My First Challenge!

Snak2019 Category Challenge

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My First Challenge!

1JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 27, 2019, 6:56 am



I have just started using LT, and this is my first ever challenge. So please forgive me that my challenge will be very boring compared to some of the amazing ones I have seen so far, and that I will probably have no idea what I am doing!

As I wanted to get this up, I have just decided to go with following the CATs, etc. for my first challenge - hope that is ok!

Happy to meet so many fellow readers!

Reading through other posts, I think I may use PopSugar as some reading prompts - next year, I'll get to proper categories!



2019 PopSugar Challenge

* 01 - A book becoming a movie in 2019 The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Movie due for release 10 May 2019 - finished 14th May 2019
02 - A book that makes you nostalgic The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
03 - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction) Wildwood by Colin Meloy, cause who doesn't love The Decemberists!
* 04 - A book you think should be turned into a movie Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman - finished 20th April 2019
* 05 - A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - finished 20th May 2019
* 06 - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury - finished 7th May 2019
07 - A reread of a favorite book Bleak House by Charles Dickens
* 08 - A book about a hobby The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown - finished 2nd September 2019
* 09 - A book you meant to read in 2018 Scythe by Neal Shusterman - finished 22nd November 2019
* 10 - A book with "pop", "sugar" or "challenge" in the title Beneath The Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire - finished 5th December 2019
11 - A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover Wearing Paper Dresses by Anne Brinsden
12 - a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore Circe by Madeline Miller
13 - A book published posthumously Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
* 14 - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Seen in The Bookshop - finished 5th February 2019
15 - A retelling of a classic Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell (Peter Pan)
* 16 - A book with a question in the title Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick - finished 11th August 2019
17 - A book set on a college or university campus Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
* 18 - a book about someone with a super power Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant - finished 27th September 2019
* 19 - a book told from multiple POVs Girls Of Glass by Brianna Labuskes - finished 28th September 2019
* 20 - a book set in space - has to be The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - finished 18th March 2019
21 - a book by two female authors Last Christmas In Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
* 22 - A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter" or "spicy" My Sweet Orange Tree by Jose Mauro De Vasconcelos - finished 4th December 2019
23 - A book set in Scandinavia The Palace of the Snow Queen by Barbara Sjoholm
* 24 - a book that takes place in a single day Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin - finished 25th February 2019
* 25 - a debut novel Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett - finished 20th January 2019
* 26 - a book that's published in 2019 The Marriage Clock by Zara Raheem - finished 23rd September 2019
* 27 - a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire - finished 6th December 2019
* 28 - a book recommended by a celebrity you admire Braving The Wilderness by Brene Brown. Recommended by Reese Witherspoon - finished 18th July 2019
29 - a book with "love" in the title Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford
30 - a book featuring an amateur detective The Bullet Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan
* 31 - A book about a family Midwinter by Fiona Melrose - finished 10th September 2019
*32 - A book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America The Vegetarian by Han Kang - finished 27th December 2019
* 33 - A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah - finished 26th November 2019
* 34 - a book that includes a wedding The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson - finished 19th August 2019
* 35 - A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes - finished 30th October 2019
* 36 - A ghost story The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - finished 28th October 2019
* 37 - a book with a two-word title The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta - finished 16 December 2018 (sneaking this in early!)
* 38 - A novel based on a true story Becoming Mrs Lewis by Patti Callahan - finished 5th June 2019
* 39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson - finished 13th October 2019
* 40 - Your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar Reading Challenge (from 2018 - novel based on a real person) Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini - finished 12th November 2019

After adding up all the different challenges, I have a total of 201 books to read here this year! Hmmm, we will see!

40 books in PopSugar Challenge
52 books in 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge
84 books in the monthly CATs and KITs
25 books in BingoDOG

2MarthaJeanne
dec 15, 2018, 7:31 am

One of the great things about this group is that nobody cares how you set your challenge up. Whatever suits you is ok.

Following the CATs is ok, but not following the CATs is OK, too. If you want to read a book a month, that's fine. If you want to read a book a day, that's fine, too. If you want to plan your reading for next year now - go for it. If you want to pick your books as you read them, just trying to keep some variety in - go for that.

You can read all the other challenges, chose a few to watch, or ignore all of them but your own.

You chose the terms for your challenge. It can be hard or easy for you. But we aren't competing with each other, we are supporting each other.

3majkia
dec 15, 2018, 7:37 am

Welcome! The only rule here is to enjoy reading!

4JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 29, 2019, 11:37 pm

As this is my first challenge, I am just using the CATs and KITs as my categories. January plans filled in!



January
* RandomCAT (your name in print): Take Someone Like Me by Jayne Buxton - finished 29 December 2018
* TBRCAT (first in, last out): The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger - finished 24 January 2019
* CalendarCAT (Australia Day): Follow The Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington/Nugi Garimara - finished 28 F
* SeriesCAT (in translation): Night by Elie Wiesel - finished 20th December 2019
* AlphaKIT (Q, A): Q & A by Vikas Swarup - finished 30th December 2018
* SFFKIT (meant to read in 2018): been meaning to read this for YEARS! The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - finished 12th January 2019
* ScaredyKIT: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - finished 31st January 2019



February
* RandomCAT (We Need A Break): Felicia's Journey by William Trevor - finished 25th May 2019
* TBRCAT (borrowed): Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar - finished 27th April 2019
* CalendarCAT (National Love Your Pet Day): All The Queen's Corgis by Penny Junor - finished 19th March 2019
* SeriesCAT (YA/children's): Chronicles of Narnia - finished 14th March 2019
* AlphaKIT (K, O): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - finished 26th October 2019
* SFFKIT (colonization): The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury - finished 9th February 2019
* ScaredyKIT (corporeal undead): I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - finished 24th March 2019



March
* RandomCAT (Brexit): Winter by Ali Smith - finished 14th April 2019
* TBRCAT (bought for trip or special occasion): Woolgathering by Patti Smith - finished 23rd November 2019
* CalendarCAT (Tolkien Reading Day): The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - finished 13th June 2019
* SeriesCAT (favorite author): The Suffolk Trilogy by Norah Lofts - finished 28th May 2019
* AlphaKIT (U, L): Under The Camelthorn Tree by Kate Nicholls - finished 30th December 2019
* SFFKIT (mystery): The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - finished 30th May 2019
ScaredyKIT (true crime): The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson



April
* RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - finished 18th October 2019
* TBRCAT (LT group read or challenge): The Colour by Rose Tremain - finished 10th May 2019
* CalendarCAT (Black Women's History Month): Passing by Nella Larsen - finished 15th September 2019
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
* AlphaKIT (B, M): Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman - finished 20th April 2019
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
* ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey - finished 10th October 2019



May
* RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Dance Like A Butterfly by Angela Wenzel - finished 30th December 2019
* TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - finished 8th December 2019
* CalendarCAT (Iris Day): The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch - finished 27th July 2019
* SeriesCAT (newest in a favorite series): Spring (release date 30 April 2019) by Ali Smith - Seasonal Quartet - finished 11th June 2019
AlphaKIT (H, V): Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
* ScaredyKIT (scary children): The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham - finished 29th June 2019



June
* RandomCAT (pick a card - ten of diamonds): Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos - finished 31st August 2019
* TBRCAT (book bullet): Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro - finished 12th July 2019
* CalendarCAT (Dorothy Sayers born 13 June): The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers - finished 7th August 2019
* SeriesCAT (definitely complete): Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson - finished 28th June 2019
* AlphaKIT (J, D): Franny and Zoey by J.D. Salinger - finished 9th August 2019
* SFFKIT (road trip): Find Me by Laura van den Berg - finished 30th June 2019
* ScaredyKIT (technothriller): The Martian by Andy Weir - finished 18th November 2019



July
* RandomCAT (to do with birds): H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald -finished 14th September 2019
TBRCAT (author with 2+ books on TBR): Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
* CalendarCAT (Canada Day 1st July): Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald - finished 7th October 2019
SeriesCAT (fantasy): A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
* AlphaKIT (C, P): Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling - finished 26th December 2019
* SFFKIT (space opera): Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente - finished 3rd October 2019
ScaredyKIT (vacation): The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters



August
* RandomCAT (back to school): Dress Codes For Small Towns by Courtney Stevens - finished 24th September
* TBRCAT (excited when purchased but still unread): The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - finished 7th September 2019
* CalendarCAT (Backyard and Flower Show Melbourne): The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman - finished 14th December 2019
* SeriesCAT (set in country/region where you don't live): Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder - finished 26th September 2019
AlphaKIT (N, I): Suite Francais by Irene Nemirovsky
SFFKIT (alternate history): The Man In The High Castle by Phillip K. Dick
* ScaredyKIT (Gothic): We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson - finished 21st October 2019



September
* RandomCAT (equinox): Quartet In Autumn by Barbara Pym - finished 20th October 2019
TBRCAT (classic I feel I should read): Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
* CalendarCAT (Banned Books week): Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - finished 17th September 2019
* SeriesCAT (By The Sea): Withering-By-Sea by Judith Rossell - finished 23rd October 2019
AlphaKIT (F, W): The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
* SFFKIT (series): Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire - finished 24th October 2019
* ScaredyKIT (Ghosts and Hauntings): This House Is Haunted by John Boyne - finished 24th December 2019



October
RandomCAT (knock offs, tributes, parodies): Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
* TBRCAT (purchased for visual appeal): Romanov by Nadine Brandes - finished 16th October 2019
CalendarCAT (19th - Evaluate Your Life Day): You Do You by Sarah Knight
SeriesCAT (historical): Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
AlphaKIT (G, T): The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
* SFFKIT (comedy): Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams - finished 5th November 2019
* ScaredyKIT (monsters): A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - finished 24th November 2019



November
RandomCAT (childhood memories): Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
* TBRCAT (gift): Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout - finished 19th December 2019
* CalendarCAT (Margaret Atwood's birthday): The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - finished 16th November 2019
* SeriesCAT (female protagonist): The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - finished 14th November 2019
AlphaKIT (S, Y): Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
SFFKIT (award winner): The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (2019 Hugo and Nebula)
ScaredyKIT (Stephen King): 11/22/63 by Stephen King



December
* RandomCAT (Season's Readings): Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu - finished 23rd December 2019
* TBRCAT (too cheap to resist): By Sea & Stars by Trent Dalton (20c at the op shop) - finished 30th December 2019
* CalendarCAT (Christmas): A Jane Austen Christmas by Carlo Devito - finished 23rd December 2019
SeriesCAT (new to you): Tales of the City by Armistad Maupin
AlphaKIT (E, R): The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
SFFKIT (end-of-year wrap-up - free choice): Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award
* ScaredyKIT (modern thrillers): No Exit by Taylor Adams - fnished 3rd December 2019



Year-long
AlphaKIT (X, Z): Half of Man is Woman by Zhang Xianliang

(Borrowed this list from Christina - hope that is ok, Christina - you are so organised to have it all listed out and I was trying to coordinate it all from all the different topic posts. This seemed to save my sanity!)

5JayneCM
Redigeret: sep 17, 2019, 2:42 am

Thanks, MarthaJeanne!
I like the idea of using the CATs as my structure for this year. I read heaps but it will be good to have this structure to follow.
Looking forward to it!

6JayneCM
dec 15, 2018, 7:45 am

Thanks for the welcome, majkia!

7JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 20, 2019, 6:02 pm





I even worked out how to add a Bingo card! Thanks for making these - they are fantastic!

* 1. author uses middle name or initial The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - finished 20th May 2019
* 2. debut novel The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan - finished 13th January 2019
* 3. about or featuring siblings Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire - finished 8th November 2019
* 4. book bullet The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - from tess_schoolmarm - finished 21st December 2019
* 5. mentioned in another book Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren - as mentioned in The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - finished 15th November 2019
* 6. related to medicine or health Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios - finished 25th September 2019
* 7. animal in title, cover, significant role The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben - finished 20th September 2019
* 8. artistic character Meeting Cezanne by Michael Morpurgo - finished 18th December 2019
* 9. Eastern European author or setting The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway - finished 1st July 2019
* 10. children's or young adult Insignificant Events In The Life Of A Cactus by Dusti Bowling - finished 29th September 2019
* 11. alliterative title Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates - finished 27th June 2019
* 12. part of a series Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown - finished 5th September 2019
* 13. read a CAT Q & A by Vikas Swarup - finished 30th December 2018
* 14. prize-winning book Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan - finished 17th December 2019
* 15. weather word in title or book involves weather event A Cloud In The Shape Of A Girl by Jean Thompson - finished 17th December 2019
* 16. short stories or essays Three Early Stories by J.D. Salinger - finished 27th December 2018
* 17. made into a movie Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell - finished 11th January 2019
* 18. fairy tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen - finished 20th December 2019
* 19. graphic novel This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki - finished 26th May 2019
* 20. main title has 6+ words A Home At The End Of The World by Michael Cunningham - finished 13th December 2019
* 21. cover has at least 2 human figures The Land Girls by Victoria Purman - finished 2nd August 2019
* 22. book in translation Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata - finished 22nd October 2019
* 23. food-related title or topic The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender - finished 23rd January 2019
* 24. LT rating of 4.0+ Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - finished 20th June 2019
* 25. title contains homophone word Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin - finished 6th February 2019

8mysterymax
dec 15, 2018, 8:11 am

Welcome!

9Tess_W
dec 15, 2018, 9:17 am

Good luck with your cats!

10rabbitprincess
dec 15, 2018, 10:27 am

Welcome aboard and have fun with the challenge! The CATs are a great way to get started.

11MissWatson
dec 15, 2018, 12:27 pm

Welcome and good luck with your CATs!

12Jackie_K
dec 15, 2018, 12:31 pm

Welcome from me too!

13VivienneR
dec 15, 2018, 1:03 pm

Welcome Jayne! Even just staying with the CATs should keep you busily reading all year. I often read more than one book for a CAT and skip another, depending on what is at the top of my TBR heap. The only rule is to have fun!

14lkernagh
dec 15, 2018, 3:59 pm

Welcome and wishing you a fun year of challenge reading!

15JayneCM
dec 15, 2018, 7:46 pm

Thanks, everyone! By 2020, maybe I will be more creative with categories - so much inspiration here! I always have way too many new book suggestions to add to my list.

16This-n-That
dec 15, 2018, 10:53 pm

Wishing you a fun year of reading, Jayne. It looks like you are organized and ready to go.

17Zozette
dec 15, 2018, 11:47 pm

Welcome Jayne. I hope you have a very enjoyable year of reading.

18DeltaQueen50
dec 16, 2018, 12:21 pm

Welcome to the Challenge, Jayne, as you have probably found out by now we are a very friendly group and our main concern is that everyone has fun with the Category Challenge and their reading. :)

19LittleTaiko
dec 16, 2018, 4:25 pm

Welcome Jayne! Hope you enjoy your first year with us and come back for many more!

20thornton37814
dec 17, 2018, 12:06 pm

Welcome! Enjoy your reading!

21christina_reads
dec 17, 2018, 5:10 pm

Welcome, and happy reading in 2019! And of course I don't mind you using my formatting for the CATs at >4 JayneCM: -- I'm flattered! :)

22jlshall
dec 17, 2018, 5:17 pm

Hi, Jayne -- welcome to LT and to the Category Challenge group! I think you've found a great way to handle your categories for 2019. Hope you have a wonderful year of reading!

23JayneCM
dec 17, 2018, 5:45 pm

24JayneCM
dec 19, 2018, 11:54 pm

Just a question. Being a newbie, I set this topic title up without using my username! Duh! Anyone know if there is any way to edit that? Or do I just have to live with it?
Thanks!

25joriestory
dec 20, 2018, 12:17 am

JayneCM - You can tell I'm a newbie too, I didn't realise to use our usernames in the titles of our pages - but I hope erring on using my first name there won't be too much confusion? It took me a bit to find yours but I've starred it now so I can remind myself to follow your progress!!

I love how you've decided to do this at your own pace. I'm approaching it from a different angle of entrance - as I want 2019 to be less reading as a book blogger and more self-directing reading as a reader - as I've been seeking a better readerly balance for 3 out of 5 years I've been book blogging. If I can achieve what I'm hoping, as I ease into my sixth year as a book blogger, my seventh year will be where I wanted it to be all along. (big smiles)

Clever how you listed all the Pop Sugar prompts and I picked my top 19! Looking forward to seeing your selections - I'm still inking out my pre-plans for the stories I want to be reading. Of course, if I run into a DNF or something not quite my cuppa, I'll be amending my list with substitutions, etc. for now, I'm hoping the ones I want to read will be the ones I actually do read.

Here's to us!

26JayneCM
dec 20, 2018, 1:03 am

>25 joriestory: Thanks for the welcome! Great to see another newbie as lots of people seem to have been here for YEARS!
I found LibraryThing as I was looking for somewhere to catalogue my books (so I actually know what I have!) and just thought I'd take a quick look at the groups. Now I am in this group and also starting the 1001 Books group as well. Although I have read quite a few of the books in the 1001, I am starting from scratch as there are many I was planning to re-read at some stage.
I will have to see how I go - whether I have been WAY too ambitious!
Look forward to seeing how we go!

27joriestory
dec 20, 2018, 1:13 am

>26 JayneCM: I definitely believe I'm going to be overly ambitious this year but for whichever reason that feels like a comfortable place to be! lol I decided to join LT when Leafmarks folded. I was going to join LT all along but I wasn't sure if it was a bit out of my depth as back then, LT seemed complicated? Hard to explain. I've been a member for a few years now except I'm still getting my bearings! I wanted to spend a more active year in the groups (for 2019) whilst updating my library collections (more often) and overall just using LT the way I had intended too all along. I definitely love this site now and being able to participate is a joy.

I agree! A lot of the groups have veteran members but I think that is awesome, as it helps those of us just starting out on the groups to sort of grow our wings with their guidance. I merged my reading challenges inked out on my blog into my LT so now I have a better scope of what I'm trying to accomplish between a) my book blogger life and b) my personal reading life.

The best bit we're all striving to do something for our reading lives which makes a positive impact on our overall goals. Its lovely we can all cheer each other on! So far, I think January is the month I read more than I expected! lol As I'm planning things out tonight, if you counter what this group is inspiring me to read plus the two RALs I'm co-hosting.. its going to be a unique 'first month'!

1001 books, eh? I think I'm well satisfied with what I'm tackling but will see what your doing with that one!

28Zozette
dec 20, 2018, 1:46 am

>24 JayneCM: I am not a newbie and I managed to totally forget to put my username in.

29JayneCM
dec 20, 2018, 2:03 am

>28 Zozette: Phew! Oh well, I just have to remember which is my thread!

>27 joriestory: I am so enjoying being here as most of my active reading life is conducted online. No readers in my family, except for my 10 year old. We have just started summer holidays here in Australia and he said he had forgotten how much he loved just reading for hours. I always remember that as being my lofty ambition for school holidays - to read for as long as I liked without interruption!
His comment made up for my 14 year old's comment today. Readers, get ready to recoil in horror! I said to Mr 14 that maybe he could just read a small book in the holidays (I suggested Animal Farm). His retort was that he does not need to read as he learns everything he needs to know from social media! Yes, that is truly what he said! I can hear the collective gasps now! I have no idea what to do with that.

30Tess_W
dec 20, 2018, 11:53 am

>29 JayneCM: Although my children are now 39 and 40, we had the same problem with TV and/or the new IPOD sensation! However, we instituted a 30 minute family read each day.......book of your choice, we all sat/laid in the family room, set a timer for 30 minutes and read--no TV, no answering the phone, etc. We think it worked out well.

31JayneCM
dec 20, 2018, 5:21 pm

>30 Tess_W: I have tried that one, but to be honest the worst at doing it is my hubby! He is fidgeting and looking for his phone within five minutes. I may have to try it again and impress upon hubby how important I think it is. I'd have to put the timer in another room or they would all be looking at it to see how long to go!

32LisaMorr
dec 21, 2018, 5:18 pm

Good luck with your 2019 reading!

33lkernagh
dec 21, 2018, 6:49 pm

>24 JayneCM: - There is only a short window in which you can go back and edit the topic title, but no worries as anyone visiting your thread just has to look at the opening post by you to know who's thread it is! :-)

34JayneCM
dec 22, 2018, 1:56 am

>33 lkernagh: That is what I thought. Was hoping someone would know a trick or two! Oh well, I know for next year!

35JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 22, 2018, 9:28 am

Yay! I have filled in all my BINGO categories! For the moment, I am planning on not overlapping any books (except for the Read a CAT). But we will see if these well-laid plans go astray later in the year if I am running out of time!

I want to fill in all my PopSugar ones as well but it is 1.30am here in Australia, so I really should get to bed instead. I'll probably be thinking about them in my sleep!

36rabbitprincess
dec 22, 2018, 11:13 am

>35 JayneCM: Excellent work on filling in those categories! It's almost as much fun as the reading ;) I have Eleanor Oliphant on deck as well -- it sounds great!

37Jackie_K
dec 22, 2018, 2:00 pm

>36 rabbitprincess: I bought Eleanor Oliphant yesterday (thank you bookbub for a nice bargain!). Like I need more new books... ;)

38JayneCM
dec 22, 2018, 5:46 pm

>36 rabbitprincess: >37 Jackie_K: I actually have Eleanor Oliphant as a re-read. It was so fabulous and the build up was so well-crafted that I know a re-read will let me pick up so much more. You will love it!

39LittleTaiko
dec 22, 2018, 7:10 pm

How funny, we are both planning on reading the same book for the Eastern European author or setting square. Lots of other titles I know on your list as well.

40JayneCM
dec 23, 2018, 12:46 am

>39 LittleTaiko: It is not something I would usually have chosen, going normally for more WWII era. But I thought it was time to branch out a bit. I won't get to it for a while though as I have about five others from my list on hold at the library at the moment!

41Jackie_K
dec 23, 2018, 5:02 am

>39 LittleTaiko: >40 JayneCM: You piqued my interest and I looked at what you'd both chosen! I read The Cellist of Sarajevo last year and thought it was excellent.

42JayneCM
dec 23, 2018, 6:20 am

>41 Jackie_K: Oh good! Lok forward to reading it.

43JayneCM
dec 23, 2018, 7:33 am

Filled in all the PopSugar categories as well! Now to stop choosing books and start reading them!

44rabbitprincess
dec 23, 2018, 11:12 am

>43 JayneCM: I looooved Rabbit Cake and hope you do too :)

45JayneCM
dec 26, 2018, 5:51 am

>44 rabbitprincess: It looks like a great read. So looking forward to 2019 reading - and collecting a heap more recommendations!

46Dejah_Thoris
dec 26, 2018, 10:15 pm

Since you were kind enough to visit my new thread, I wanted to pop over and visit yours and I see it's been quite active!

I see that you're someone who plans their reading - I'm afraid I'm not. Every month I'll pick out books that will work for CATS, KITS and TIOLI Challenges over in the 75 Group, but even then it depends on the whim of the moment to determine what I'll actually read. At any rate, I usually manage to read something that fits the bill.

I hope you enjoy LT - I always have.

47JayneCM
dec 26, 2018, 10:44 pm

>46 Dejah_Thoris: It remains to be seen whether I am just planned in my planning or in my actual reading as well! Hopefully the wheels don't all fall off!
Thanks for the welcome - I am loving LT so far. Slowly adding all my books and have found some great features to help me sort them. I am hoping this will help me curb my book buying habit. Knowing exactly which books I already have (and knowing how many of them I haven't even read yet!) will help me stop buying more. That is the theory anyway - if only they would stop publishing new books for a while to let me catch up!

48Chrischi_HH
dec 27, 2018, 4:58 pm

Welcome to LT, Jayne! I hope you have lots of fun in our group. :)

49JayneCM
dec 27, 2018, 5:51 pm

>48 Chrischi_HH: Thanks for the welcome! I am looking forward to lots of great reading and discussion!

50JayneCM
dec 27, 2018, 5:57 pm

Read my first BINGO yesterday, Three Early Stories by J.D. Salinger. These were early works, published 6-11 years before The Catcher in the Rye.

I am reading The Catcher in the Rye as my TBRCAT, as I have never read any Salinger - not sure how! So this is my first taste of his work.

I must admit to being underwhelmed by these stories. Not sure if I was just expecting more of Salinger or maybe I just need a bit more in my writing. Maybe I am missing the point and the simpleness is the genius in the execution of these stories. But I really just felt they were ok.

51JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 28, 2019, 7:59 pm

And why not add some more, just for fun?!
This is my 52 books in 52 weeks challenge that I am in on Facebook (the group is just called 2019 Reading Challenge), so I thought I would add it here as well.

* 1. A book published in 2019 Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini - finished 12th November 2019
* 2. An author you have never heard of before Strike Your Heart by Amelie Nothomb - finished 2nd December 2019
3. A book you've read before Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
4. A book with a strong female lead So Long A Letter by Mariama Ba
5. A play La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas
6. A book set in Southern USA House in the Uplands by Erskine Caldwell
7. A biography of someone you admire -autobiography - I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
8. Set in the Victorian era The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
* 9. A character with a career you wish you had The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose by Diana Janney - finished 22nd December 2019
* 10. A plant on the cover Sustainable Revolution by Juliana Birnbaum and Louis Fox - finished 7th December 2019
11. Published the year you graduated school - 1988 Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
* 12. A graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore - finished 10th April 2019
13. Featuring music A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
14. An ugly cover The Nose by Nikolai Gogol
* 15. A teen as the main character With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo - finished 29th October 2019
16. A re-telling of a well-known story The Once and Future King by T.H. White
* 17. Set during a holiday Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van by Ali McNamara - finished 17th November 2019
* 18. A book chosen for you by someone else The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware - finished 15th December 2019
19. Gothic fiction novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
* 20. A book about time travel The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - finished 12th January 2019
21. A title that starts with the letter 'J' Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage by Caroline Jane Knight
22. Fantasy novel Legend by David Gemmell
23. True crime novel In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
24. A self-published book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
25. The name of a colour in the title The Color Purple by Alice Walker
* 26. A one word title Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman - finished 1st December 2019
27. A book that makes you mad American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
28. A book that discusses mental health The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
29. A book published by HarperCollins Taking Tom Murray Home by Tim Slee
30. An author who uses initials Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard
31. A book that everyone's talking about To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - most reviews on LT and GoodReads
32. A western All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
33. A book about a cult IQ84 by Haruki Murakami
34. Nominated for (but didn't win) the 2018 Goodreads Choice awards Warlight by Michael Ondaatje (a 1001 author)
35. A sports related book Underworld by Don DeLillo
36. A humorous novel Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
37. Set in South America The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
38. An allegorical book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
39. Military related: fiction or non-fiction The Old Lie by Claire G. Coleman
* 40. A character that is an immigrant Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - finished 3rd November 2019
41. A book suggested by someone else in the challenge The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - puckers' review of 5 *
42. A family member's favourite book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
43. A children's book The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley
44. An author who uses a pseudonym The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
* 45. A 'beach read' Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote - finished 1st August 2019
* 46. The first book you see in a bookstore/library Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver - finished 29th December 2019
* 47. Set in a country you've visited Goodbye Lullaby by Jan Murray - finished 20th November 2019
48. Set in a post-apocalyptic world The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
* 49. A speed read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery - finished 9th February 2019
* 50. A fairy tale The 13 Clocks by James Thurber - finished 15th July 2019
51. A book about organised crime/the mob The Godfather by Mario Puzo
52. An audiobook Moby Dick by Herman Melville, narrated by Stephen Fry

I am going to try and fill these up with 1001 Books as much as possible. I think I just like making lists too much!

52Jackie_K
dec 28, 2018, 5:25 am

>51 JayneCM: Ooh, I love the look of that challenge!

I don't need any more challenges, I don't need any more challenges, I don't need any more challenges, ... ;)

53JayneCM
dec 28, 2018, 5:32 am

>51 JayneCM: That is what I said to myself, for about three seconds! I am justifying it to myself by using 1001 Books as much as I can!

54JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 30, 2018, 7:47 am

>51 JayneCM: Filled in nearly all the categories in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge with 1001 Books!
Couldn't do the following:
1. a book published in 2019 - I compromised on this one and chose the sequel to a 1001 Book.
5. a play
12. a graphic novel
34. a book nominated for 2018 GoodReads choice awards - again compromised and chose a book by a 1001 Books list author.

Pretty sure there are no plays or graphic novels in the 1001 Books. But please let me know if there are, or you can think of a permutation that will work. Otherwise, I'll think of something else for these two.

I was pretty happy to get 50 out of 52 from the 1001 Books list!

Yay! Thanks to paruline in the 1001 Books group, I have now filled all the categories! There really is something for everyone in the 1001 Books list!

55JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 28, 2018, 6:24 pm

Finished my RandomCAT (my name in print) this morning - Take Someone Like Me by Jayne Buxton.
A perfect read for the holiday season. It was light, fluffy, easy reading, but relatable as the main character was about my age and had some of the same issues I have, particularly regarding moody teenagers who think you are just there for their personal benefit!
Great holiday read for when you just want to be entertained and not stretch your brain.

56JayneCM
Redigeret: jan 12, 2019, 12:09 am

December 2018

1. PopSugar - book with two word title - The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta - finished 16 December 2018
2. Bingo - short stories or essays - Three Early Stories by J.D. Salinger - finished 27 December 2018
3. January RandomCAT - my name in print - Take Someone Like Me by Jayne Buxton - finished 29 December 2018
4 & 5. January AlphaKIT (Q,A) & BINGO Read A CAT- Q & A by Vikas Swarup - finished 30 December 2018

5/201 books read across all categories
2.49% completed

Cheating a little and getting started in the last two weeks of December!

57Tess_W
dec 28, 2018, 10:58 pm

>56 JayneCM: No cheating--you make your own rules! I also started 10 days early. Am meeting some friends the first week of January--so won't be reading then. It all equals out!

58JayneCM
dec 29, 2018, 12:28 am

>57 Tess_W: I figured the same - that January is always a bit hit and miss with getting reading in, as we are on summer holidays here. Those three are the only ones I will fit in between now and January anyway!

59JayneCM
Redigeret: jan 1, 2019, 7:31 am

AlphaKIT for January finished today. For the letters Q and A, I chose the book Q & A by Vikas Swarup. This is one of the only books that I have read after seeing the movie as I was unaware that the movie was based on a book! The movie is Slumdog Millionaire.

I liked the book. It brought the everyday lives of many people in India vividly to life. Rather than treating the characters as though we should feel pity for them, the author presents them in a matter-of-fact way; that this is how their lives are, they accept it so we should too. Yet of course, you can't help but feel sympathy and anger that fellow human beings can be treated as though they are worthless. Maybe that is a privileged middle-class view (the main character would certainly think so!); maybe it is easy to treat life with more respect when you know where you are going to sleep that night and where your next meal is coming from.

I liked the construction of the book, with each chapter being based on a question in the quiz show and how he came to know the answer to each one. Of course, this means that the book hops around in time as you could not expect that the questions would match his life chronologically. The author is very good at slipping in a little clue very early on in each chapter though so you can place each event in his life story.

I found it sad that the characters expected so little from life and if something did go well, they knew it would be taken away just as quickly. Again this is reality for so many in our world and it is overwhelming to think of how to solve the problem of poverty.

My quote from this book is where the main character is describing a maid who tried to save money and make something of herself.

'Lajwanti made the cardinal mistake of trying to cross the dividing line which separates the existence of the rich from that of the poor. She made the fatal error of dreaming beyond her means. The bigger the dream, the bigger the disappointment.'

Seems to be the exact opposite of what we in the West are told to instil in our children - you can do anything you want, dream big, believe in yourself, etc.

60JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 31, 2018, 6:10 am



10pm here in Australia, so nearly Happy New Year!

May 2019 bring us all many wonderful reading adventures!

61The_Hibernator
dec 31, 2018, 6:45 am

Good luck with POPSugar! It's a lot of fun, even if you don't finish it (which I rarely do, lol). Happy New Year!

62JayneCM
dec 31, 2018, 7:43 am

>61 The_Hibernator: Thanks! I probably have way over committed on the amount of reading! But it is always worth giving it a try - you never know!

63hailelib
dec 31, 2018, 9:27 am

Love the pictures you've used especially the cat.

Have a wonderful 2019.

64thornton37814
dec 31, 2018, 11:46 am

65Tess_W
dec 31, 2018, 2:58 pm

66JayneCM
dec 31, 2018, 6:16 pm

>63 hailelib: >64 thornton37814: >65 Tess_W: Thanks all! It is already New Year's Day here in Australia, so happily reading my first book of 2019. Unfortunately I have been distracted already as it is not from any of my lists!

67Dejah_Thoris
dec 31, 2018, 6:34 pm



Wishing you and yours a happy and joyous 2019, filled with peace, love, and great books.

68JayneCM
dec 31, 2018, 6:39 pm

69JayneCM
Redigeret: jan 31, 2019, 6:31 pm

I am calling it as it is New Year's Day already here in Australia, so bring on 2019 reading!

January 2019

6. Gone With The Wind - BINGO square for 'made into a movie'
7 & 8. The Time Machine - SFFKIT meant to read in 2018 and 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge, a book about time travel
9. The Keeper of Lost Things - BINGO square for 'debut novel'
10. Rabbit Cake - Pop Sugar for a debut novel
11. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - BINGO square for food-related title or topic
12. The Catcher in the Rye - TBRCAT January (first in, last out)
13. The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories - ScaredyKIT January

13/201 books read across all categories
6.47% completed

I am already a little ahead as I snuck in four books late in December! I figure I need the extra boost, especially as there is NO way I will get Kristin Lavransdatter finished in January!

These are my January CATS and KITS:

January
* RandomCAT (your name in print): Take Someone Like Me by Jayne Buxton - finished 29 December 2018
* TBRCAT (first in, last out): The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger - finished 24 January 2019
CalendarCAT (Australia Day): Bridge of Clay by Marcus Zusak
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
* AlphaKIT (Q, A): Q & A by Vikas Swarup - finished 30th December 2018
* SFFKIT (meant to read in 2018): been meaning to read this for YEARS! The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - finished 12th January 2019
* ScaredyKIT: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - finished 31st January 2019

Looks like I am carrying over January CalendarCAT (this book is very popular at the library; I have been waiting a month for my hold!) and January SeriesCAT.

70Jackie_K
jan 1, 2019, 5:05 am

Ooh, good start Jayne! I'm hoping to get some reading in at some point today (amongst the laundry, ironing, cleaning, and hopefully a bit of a walk too).

I read The Time Machine a few weeks ago - my first ever Wells. Not really my kind of thing, but it was interesting and made me think that I'd like to read it with a scholarly commentary to get all of the 19th century innovations he was alluding to (industrialisation, evolution, etc).

71JayneCM
jan 1, 2019, 5:58 am

>70 Jackie_K: I have been naughty and just been reading most of the day, although you do have to stop sometimes to make sure everyone is fed!
I am starting The Time Machine next - it will be my first time reading Wells too. I'm not really a Sci-Fi reader, so it is probably good to have the SFFCAT as it will make me read outside my comfort zone.

Hope you managed to fit your walk into your day!

72rabbitprincess
jan 1, 2019, 10:22 am

Looks like 2019 is off to a good start! Reading for most of the day sounds like bliss!

73Zozette
jan 1, 2019, 1:10 pm

It has been a long time since I read ‘The Time Machine’ maybe 30 years. It is not my favourite Wells book, I like ‘The War of the Worlds’, ‘The Invisible Man’ and ‘Food of the Gods’ more.

74JayneCM
jan 1, 2019, 6:45 pm

>72 rabbitprincess: It sure was!
>73 Zozette: I have The War of the Worlds on my list as well.

75VivienneR
jan 1, 2019, 7:15 pm

Happy New Year from one of the last timezones to enjoy fireworks!

Glad you are enjoying LT. It was the best value for money that I ever had!

Great categories, especially the PopSugar. I don't even know where to get that list.

76JayneCM
jan 1, 2019, 10:34 pm

>75 VivienneR: Thanks! Hope you had a great New Year!
I just copied the PopSugar categories from someone else here! Pretty sure there is a website or blog though.
LT certainly is great value. I think I was only on here for three days before I paid for the lifetime membership. Definitely worth such a small amount for all this!

77LisaMorr
jan 3, 2019, 7:15 pm

>59 JayneCM: I didn't know that Q & A was the basis for Slumdog Millionaire (I haven't seen the movie but I understand the premise); I enjoyed your review and I think I would like the set-up - so I'll take a book bullet from you on that one!

78JayneCM
jan 3, 2019, 7:25 pm

>77 LisaMorr: Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!

79JayneCM
Redigeret: jan 3, 2019, 7:50 pm

Currently 38 Celsius here (100 Fahrenheit) and only getting hotter for the rest of the day. So Gone With The Wind, a fan and an ice-cold drink have my name on them this afternoon!

80Zozette
jan 3, 2019, 9:01 pm

34C in Hobart and quite a bit of smoke over the city though the major fire is quite a distance away. As I am a bad asthmatic I am confined to my home with all the windows closed.

81JayneCM
jan 3, 2019, 9:23 pm

Always dread fires, living rurally and hubby being a volunteer firie. Hope it is brought under control quickly and you don't suffer too much with the smoke. That is hot for Hobart!

82Zozette
jan 3, 2019, 10:14 pm

We usually only get a handful of days over 30C a year. Once in a while we reach 40C. Our hottest ever is 41.8 but that was about 6 years ago.

83JayneCM
jan 3, 2019, 11:31 pm

Why I would love to live in Tassie! :)

84Jackie_K
jan 4, 2019, 5:59 am

I have a couple of friends in Tasmania, one of them in Hobart, he posted a picture of a very orange looking sky. Stay safe, zozette!

85JayneCM
jan 8, 2019, 4:49 pm

I think I need to choose some shorter books! Not that it is a race but I have nothing to post as I am reading Gone With The Wind and Kristin Lavransdatter! May need to pick up some of my quick reads in between!

86DeltaQueen50
jan 8, 2019, 4:59 pm

>85 JayneCM: While you have nothing to post, those are two great books!

87JayneCM
jan 8, 2019, 7:14 pm

Both re-reads for me, that I haven't read since my twenties, many moons ago! Glad to find I am still loving them both.

88JayneCM
jan 8, 2019, 7:19 pm

And just went to the library and picked up The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan. This can fit into a debut novel for BINGO! Described as a 'charming fairytale' - should be just the quick read I need!

89thornton37814
jan 8, 2019, 8:05 pm

>85 JayneCM: Don't worry too much about numbers. Sometimes those who read mostly books over 500 pages average 3 to 4 books a month. When you get into some smaller reads, you'll make up ground.

90rabbitprincess
jan 8, 2019, 9:22 pm

I agree with >89 thornton37814: -- it'll come out in the wash! :)

91JayneCM
jan 8, 2019, 10:29 pm

>89 thornton37814: >90 rabbitprincess: I'm not worried so much as just wishing I had something to talk about! I'm enjoying chatting on everyone else's threads though.

92Dejah_Thoris
jan 8, 2019, 11:19 pm

>92 Dejah_Thoris: Some years, I lurk madly on other people's threads and rarely post anything myself - I feel involved, even though no one else knows I'm there, lol.

93Zozette
jan 9, 2019, 5:06 am

>88 JayneCM: I plan to read ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’ next month.

94JayneCM
jan 9, 2019, 5:43 am

>93 Zozette: Started it at the pool this afternoon. Good so far!

95JayneCM
jan 10, 2019, 6:33 pm

Just finished Gone With The Wind for the 'made into a movie' BINGO square.
Loved it just as much as a re-read, although certainly got more from it than I did at 18.

96DeltaQueen50
jan 10, 2019, 9:27 pm

Gone With the Wind is one book that I have consistently read and re-read. My first read was when I was sixteen and I have probably read it 4 or 5 times since. There are certainly flaws in the book, but it is still one of my all time favorites.

97Tess_W
jan 11, 2019, 5:37 am

>95 JayneCM: I have probably read this and The Thorn Birds 3-4 times. They are among the top 4-5 books I've ever read. I haven't read Gone with the Wind for about 20 years and I'm thinking it's time for a re-read. Thanks for reminding me!

98JayneCM
jan 11, 2019, 5:47 am

>97 Tess_W: I haven't read The Thorn Birds in about the same time frame. Although I did re-watch the TV series last month and still loved it. I also love All The Rivers Run. I do like a good saga!

99clue
jan 11, 2019, 10:58 am

I like a good saga with a woman protagonist once in awhile. I reread Gone With the Wind last year and reread The Thornbirds a few years ago too. I have never read All the Rivers Run but have meant to and just never got around to it. Looks like there are lots of used copies available so I'm going to grab one.

100JayneCM
jan 12, 2019, 12:01 am

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - read for SFFKIT for January, a book meant to read in 2018.
This would actually be a book I have been meaning to read for years, having never read any H.G. Wells or Jules Verne.
It was a quick enjoyable read. It kept my interest enough that I didn't want to put it down until I had finished.

101VivienneR
jan 12, 2019, 2:18 am

>92 Dejah_Thoris: That's mostly what I've been doing this year! It seems I'm short on time for posting so I'm just trying to read what everyone else is saying.

102JayneCM
jan 13, 2019, 12:44 am

Finished The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan - BINGO square for 'debut novel'.

A lovely read - it was described as a 'charming fairytale' and it is. You knew from the start that everything would be tied up nicely and there would be a happy ending, but that is ok. Sometimes we need a gentle read, where everyone ends up happy.

I totally related to Laura as she feels she comes from a time that valued tray-cloths. Me too! I think using tray-cloths as a way of linking to more old-fashioned values and times was perfect as they are definitely something that is not used any more, except by those trying to hark back to those times.

The book had many interlinking stories as there were five 'main' characters to follow. I loved the vignettes about some of the lost things and how they had become lost.

There were some sentences that had me laughing out loud. Two of the main characters are publishers and some of the dross they have to read to decide whether to publish is quite comical.

Sunshine is an absolute delight. I will forever find myself referring to having some tea as 'time for the lovely cup of tea'. She just loved to serve people and make sure everyone else was happy.

All the characters were people I could imagine and would love to spend time with. All together, a perfect read for that slow Sunday afternoon in front of the fire, with the lovely cup of tea, of course!

103Jackie_K
jan 13, 2019, 7:16 am

>102 JayneCM: Ooh, I'm sure I saw that on offer in the kobo store. Must resist the bargains, must resist the bargains....

104JayneCM
jan 14, 2019, 10:31 pm

>103 Jackie_K: But if it is on sale, surely it doesn't count?!

105Jackie_K
jan 15, 2019, 10:54 am

>104 JayneCM: I'm already allowing myself a 'gifts don't count' getout, so need to be stronger about the bargains! (particularly as they're the reason I'm in this huge TBR mess!)

106Tess_W
jan 15, 2019, 10:56 am

>105 Jackie_K: I feel your pain, Jackie!

107JayneCM
jan 15, 2019, 4:25 pm

>105 Jackie_K: It is definitely my downfall as well! I can generally stop myself for a full price item, but I must make sure I do not look in any online bookshops bargain sections. That being said, I just bought some yesterday. But they are on the 1001 Books list - that's my excuse anyway!

108JayneCM
jan 16, 2019, 12:57 am

Halfway through The Catcher in the Rye - must say, I'm not fussed and am having to push myself to be bothered to finish it.

109madhatter22
jan 16, 2019, 2:18 am

>51 JayneCM: I think I just like making lists too much

Right there with you! :) I already have more than enough to keep me busy, but looking at your Popsugar & 52/52 lists made me itch to write up my own. So many good books here! Good luck with your reads - it seems like you're off to a good start. :)

110JayneCM
jan 16, 2019, 5:54 pm

>109 madhatter22: I keep looking at other people's lists too and wanting to make more! I am a listaholic.

111JayneCM
Redigeret: okt 27, 2022, 1:34 am



Just checking!



And one for those who of us who are trying, really trying, not to buy any more books, but it just ain't happening!!

112lkernagh
jan 16, 2019, 10:10 pm

>111 JayneCM: - I love that sandwich board sign!

113MissWatson
jan 17, 2019, 3:57 am

>111 JayneCM: So do I. Nice to start the day with a grin.

114The_Hibernator
jan 17, 2019, 10:07 am

>108 JayneCM: Catcher in the Rye has been sitting on my shelf forever. Should really get to it.

115christina_reads
jan 17, 2019, 12:00 pm

>111 JayneCM: Thanks for the chuckle! :)

116JayneCM
jan 18, 2019, 4:03 am

>114 The_Hibernator: Catcher is slowly growing on me more, but I don't think I am destined to love it.

117JayneCM
jan 23, 2019, 11:10 pm

Just popped back home for one day so thought I better log some books!

Rabbit Cake, which I read for for the PopSugar Challenge, debut novel.
>44 rabbitprincess: Yes, loved it!
Elvis is my kinda gal! When I was younger, I wanted nothing better than to work in the zoo. And I am definitely like her in the colection of facts. I was one of those nerds that wanted to read all the encyclopedias cover to cover (although I am sure I am in good company here!)
Even though Elvis has suffered much, you just get the feeling that she will be ok in the end.
A book about how a family copes with and eventually starts to recover from grief.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - read for BINGO square for food-related title or topic.
If you loved Rabbit Cake, you will loooove this one! Reading them back to back, I did find I loved this one more. Very similar in tone and subject matter. Lemon Cake is also about a young girl, although we follow her into adulthood. She finds on her ninth birthday, that she can suddenly taste emotions in food, she can feel what the maker of the food was feeling. It gives her imformation she does not necessarily want to have. The book is about her coping with her newfound skill as she finds out about those around her. It reminded me of Miss Peregrine but in a realistic setting.
I was totally drawn into this, especially once strange things also started happening with her brother. The ending is great!

118Tess_W
Redigeret: jan 24, 2019, 9:48 am

>117 JayneCM: When I was younger (till about 13), we lived on a remote farm. It was 25 miles or more to the nearest library. My parents did not take me to the library and my elementary did not have a library. Some of the teachers might have had a bookshelf of books. Needless to say, I read everything in sight over and over again. Once a month the bookmobile came to our area and that was my delight. I was permitted to get 10 books a month. I usually read those 10 books in a very short amount of time and read some of them twice. My parents joined a club where they got 1 volume of an encyclopedia every other month and the set would be complete in 4 years. It was Funk and Wagnalls. I, of course, read these when I was out of reading material--and I found them quite interesting! Sadly, my parents dropped this bookclub purchase after about 4 volumes as they could not afford it. I can so relate to reading the encyclopedia and the dictionary!

119clue
jan 24, 2019, 9:42 am

>117 JayneCM: My dad actually did read our set of encyclopedias all the way through...twice! On car trips my sister and I would shout out letters and for each one he had to tell us something he had leaned from the corresponding encyclopedia. Whatever he told us was usually complete silliness and we loved it.

120JayneCM
jan 29, 2019, 7:34 am

>118 Tess_W: I knew I would find someone else who had read encyclopedias and dictionaries here!
>119 clue: That is so great! What a fabulous memory to have.

121JayneCM
jan 29, 2019, 7:48 am

The Catcher in the Rye - read for TBRCAT for January (first in, last out).
As I have never read this, I came to it with lots of preconceptions. And I must admit, I was a bit mah about it. I can see the message was powerful at the time, as in the 50s noone was questioning consumerism and whether a life lived to the societal norms of the time was a fulfilling one. I guess now that every second book is telling us to live intentionally and that stuff won't make you happy, the message of this book is just one of many.
I still totally relate to Holden though as he feels he needs to 'catch' all the people who are mindlessly heading off the cliff, not even knowing they are heading to their deaths. I feel that way too, about many issues that the general population do not seem to consider will worry them so is not their problem.
But the language of the book distracted me and by the end totally annoyed me. I did not want to read another 'crumby' or 'goddam' again!
All in all, I am ambivalent about this book. I can see its greatness, but I'm not sure it has totally stood the test of time.

122Tess_W
jan 29, 2019, 7:57 am

>121 JayneCM: I'm with you on that one, Jayne! I have started that book 2-3 times and never got past the first 20 pages. Don't know if I will ever pick it up and finish it.

123JayneCM
Redigeret: jan 29, 2019, 10:40 pm

>122 Tess_W: I probably would have abandoned it too, except that it was on my list - I'm stubborn like that! Plus I felt I should keep going in case I missed something great!

124JayneCM
jan 31, 2019, 6:32 pm

Just finished The Yellow Wallpaper for the January ScaredyKIT. Great stories - quick to read, but still pack a punch.

125thornton37814
jan 31, 2019, 9:35 pm

>124 JayneCM: There's an excerpt from that in Gothic Short Stories which we're reading this semester in our faculty book club. First meeting was today. We read the introduction which included several points about The Yellow Wallpaper. This may be the largest group we've ever had for the book club.

126Tess_W
feb 1, 2019, 1:14 am

>124 JayneCM: That book is on my ereader......just waiting to be read. It's on the 1001 list.

>125 thornton37814: Faculty book club---they are the best. I belong to one, but we have only 7 members. We've been reading together for 7 years now.

127JayneCM
feb 1, 2019, 2:11 am

>125 thornton37814: >126 Tess_W: I would love to go to a bookclub! I am a member of one here, but I hardly ever get to it with hubby's work.
I will have to take a look at Gothic Short Stories and see what else is included.

128JayneCM
Redigeret: mar 5, 2019, 8:57 pm

February already!

February 2019

14. Lolita - PopSugar Challenge - a book you see being read in a TV show or movie. The main character in The Bookshop was reading Lolita.
15. Rain Reign - BINGO - title contains a homophone
16. The Little Prince - 52 Books in 52 Weeks - a speed read
17. The Martian Chronicles - SFFKIT February - colonisation
18. Go Tell It On The Mountain - Pop Sugar Challenge - book that takes place in a single day
19. Follow The Rabbit-Proof Fence - CalendarCat (Australia Day) for January

19/201 books read across all categories
9.45% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:

CalendarCAT (Australia Day): Follow The Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilington/Nugi Garimara
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (I think this will be a long-term read!)

These are my February CATS and KITS:

February
RandomCAT (We Need A Break): The Great Railway Bazaar and Ghost Train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux
TBRCAT (borrowed): Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar
CalendarCAT (National Love Your Pet Day): All The Queen's Corgis by Penny Junor
SeriesCAT (YA/children's): Chronicles of Narnia
AlphaKIT (K, O): It's OK To Go Up The Slide by Heather Shumaker
* SFFKIT (colonization): The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury - finished 9th February 2019
ScaredyKIT (corporeal undead): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Let's see how we go this month!

129thornton37814
feb 1, 2019, 1:30 pm

>126 Tess_W: I think this is our fourth year to do it during spring semester. We actually were going to do this one in the fall semester, expanding our club to cover the entire year, but it was so busy that we lost too much time trying to find a time our core could meet and ended up deferring until spring. We may try it again but make a plan late this semester for the fall semester. We all love it.

>127 JayneCM: It's quite affordable. We looked at several options, but this was the most reasonably priced in both print and ebook format. I think those of us using the ebook format are going to be in the minority this time.

130rabbitprincess
feb 1, 2019, 6:29 pm

I saw your comment in the Suitable Boy group thread about not lending out books in case they get damaged -- once I loaned my MIL a book because her book club was going to be reading it, and when I brought it over she asked me if I'd actually read it, because it was in pristine condition. Ha! (She didn't wreck my book, though, fortunately!)

131JayneCM
feb 1, 2019, 11:02 pm

>130 rabbitprincess: My hubby thinks I haven't read any of my books as they look like new! Glad your book arrived home as it left. I once lent my hardback copy of LOTR (one of the really special illustrated ones) and it was returned with coffee mug stains on some of the pages. And with no apology - that it the way he treated books, so didn't even think about it being a potential issue for me. Never again!

132luvamystery65
feb 2, 2019, 1:00 pm

>124 JayneCM: I'm glad you were able to get to The Yellow Wallpaper. It's very intense.

>131 JayneCM: How horrible!

133JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 1, 2019, 7:54 am



Just need a funny photo while I keep on with Lolita - never has a book made me feel so ick!

134Zozette
feb 4, 2019, 3:18 am

I don’t think I will ever read it because of the subject matter.

135JayneCM
feb 4, 2019, 5:56 am

>134 Zozette: Agreed! I have not picked it up before because of that, but I can see why people call it a masterpiece. If you can just get past the subject matter, the writing is truly wonderful.

136DeltaQueen50
feb 4, 2019, 2:31 pm

>133 JayneCM: I am planning on reading this sometime in the near future, but everytime I think about it, I decide the time just isn't right yet. I want to read it, but at the same time I am dreading it.

137JayneCM
Redigeret: feb 5, 2019, 12:28 am

>136 DeltaQueen50: I am nearly at the end. The last 50 pages or so have not been so creepy! I'm getting over it. It is definitely worth reading, but I still won't be hurrying to get to any of his other works!

138JayneCM
feb 5, 2019, 7:23 am

Just finished Lolita for the Pop Sugar Challenge - a book you see someone reading in a TV show or movie. The main character in The Bookshop was reading Lolita.

Creepy subject matter but overall a masterful book.

Definitely a master of language - it was beautiful to read. And a master at crafting to keep the reader on edge all the time. I would find myself lost in a beautiful description of the scenery, etc. on their road trip and then he would subtly slip in a little reference to Lolita. It would take me a second to think, hang on, did I just read that?! And then it would be back to shudders of disgust as I was reminded of the subject matter of the book.
Also wickedly clever in its wit. Again, I would find myself laughing and then feeling I shouldn't be laughing at a book about a topic like this.
The ending was especially wonderful - reminded me of the scene with the knight in Monty Python.

All together I am going to have to agree with the reviewer on the front cover of my copy, that this book is a masterpiece.

I will say, the constant French phrases annoyed me. There were so many, I gave up on looking them up so not sure if I missed something important there!

Although I ended up appreciating this book, I don't think I will be picking up another Nabokov book for a while!

139Tess_W
feb 5, 2019, 7:41 am

>138 JayneCM: I have Lolita on my ereader, I also need to read it! Great review; I'm thinking I will be able to read/tolerate it!

140mathgirl40
feb 5, 2019, 7:54 am

I'm still trying to catch up with all the threads in this group, so please accept a very belated welcome to LT and to our challenge forum!

I enjoyed reading your review of Lolita. I'm still on the fence about whether I want to read this one or not.

141JayneCM
feb 5, 2019, 8:28 am

>139 Tess_W: >140 mathgirl40: Truly, I would never have picked it up but it is on the 1001 Books list. I am glad I persevered with it, but I don't think it will be a re-read any time in the future! I also have his book Ada to read for a group read, but this is about sibling incest. I think I may have had more than enough Nabokov for a while!
I have picked up a junior fiction, Rain Reign to clear my mind a bit!

>140 mathgirl40: And thank you for the welcome - I am loving it here! I have so many book bullets, I will never be able to keep up!

142JayneCM
feb 6, 2019, 4:20 am

Book 15 - Rain Reign for BINGO square - title contains a homophone.

And for extra points, the book was about a girl who loves homonyms!

This is a junior fiction novel and I needed a lovely quick read this time around. It is about Rose, an 11 year old high-functioning autistic girl. Rose loves homonyms, rules and prime numbers.
Reads pretty much the same as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time but this is geared for a tween/early teen audience. It would be a great book to give insight to other children. My teenage son has a high-functioning autistic boy in his class and I gave him Curious Incident to read. This would be perfect for younger children.

It was just lovely, nothing really unexpected, just a good feel-good story with some tears along the way.

143JayneCM
feb 9, 2019, 6:19 am

Book 16 - The Little Prince - 52 Books in 52 Weeks - a speed read

Although this is a thin book, it fits a lot in. Definitely reminds us that what children see of our behaviour as grown-ups is the truth and that sometimes the way we act makes no real sense in the big picture.

144JayneCM
Redigeret: feb 10, 2019, 6:47 pm

Book 17 - The Martian Chronicles - SFFKIT - colonisation

A book I would never have picked up, but it was so fabulous. In the introduction, Bradbury refers to the book as a 'book-of-stories-pretending-to-be-a-novel'. But it certainly reads as a novel and I found it gripping. My favourite chapter was the one referencing The House of Usher.
Another book to make you think about how humans treat new places, new people, when we decide to colonise.
Very clever and evocative writing.

145lkernagh
feb 9, 2019, 7:53 pm

>143 JayneCM: - I love that book! Every time I re-read it, I find something new to focus on. It just never grows old, with me. ;-)

146madhatter22
feb 10, 2019, 10:50 pm

>133 JayneCM: Love that. :D I always find bookshelves in decorating magazines amusing. A dozen books between decorative bookends and a bowl of fruit, a stack of 5 color-coordinated books and a vase ...

147Zozette
Redigeret: feb 12, 2019, 5:34 pm

>146 madhatter22: I agree. No true book lover would have bookshelves like they show in those magazines.

148LisaMorr
feb 20, 2019, 1:52 pm

>144 JayneCM: My dad introduced me to Ray Bradbury (and science fiction) when I was pretty young - he gave me a used box set of 4 paperbacks that included The Martian Chronicles, which I absolutely loved. I still have them, although they're falling apart a little, and I still remember them - The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine and A Medicine for Melancholy.

149JayneCM
feb 26, 2019, 6:57 am

>148 LisaMorr: I was surprised by how much I loved it! I have Dandelion Wine on my pile to get to soon.

150JayneCM
Redigeret: apr 17, 2019, 12:01 am

Oh my goodness, February was a terrible reading month for me! Let's just write that month off and start fresh!

March 2019

20. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - SeriesCAT for February (YA/childrens) - finished 14th March 2019
21. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams - PopSugar challenge, book set in space - finished 18th March 2019
22. All The Queen's Corgis by Penny Junor - CalendarCAT for February (Pet Day) - finished 19th March 2019
23. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - ScaredyKIT for February (corporeal undead) - finished 24th March 2019

23/201 books read across all categories
11.44% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:

SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (I think this will be a long-term read!)

From February, I will have to carry over:
RandomCAT (We Need A Break): Felicia's Journey by William Trevor
TBRCAT (borrowed): Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar
* CalendarCAT (National Love Your Pet Day): All The Queen's Corgis by Penny Junor - finished 19th March 2019
* SeriesCAT (YA/children's): Chronicles of Narnia - finished 14th March 2019
AlphaKIT (K, O): The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell
* ScaredyKIT (corporeal undead): I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - finished 24th March 2019

These are my March CATs and KITs:

March
RandomCAT (Brexit): Winter by Ali Smith
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
CalendarCAT (Tolkien Reading Day): The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
SeriesCAT (favorite author): The Suffolk Trilogy by Norah Lofts
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
SFFKIT (mystery): The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
ScaredyKIT (true crime): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

I am currently reading The Chronciles of Narnia aloud to my boys and am reading I Am Legend myself.

Fingers crossed March will be a better reading month!

151DeltaQueen50
mar 6, 2019, 11:01 pm

Best of luck with your March reading. :)

152JayneCM
Redigeret: maj 28, 2019, 8:24 am

April 2019

24. Watchmen - 52 Books in 52 Weeks, a graphic novel - finished 10th April 2019
25. Winter - March RandomCAT (Brexit) - finished 14th April 2019
26. and 27. Britt-Marie Was Here - PopSugar book that should be a movie - April AlphaKIT (B,M) - finished 20th April 2019
28. Salt Creek - February TBRCAT (borrowed) - finished 27th April 2019

28/201 books read across all categories
13.93% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

From February, I will have to carry over:
RandomCAT (We Need A Break): Felicia's Journey by William Trevor
* TBRCAT (borrowed): Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar - finished 27th April 2019
AlphaKIT (K, O): The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell

From March, carrying over:
* RandomCAT (Brexit): Winter by Ali Smith - finished 14th April 2019
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
CalendarCAT (Tolkien Reading Day): The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
SeriesCAT (favorite author): The Suffolk Trilogy by Norah Lofts
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
SFFKIT (mystery): The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
ScaredyKIT (true crime): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

And these are my April CATS and KITS:
RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
TBRCAT (LT group read or challenge): The Color by Rose Tremain
CalendarCAT (Black Women's History Month): Passing by Nella Larsen
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
* AlphaKIT (B, M): Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman - finished 20th April 2019
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

153JayneCM
Redigeret: apr 16, 2019, 11:59 pm

Denne meddelelse er blevet slettet af dens forfatter.

154JayneCM
apr 26, 2019, 7:13 am

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman was my book 26 and 27. I realised that I had included it in two categories but figured I would count it twice as I need a reading win!

I have read this book four times already - love it so, so much! I suppose as Britt-Marie reminds me so much of myself. The pathos in every funny thing she says. I totally recommend it.

I chose this book in the PopSugar challenge as a book that should be a movie. And guess what? It has been made into a movie just after I chose it! It was released in Sweden on 25th January this year. I cannot wait to see it.

155LittleTaiko
maj 2, 2019, 4:20 pm

>154 JayneCM: - I loved Britt-Marie Was Here - she was the only bearable thing about My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry and I enjoyed getting a better look at her life.

156JayneCM
maj 3, 2019, 7:39 am

>155 LittleTaiko: I haven't read that one - I will have to look for it!

157JayneCM
Redigeret: maj 31, 2019, 2:42 am

May 2019

29. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (PopSugar - a book with a plant in the title) - finished 7th May 2019
30. The Colour by Rose Tremain (April TBRCAT - group read) - finished 10th May 2019
31. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (PopSugar - book being made into a movie in 2019) - finished 14th May 2019
32. and 33. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (PopSugar - book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads) (Bingo - author uses initial) - finished 20th May 2019
34. Felicia's Journey by William Trevor - (February RandomCAT - we need a break) - finished 25th May 2019
35. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki (BINGO graphic novel) - finished 26th May 2019
36. The Suffolk Trilogy by Norah Lofts (March SeriesCAT) - finished 28th May 2019
37. The Eyre Affair by Jasper FForde (March SFFKIT) - finished 30th May 2019

37/201 books read across all categories
18.41% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

From February, I will have to carry over:
* RandomCAT (We Need A Break): Felicia's Journey by William Trevor - finished 25th May 2019
AlphaKIT (K, O): The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell

From March, carrying over:
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
CalendarCAT (Tolkien Reading Day): The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
* SeriesCAT (favorite author): The Suffolk Trilogy by Norah Lofts - finished 28th May 2019
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
* SFFKIT (mystery): The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - finished 30th May 2019
ScaredyKIT (true crime): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

From April, carrying over:
RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
* TBRCAT (LT group read or challenge): The Colour by Rose Tremain - finished 10th May 2019
CalendarCAT (Black Women's History Month): Passing by Nella Larsen
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

And these are May's CATs and KITs:
RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Jazz by Toni Morrison
TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
CalendarCAT (Iris Day): The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch
SeriesCAT (newest in a favorite series): Spring (release date 30 April 2019) by Ali Smith - Seasonal Quartet
AlphaKIT (H, V): The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): Journey To The Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
ScaredyKIT (scary children): The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

158JayneCM
maj 31, 2019, 2:50 am

I had forgotten how much I love The Eyre Affair and all the Thursday Next books! For a book nerd, this series is heaven!
Such an original take on the dystopian novel, having a world where people argue and fight over literary characters and these are this world's celebrities!
I especially love the weekly theatre show of Shakespeare's Richard III, where people go dressed up every week and the cast is selected from the audience. Shakespeare as popular culture, love it! We used to go to Rocky Horror Picture Show like this in Melbourne (many years ago and I did not dress up, too shy!) and it was such fun. I wish I could remember where it was - they used to do Clockwork Orange as well.
Anyway, fabulous series - any other fans of these books?

159antqueen
maj 31, 2019, 8:16 am

I loved the first few Thursday Next books, but it's been ages since I've picked one up... I need to revisit (and refresh my memory before I get the next one!)

160Jackie_K
maj 31, 2019, 10:59 am

I've only read the first one (and like you I loved the Richard III bits), but I'm lining up the next one for July's TBRCat. I'm not a big fiction fan, but I really loved The Eyre Affair, sometimes you just need something silly but clever and that fits the bill perfectly.

161JayneCM
jun 3, 2019, 3:49 am

I would love to see it as a TV series!

162JayneCM
Redigeret: jun 29, 2019, 10:31 pm

June 2019

38. Becoming Mrs Lewis by Patti Callahan (PopSugar - a novel based on a true story) - finished 5th June 2019
39. Spring by Ali Smith (May SeriesCAT - newest in a series) - finished 11th June 2019
40. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (March CalendarCat - Tolkien Reading Day) - finished 13th June 2019
41. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (BINGO LT rating of 4.0+) - finished 20th June 2019
42. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (BINGO alliteative title) - finished 27th June 2019
43. Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson (June SeriesCAT - definitely complete) - finished 28th June 2019
44. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham (May ScaredyKIT - scary children) - finished 29th June 2019
45. Find Me by Laura Van Den Berg (June SFFKIT - road trip) - finished 30th June 2019

45/201 books read across all categories
22.4% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

From February, I will have to carry over:
AlphaKIT (K, O): The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell

From March, carrying over:
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
* CalendarCAT (Tolkien Reading Day): The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - finished 13th June 2019
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
ScaredyKIT (true crime): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

From April, carrying over:
RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
CalendarCAT (Black Women's History Month): Passing by Nella Larsen
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

From May:
RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Jazz by Toni Morrison
TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
CalendarCAT (Iris Day): The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch
* SeriesCAT (newest in a favorite series): Spring (release date 30 April 2019) by Ali Smith - Seasonal Quartet - finished 11th June 2019
AlphaKIT (H, V): The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): Journey To The Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
* ScaredyKIT (scary children): The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham - finished 29th June 2019

And to add June:
June
RandomCAT (pick a card - ten of diamonds): Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos
TBRCAT (book bullet): Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
CalendarCAT (Dorothy Sayers born 13 June): The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
* SeriesCAT (definitely complete): Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson - finished 28th June 2019
AlphaKIT (J, D): Franny and Zoey by J.D. Salinger
* SFFKIT (road trip): Find Me by Laura van den Berg - finished 30th June 2019
ScaredyKIT (technothriller): The Martian by Andy Weir

163christina_reads
jun 3, 2019, 3:51 pm

Just chiming in to say that I'm a Fforde ffangirl as well! I've read all the Thursday Next books except the last one, The Woman Who Died a Lot.

164JayneCM
jun 5, 2019, 6:32 am

>163 christina_reads: Yay! I am starting again from the beginning!

165JayneCM
jun 29, 2019, 10:34 pm

Pretty useful having a cold at the moment! I don't feel like doing much, so instead read two books in two days - The Midwich Cuckoos and Find Me, both from SFFKIT categories.
John Wyndham is a master, although I did find the ending of Midwich to be quite abrupt.
And I am always a fan of apocalypse books of all sorts, so really enjoyed Find Me. I thought the slow lead up in the hospital was very effective.
Now to keep reading - so much to catch up on!

166JayneCM
Redigeret: sep 26, 2019, 7:53 am

July 2019

46. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (BINGO Eastern European author or setting) - finished 1st July 2019
47. Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro (June TBRCAT - book bullet) - finished 12th July 2019
48. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber (52 Books in 52 Weeks - a fairy tale) - finished 15th July 2019
49. Braving The Wilderness by Brene Brown (PopSugar - recommended by a celebrity you admire) - finished 18th July 2019
50. The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch (May CalendarCAT - Iris Day) - finished 27th July 2019

50/201 books read across all categories
24.9% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

From February, I will have to carry over:
AlphaKIT (K, O): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

From March, carrying over:
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
ScaredyKIT (true crime): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

From April, carrying over:
RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
CalendarCAT (Black Women's History Month): Passing by Nella Larsen
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

From May:
RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Jazz by Toni Morrison
TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
* CalendarCAT (Iris Day): The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch - finished 27th July 2019
AlphaKIT (H, V): The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): Journey To The Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

From June:
RandomCAT (pick a card - ten of diamonds): Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos
* TBRCAT (book bullet): Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro - finished 12th July 2019
CalendarCAT (Dorothy Sayers born 13 June): The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
AlphaKIT (J, D): Franny and Zoey by J.D. Salinger
ScaredyKIT (technothriller): The Martian by Andy Weir

And now for July:
RandomCAT (to do with birds): H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
TBRCAT (author with 2+ books on TBR): Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
CalendarCAT (Canada Day 1st July): Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
SeriesCAT (fantasy): A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
AlphaKIT (C, P): The Child of Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio
SFFKIT (space opera): Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
ScaredyKIT (vacation): Dracula by Bram Stoker

167JayneCM
Redigeret: jul 2, 2019, 12:57 am

The Cellist of Sarajevo - BINGO Eastern European setting

This book is one of the reasons I feel reading is so important. To be immersed in such a setting and to feel what it would be like to have to live through such experiences (as much as is possible without actually living it) is so necessary. How else can we knock our complacency on the head and realise that it can all be taken away in a second?
There are so many poignant moments in this book as all the characters contemplate death, civilisation, and the measures they would be willing to take.

This quote about one of the characters:

'He will behave now as he hopes everyone will someday behave. Because civilisation isn't a thing that you build and then there it is, you have it forever. It needs to be built constantly, recreated daily. It vanishes far more quickly than he ever would have thought possible. And if he wishes to live, he must do what he can to prevent the world he wants to live in from fading away.'

Let's hope that we never have to face situations like these. But let us not forget about those who do or the realisation that we are always just a heartbeat away from the breakdown of our own civilisations. Most people think it could never happen to them, yet it is happening every day, to someone in the world.

An important book - I would like every teenager to read it.

168Tess_W
jul 2, 2019, 8:59 am

>167 JayneCM: I would agree, a very good book!

169LittleTaiko
jul 2, 2019, 10:55 am

>167 JayneCM: & >168 Tess_W: - Me three! It's one of my top reads from this year.

170Jackie_K
jul 2, 2019, 12:13 pm

>167 JayneCM: I enjoyed it too.

171JayneCM
jul 2, 2019, 10:14 pm

>168 Tess_W: >169 LittleTaiko: >170 Jackie_K: Thanks! I would love to see it on high school reading lists, particularly as it wasn't that long ago. I think often teenagers think all the 'wars' happened long ago as most study is focused on WWI, WWII or Vietnam, so not really something they need to think about.

172Tess_W
jul 3, 2019, 5:15 pm

>171 JayneCM: I have my students read Wiesel's Night which they love and for Vietnam I have them read 2 chapters from The Things They Carried.

173JayneCM
jul 4, 2019, 6:43 am

>172 Tess_W: Great books! I really love Night.

174JayneCM
Redigeret: sep 26, 2019, 7:54 am

August 2019

51. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote (52 Books in 52 weeks - a beach read) - finished 1st August 2019
52. The Land Girls by Victoria Purman (BINGO - cover with at least 2 human figure on cover) - finished 2nd August 2019
53. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers (June CalendarCAT Dorothy Sayers birthday) - finished 7th August 2019
54. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (June AlphaKIT J,D) - finished 9th August 2019
55. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (PopSugar - book with question in title) - finished 11th August 2019
56. The Gown byJennifer Robson (PopSugar - a book that includes a wedding) - finished 19th August 2019
57. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos (June RandomCAT - pick a card, ten of diamonds) - finished 31st August 2019

57/201 books read across all categories
28.4% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

From February, I will have to carry over:
AlphaKIT (K, O): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

From March, carrying over:
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
ScaredyKIT (true crime): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

From April, carrying over:
RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
CalendarCAT (Black Women's History Month): Passing by Nella Larsen
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

From May:
RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Jazz by Toni Morrison
TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
AlphaKIT (H, V): The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): Journey To The Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

From June:
* RandomCAT (pick a card - ten of diamonds): Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos - finished 31st August 2019
* CalendarCAT (Dorothy Sayers born 13 June): The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers - finished 7th August 2019
* AlphaKIT (J, D): Franny and Zoey by J.D. Salinger - finished 9th August 2019
ScaredyKIT (technothriller): The Martian by Andy Weir

From July:
RandomCAT (to do with birds): H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
TBRCAT (author with 2+ books on TBR): Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
CalendarCAT (Canada Day 1st July): Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
SeriesCAT (fantasy): A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
AlphaKIT (C, P): The Child of Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio
SFFKIT (space opera): Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
ScaredyKIT (vacation): Dracula by Bram Stoker

And for August:
RandomCAT (back to school): Dress Codes For Small Towns by Courtney Stevens
TBRCAT (excited when purchased but still unread): The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
CalendarCAT (Annie Proulx's birthday 22 August): The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
SeriesCAT (set in country/region where you don't live): Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
AlphaKIT (N, I): Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
SFFKIT (alternate history): The Man In The High Castle by Phillip K. Dick
ScaredyKIT (Gothic): The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins

175JayneCM
Redigeret: sep 30, 2019, 3:42 am

September 2019

58. The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown (PopSugar - a book about a hobby) - finished 2nd September 2019
59. Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown (BINGO - part of a series) - finished 5th September 2019
60. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (Aug TBR - excited when purchased, still unread) - finished 7th September 2019
61. Midwinter by Fiona Melrose (PopSugar - book about a family) - finished 10th September 2019
62. H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald (July RandomCAT - to do with birds) - finished 14th September 2019
63. Passing by Nella Larsen (April CalendarCAT - Black Women's History Month) - finished 15th September 2019
64. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (September CalendarCat - Banned Books Week) - finished 17th September 2019
65. The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben (BINGO - animal in title) - finished 20th September 2019
66. The Marriage Clock by Zara Raheem (PopSugar - book published in 2019) - finished 23rd September 2019
67. Dress Codes For Small Towns by Courtney Stevens (August RandomCAT - back to school) - finished 24th September 2019
68. Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios (BINGO - related to medicine or health) - finished 25th September 2019
69. Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (August SeriesCAT - set in country where you don't live) - finished 26th September 2019
70. Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant (PopSugar - book about someone with a super power) - finished 27th September 2019
71. Girls Of Glass by Brianna Labuskes (PopSugar - book told from multiple POVs) - finished 28th September 2019
72. Insignificant Events In The Life Of A Cactus by Dusti Bowling (BINGO - children/young adult) - finished 29th September 2019

72/201 books read across all categories
35.8% completed

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

From February, I will have to carry over:
AlphaKIT (K, O): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

From March, carrying over:
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
ScaredyKIT (true crime): In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

From April, carrying over:
RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
* CalendarCAT (Black Women's History Month): Passing by Nella Larsen - finished 15th September 2019
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

From May:
RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Jazz by Toni Morrison
TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
AlphaKIT (H, V): The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): Journey To The Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

From June:
ScaredyKIT (technothriller): The Martian by Andy Weir

From July:
* RandomCAT (to do with birds): H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald - finished 14th September 2019
TBRCAT (author with 2+ books on TBR): Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
CalendarCAT (Canada Day 1st July): Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
SeriesCAT (fantasy): A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
AlphaKIT (C, P): The Child of Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio
SFFKIT (space opera): Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
ScaredyKIT (vacation): The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

From August:
* RandomCAT (back to school): Dress Codes For Small Towns by Courtney Stevens - finished 24th September 2019
* TBRCAT (excited when purchased but still unread): The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah - finished 7th September 2019
CalendarCAT (Annie Proulx's birthday 22 August): The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
* SeriesCAT (set in country/region where you don't live): Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder - finished 26th September 2019
AlphaKIT (N, I): Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
SFFKIT (alternate history): The Man In The High Castle by Phillip K. Dick
ScaredyKIT (Gothic): The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins

And from September:
RandomCAT (equinox): Quartet In Autumn by Barbara Pym
TBRCAT (classic I feel I should read): Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
* CalendarCAT (Banned Books week): Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - finished 17th September 2019
SeriesCAT (By The Sea): Withering-By-Sea by Judith Rossell
AlphaKIT (F, W): The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
SFFKIT (series): The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
ScaredyKIT (Ghosts and Hauntings): Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

176VivienneR
sep 4, 2019, 9:56 pm

You've had some great reading!

177JayneCM
sep 6, 2019, 8:16 am

>176 VivienneR: Thanks! I am really enjoying it!

178JayneCM
sep 8, 2019, 6:31 am

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

This was my August TBR (excited when purchased but still unread). And am I glad I finally read it! I read this in about a day and a half; I needed to know how it would end!
Admittedly, the setting was a big drawcard for me. I have always been drawn to the wild places and the homesteading/pioneering life so books about Alaska are always interesting to me. The first half of the book may be a little slow if this isn't of interest. But the characters were beautifully drawn and the story really drew me in and by the second half of the book, I could not put it down.
I can see this being a book I would be happy to re-read.

179JayneCM
sep 26, 2019, 3:06 am

The Marriage Clock by Zara Raheem.
I read this as part of Contemporaryathon 2019. If you love Bollywood and want a quick fun read, this is the one for you!

180JayneCM
Redigeret: sep 26, 2019, 7:13 am

Dress Codes For Small Towns by Courtney Stevens.
Also read for Contemporaryathon 2019.

If you loved The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, you will love this one too, although their thing is Cosplay. Even though this is about teenagers (which I am definitely no longer!) and wrestling with sexuality, I related to this book wholeheartedly. Being someone who likes to dress 1940s vintage in a small town where the dress code is activewear and puffer jackets at all times, I am used to being a square peg.
Great book about finding your people and sticking with them, no matter what.

I seem to be on a young adult streak as lot of the best contemporary fiction seems to be in this genre at the moment.

181JayneCM
sep 26, 2019, 3:23 am

Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios.
Also a Contemporaryathon book. So far, I am three for three. Let's see if I can make it through the whole seven books I have chosen in seven days.

I marked off my BINGO square for medicine or health for this one, as it involved suicide and mental health. Very compelling book as it shows how quickly a relationship can turn. It would be a great read for teenage girls (although lots of swearing and sex) as it shows how what can seem like love is actually manipulation and control. I read a statistic somewhere that it is becoming much more prevalent for teenage girls/young women to be in relationships like this, up to one third.

182christina_reads
sep 26, 2019, 10:23 am

>181 JayneCM: I enjoyed another book by Heather Demetrios, I'll Meet You There, but this one sounds like it might be a little too heavy for me right now. An important topic, though!

183JayneCM
Redigeret: okt 30, 2019, 7:09 pm

October 2019

73. Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente (July SFFKIT - space opera) - finished 3rd October 2019
74. Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald (July CalendarCAT - Canada Day) - finished 7th October 2019
75. The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey (April ScaredyKIT - modern chills and thrills) - finished 10th October 2019
76. The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson (PopSugar - book revolving around a puzzle) - finished 13th OCtober 2019
77. Romanov by Nadine Brands (October TBRCAT - visual appeal) - finished 16th October 2019
78. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (April RandomCAT - Tournament of Books) - finished 18th October 2019
79. Quartet In Autumn by Barbara Pym (September RandomCAT - equinox) - finished 20th October 2019
80. We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson (August ScaredyKIT - Gothic) - finished 21st October 2019
81. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (BINGO - book in translation) - finished 22nd October 2019
82. Withering-By-Sea by Judith Rossell (September SeriesCAT - by the sea) - finished 23rd October 2019
83. Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire (September SFFKIT - series) - finished 24th October 2019
84. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (February AlphaKIT O,K) - finished 26th October 2019
85. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (PopSugar Challenge - a ghost story) - finished 28th October 2019
86. With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo (52 Books in 52 Weeks - teen as main character) - finished 29th October 2019
87. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (PopSugar - author's first and last name start with same letter) - finished 30th October 2019

87/201 books read across all categories
43.3% completed

40 books in PopSugar Challenge - 21 completed = 52%
52 books in 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge - 6 completed = 11.5%
84 books in the monthly CATs and KITs - 43 completed = 51.2%
25 books in BingoDOG - 17 completed = 68%

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Night by Elie Wiesel

From February, I will have to carry over:
* AlphaKIT (K, O): Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - finished 26th October 2019

From March, carrying over:
TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): The Hours by Michael Cunningham
AlphaKIT (U, L): 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
ScaredyKIT (true crime): The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

From April, carrying over:
* RandomCAT (Tournament of Books): Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - finished 18th October 2019
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell
* ScaredyKIT (modern chills and thrills): The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey - finished 10th October 2019

From May:
RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Jazz by Toni Morrison
TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
AlphaKIT (H, V): The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

From June:
ScaredyKIT (technothriller): The Martian by Andy Weir

From July:
TBRCAT (author with 2+ books on TBR): Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
* CalendarCAT (Canada Day 1st July): Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald - finished 7th October 2019
SeriesCAT (fantasy): A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
AlphaKIT (C, P): The Child of Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio
* SFFKIT (space opera): Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente - finished 3rd October 2019
ScaredyKIT (vacation): The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

From August:
CalendarCAT (Annie Proulx's birthday 22 August): The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
AlphaKIT (N, I): Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
SFFKIT (alternate history): The Man In The High Castle by Phillip K. Dick
* ScaredyKIT (Gothic): We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson - finished 21st October 2019

From September:
* RandomCAT (equinox): Quartet In Autumn by Barbara Pym - finished 20th October 2019
TBRCAT (classic I feel I should read): Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
* SeriesCAT (By The Sea): Withering-By-Sea by Judith Rossell - finished 23rd October 2019
AlphaKIT (F, W): The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
* SFFKIT (series): Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire - finished 24th October 2019
ScaredyKIT (Ghosts and Hauntings): Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

And from October:
RandomCAT (knock offs, tributes, parodies): Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
* TBRCAT (purchased for visual appeal): Romanov by Nadine Brands - finished 16th October 2019
CalendarCAT (Evelyn Waugh's birthday): Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
SeriesCAT (historical): Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
AlphaKIT (G, T): The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
SFFKIT (comedy): Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
ScaredyKIT (monsters): A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

184JayneCM
okt 3, 2019, 8:27 pm

Heaven help me - I've discovered Book Outlet!

Even with the expensive shipping to Australia, I can get hardcovers for about half the retail price.

Now I can see how all the Booktubers I watch are able to purchase so many books every month, and hardcovers too! It always had me baffled - are they all very, very rich and able to spend unlimited amounts of money? No, they just have access to Book Outlet.

Does anyone else purchase from Book Outlet? Does anyone know if there is an Australian equivalent?

185JayneCM
okt 3, 2019, 11:07 pm

I didn't think anyone could hold a candle to Douglas Adams until I read Space Opera. A sci fi novel based on the Eurovision song contest - genius!

There are some very astute human observations also, such as when one of the alien species has this to say about the human race.

'But in a clinch, you lot would rather watch someone suffer untold horrors than watch them enjoy so much as a cool drink if you don't have two of your own, and yours have cherries in them as well as more ice and little paper umbrellas, and even then most of you would still prefer to take theirs and have three.'

Loved it!

186Tess_W
Redigeret: okt 4, 2019, 4:30 am

>184 JayneCM: I have used Book Outlet before, but I seldom buy tree books anymore, preferring ebooks. I have found that the marked down books at B&N are about the same price at Book Outlet.

P.S. I love the Sarah Donati series. It is the American version of Outlander. (without the time travel)

187christina_reads
okt 4, 2019, 10:16 am

>184 JayneCM: I use BookOutlet sometimes. Their prices are great, but the selection isn't always very large. I feel like they usually have a lot of newish YA books, but not as many non-YA titles.

188JayneCM
Redigeret: okt 10, 2019, 9:54 pm

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

I read this one for the ScaredyKIT for modern thrills and chills. If you like your chills more low key, like I do, then this book should suit you. It is more about the emotions and motivations of the characters than about detailed descriptions of violence and death.

When reading this book, I was reminded of Brene Brown's Braving The Wilderness. That may sound strange, but in that book, the author talks about how it is against human nature for people to harm, abuse and torture other people. The only way we will do so is if we are somehow convinced that the 'other people' are somehow different or lesser humans than us. This is, of course, borne out throughout history and unfortunately, still today. So much political speak and social media is all about showing how divided we are, how different, how we shouldn't trust 'them'. Yet we hardly ever meet or speak to 'them' to know anything of their thoughts and motivations.

I felt this book was about what happens when we are forced to be with and speak to 'them'. A small group of people are thrust together and must work as team in order to survive. Yet one of them, a young girl, is different; she is one of 'them'. Each person in the group must decide how a human should act in this situation. Moral dilemmas abound as each person must choose and act upon what it means to be human.

To me, it boils down to whether you will embrace the sameness of all people or act only upon the differences between us.

Plus, it is also a great read! Fast paced, not too much gore and an abrupt but still satisfying ending.

I got this one as a book bullet from somone in this group earlier in the year, but I cannot for the life of me remember who read it. Thanks for the recommendation!

189AHS-Wolfy
okt 11, 2019, 6:39 am

>188 JayneCM: Wasn't me who recommended it but I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway. If you're interested, there's an epilogue available to read here. There's also a companion book called The Boy on the Bridge set within the same universe but mostly prior to events in Gifts.

190JayneCM
okt 11, 2019, 7:36 am

>189 AHS-Wolfy: Thank you! Just read the Secret Chapter - just as I imagined it was supposed to work out.
I will look for a copy of The Boy on the Bridge - I did not know that there was another book.

191Tess_W
okt 12, 2019, 1:47 am

>188 JayneCM: I read that and recommend it--but I'm sure others did too. I did pick up a copy of The Boy on the Bridge, but not sure I will get to it this year.

192JayneCM
okt 13, 2019, 8:28 am

>191 Tess_W: I'm sure it was you then! Thanks!

193JayneCM
okt 23, 2019, 4:46 am

I'm on a roll! Four books in four days! Sometimes you just really feel like reading (not getting much sleep though!)

194christina_reads
okt 23, 2019, 10:57 am

>193 JayneCM: Haha, that's a tradeoff I have definitely made many times!

195JayneCM
okt 23, 2019, 7:52 pm

>194 christina_reads: Definitely! I find that if I am really interested in a book and stop, I cannot sleep anyway as I keep thinking about it. May as well just keep reading!

196MissWatson
okt 24, 2019, 4:42 am

>195 JayneCM: That is so true!

197JayneCM
okt 30, 2019, 7:15 pm

I don't normally include books I read aloud to my boys in this challenge - maybe I should as that would add over another hundred to my tally!
But I included this one - The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes - as it is still one of the best books I have ever read on bullying and its consequences. Although the story probably wraps up a little too neatly for today's sensibilities on this topic, it still has a lot to share and created a lot of discussion when we read it. I particularly appreciated the comparison between the two characters involved in the bullying and their reaction to being forgiven by Wanda. We had a great discussion on the nature of forgiveness and how we should accept forgiveness.
Plus, despite the title and the female characters, my boys didn't blink an eye and kept asking me to keep reading.

198JayneCM
Redigeret: nov 25, 2019, 9:46 pm

November 2019

88. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (52 Books in 52 Weeks - character who is an immigrant) - finished 3rd November 2019
89. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (Oct SFFKIT - comedy) - finished 5th November 2019
90. Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire (BingoDOG - book about siblings) - finished 8th November 2019
91. Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini (PopSugar - novel based on a real person) - finished 12th November 2019
92. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Nov SeriesCAT - female protaganist) - finished 14th November 2019
93. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (BingoDOG - mentioned in another book) - finished 15th November 2019
94. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (Nov CalendarCAT - Margaret Atwood's birthday) - finished 16th November 2019
95. Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van by Ai McNamara (52 Books in 52 Weeks - set during a holiday) - finished 17th November 2019
96. The Martian by Andy Weir (June ScaredyKIT - technothriller) - finished 18th November 2019
97. Goodbye Lullaby by Jan Murray (52 Books in 52 Weeks - set in a country you've visited) - finished 20th November 2019
98. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (PopSugar - a book you meant to read in 2018) - finished 22nd November 2019
99. Woolgathering by Patti Smith (March TBR - bought for trip) - finished 23rd November 2019
100. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (Oct ScaredyKIT - monsters) - finished 24th November 2019
101. Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah (PopSugar - book with astrology term in title) - finished 26th November 2019

101/201 books read across all categories
50.3% completed

40 books in PopSugar Challenge - 24 completed = 60%
52 books in 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge - 9 completed = 17.3%
84 books in the monthly CATs and KITs - 49 completed = 58.3%
25 books in BingoDOG - 19 completed = 76%

From January, I will have to carry over:
SeriesCAT (in translation): Night by Elie Wiesel

From March, carrying over:
* TBRCAT (trip or special occasion): Woolgathering by Patti Smith - finished 23rd November 2019
AlphaKIT (U, L): Under The Camelthorn Tree: Raising A Family Among Lions by Kate Nicholls
ScaredyKIT (true crime): The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

From April, carrying over:
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell

From May:
RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Jazz by Toni Morrison
TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
AlphaKIT (H, V): Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

From June:
* ScaredyKIT (technothriller): The Martian by Andy Weir - finished 18th November 2019

From July:
TBRCAT (author with 2+ books on TBR): Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
SeriesCAT (fantasy): A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
AlphaKIT (C, P): The Child of Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio
ScaredyKIT (vacation): The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

From August:
CalendarCAT (Annie Proulx's birthday 22 August): The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
AlphaKIT (N, I): Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
SFFKIT (alternate history): The Man In The High Castle by Phillip K. Dick

From September:
TBRCAT (classic I feel I should read): Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
AlphaKIT (F, W): The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
ScaredyKIT (Ghosts and Hauntings): Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

From October:
RandomCAT (knock offs, tributes, parodies): Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
CalendarCAT (19th - Evaluate Your Life Day): You Do You by Sarah Knight
SeriesCAT (historical): Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
AlphaKIT (G, T): The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
* SFFKIT (comedy): Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams - finished 5th November 2019
* ScaredyKIT (monsters): A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - finished 24th November 2019

And now for November:
RandomCAT (childhood memories): Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
TBRCAT (gift): If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura
* CalendarCAT (Margaret Atwood's birthday): The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - finished 16th November 2019
* SeriesCAT (female protagonist): The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - finished 14th November 2019
AlphaKIT (S, Y): Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
SFFKIT (award winner): The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (2019 Hugo and Nebula)
ScaredyKIT (Stephen King): 11/22/63 by Stephen King

199Tess_W
nov 2, 2019, 9:47 am

>198 JayneCM: 11/22/63 is probably one of my top 10 books of all time. I hope you enjoy it!

200JayneCM
nov 3, 2019, 2:17 am

>199 Tess_W: That is high praise indeed!

201JayneCM
Redigeret: nov 7, 2019, 7:16 pm

Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire - BingoDOG book about siblings.

And what dysfunctional siblings they are! It is lucky the books in this series are less than 200 pages as they absolutely must be read in one sitting. You will not be able to put them down.

We have to wait until 2020 for the next book release in the series to find out what happens to Jack and Jill - I cannot wait!

If you haven't read this series yet, save them up for next year's ScaredyKIT!

202JayneCM
nov 11, 2019, 11:01 pm

Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini.

I love novels based on real people - it always leads me to more history to read about.

This book is about the resistance group, operating throughout occupied Europe and Germany, called Red Orchestra. I found this book particularly interesting in that it began in 1929 and showed the build up of Hitler's power with each new change to the laws of Germany. Having just finished watching The Handmaid's Tale series, I found it poignant to notice the similarities between a dystopian fiction and these historical facts as both show the slow creep that the citizens of both managed to ignore or hope would not get any worse, until of course it did get much worse than anyone would have thought possible.

Some might consider it a slow moving book. But I think that is one of the stengths of the book as it helps to show how Hitler's fanaticism crept up on the population of Germany until it finally overwhelmed them. When reading about events such as the book burnings of 1933, the slow increase in restrictions on the Jewish people, Hitler's behaviour at the 1936 Olympics and Kristallnacht in 1938 and knowing where it would all lead, I felt I wanted to warn everyone, especially the Jewish characters who kept thinking it couldn't continue and decided not to leave the country.

Well worth a read, if you enjoy historical fiction based on real people. I love this genre so much, I am making it one of my categories for 2020. Any recommendations gratefully accepted!

203clue
Redigeret: nov 12, 2019, 7:47 pm

>202 JayneCM: Last year I discovered the author G. W. Gortner. I've read two of his books and liked them both, one on Chanel and one on the Romanovs, particularly Tsarina Maria. I'll soon read his book on Catherine de Medici which I have on my shelf.

You've probably read Longbourn by Jo Baker but if not you may want to take a look at it, I loved it as did many others.
Oh, it just hit me, it's not about actual people but about the servants in Pride and Prejudice, obviously they seemed real to me!

204JayneCM
Redigeret: nov 13, 2019, 3:48 am

>203 clue: Ooh thank you - I have not heard of that author and all of those topics/people are right up my alley. If I remember, Maria was the one who fell in love with one of the soldiers guarding the family? Going straight to Goodreads to put them on my list!

I have read Longbourn but have it on my list for a re-read as one of my other categories is books based on Austen and Bronte novels. Another love of mine!

205JayneCM
nov 13, 2019, 3:49 am

>203 clue: And I found so many! He also wrote one about Marlene Dietrich and a few about the queens of Spain. Just his books will keep me busy for a while. Thanks so much!

206JayneCM
nov 16, 2019, 1:27 am

The Testaments - well, just had to finish that in one sitting! I wish I had not watched the 2nd series of the TV show though as it gave away a major plotline of the book. It would have had much more impact if I had not known. But still, amazing.
I love how it is presented as written testimonies being read many years after the fact.
I especially love Margaret Atwood's approach to creating Gilead. She said about both the novels and the TV series that 'no event is allowed into it that does not have a precedent in human history.' Which just serves to make the books even more chilling - this could quite easily happen and has done so, in some form, in the past. There are many references to history, such as one of the Commander's reference to 'the long knives' coming for him if his transgressions are discovered.
Fabulous!

207JayneCM
Redigeret: nov 23, 2019, 6:42 pm

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd.

Until I picked up this book, I did not realise that it was actually Siobhan Dowd who planned the original concept for this book before her death from cancer. I love all four of her books, two of which were published posthumuously. She is the only author to receive the Carnegie Medal posthumuously for Bog Child.

Of course, this book is a tear jerker. It is also very well written and the illustrations are simply fabulous.

My boys and I had already seen the movie so while reading, I could hear the monster's voice as Liam Neeson. But that is not a bad thing, to have Liam Neeson's voice in my head!!

208Tess_W
nov 23, 2019, 11:40 pm

>207 JayneCM: Read in 2018, sort of forgettable to me, I rated 3 stars but can't really remember it!

209JayneCM
nov 24, 2019, 3:47 am

>208 Tess_W: To be honest, I think the illustrations made it for me. I would have loved to have read it if Siobhan Dowd had written it.

210rabbitprincess
nov 24, 2019, 8:38 pm

>207 JayneCM: I saw the movie and haven't yet read the book. Based on my experience with the movie, I think it might be a glasses-off read -- reading without my glasses so they don't get spattered with tears and smudged from my constantly rubbing my eyes.

And I agree, having Liam Neeson's voice in one's head would be excellent :)

211JayneCM
Redigeret: nov 25, 2019, 12:44 am

>210 rabbitprincess: I could listen to an Irish or Scottish accent all day!!

212JayneCM
nov 25, 2019, 9:55 pm

Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah.

I cannot (again!) remember who recommended this one, but it is a beautiful book. All the characters are so wonderfully drawn; you cannot help being pulled in from the very first chapter.

Jo is conducting research on bird nesting for the summer, living in a rented cabin in the woods, when Ursa turns up. Ursa is a young girl who claims she is an alien, come from the stars to witness five miracles. As you read, you are unsure as to whether she really is telling the truth - could she truly be an alien from another planet?

A wonderful book of healing, wonder, magic and love. It will keep you guessing and make you cry as the ending wraps up.

213Tess_W
nov 27, 2019, 4:40 am

>212 JayneCM: BB for me!

214JayneCM
nov 27, 2019, 7:13 am

>213 Tess_W: Hope you like it! I read it in a day.

215JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 29, 2019, 11:41 pm

December 2019

102. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (52 Books in 52 Weeks - one word title) - finished 1st December 2019
103. Strike Your Heart by Amelie Nothomb (52 Books in 52 Weeks - author never heard of) - finished 2nd December 2019
104. No Exit by Taylor Adams (Dec ScaredyKIT - modern thrillers) - finished 3rd December 2019
105. My Sweet Orange Tree by Jose Mauro de Vasconcelos (PopSugar - book with sweet in title) - finished 4th December 2019
106. Beneath The Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (PopSugar - book with sugar in title) - finished 5th December 2019
107. In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (PopSugar - imaginary creature) - finished 6th December 2019
108. Sustainable Revolution by Juliana Birnbaum and Louis Fox (52 Books in 52 Weeks - plant on cover) - finished 7th December 2019
109. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (May TBRCAT - don't open) - finished 8th December 2019
110. A Home At The End Of The World by Michael Cunningham (BingoDOG - title with 6+ words) - finished 13th December 2019
111. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman (August CalendarCAT - Backyard and Flower Show) - finished 14th December 2019
112. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware (52 Books in 52 Weeks - a book chosen by someone else) - finished 15th December 2019
113. A Cloud In The Shape Of A Girl by Jean Thompson (BingoDOG - weather word in title) - finished 17th December 2019
114. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (BingoDOG - prize winning book) - finished 17th December 2019
115. Meeting Cezanne by Michael Morpurgo (BingoDOG - artistic character) - finished 18th December 2019
116. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (Nov TBR - gift) - finished 19th December 2019
117. The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen (BingoDOG - fairy tale) - finished 20th December 2019
118. Night by Elie Wiesel (Jan SeriesCAT - in translation) - finished 20th December 2019
119. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (BingoDOG - book bullet) - finished 21st December 2019
120. The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose by Diana Jaffey (52 Books in 52 Weeks - character with career I wish I had) - finished 22nd December 2019
121. Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu (Dec RandomCAT - Seasons readings) - finished 23rd December 2019
122. A Jane Austen Christmas by Carlo Devito (Dec CalendarCAT - Christmas) - finished 23rd December 2019
123. This House Is Haunted by John Boyne (Sept ScaredyKIT - Ghosts and Hauntings) - finished 24th December 2019
124. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (July AlphaKIT C P) - finished 26th December 2019
125. The Vegetarian by Han Kang (PopSugar Challenge - an author from Asia) - finished 27th December 2019
126. Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver (52 Books in 52 Weeks - first book seen in library) - finished 29th December 2019
127. By Sea & Stars by Trent Dalton (Dec TBRCAT - too cheap to resist) - finished 30th December 2019
128. Under The Camelthorn Tree by Kate Nicholls (March AlphaKIT U,L) - finished 30th December 2019
129. Dance Like A Butterfly by Angela Wenzel (May RandomCAT - danced all night) - finished 30th December 2019

129/201 books read across all categories
64.3% completed

40 books in PopSugar Challenge - 28 completed = 70%
52 books in 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge - 15 completed = 28.8%
84 books in the monthly CATs and KITs - 61 completed = 72.6%
25 books in BingoDOG - 25 completed = 100%

From January, I will have to carry over:
* SeriesCAT (in translation): Night by Elie Wiesel - finished 20th December 2019

From March, carrying over:
* AlphaKIT (U, L): Under The Camelthorn Tree by Kate Nicholls - finished 30th December 2019
ScaredyKIT (true crime): The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

From April, carrying over:
SeriesCAT (been meaning to get back to): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
SFFKIT (sword and sorcery): Legend by David Gemmell

From May:
* RandomCAT (I could have danced all night): Dance Like A Butterfly by Angela Wenzel - finished 30th December 2019
* TBRCAT (look at but don't open): The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - finished 8th December 2019
AlphaKIT (H, V): Voices From Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich
SFFKIT (non-US/UK author): The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

From July:
TBRCAT (author with 2+ books on TBR): Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
SeriesCAT (fantasy): A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
* AlphaKIT (C, P): Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling - finished 26th December 2019
ScaredyKIT (vacation): The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

From August:
* CalendarCAT (Backyard and Flower Show): The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman - finished 14th December 2019
AlphaKIT (N, I): Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
SFFKIT (alternate history): The Man In The High Castle by Phillip K. Dick

From September:
TBRCAT (classic I feel I should read): Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
AlphaKIT (F, W): The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
* ScaredyKIT (Ghosts and Hauntings): This House Is Haunted by John Boyne

From October:
RandomCAT (knock offs, tributes, parodies): Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
CalendarCAT (19th - Evaluate Your Life Day): You Do You by Sarah Knight
SeriesCAT (historical): Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
AlphaKIT (G, T): The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti

November:
RandomCAT (childhood memories): Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
* TBRCAT (gift): Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout - finished 19th December 2019
AlphaKIT (S, Y): Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
SFFKIT (award winner): The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (2019 Hugo and Nebula)
ScaredyKIT (Stephen King): 11/22/63 by Stephen King

And for December:
* RandomCAT (Season's Readings): Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu - finished 23rd December 2019
* TBRCAT (too cheap to resist): By Sea & Stars by Trent Dalton (20c at the op shop) - finished 30th December 2019
* CalendarCAT (Christmas): A Jane Austen Christmas by Carlo Devito - finished 23rd December 2019
SeriesCAT (new to you): Tales of the City by Armistad Maupin
AlphaKIT (E, R): The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
SFFKIT (end-of-year wrap-up - free choice - award winner): Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award)
* ScaredyKIT (modern thrillers): No Exit by Taylor Adams - finished 3rd December 2019

216JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 2, 2019, 5:16 pm



Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman.

Shusterman knows how to write a riveting story. And the ending of this one, the second in the series, has left me desperate for the library to hurry up with my hold on the final book in the trilogy!

I guess this book is an alternate reality, dystopia, science fiction - whatever you call it, it will pull you in!

The Arc of the Scyth series is about Earth in a distant future where everyone is immortal and life is perfect. There is no crime, wars, etc. as the Thunderhead rules benevolently over all. The Thunderhead is a sympathetic tenchnological entity who can see all and knows all. But of course you know this is all going to change somehow as the books progress.

I noticed on Goodreads that Thunderhead is now my highest rated book of the year at 4.52. Worth the rating to me!

217japaul22
dec 2, 2019, 8:51 am

I've started Little Women. Is it a reread for you? I don't want to spoil anything with any comments I might have. It is certainly a tear-jerker, even at the beginning! I read it several times as a child and then reread it in 2010 as an adult. On that first adult reread, I still enjoyed it but found it a little more "preachy" than I had remembered as a child. Curious to see what this reread brings!

218JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 2, 2019, 5:16 pm

>217 japaul22: Definitely a reread for me. I also read it several times when younger and I think twice since adulthood. Last time I reread was probably ten years ago. I am trying to start soon - my library book pile is also calling me as they are due back!

219JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 14, 2019, 4:21 am



No Exit by Taylor Adams

For December ScaredyKIT, I decided to revisit the modern thrillers category. I do not generally read thrillers; in fact, until starting the category challange for the first time this year, I would say I would only have read two or three. So I do not have much of a comparison. All I can tell you was this book was a ride. I read it non-stop - luckily everyone had gone to bed as if I had to stop to cook dinner, everyone would have gone hungry!
It had me gasping with each twist and turn in the plot. And there were so many twists. Every time I felt I could take a breath of relief and you knew how it would all turn out, a new twist would present itself. But none of them seemed inconceivable or contrived. There was even an extra twist on the last page just when you thought everything was all wrapped up.

220JayneCM
dec 4, 2019, 7:53 pm



Beneath The Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
PopSugar Challenge - book with sugar in title

Oh, I do love a mystery portal book! In this series, there are doorways that lead to the land that will best suit that person. But sometimes you end up back in the regular world and then will have to wait until the doorway reappears for you - if it ever does.
This is the third book in the Wayward Children series, each of which are short enough to devour in one evening. And I have with all three.
This one was not as engrossing as the first two but still very enjoyable.
I am reading the fourth one now and eagerly waiting for 2020 for the release of number five. I hope the author keeps writing this series forever!

221JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 26, 2019, 8:18 am



If I had seen this book in October, I would definitely have chosen this for the TBRCAT - purchased for visual appeal. As soon as I saw this cover, I knew I did not care what the book was about (although it helped that I loved The Miniaturist!)

Absolutely my favourite book cover of 2019 - and there have been some beautiful ones!

222JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 19, 2019, 10:53 pm



Such an important book - thank you to tess_schoolmarm for bringing it to my attention. Not sure how I had not read it before now.

When reading books like this, I can sometimes understand how people who had not experienced the camps could not quite believe that they existed. It defies belief that human beings can act like that and to some extent I guess we do not want to believe that there are people who are capable of such actions.

Elie Wiesel's introduction to this book was heart rending - in this section he describes how SS officers just picked up and threw living babies into a pit of flames as though they were piles of old rags and makes the following observation:

"Could men and women who consider it normal to assist the weak, to heal the sick, to protect small children, and to respect the wisdom of their elders understand what happened there? Would they be able to comprehend how, within that cursed universe, the masters tortured the weak and massacred the children, the sick and the old?"

I feel so strongly that it is vital that everyone, particularly young people who have lived in such an easy age compared to the past, read books like this. We MUST not forget as this is when history will repeat itself. As Wiesel states at the end of the introduction:

"The witness has forced himself to testify. For the youth of today, for the children who will be born tomorrow. He does not want his past to become their future."

223Tess_W
dec 21, 2019, 3:03 am

>222 JayneCM: I use this book in my high school history class and the students leave awestruck--they know what the Holocaust was, but in their wildest imaginations they could not conceive the details. I love your last quote and I use it often. Wiesel wrote Night in the 1950's and was unable to talk about his experiences for all those years because it was so horrific. The students comment also about the SS throwing babies in a ditch full of burning gasoline---they ask the question, "Who could have ever thought of that? What kind of monster would do this?"

224JayneCM
dec 21, 2019, 4:14 am

>223 Tess_W: Absolutely inconceivable. I am glad that you are teaching your students using books like this. My son is at high school and they are lucky to read two books a year. Very disappointing.

I just finished The Reader as well, which was interesting from the perspective of the German people trying to reconcile the Third Reich. I had read in general about the rebuilding after the Nazis but had never really considered the viewpoint of the next generation, the children of those who were adults during the war, and how angry and ashamed of their parents they were. Whether their parents were active participants in the horror or just turned a blind eye. I guess it is always easy to judge when we are at a remove and say we would never act in that way and we would stand up to the atrocities, but we will never know how we would behave. We can only hope we would retain our humanity.

225japaul22
dec 21, 2019, 9:03 am

I somehow have not read Night yet. I need to get to it in 2020. I have read The Reader and it gave me so much to contemplate.

FYI, I made my boys (ages 10 and 7) watch the 1994 Little Women movie with me last night. They gravitate toward superhero and Star Wars movies, so it was a bit of a stretch for them, but they both watched the whole thing and asked questions. They immediately knew that Laurie would marry one of the sisters and it was funny to hear them guessing which one as the story progressed. They also were disappointed that Jo's professor was so old!

226Tess_W
Redigeret: dec 21, 2019, 9:08 am

>224 JayneCM:
>225 japaul22:

Loved The Reader as well.

My mother wants me to take her to see the new Little Women that opens at her theatre the day after Christmas. That and dinner are going to be my Christmas present to her. (She has everything! I think she's a hoarder; albeit a clean one)

227pammab
dec 21, 2019, 10:33 am

>224 JayneCM: I haven't read The Reader but I was profoundly affected by Night when I read it in high school (multiple times, if I recall correctly, though never for class). The conceit and author of The Reader seems very familiar, but I don't recall having read it, so I'll have to go looking; thanks for the related recommendation.

228JayneCM
dec 21, 2019, 6:36 pm

>225 japaul22: That is great - not sure if my three boys would sit through it, but I think it is good for us all to expand our horizons a bit. That being said, my 8 year old's favourite movie (which surprised me a lot) is Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson. He asks to watch it often and will sit through the whole movie. They all love any dog movies too, like A Dog's Purpose (I have even seen tears, but they would deny that!)

>226 Tess_W: That sounds like the perfect Christmas present. Once you get older, you tend just to buy for yourself what you want so I think gifts of an experience or outing are much more appreciated. Enjoy the movie - I cannot wait to see it, although I know my movie going over the holidays will be Jumanji 3 and the new Doctor Dolittle movie!

>227 pammab: I hope you enjoy The Reader. Many reviews said it was too long winded, too much reflection and not much happening, but that is what I liked about it. It made me think about other aspects of Germany after the war.

229This-n-That
dec 23, 2019, 9:56 am

>224 JayneCM: That is an insightful review of The Reader. I have considered reading that book many times but always seem to shy away from it; maybe next year. Have you watched the movie version?

230VivienneR
dec 25, 2019, 10:19 am

You've had some great reading this year. I hope it continues into 2020.

Have a Merry Christmas.

231JayneCM
dec 26, 2019, 2:27 am

>229 This-n-That: I saw the movie when it first came out as I just love Kate Winslet. And I do remember she was fabulous but I don't remember much else. I have put it on hold at the library to watch again. The book is well worth reading as from memory the movie skimmed over most of the author's thoughts and ruminations on the German experience and focused more on their relationship.

>230 VivienneR: Thank you! I cannot wait to start 2020 - although hoping to get through a few more books on this challenge before we swap over.

232JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 27, 2019, 7:50 pm



This House Is Haunted by John Boyne - September ScaredyKIT Ghosts and Hauntings

Loved it! If you are after a traditional Gothic style ghost/haunted house story, this is a great one. I enjoyed the way in which the author introduced little pieces of the story at a time, in order to build the suspense to the end of the book.

233JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 29, 2019, 5:02 am





Christmas gifts from my mum - she knows what I love!

234VivienneR
dec 27, 2019, 9:54 pm

>232 JayneCM: I checked the library collection to see if they had this one which was when I remembered seeing the movie. It was pretty creepy. The two children were creepy too.

235JayneCM
dec 27, 2019, 10:56 pm

>234 VivienneR: Oooh! I didn't know there was a movie - I will have to look for it.

236clue
dec 28, 2019, 10:17 am

>233 JayneCM: I recently ran across a cheap copy of Life n a Cold Climate by Laura Thompson, a Nancy Mitford bio that's gotten a lot of attention, so I had to buy it. Aren't the Mitfords interesting?

237VivienneR
dec 28, 2019, 5:53 pm

>235 JayneCM: I searched for the movie but have been unsuccessful so far. It must have had another title.

238JayneCM
dec 28, 2019, 7:58 pm

>236 clue: Great buy! I can read books about the Mitfords endlessly. How can sisters all be so diiferent and all so interesting? You couldn't have invented better characters!

>237 VivienneR: I haven't been able to find it either. I hope we can!

239JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 31, 2019, 8:50 am



By Sea & Stars by Trent Dalton

At only 130 pages, this is a great book for those wishing to gain some knowledge of the First Fleet. Led by Arthur Phillip, the First Fleet landed on Australian shores on 26th January 1788, with the purpose of establishing a permanent colony of both free settlers and convicts.

I was reading a review on Goodreads for another book about convicts and it made me laugh so I had to copy it here:

"Britain had some whack ideas. Remember that time they colonized an entire continent with convicts? That was whack."

Pretty much sums it up!

The introduction explains why this little book is important and how it hopes that its size will make it less daunting and excourage some interest in our history. It tells how in 2017 a survey of Australians was held, where the participants were asked to identify the event celebrated on Australia Day. Only 43% connected the date with the arrival of the First Fleet, with 20% saying the day marked Captain Cook's arrival and a puzzling 2% saying it was to recognise an important battle in World War I (I think they were confusing it with Gallipoli and ANZAC Day!) I have also heard of people thinking it was to do with the Stolen Generation, possibly due to the number of protests held on Australia Day (or Invasion Day).

Arthur Phillip was determined to follow the instructions given to him by King George III, particularly the following:

"You are to endeavour, by every possible means, to open an intercourse with the natives, and so conciliate their affections, enjoining all our subjects to live in amity and kindness with them."

If only these instructions and Arthur Phillip's humanitarian views could have been followed completely.

The story of the First Fleet is told from different perspectives, using First Fleet journals and other documents. It is mainly about the journey to Australia - there are many other books that document the harrowing first years of the colony.

A good history of the journey, written in a story telling style which makes it an interesting and easy read. We all know some history books can be pretty dry and get bogged down in the detail. Not so this one!

P.S. This was orginally published as a multi-part serial in The Australian newspaper. Trent Dalton has won many Australian journalism awards. So if you are looking for a quick read for the Journalism prompt for 2020, this might fit the bill. He has also written a novel, Boy Swallows Universe, which is on my TBR.

240JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 30, 2019, 5:39 pm



Under The Camelthorn Tree by Kate Nicholls

Read for the March AlphaKIT (bit slow!) for U and L

My library copy of this book is subtitled 'Raising A Family Among Lions', so I picked this up as I enjoy reading books about animals and field research. But the subtitle of the copy on LT is subtitled 'The Impact of Trauma on One Family' so as you can imagine this quickly took a turn into darker territory.

It was not until I was about halfway through that I connected the dots as to who this family was. When I homeschooled, my kids loved a book called The Lion Children about a family who studies lions in Botswana. Same family, but this is the mother's story, written looking back on a brutal assault that occurred in Botswana and the aftermath of that attack.

I read it in one day. It is riveting, heartbreaking and brutally honest, but ultimately hopeful.

241JayneCM
Redigeret: dec 30, 2019, 4:47 pm



It is the morning of 31st December here in Australia and time to wrap up the 2019 challenge.

Hubby is out on the fire truck today. Thankfully for us it is only mopping up, but other areas have fared very badly. We have woken to terrible news of firefronts joining to make horrific fires that are burning out of control, of many properties threatened and potentially lost overnight and of another tragic death of a firefighter. There will be many people spending a terrifying New Year Eve's. Please keep Australia in your thoughts and prayers.

Now on to the books.

My final wrap up for 2019 was:

129/201 books read across all categories
64.3% completed

40 books in PopSugar Challenge - 28 completed = 70%
52 books in 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge - 15 completed = 28.8%
84 books in the monthly CATs and KITs - 61 completed = 72.6%
25 books in BingoDOG - 25 completed = 100%

Probably down on my normal reading levels for a year as I had a few slow months in there this year. And I better get reading in 2020 as I have an even more ambitious target!

And as I love me some statistics, my Goodreads 2019 Year In Books says:

I read 38,956 pages across 136 books (some books I read this year I couldn't make fit any challenges!) with an average of 286 pages per book.

The shortest book I read was Edgar Degas: Dance Like a Butterfly at 30 pages.
The longest book I read was Gone With The Wind at 1037 pages.
The most popular book on Goodreads I read was The Great Gatsby with 3,712,960 other people also reading it.
The least popular book on Goodreads I read was The Commonsense Book of a Countrywoman with only 3 other people also reading it. None of Hannah Hauxhall's books are even on LT!
The highest rated book on Goodreads I read was Thunderhead with a rating of 4.52.

And that is my year in books! I will spend the day watching the fire emergency app and hoping and praying that there will be no further loss of life and property.

See you in 2020!

242VivienneR
dec 30, 2019, 4:40 pm

>238 JayneCM: I enjoyed Wait for me!: memoirs of the youngest Mitford sister by Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire.

Right now I'm reading an enthralling Australian book: The Bus on Thursday by Shirley Barrett. It is where humour and horror collide.

243Jackie_K
dec 30, 2019, 4:42 pm

>241 JayneCM: I will certainly pray for Australia. I have an online friend who is currently on the beach at Mallacoota.

244JayneCM
dec 30, 2019, 4:47 pm

>242 VivienneR: I have The Bus On Thursday down for 2020 ScaredyKIT.

245JayneCM
dec 30, 2019, 4:53 pm

>243 Jackie_K: Oh no, that is terrifying. They issued a warning 20 minutes ago saying they expect the fire to reach Mallacoota in the next half an hour. I am keeping the town in my prayers right now and am watching the live emergency news reports.

This is the link I am watching as it has live updates.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/property-losses-expected-in-east-gipp...

246mathgirl40
dec 30, 2019, 5:03 pm

My thoughts are with all of you in Australia affected by the fires.

Good luck with your 2020 plans! I'll be sure to follow your reading once I make it over to that group.

247JayneCM
dec 30, 2019, 5:34 pm

>246 mathgirl40: Thank you. See you in the 2020 group!

248JayneCM
dec 30, 2019, 5:48 pm



This is a map of the current fire situation in my state. I live on the opposite side of the state so not on this map. My brother lives just above the fire but it is not burning in his direction.

They just released the details of the volunteer firefighter who lost his life last night. 28 years old and his wife is expecting their first baby in May. Just heartbreaking.

95% of Australia's landmass is protected by volunteer firefighters. Without them, we could not fight fire at all.

4000 people are currently on the beach at Mallacoota, waiting for the firefront to arrive.

249DeltaQueen50
dec 30, 2019, 9:23 pm

I am hoping that things get better regarding those fires, Jayne. I'm glad that you are safely out of the fire's path.

That was a great round-up of your 2019 reading year.

250JayneCM
dec 30, 2019, 9:34 pm

>249 DeltaQueen50: Thank you. Looking forward to 2020 - I have, of course, been even more ambitious than this year!

251JayneCM
dec 31, 2019, 12:55 am

And I forgot to say:

My five favourite books of the year (although I had many more that I liked - I hardly ever meet a book that I cannot enjoy in some way!) were:

Where The Forest Meets The Stars by Glendy Vanderah
The Martian by Andy Weir
Britt Marie Was Here by Fredik Bachman
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

And two lifelong favourites that were rereads this year and did not disappoint:

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Go, the Margarets!!

252JayneCM
dec 31, 2019, 2:41 am

I just found out (thanks tess_schoolmarm!) that it is tradition to buy yourself books on your Thingaversary.
My very first Thingaversary was on 2nd December so I am allowed to buy two books (even though I am on a book diet, I was somewhat good and purchased secondhand ones from an online charity shop).
I found Jean Rhys's The Complete Novels, which includes five of her books and Oscar's Books which is about the books that defined Oscar Wilde's life.
Thank you for the excuse to treat myself to some new (to me) books!

253JayneCM
dec 31, 2019, 8:51 am



It is 2020 now in Australia, so farewell to 2019 reading and hello to 2020!

Happy New Year!

254japaul22
dec 31, 2019, 12:20 pm

Nice work narrowing down your 2019 favorites! I look forward to following your reading here and in the 1001 books group next year!

255rabbitprincess
dec 31, 2019, 2:56 pm

>252 JayneCM: Happy belated Thingaversary! Glad you were able to treat yourself :)

256JayneCM
dec 31, 2019, 5:35 pm

>254 japaul22: Thank you - it is always hard to choose favourites! I am hoping to be more active in 1001 Books next year.

>255 rabbitprincess: Thanks! I'm grateful to whoever started that tradition as it gave me the perfect excuse to buy some books.

257VivienneR
dec 31, 2019, 5:55 pm

Happy belated Thingaversary. Good excuse for new books! I've been around for so long that I'm going to have to spread out my Thingaversary books over the year. :)

Wishing you a Happy New Year and cool temperatures. Stay safe.

258JayneCM
dec 31, 2019, 6:39 pm

>257 VivienneR: A present for yourself every month sounds good!