Book: Wayward

 Book: Wayward

Author: Chuck Wendig

Pages: 816

This is my 100th read for the year and the last one for 2022!

This is book two in the Wanderers duology.  It is 5 years in the future - 5 years after almost the total population of the earth was eliminated by a pandemic.  Those who are left are trying to establish communities and start life over.  The sleepwalkers and the shepherds who became sleepwalkers have been asleep this whole time, and suddenly they are awake in Ouray.  The people of Ouray have looked out for the sleepwalkers wondering if they would ever wake and what would happen when they did.  Once they are awake, the town quickly becomes divided.  The sleepwalkers, still controlled by Black Swan, are being very secretive of their activites and what their true mission is.  Meanwhile, the white supremicist who was about to be electice president before the whole fell apart is alive and well and plotting his next move.  When his group and the Ouray group and Black Swan finally meet, the real trouble begins.

This was an okay book. It was really long.  I usually love these dystopian future type books, but this author takes the politics too far.  I completely get it, and I do agree, but like most readers - we read fiction to escape the realities of our world right now.  It was just overdone and after awhile I found myself struggling to finish the book.  I liked the idea of this world, but the story just got lost.  It was a shame.

Stars: 3

Book: Baby Sitters Club - Jessie's Secret Language

 Book: Baby Sitters Club - Jessie's Secret Language

Author: Ann Martin

Pages: 144

This is my 99th read for the year

The newest installment in the graphic novel series of the Baby Sitters Club.  Jessie - one of the junior members, takes a job taking care of a little boy who is deaf.  She works hard to learn sign language so that she can better care for him.  She even schedules a surprise and the other kids from his school for the deaf at her big dance recital.

Another great BSC book.  I read these with my youngest daughter, and she still loves them all these year's later.  We also get the newest one when they come out and tackle it together.  They are short and sweet and fun to read.

For all of those late elementary/early middle school readers in your life - these are great.

Stars: 4.5

Book Challenge: 2022: A Book About A Band or Musical Group: Will

 Book: Will

Author: Will Smith

Pages: 432

This is my 98th read for the year

This is the story of Will Smith by Will Smith.  Starting from his childhood to his 50th birthday - he recounts his life as a poor boy from Philly to becoming on of the most famous people in the world.  His tales of his start in rap music to movie star was not without struggles and need for self reflection.  As he learns how his fame affects those he loves most, he paints a picture of what it is like for him at the top.

This was a pretty good book.  I know he is in hot water, personally, right now, but I had this on my hold list at the library since before that whole scene.  I have heard good things about the book, so I decided to go ahead and read it.  I learned a lot about his childhood and how one lucky stroke after another made him who he is today.  One of my favorite quotes from the book - and it was his grandmother's was - "Be kind to those you pass on your way up, because you just might have to pass them on your way down". Words to live by

The only issue with this book would probably be that he really does think highly of himself.  He mentions a few times that he is humble, but.....he's not.  He is filthy rich and incredibly successful, and he mentions it over and over in this book.  I do feel that stars that have spent so much of their adult life as rich and famous really cannot come out of the clouds to self reflect how they sound to the rest of us.  But I learned a lot about Will Smith, so I can let it go.

Stars: 4

Book: The Scarlet Letter

 Book: The Scarlet Letter

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Pages: 192

This is my 97th read for the year

This is the story of Hester Prynne.  Shunned and punished for Adultery, she is forced to wear a Scarlet Letter A on her chest so that everyone knows what she did.  She and her little daughter, Pearl, settled themselves in a little cabin, and Hester tries to continue her life and raising her daughter under the watchful eye of the towns people.  No matter how much the people of Boston want her to reveal who the father of her baby is, she refuses to name him.  

This was a pretty good book.  My daughter had to read it for her English class, and I have never read it, so told her I would read along with her.  The language can be difficult, so it was slow going - even though it was a short book.  But the story was intriguing and figuring out who the father was kept our interest.  It ended well, which is always a plus for me.  So I am glad we tackled it together. 

Stars: 4

Book: Remarkably Ruby

Book: Remarkably Ruby

Author: Terri Libenson

Pages: 384

This is my 96th read for the year

This graphic novel is another in the long line of Terrib Libensons's books.  Ruby is a shy girl who is trying to find her place.  Basically friendless after losing her best friend a year ago due to an argument, she is unsure where she fits in.  Her favorite teacher approaches her and another student telling them she is going to start a poetry club.  Ruby - whose past poem won an award - is thinking it could be fun, but it also means putting herself out there where she is uncomfortable.  She soon discovers something about herself and in the process finds new friends and mends old friendships.

This is a sweet book.  I read these books with my daughter, and we love this author.  She intermingles her characters in each book (Ruby has made backdrop appearances in most of her other books) which is the best.  There is always a life lesson, and sometimes even a twist ending (not this time), and just an all around enjoyable read.  She is an excellent writer for the middle school grade level (and older - because adults love these books too), so I encourage you to add these to your list.

Stars: 5

 

Book: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

 Book: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Author: Gillian McAllister

Pages: 416

This is my 95th read for the year

This is the story of Jen Brotherhood.  She is waiting up for her 18 year old son to return home when she witnesses him committing a murder -right in their driveway.  He is arrested, and Jen goes home after having to leave him at the police station, and wakes up the next day, and it is the day before.  The murder hasn't happened again.  Her confusion continues as each day she wakes up further and further into the past - trying to piece together what makes her son commit this crime.  She learns that her life isn't what she thought it was - that the people closest to her are keeping deep, dark secrets that will change her forever.  But her only focus is to save her son.

This was a good book.  I liked it more than I thought I did.  There were a few surprises along the way that I didn't see coming, which I always enjoy.  It was a bit of a slow burn in the beginning, where you cannot see why this is happening to Jen, but as the book gets past the half way point, the secrets emerge and the pieces fall together, and the pace picks up.

Glad I found this one.  Recommend giving it a try!

Stars: 4.5

Book: I'm Glad My Mother Died

 Book: I'm Glad My Mom Died

Author: Jennette McCurdy

Pages: 320

This is my 94th read for the year

This is the true story of the author.  Raised in a Mormon household with three older brothers, a mother who had stage 4 cancer, and her father - Jennette tells her story of what it was like to grow up in show business and how it affected her life so far.  She states that she never wanted to be a star, and it led to her to spiral out of control as she went through her teens and early 20s.  Her mother passed when she was in her mid-20s after a long battle with breast cancer, and Jennette spends most of the book recounting her relationship with her mother and how it shaped her.

This was a pretty good book.  I decided to listen to it because the author reads it.  My kids loved iCarly and Sam and Cat when they were little, so I am familiar with this actress in that aspect.  I had no idea what was going on "behind the scenes" in her life.  This is a deeply troubled girl.  She grew up with a narcissistic mother and became an anorexic and then a bulimic.  She still struggles with bulimia today.  She lost herself as a child star and seems to still be finding her way.  She blames her mom for most of it, and granted - from Jennetts point of view - a lot of this could stem from their relationship.  Her mother encouraged the anorexia.  She forced Jennette to take auditions.  This is a one sided story, so no one will really know the truth.

Note: This one has a lot of triggers- abuse, alcoholism, anorexia and bulimia. 

Stars: 4

Book: Fairy Tale

 Book: Fairy Tale 

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 608

This is my 93rd read for the year

This is the story of Charlie.  A young kid who had a hard childhood.  His mother was tragically killed in an accident and his dad became an alcoholic because of it.  Charlie got in with a friend who he became defiant, and deviant with.  Once his dad turned his life around, things started to get better for Charlie as well.  One day while walking home, he came across an older gentleman whose dog had alerted that the gentleman  - Mr. Bowditch - had fallen.  Charlie helped and stayed with the dog  - Radar -until Mr. Bowditch can get home from the hospital.  Charlie quickly falls in love with the aging dog, and continues to help Mr. Bowditch and Radar once Mr. Bowditch is home.  When Mr. Bowditch dies, he lives Charlie much more than a wonderful dog, and this leads Charlie on an adventure he never imagined.  In his quest to save Radar, he unlocks a world he never could have imagined.

This was an okay book.  As you all know, I am a big fan of Stephen King, and usually try to tackle all of his books.  This one started out strong. The first third of the book was off to a great start.  The story of Charlie and what he did for Radar and Mr. Bowditch is something I would like to see from all teenagers.  But once Mr. Bowditch dies and the "adventure" begins for Charlie the book just got.....boring.  It was the slowest burn, and it really never got to a point when I wanted to see how it was going to end.  I know this was a different genre for him -fantasy vs. horror.  And maybe that was part of it?  King is a literary god, and so it pains me to not like one of his novels.  

I sadly cannot recommend this one.

Stars: 3

Book: White Bird

 Book: White Bird    

Author: R.J. Palacio

Pages: 

This is my 92nd read for the year

This is the story of Sara.  Her grandson, Julian, has to do a project about his grandmother, and asks her about her time during Nazi occupied France.  Sara is Jewish and as the Jews are rounded up in her town, she makes a run for it. A boy at her school that she barely new - Julien, finds her and offers to hide her in his barn at his house.  There his family hides her for an entire year in hopes of saving her.  When tragedy strikes, Sara is not sure what to do next.  With the help of the kindness of strangers she survives the war.  

This is a great story. It is a graphic novel I read with my daughter.  It is by the author who wrote the book "Wonder" . It is a story of bravery and kindness.  How many families did what Julien's family did for Sara during the war?  I am sure it was numerous.  It is a story of paying forward that bravery and a message how we can learn from past mistakes.

Good read - highly recommend.

Stars: 5

Book: Wanderers

 Book: Wanderers

Author: Chuck Wendig

Pages: 800

This is my 91st book of the year

This is the story of the end of civilization.  Shana wakes up one morning to find her sister sleepwalking out of the house.  No matter what she does, she cannot wake her up.  She cannot stop her path.  When she touches her, her sister Nessie seems to have a seizure.  Soon - others join Nessie walking what seems like a purpose, but completely unaware of her surroundings.  Nothing can stop them.  If someone tries to stop a member of the "flock" - the results are disasterous.  Family members and soon the CDC and the media start to follow the flock - protecting them and trying to figure out where they are going and why.

In the end, the truth of what is coming and why the sleepwalkers are who they are comes to light.  As civilization deteriorates from a pandemic, the flock marches on.  An external threat - a surpremicist group - threatens to end them and Shana and the other "shepherds" who are protecting the flock will do everything they can to stop them.

This was a pretty good book.  It is LONG.  The writing was pretty good, not 5 star, but it moves the story along.  If I wasn't so busy, I would have liked to have read this book faster because I did want to see where it was going.  I would say my only real criticism of this book is how severe the author made the bad guys.  This is a personal opinion - it is the reason, for example, I stopped watched "The Walking Dead" because the bad guy was so bad I couldn't tolerate it.  Too stressful.  I felt the same here.  I know the author did it on purpose, but for me - it was just a bit much.

Otherwise - terrific book.  This is a duology, and so I am definitely doing to read the second to see where it goes because the first ended on a cliff hanger.

Stars:  4.5

Book: House of Many Ways

 Book: House of Many Ways

Author: Dianne Wynne Jones

Pages: 432

This is my 90th read for the year

This is the 3rd book in the Howl's Moving Castle Trilogy.  Charmain Baker is a spoiled young lady whose parents have always done everything for her.  When her great Uncle gets sick and she is sent to care for his house while he is away at the hospital, she thinks she is getting time to sit and read.  What she finds is a ton of housework she has no idea how to do.  There is also a dog that needs looked after and a young wizard that shows up saying he was summoned by her Uncle before he got sick.  What happens next is an adventure that Charmain never expected to be on.  She learns a lot about herself as she learns magic, meets the King, and helps save her country from ruin.

This was a pretty good book.  I read these with my youngest daughter who loved the Japanese movie.  It is well written and easy to read.  I did not care for the main character, Charmain.  She was frustratingly lazy.  I was reading it from a mom's point of view, of course, so when there is piling laundry and chores to be done and she grabs a book to go and read, you want to wring her neck.  That almost ruined the story for me because it was just a bit overdone.  But we do love Howl and his antics, and he does, of course, reappear in this final book.

Great little series.  Glad we read them.

Stars: 4

Book: Guardians

 Book: Guardians

Author: Susan Kim

Pages: 432

This is my 89th read for the year

This is the third and final book in the Wasteland Trilogy.  Esther and her friends are now in control of the District - Montreal.  Tucked safe from the outside world and the harmful rains, the group settles into a pattern of daily life.  They have a flourishing garden, a way to clean the water, and plenty of food to eat.  However a leader of another group - Gideon - wants more power. And with that power comes danger for the whole group.  Esther and her friends must figure out how to protect themselves and their way of life.

This book was the worst of the three.  It was all over the place.  It moved in jerking forward motion - sometimes leaping without any kind of warning.  A lot of things didn't make sense.  When a 9 year old gains power of the group, you are left wondering how.  Esther wants to be "partnered" so many times it will make your head spin.  The book wraps up nicely a bit into the future, which I will give it credit for.  But overall - just poor writing.

Stars: 2

Book: Wanderers

 Book: Wanderers

Author: Susan Kim

Pages: 368

This is my 88th read for the year

This is the second novel in the Wasteland trilogy.  Esther and her friends are still in Prin at the beginning of this story.  Food is running out, tensions are high, and then an earthquake hits.  Esther and her clan hit the road hoping to find a place that is safe.  When they come across Montreal, they think they have found Heaven on Earth.  What they don't see is what is hidden in the shadows.

This book was not that great.  I am plugging through this because I do love apocolytic novels - especially trilogies.  So I sometimes find myself reading bad ones all the way through despite my better judgement.  The story hops all over the place and feels disjointed.  None of the characters make that much sense.  The main character is supposed to be someone everyone looks up to, but she is hard to like.

Eh - I am going to listen to the third one.  It gives me something to do when I am doing mundane tasks.  But I won't count this among my apocolyptic favorites.

Stars: 2.5

Book: Wasteland

 Book: Wasteland

Author: Susan Kim

Pages: 352

This is my 87h read for the year

This is the story of Esther.  In a post-apocolytic United States, all that are left are children.  Those children only live until the age of 19 and then they die.  Something has poisoned the rain and the water, and no matter how much they try to avoid it, eventually the sickness comes for them all.

Esther lives in a city called Prin, which is run by the older teenagers in the group.  Every day is a looming threat of disease, hunger, and attacks by outsiders called variants (children born that are neither male or female at birth).  But Esther just wants to live a normal life while she can - hang out with her best friend and her sister, and avoid having to work hard.  She becomes an outside in the society, but soon meets Caleb and he changes everything.  Soon Esther has something worth fighting for.

This is an okay book.  I actually found it by accident at my library while I was looking for something else.  I love a good apocolyptic story line. The writing isn't great, but it was an interesting enough story.  It is how I assume kids would run things who are under the age of 19 and trying to figure out how to survive and create future generations. 

This is a trilogy, so I think I will at least try the second book to see where it is going. 

Stars: 3.5

Book: On Rotation

 Book: On Rotation

Author: Shirlene Obuobi

Pages: 352

This is my 86th read for the year

This is a story about Angela.  She is a medical student who is trying to decide what type of doctor she wants to be.  After a big test where she didn't do as well as she needed to, she finds herself wallowing in a park when a man approaches her and asks if he can draw her.  This starts a whirlwind path that she never expected to be on.  Trying to concentrate on school and figure out if this new man in her life, Ricky, is the real deal or just another fling.  In the midst of trying to get through medical school and settle her future, she just doesn't know if she has time to fall head over heals.

This book was dumb.  There isn't another word for it.  I wanted to like it -thought it was going to be more medical.  But it was like two 13 year old kids struggling with school, life and problems, instead of two grown adults.  The writing was not great.  I cannot believe I finished it, but honestly it is the season of terrible (yet wonderful) Hallmark Christmas movies, so I just read the whole thing.

Not worth it.

Stars: 2

Book: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

 Book: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

Author: Karina Yan Glaser

Pages: 320

This is my 85th read for the year

This is the story of the 5 Vanderbeeker children.  They live in a cozy Brownstone in New York, and it has been home for their whole lives.  One day their parents got a notice from the landlord - who lives on the top floor - that their lease will not be renewed and they need to be out right after Christmas.  The whole family is distraut and the children make it their mission to convince the landlord they should be allowed to stay.  Things go from bad to worse in their efforts, and just when all hope seems lost, the children discover a secret about the landlord that changes everything.

This is a cute book.  I don't know how it ended up in my Scribd library, but decided to check it out and I am glad I did.  IT is a late elementary/early middle school grade book (and it shows), but it was fun and light.  There is a whole series so if you have kids around the 3rd-7th grade level, I would recommend this for them.

Stars: 4

Book: The Book Eaters

 Book: The Book Eaters

Author: Sunyi Dean

Pages: 304

This is my 84th read for the year

This is the story of Devon.  Part of a clan that only eats books instead of food, she is on a mission to save her child.  Devon, a coveted woman in the clan that hardly ever gives birth to daughters, has a son who is born with a rare condition that craves human minds instead of books.  On the run to keep him safe and to find a cure called Redemption, Devon looks for people who can keep she and her son safe.

This was an okay book.  It is an original idea, which drew me to give it a try.  But the story fell short for me.  Because Devon spends most of the book looking for a cure for her son, we don't get to learn as much about book eaters as we do about mind eaters.  And that wasn't as interesting in my opinion.  I didn't love most of the characters.  Even Devon's little boy was hard to relate to because at 5 years old he spoke like a grown up because of all the adult minds he had eaten to stay alive.  It didn't make him relatable.  It is a dark story as well - a lot of maiming and murder.  Again - not a fault, just a warning.

This is a great concept.  I loved the idea.  I just wish it had been better executed.  I can see why the reviews are all over the place.

Stars: 3 

Book: Deja Dead

 Book: Deja Dead

Author: Kathy Reichs

Pages:560

This is my 83rd read for the year

This is the story of Temperance Brennan.  She is a forensic anthropologist who has recently moved to Quebec after her marriage ended.  A dismembered femal corpse is found in a trash bag, and Temperance starts relating this find to a few past cases in the last few years.  She sees a pattern, but the police department think she is wrong.  She takes it on herself to find the killer before he attacks someone else.

This book was okay.  I was interested in trying it because I did like the show "Bones" which this book series is based on. However - the book isn't like the show.  That isn't good or bad - it just is.  I actually found the book very dry.  It was a long book that was overly wordy.  I love a good murder mystery book (I am a big Patricia Cornwell fan), but Reichs book just didn't do it for me.  I struggled with this book for over 2 weeks, before finally finishing it.  

I know this was her first one.  Maybe I should try another in the future?  We shall see.  The writing just wasn't good.  Too much overly describing the mundane.

Stars: 3

2022 Challenge: A Book Part Of A Series: Castle In The Air

 Book: Castle In The Air

Author: Dianne Wynne Jones

Pages: 400

This is my 82nd read for the year

This is the story of Abdullah.  Abdullah is a carpet salesman who owns a modest booth in the desert.  One day, a stranger comes by and sells him a magic carpet.  Abdullah doesn't know what to make of it, but finds that when he falls asleep on the carpet he ends up in the courtyard of a beautiful princess.  Abdullah - thinking it is a dream - falls asleep each night on the carpet hoping to return to Flower-in-the-Night until one day, a djinn kidnapps her and Abdullah realizes it wasn't a dream after all.  Thus starts an adveture to save the princess.  A soldier, cats, a genie, and a castle help Abdullah find Flower-in-the-Night on an adventure he could never have imagined.

This is the second book in the Howl's Moving Castle series, and it was just as good as the first.  We have the Folio Society edition, and the artwork is incredible.  The story flows nicely, and is well written.  Howl and Sophie make an appearance at the end of the book, and for awhile I thought this was more of a stand alone book than a sequel.  And I still feel that way - while Howl and Sophie tie Howl's Moving Castle into this book in the end, it truly isn't about them.

A good book and I am looking forward to reading the third.

Stars: 4.5

Book: The Hike

 Book: The Hike

Author: Susi Holliday

Pages: 266

This is my 81st read for the year

This is the story of 2 couples who take a hiking trip to Switzerland.  They wanted a chance to reconnect after some estrangement between all of them - even husband and wife.  As they hike, tensions arise and tragedy strikes.  A trecherous trip back down the mountain to talk to the police leads to more questions than answers and suspicions arise.  Those who survived the hike back down the mountain aren't telling the whole story.

This book was fine.  I really didn't like any of the characters.  All of them were terrible people.  The author did another thing that I loathe about books - kept the reader in the dark for no reason to try to propel the story forward.  She gave snippets of "troubles" and "reasons" that things were happening before the hike even started, but it just left me wanting more.  When I got to the ending I really didn't even care what was happening, and it wasn't surprising at all which direction it took.

Eh - it was a Prime First Reads, and I should have stopped reading it.  But it is a short book, so I pushed through hoping it would get better.  Sadly - it didn't.

Stars: 2

Book: The Long Walk

 Book: The Long Walk

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 319

This is my 80th read for the year

This is the story of Ray Garraty.  He and 99 other young men are about to start an annual stamina test called "The Long Walk".  The boys cannot go slower than 4 miles and hour and cannot stop for any reason - not even to sleep.  If they stop, they get a warning.  3 warnings and they are shot on the spot.  The winner - and there can only be one - gets whatever he wants for the rest of his life.  There is no finish line - it is whomever is the last one standing.  

This book was just okay.  I honestly do not understand the 5 star reviews, but to each their own.  I am a huge King fan, but this one was a miss for me.  It was a lot of rambling and then it just.....ended.  All this build up - 300 pages of these young men walking and nothing really getting explained as to WHY they chose to participate - just so I could see who the winner was AND what he was going to claim for his prize.  Maybe see into the future a bit on how the walk affected our main character, etc.  Kind of like Hunger Games.  Where the games was just the beginning.  That was not true in this book.  The last page was such a let down.  

This is a King I would skip.

Stars: 3

Book: Zak George's Dog Training Revolution

 Book: Zak George's Dog Training Revolution

Author: Zak George

Pages: 240

This is my 79th read for the year

Zak George is a dog trainer with a newer approach to a happy dog.  His book covers the basics of dog training from the time you bring home your puppy - and even before as you decide what breed might be the best fit for your family.  His technique of positive reinforcement and training your dog from the inside out is a newer approach to the training world.  

This was a great book.  We have had a dog before, but it has been 11 years since we had a puppy.  My husband always had dogs growing up, and the techniques that he used and we used with our first dog are different than the newer approaches.  Science and research is starting to show that positive based training from the inside out to get the behaviors out of your dog is a much more effective, long term way to train your dog to fit your family.  I learned a lot in this book and from watching many of his videos that made me decide this was the approach we wanted to take with our new puppy.  Great advice in this book.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Bernedoodle: A Head To Tail Guide

 Book: Bernedoodle: A Head To Tail Guide

Author: Sherry Rupke

Pages: 192

This is my6 78th read for the year

A Bernedoodle guide written by the person who started the breed in the United States.  Sherry gives an indepth look on the history of the combination of this breed, what it means to have a doodle, and how to care for them successfully.  She talks you through deciding if this breed is right for you through picking your breeder, your vet, your puppy, your trainer, and beyond.  

This is a well written book.  Of the two I read about Bernedoodles, this was my favorite.  She has clear language and I learned a lot about the breed and what it is going to mean to care for a Bernedoodle.  It gave me some good insight while we wait for our puppy.

Stars: 4.5

Book: The Complete Guide To Bernedoodles

 Book: The Complete Guide To Bernedoodles

Author: David Anderson

Pages: 140

This is my 77th read of the year

This is a guide book for the care of Bernedoodle dogs.  The author interviewed the top Bernedoodle breeders to give the reader tips and tricks to raising these dogs.

As you can imagine - we picked this one up because we are getting a Bernedoodle puppy.  I thought this books was pretty great.  It has a wealth of information about the breed, training, grooming, and what it means to have this breed of dog.  We are not new to Doodle dogs, but this is our first doodle mixed with a Bernese Mountain Dog, so we were grateful for some tip and tricks.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

 Book: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Pages: 416

This is my 76th read of the year

This is the story of Sam and Sadie.  Two friends that met by accident when they were kids - Sam was in the hospital recovering from a horrible car accident and Sadie was visiting her sister who had cancer.  Their love of video games sparked a lifelong friendship that ended in them working together in the world of game making.  They develop a game that is an overnight sensation, and it sets them on a whirlwind life changing path.  It is a story that spans 30 years filled with friendship, love, tragedy, and redemption.

First - I want to say - I loved Zevin's book "The Storied Life of AJ Fikry".  Loved it.  When I saw that she had another book out, I went on the long wait list at the library to read it.  And.....I was disappointed.  I think part of the problem is that the story itself just wasn't for me.  It is a gamer's dream, this book.  It is almost all about them making different video games and running a video game company and I just was bored with that story line.  I really didn't like Sadie at all.  Sam, and his roommate Marx are great characters so that helped redeem the story and keep me reading.  I felt myself skimming quite a bit which I hate to do in books.  But it just didn't hold my interest.

Stars: 3

Book: Once There Were Wolves

 Book: Once There Were Wolves

Author: Charlotte Mcconaghy

Pages: 272

This is my 75th read for the year

This is the story of Inti Flynn.  She and her sister have moved to Scotland to help a group of biologist reintroduce wolves into the Highlands.  It is an ecological move, but the locals are less than happy about the threat wolves bring to their livestock and families.  Inti has traveled with her twin sister, Aggie, who has lived through a terrible tragedy and has not spoke since.  Inti hopes getting them both out of Alaska and working on this project will help Aggie heal.  The project takes off, and is starting to be successful when a local is found dead.  Inti decides to protect the wolves against the wrath she knows is coming but it may come at a terrible cost.   As she befriends the locals and even finds love, she risks everything to protect the wolves that have always been a part of her history.

This was a pretty good book.  To start - I felt it was well written.  The story of the wolves and their part in the ecosystem was the most interesting part to me.  I feel like I learned a lot about their part in nature.  However - it is a very dark book- a lot of tragic stories for every character, to the point of it being almost overdone.  There is a love story, but I did have a hard time finding it believable.  The murderer in the end and how they handled it didn't sit well with me.  I think the author wanted to wrap up the story neatly,  but it really didn't fit with how dark the story had been up until then.  Going the way you would imagine it SHOULD would have made more sense.

Stars: 3.5

Book: The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot

 Book: The 100 Years of Lenni and Margo

Author: Marianne Cronin

Pages: 352

This is my 74th read or the year

This is the story of 17 year old Lenni and 83 year old Margot.  They meet under the most dire of circumstances in the hospital.  Lenni lives on the Terminal ward and Margot is in the hospital for surgery for her heart that may or may not prolong her life.  They meet in an art class and Lenni decides to start an art project with Margot to make 100 pictures to represent their two ages added together.  As they draw, Margot tells Lenni the story of her life.  As their lives dwindle, the stories of these two fill their days and form a unbreakable bond.   With the help of a doting nurse and the hospital's chaplain, the group fills Lenni and Margots last days with an amazing project that help them leave their mark on the world.

This book was wonderful.  I don't cry often with books, but there were certain sections of this one that brought me to tears.  I wish I could tell you the part that got me the most, but I don't want to give anything away.  The story is sweet, the characters witty and fun (especially Father Arthur), and Margot's stories of love, friendship, loss, and hardship brought the story alive.  Even though we all know how it will end for Lenni and Margo right from the begining, the plot focuses mostly on the life of these two women outside of the walls of the hospital.  

A great lesson about living with the life you are given.  Have tissues at the ready!

Stars: 4.5

Book: The Messy Lives of Book People

 Book: The Messy Lives of Book People

Author: Phaedra Patrick

Pages: 352

This is my 73rd read for the year

This is the story of Liv Green.  A maid for a high profile recluse author, and mother of two, Liv wishes for more.  When the author (Essie) invites Liv into her studio one day to ask her opinion on her newest book Liv gives her opinion that she feels that it isn't the author's best work.  A tenuous friendship forms, and Liv starts to feel more than just Essie's maid.

When Essie suddenly passes away, Liv finds out that Essie left instructions for her to finish the author's novel.  She also has to keep the author's death a secret for 6 months while the book is finished.  Liv starts to write the book and along the way starts to unravel the reclusive author's life and finds things out that she never expected.

This book was really awful.  Liv was a horrible character.  Completely unrealistic story line with a very selfish and self centered main character.  This is a maid who barely makes enough money to scrape by, has two children going to university and a husband and a low paying job.  Yet she uses some of her money to buy fancy clothes and getting pampered when they have a pipe that burst at home and a lot of bills to pay.  She gets mad at her husband for being reasonable.

Just silly.  I should have quit reading it, but I REALLY wanted to see what Essie left Liv in her will.  Trust me - not even a little worth it.

Stars: 2

Book: The Measure

 Book: The Measure

Author: Nikki Erlick

Pages: 368

This is my 72nd read for the year

This is the story of what would happen if you knew when you would die.  One morning, everyone all over the world wake to a box on their porch that contains a single string.  The string inside - short or long - determines the length of your life.  Not what is left, but your whole life from beginning to end.  People don't know what to make of this strange arrival.  The boxes and strings cannot be destroyed.  Some people decide not to look.  Others cannot help it and quickly turn to the scientist who start to figure out what the string lengths mean.  At first they are able to narrow your life ending withing 2 years.  Then within a month.

Thus starts people deciding what they are going to do with their strings and what they mean - short or long.  The people with short strings start to form support groups.  People decide how they are going to live given the time they have left.  However - trouble also starts to arise when panic sets in with people who only have a small window of life left.  "Long stringers" start to tout that "short stringers" are dangerous.  Military and some jobs start to state that they must know the length of your string before you get certain jobs or can join the armed forces.  Short stringers are discriminated against in all aspects of life, and a small group of people decide to fight back.

This was a pretty good book.  I liked the concept and since these dystopian type books are part of my favorite genre, I was drawn to give it a try.  It is a thought provoking book for sure.  What would you do with this box if it showed up at your door?  Would you open it?  Would knowing change how you lived the time you had left?  The type A personality in me says I would definitely look.  But then my anxiety about knowing would make me think I shouldn't.  It would be a hard call.

The book is a bit cheesy in times, but not enough to deter my enjoyment of the book.  And the message is clear about discrimination and unity in tough times.  Overall a good read.

Stars: 4.5

Book: The Paris Apartment

 Book: The Paris Apartment

Author: Lucy Foley

Pages: 368

This is my 71st book of the year

This is the story of Jess.  She has traveled to Paris to meet her brother, Ben, and hopfully crash with him for awhile.  She hasn't seen him in awhile, but finds herself in circumstances where she really needs his help.  When she arrives in Paris, Ben isn't at the apartment, and Jess can't get him on his cell.  She enlist the help of neighbors, and someone who was working with Ben to try and find out what happened to him.  What Jess finds is an apartment building full of suspicious people who seem to know something but aren't telling.  As Jess delves into Ben's life in Paris and the people who knew him, she starts to think that something terrible happened to him.

This was an okay book.  I actually liked it better than the other book I read of hers: "The Guest List".  The chracters are all terrible people, but they are supposed to be.  I thought several times while reading this that the author really doesn't seem to like the French.  Her characters were prety stereotypical. You figure out pretty quickly who is involved in Ben's disappearance, but it kept me entertained well enough.  I listened to this one and while I didn't jump to keep listening to it, when I needed entertainment during yard chores, this kept me going.

Stars: 3 

Book: The Clockmaker's Daughter

 Book: The Clockmaker's Daughter

Author: Kate Morton

Pages: 496

This is my 70th read for the year

This is a book that travels back and forth through time.  In the 19th century, a young girl who is abandoned in London is taken in by a couple that teaches her to be a theif.  As she grows up, she catches the eye on a young, budding artist who wants her to be his muse.  Their relationship blossoms into love, but when the young girl's "family" comes looking for her, a tragedy strikes, and the girl disappears.  

Over time, Birchwood Manor where the tragedy struck ebbs and flows with people.  It is bought and sold - left to go into disrepair.  All the while it holds a dark secreat.  As the story unfolds over the course of more than a century and a half, the people who come and go have lives that entertwine and piece together what happened that one fateful night so long ago.

This was a pretty good book.  You have to be really paying attention as you read, so this one took me a longer time than I was expecting.  It was well written, but the back and forth through time and all the characters is hard to keep up with at times.  It would have been nice to have a layout of the timelines and characters somehwere to refer to so you weren't constantly trying to remember who fit where.  The ending wasn't great.  I have read several Kate Morton books and have liked them pretty well, but this one  - after 496 pages - have an ending I felt was lacking.  

I suggest if you pick this one up, you are ready with pen and paper to keep a timeline for yourself so you can refer to it as this books hops around quite a bit.  Also - it cannot be one that you read, like I did, over the course of a few weeks when you have time.  I would make the time to read this one a few days in a row to keep the momentum of all the characters straight.

Stars: 3.5

2022 Challenge: Duology: Vengeful

 Book: Vengeful

Author: V.E. Schwab

Pages: 480

This is my 69th read for the year

The second book in Villans Duology opens basically where we left off.  Victor is still struggling to keep his heart beating after Sydney brought him back from dying a second time.  As he searches for answers, and searches for Eli, new EOs come onto the scene.  Marcella Riggins' husband tried to murder her, but instead, turned her into one of the most powerful EOs in existence.  When she meets June, she thinks as a team they can be unstoppable.  Eli - now behind bars - and being tortured for science - is brought in to try and find Marcella and stop her.  However, his handlers are reluctant to let him out.  They want him to help them from prison.  Eventually Victor, Eli, and Marcella will face off and it is anyone's guess who will be left standing.

This was a good book.  I didn't like it as much as the first one - I was kind of hoping they would focus just on Victor and Eli and their own hunts.  But most of the story is about Marcella and June.  Marcella was not likable at all - although I am beginning to think that is the idea with this author.  A lot of time jumps.  I didn't find myself jumping to finish this one like I did Vicious.  It wraps up nicely - I don't think there will be a third. But who knows.  And if there is - we shall see if I pick it up.

Stars: 3

2022 Challenge: Duology: Vicious

 Book: Vicious

Author: V E Schwab

Pages: 400

This is my 68th read for the year

This is the story of Victor and Eli.  Two friends who met in college ad quickly hit it off.  They were both incredibly intelligent as well as arrogant, and they liked to challenge each other.  When Eli picks to do his final college thesis on how someone could develop Extraordinary (EO) abilities Victor becomes wary.  However when the experiment moves from the classroom to real life, things take a turn that neither saw coming.  

10 years later, Victor is on the search for Eli.  While Victor has been in prison for a crime, Eli has been on the search for EOs to erradicate them all for the abominations he believes them to be.  With the help of an unlikely sidekick, both Victor and Eli come head to head once and for all.  

This was a pretty good story.  A clever idea of people who get abilities after they die and are brought back to life by resucitation and the abilities they develop due to that resucitation.  Victor and Eli are on opposite sides when it comes to EOs abilities and if they should be allowed to exist.  Both of the main characters are extremely arrogant, and honestly - I didn't love either that much.  Victor is probably the better of the two as far as likability, but he still wanted these abilities for himself, so he isn't much better than Eli in the end.

I am anxious to read the second book in this series to see where it is going.  It was well written, and entertaining, and the first book did end on a cliff hanger.  If you are interested in the supernatural, this book is for you.

Stars: 4.5 

Book: The Wife Upstairs

 Book: The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Pages: 336

This is my 67th read for the year

This is the story of Jane.  She is a dog walker in a rich part of Alabama.  She spends her days taking care of other people's pet and wishing she could have their brightly colored lives.  One day, she meets Eddie - a wealthy man whose wife has died in a tragic accident along with her best friend.  What happens next is a whirlwind romance that Jane never saw coming and before she knows it, she has moved in with Eddie and they are planning a wedding.  Jane cannot shake the feeling that she will always be in Eddie's wife Bea's shadow.  Soon, things start to unravel, and Jane can't shake the feeling that things are not as they seem.  How can she makes sure that Bea stays buried?

This book was just okay.  I listened to it and it passed the time while I was working in the yard.  But it is not good literature. I hated all the characters.  The twist you can see coming.  I felt bad for no one in this book - they were all awful.  Didn't care what happened to any of them!

Skip it

Stars: 2