98) Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve – YA Horror. Z wakes up as a zombie after a car crash kills their family. After what looks like a supernatural murder takes place they and werewolf classmate Aysel are driven together in an attempt to survive in a town that doesn’t want either of them. 3.75/5

 

[RangerPooh]

25/30 Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke
Book 20 of the Hannah Swenson series.

Short, quick read. Left me stumped as a character that has become more prominent seemed to be missing. But looking at the seasonal timeline of the books, should have been there. I may have missed something at the beginning, or this was done on purpose.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

16/30 - To Catch A Bride by Gina Welborn and Becca Witham
Historical romance during Montana gold rush finds widow Marilyn trying to save her land as she deals with two suitors.

17/30 - Jane by the Book by Pepper Basham
Professional organizer Jane meets author Titus in Bath, England while on assignment. They work together to solve a mystery in Jane’s family and find love along the way.

18/30 - Canyon Survival by Connie Queen. Romantic suspense with amnesia victim Stormy and 2 children running for their lives. Former FBI agent Riggs helps her survive and a child abduction ring is uncovered.

19/30 - In Love With The Veterinarian by Melissa Storm
Quick read where country singer Lolly and Veterinarian Oscar meet by accident and discover love.

 

[willowsnn3]

 

[willowsnn3]

16/30 - Last Light by Terri Blackstock

I have read this series & really liked it also.

Oh, I read this series a few years ago. GREAT series, and one of the few Christian fiction series I probably wouldn't mind re-reading.
Just in case you've never read one of my "rants" about Christian fiction... It's not about the faith aspect. I don't mind that, so long as they aren't hitting you over the head with it all the time. I mean... I am a Christian. But... As a nearly 40 year old female who's never even been on a date, I can't stand that fact that pretty much every single woman eventually has to get married, and most are actively looking and wondering why God hasn't given them the right man yet, and blah, blah, blah. Just let a single woman be single! Without her lamenting about it every other page! And without a guy pursuing her, even if she doesn't show an interest back right away. I'm just... done with that. Done. Let her be single, and don't make that a focus. Just... let her be her own person. Don't focus on the fact that she's single. It's like a scarlet letter in many Christian fiction books. Okay. Rant over. I now return you to your regular reading challenge posts. *grins*

Christian here also, but I don't read a lot of Christian fiction unless it is a 'thriller' type. In fact, I don't read much in the way of romance type books at all.

 

[willowsnn3]

#27/50 Fallen by Linda Castillo
A rebellious Amish woman leaves the Plain life, but the secrets she takes with her will lead Chief of Police Kate Burkholder down a dark path to danger and death.
When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally?

This is book 13 in the Kate Burkholder series. Love this series but the books come out so far apart, lol.

 

[melk]

18/35 These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Cooper, a former soldier, and his young daughter live isolated in a cabin away from society. The only contact they have with others is a fellow recluse neighbor, Scotland, and Jake, who brings them supplies once a year. Jake doesn’t show up one year however, which sets off a chain of events which reveals the secret reasons why they are living in isolation.

I enjoyed this book very much. Questions get answered along the way as Cooper’s story is revealed. The unexpected ending was very satisfying. Thanks to the Diser who posted it!

 

[RangerPooh]

26/30 Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Book 21 of the Hannah Swenson series.