KatieKrug is Back for the 2016 Challenge!

Hi Everyone – After a hiatus of a few years, I am planning once again to do a category challenge. I am trying to maintain a mix of categories that will allow me to meet some goals (nonfiction reading, clearing books off the shelf, etc.) and to have plenty of “in the moment” reading. I will aim for 2,016 pages to be read in each category.

I’d also like to try to participate in the DeweyCAT and GeoCAT challenges, but I am trying not to commit to too much. I have a thread over in the 75 Books group, and will be participating (off and on) in the American Author Challenge there.

About me: I'm a New York transplant living in Dallas, TX with my husband and two cats and a dog. The cats are his; the dog is ours. He (the dog, not the husband) is a black lab mix named Louis (pronounced Lewis, not Louie) and may just be the world's best dog. I work in association management, currently at a membership association for engineers and other professionals in the upstream energy industry. I have over 3000 unread books on my shelves and Kindle and a very understanding husband.

1. Pulitzer Prize Winners
I have about 30 of these languishing on my shelves, mostly fiction but a few non-fiction, and Bill (Weird_o) is hosting a thread in the 75ers group dedicated to Pulitzer winners.

* New rule (3/23/16) any book by a Pulitzer-winning author can count!

1. The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley
2. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
3. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
5. Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates

2. Immigration, Emigration, and the Experience of Migration
Not necessarily limited to the US or UK, though the majority of the books I already own with this theme are focused there.

1. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
2. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
3. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan

3. Moldy Oldies
Books I Acquired Before I Moved to Texas in July 2005.

1. Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (June 2005)
2. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo (September 2004)
3. The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley by Phyllis McGinley (December 1994)

4. GlobaLit
I can't find one all-encompassing word to describe what I mean here, but basically anything that's not American, British, Irish, or Canadian.

1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras (Argentina)
2. 12 Random Words by Fabiana Elisa Martinez (South America/US)
3. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (West Africa)
4. The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais (India and France)

5. Non-fiction
Self-explanatory.

1. The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller
2. The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Re-Making of the Modern World by Daniel Yergin
3. Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks
4. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
5. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
6. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming
7. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
8. Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker
9. The Midnight Assassin by Skip Hollandsworth
10. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts

6. Set in London
A nice broad category focused on one of my favorite places.

1. A Night Like This by Julia Quinn
2. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
3. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
4. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

7. Hugo Award Winners and Finalists
A category proposed by my husband to help move me out of my comfort zone. I was surprised how many qualifying books I already owned or was interested in reading!

-- The Postman by David Brin (DNF)

8. Books by Authors Whose First or Last Name Starts with a Vowel
A good random category.

1. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
3. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
4. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
5. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
6. The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
7. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
8. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Bonus - Overflow
Books read that don't fit any of the above categories.

1. Chill Factor by Sandra Brown
2. The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason
3. American Meteor by Norman Lock
4. How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell
5. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
6. The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
7. Cold Earth by Sarah Moss
8. Among the Missing by Morag Joss
9. 40 Love by Madeleine Wickham
10. The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich
11. Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb
12. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
13. Sky Bridge by Laura Pritchett
14. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn
15. The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Ann Noble
16. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
17. The Travelers by Chris Pavone
18. The Devil in Denim by Melanie Scott
19. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
20. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
21. The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley
22. Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
23. Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer (audio)
24. Heft by Liz Moore
25. The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger
26. This Is the Story of You by Beth Kephart
27. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

>9 katiekrug: lol @ 'also not yours'
Welcome back!

>10 katiekrug: Thanks, Traci!

>1 katiekrug: Over 3000 unread books? You have NO idea how much better that makes me feel about my own Mt TBR! (approaching 300).

>13 Jackie_K: - Yup - afraid so! I essentially act as a lending library for my friends, which is kind of fun :)

Katie's here! Katie here! Welcome back and thanks for making it so much easier for me to find and stalk you next year. ;)

Excited to see you over here! I like your set up - broad enough to let you feel like you're reading whatever you want but still challenging.

Welcome back!

Boy! New York to Texas! That's a culture shock.

Hope you have a great year!

>15 DeltaQueen50: - Hi Judy! You are welcome to stalk me any- and everywhere :)

>16 japaul22: - Hi Jen! I am looking forward to interacting with the folks over here more and hopefully getting more and different recs.

>17 mamzel: - 'Culture shock' is right, mamzel :) I'm still very much an East Coast girl.

Welcome back to the challenge!

Thanks, Stacy!

some interesting categories - look forward to following your challenge.

Welcome back! Looking forward to seeing what fills your "set in London" category in particular. Enjoy your challenge.

My KAK is back!!! I'm so excited. I don't think I knew you when you were here but ya know I've got mad love for you.

>21 Jan_1: - Thanks, Jan! I will look for your thread!

>22 rabbitprincess: - Thank you, rabbitprincess :) I may add books I purchased in London to that category, just to broaden it a bit more...

>23 luvamystery65: - Hiya Ro, my love! I'm excited to be here and to interact with some old friends and new faces!

Very interesting categories, and I really like the illustration for your migration category! Where did you find this?

>25 MissWatson: - I used Google Images and searched for "migration," I think.

>27 katiekrug: Thank you, that should occur to me more often when looking for illustrations!

WOW! Great categories and a lot of books!

I really like your categories and look forward to see what you'll read for them. Enjoy your challenge!

>28 MissWatson: - I love Google Images!

>29 Tess_W: - Thanks! I hope to whittle down that TBR :)

>30 Chrischi_HH: - Thank you! We'll see how it goes......

Great to see your back for more category reading, Katie!

I'm looking forward to following your reading!

>32 lkernagh: - Thanks, Lori!

>33 RidgewayGirl: - Ditto, RG :)

Welcome back! Good to see you here - looking forward to following along.

>35 -Eva-: - Thanks, Eva!

I like your categories.

Yeah! Welcome back to the Category challenge! I know you a little from 75ers. It's hard to do another challenge besides 75ers because that's such an active group. I'm thinking I might drop this year and focus on one challenge, but there are a few people I'd like to hang on to over there.

Your categories look good and very practical! My challenge is shaped around getting rid of the the piles of books in the house too, but you know it won't work out that way. Really, it won't. There's always shiny new books begging to get inside.

>37 hailelib: - Thanks!

>38 cammykitty: - Hi Katie! There seems to be a lot of overlap between the two groups, which is nice but can also be a bit overwhelming! We'll see how doing two threads works out for me... I use stars to keep track of the threads of the folks I want to follow, so in that way, I never "lose" anyone. It's pretty handy.

Popping over to wish you a Happy New Year, Katie and best wishes for 2016!

I follow a few people in the 75 group, and now MsTrust, as she's moving over there. But, yeah, that's a fast-moving and large group of people. I just star the ones I follow and try not to fall behind.

>40 lkernagh: - Thanks, Lori!

>41 RidgewayGirl: - I probably only regularly interact with a dozen or so people over there, but it's certainly a chatty group...

Currently reading:

(Pulitzer Winner)

and

(Nonfiction)

I have a "Travel" category, as well. I only disallow Canada and the US, but it would probably make sense (or more challenging, anyway!) to also leave out England.... hmmmm...

>43 katiekrug: I've heard mixed reviews of 'A Year of Reading Dangerously' - from the title it sounds like my cup of tea (plus I much prefer non-fiction), but some of the more negative reviews have me pausing before adding it to the wishlist. Maybe I'll check out your review before deciding!

>44 LibraryCin: - My goal with the global category was to read more non-Anglo/Irish-type stuff -- specifically more from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, but I suspect a lot of European will sneak in, too!

>45 Jackie_K: - I am enjoying it so far, but I still have a lot to go.

*shudders at the overflow picture*

Is it a continuation of the one Christina (christina_reads) used? Good luck with your challenge!

Hi Dave! Welcome and thanks for your good wishes. I will have to go look for Christina's picture... I do love images of overwhelming numbers of books - reminds me of home - ha!

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
3.5 stars - Pretty good, with a few things done very well.

Category: Moldy Oldies

This was an uneven read for me. I had a hard time engaging with it from the get-go but eventually settled into the story and the writing (and the very dry humor throughout). What was frustrating was the experience of feeling simultaneously sorry for and infuriated by the two main characters, Maggie and Ira Moran. They are a middle-aged couple driving to a funeral, with a few detours along the way. It’s a portrait of a marriage and of a woman - Maggie - who struggles to reconcile her idealistic views with the realities of her life. She tries to engineer and manipulate situations into what she thinks they should be but always with the best of intentions. In this way, with this tension of a good person acting in frustrating ways, Tyler creates a very real character, one you want to take by the shoulders and shake and then give a big hug. It’s a worthy and ultimately satisfying read, though not a flashy one.

Notes: Read for the American Authors Challenge, Pulitzer Prize Challenge, and fits my "Moldy Oldies" category challenge, having sat unread on my shelves since June 2005. I believe this is the third novel by Anne Tyler that I've read, but I can find no record of having read The Accidental Tourist. I do know I read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant in January 2003.

ETA: Star rating

Good review of Breathing Lessons and part of the reason why I struggle with Anne Tyler books. Good idea to let the book settle in your mind for a few days before assigning a rating for it.... kind of like the age old "no swimming right after eating", since you are still digesting the book, so to speak. ;-)

Happy New Year, Katie! I like your idea of not assigning your rating of the book right away. I often wonder what possessed me to rank a book so high - or so low for that matter.

>50 lkernagh: - Hi Lori! I like the no swimming analogy :) I think I am going to settle on 3.5 stars. One other thing I am doing this year is providing the "definition" of my star rating when I give it. Since we all have slightly different ways of defining the stars, I thought this might be helpful in clarifying my bottom line about the book.

>51 DeltaQueen50: - Happy new year, Judy! When I look at some of my ratings from previous years, I am flabbergasted :)

I think my next read will be:



It fits the GeoCAT theme - South America - for this month, and will be an entry in my GlobaLit category.

From Amazon:
"In 1976 Buenos Aires, a ten-year-old boy lives in a world of school lessons and comic books, TV shows and games of Risk—a world in which men have superpowers and boys can conquer the globe on a rectangle of cardboard. But in his hometown, the military has just seized power, and amid a climate of increasing terror and intimidation, people begin to disappear without a trace.

When his mother unexpectedly pulls him and his younger brother from school, she tells him they’re going on an impromptu family trip. But he soon realizes that this will be no ordinary holiday: his parents are known supporters of the opposition, and they are going into hiding. Holed up in a safe house in the remote hills outside the city, the family assumes new identities. The boy names himself Harry after his hero Houdini, and as tensions rise and the uncertain world around him descends into chaos, he spends his days of exile learning the secrets of escape.

Kamchatka is the portrait of a child forced to square fantasy with a reality in which family, politics, history, and even time itself have become more improbable than any fiction. Told from the points of view of Harry as a grown man and as a boy, Kamchatka is an unforgettable story of courage and sacrifice, the tricks of time and memory, and the fragile yet resilient fabric of childhood."

This one's been on my shelf since August 2011.

Oh, that one sounds interesting!

I'll let you know how it is, Lori!

I started listening to The Book of Unknown Americans, and it is so well done. Multiple narrators and different readers bring the story alive. I'm a little over an hour into it, and I can tell it's going to be a tough read, but a good one. It's for my "Migration" category.

>56 katiekrug: - I read this a couple of years ago and was surprised by how much I liked it. Very moving. Hope you continue to enjoy it!

>56 katiekrug: I read this book a few months ago in hardback and really enjoyed it.

Love the cartoon in the first post! And also for category #8. I'm also really interested in what you think of Kamchatka - the Amazon description makes it sound great.

>57 LittleTaiko: - Hi Stacy! I am still enjoying TBoUA. I like the different stories she includes from different minor characters.

>58 Tara1Reads: - I am glad I finally picked it up, and it's the perfect start to my category on migration.

>59 LisaMorr: - Thanks, Lisa! Thoughts on Kamchatka below :)

The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller
3 stars (I don't hate myself for reading this.)

Category: Nonfiction

I very much enjoyed the first half or so of this book, which I listened to, read by the author. He has a good sense of humor and didn't seem to take himself too seriously at the start of his "project," but by the end, the whole thing had become pretentious and tiresome. I wanted to hear more about the books themselves and his experiences reading them rather than the quasi-philosophical ramblings of a smart but not particularly profound middle-aged man.

Notes: His ruminations on War and Peace did give me hope that it wouldn't be the total slog I am expecting. But he doesn't like Pride and Prejudice so what does he know?

Read for DeweyCAT and my Nonfiction category.

Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
4 stars (A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy)

Category: GlobaLit

This story of a 10 year old boy forced into hiding with his parents and younger brother during the “Dirty War” in Argentina is told in two voices - the young “Harry” and the older one recounting his story. The story is told in short episodes and much of the context of the story is ambiguous, just as it probably would have been to a young boy. He’s pulled out of school, given a new name, and moved out of the city in which he has grown up - all major upheavals which we follow him trying to make sense of, trying to assert order in a chaotic, uncertain world. What I loved most about this novel was how Figueras portrays “Harry” and his family - it’s a beautiful portrait of one’s relationships with parents and siblings, at times loving and warm and at others frustrating and incomprehensible. But it feels very real, and despite everything that they are going through, one feels how lucky they are.

I loved this passage from when “Harry” and his family are visiting his grandparents farm in Dorrego:

”Before Dorrego, I had always thought of the sky as a black screen on which a handful of scattered stars twinkled vaguely… Dorrego revealed the other sky, the boundless dome that sends you rushing to a dictionary for synonyms for ‘infinite’; stars that clustered, not into constellations, but into galaxies; stars like swarms of bees which suggested not stillness or permanence but movement, the trail of something, of someone that passed just now, a moment ago, when you weren’t looking. A sky that seemed to suddenly reveal the meaning of all things: Man’s need to create language to describe it, geography to explain his place within it, biology to remind him that he is a newcomer in this universe, and history, because everything is written in the sky above Dorrego: intimate and extravagant stories, love and loss, the miniature and the epic.” (page 263-4)

Notes: I know very little about this period in recent Argentine history, and this novel made me want to learn more. Also, it made me want to go back to that beautiful country and explore it more - I spent about a week in Buenos Aires in 2010.

I wavered between 4 and 4.5 stars and may yet change my rating.

Read for GeoCAT and my GlobaLit category.

Shoot! You just finished Kamatchka! I was going to ask if you wanted to do a tandem read of it. I've read a few things/seen a few movies about the dirty war, but it seems like it's too raw a subject for most Argentinians still. I'm going to save reading your review for later. It's good enough for me to know it was a 4 star for you.

Sorry, Katie! You should definitely read it, though. I'm still thinking about it....

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
4 stars (A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy.)

Category: Migration

A very engaging and moving novel about the contemporary immigrant experience in the US. That sentence is actually misleading, though, as there is no single story to describe the whole, and Henriquez does a nice job of giving us a variety of voices and experiences. The primary narrative follows a family that comes to Delaware to allow their daughter to attend a special school. They immigrate legally, and move into a run-down apartment building populated with other immigrants from Latin America. Henriquez interposes the main narrative with brief outlines of other residents' stories, thus providing a much richer and deeper understanding of what can motivate people to leave all they know behind to pursue the promise of a foreign country. What binds them all together, however, is their status as outsiders - no matter how long they have been in the US, how much they buy into the idea of the American Dream, and how much they contribute, they are still viewed as other. While I found the parts about the teenaged girl and boy unnecessarily angsty and drama-filled, the rest of the novel was beautifully written. And the chapter detailing the grief over the death of a loved one had me crying like a baby. I listened to this one, and the audio book used multiple narrators, all of whom were very good.

Notes: Read for my migration category and as part of an informal effort to read more diverse authors. Henriquez is of Panamanian descent and has a couple of other books I plan to check out.

I've had a copy of Kamchatka on my shelves these past few years, have pulled it off the shelf and hope to read it in Feb. I just started The secret in their eyes which is also set during the same period in Argentina.

Kerry, I'll look for your thoughts on Kamchatka! And thanks for noting The Secret in Their Eyes which is now on my WL.

Have you read The Ministry of Special Cases? Also about the Dirty War. I have it on my shelf, but haven't read it yet...

Great categories!

I'm not sure what your plan is for category 2, but if The Illegal: A Novel isn't already on your list I highly recommend it.

Ooh, thanks for that rec! I looked it up, and it sounds great. Have put it on hold at the library...

I've finished two more books but haven't written anything up for either.



Neither fit any of my categories, so they are "overflow". Also, I didn't love either of them.

Chill Factor by Sandra Brown
3 stars (I don't hate myself for reading this.)

Category: Overflow

A perfectly good, albeit standard romantic suspense set in the mountains of western North Carolina. It was made more interesting than most in the genre by a focus on other characters besides the male and female leads. Lots of people in the small town are harboring secrets and while some of it is over the top, the setting and pacing made for a diverting and entertaining read.

The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason
3 stars (I don't hate myself for reading this.)

Category: Overflow

I think my reaction to this novel was heavily influenced by the narrator of the audio version. He made the main character, a man in his 60s who returns to France to find the people who helped him escape when his plane was shot down in World War II, incredibly whiny and annoying. And self-centered. Certain turns of phrase or pieces of dialogue would not have struck me as negatively had I read them, I don't think. Hearing them, all I could do was wince or roll my eyes. If the story sounds interesting to you, than give it a try in print.

Notes: The narrator was Fred Sullivan.

>67 katiekrug: Yes, I loved The Ministry of Special Cases. I've been to Buenos Aires several times and know the city fairly well so really enjoy books set there. I loved The secret in their eyes enough that I've got his Papers in the Wind out from the library.

Kerry, thanks for that feedback. I've added The Secret in Their Eyes to my WL and moved The Ministry of Special Cases up the TBR....

American Meteor by Norman Lock
3.5 stars (Pretty good, with a few things done very well.)

Category: Overflow

I won this book from the Early Reviewers program last spring. It was a random choice and kind of illustrates why I need to stop making random choices for books that I am then required to read and review. I think I would have liked this a lot more if I had come to it "organically" rather than while stressed out over the fact that I'd had it for so long and hadn't read and reviewed it yet...

So, it follows the coming of age of Stephen Moran, a poor Irish boy who joins the Union army, experiences the Civil War, is chosen to be the bugle boy on Lincoln's funeral train from Washington to Springfield, works for the Union Pacific railroad, apprentices to the photographer William Henry Jackson, and plots to kill George Custer for his crimes against the Native Americans. It's a sweeping story, covering a lot of history, but told in very small details. And it's a short book for the size of the story it is trying to tell. Some pieces work better than others; the second half is much stronger than the first, and it's a fascinating journey to accompany this young man following his destiny in parallel with the "Manifest Destiny" of the United States. But in the end, I wasn't really sure what to make of the whole thing. I think I did it a disservice by not reading it in a few large gulps because there was a rhythm to the language and the story that was clear as I powered through the last third. I would be interested to read something else by this author.

I think you need your next few books to be very good to help you get over the "meh"ness of these last few. I know that feeling of feeling forced to read an ER book, I currently have a couple sitting right in front of me that are making me feel very guilty. I also just was advised of another one on the way and I didn't even think I asked for one!

>76 DeltaQueen50: - I agree, Judy! I need a good one!
____________________________________



How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell
4 stars (A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy.)

Category: Overflow

Number three in the 'How to Train Your Dragon' series, this silly and outrageous entry follows Hiccup, Toothless, and Fish Legs into a Roman fortress where they have to use their wits to survive the gladiator arena. It's zany and laugh-out-loud funny, thanks in great part to David Tennant's wonderful narration. The glossary of "Dragonese" at the end is not to be missed, either.

A Night Like This by Julia Quinn
3.5 stars (Pretty good, with a few things done very well.)

Category: Set in London

I'm not going to convince any non-romance readers to try one with anything I say. And for those of you who do appreciate a well-done romance, you are probably already familiar with Julia Quinn and her special talent. So I'll just say this was typical Quinn with the perfect blend of humor, endearing characters (both primary and secondary), and just the right amount of sweetness.

>77 katiekrug: - Thanks for the reminder that I need to get back to the How to Train Your Dragon series, Katie!

>79 lkernagh: - You're welcome, Lori!

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
5 stars (I connected with this book in a special way. It may not be perfect, but it was perfect for me.)

Category: Overflow

This audio, masterfully read by Kenneth Branagh, brings a new dimension to this classic, a horrifying story of colonialism and brutality in which the very meaning of humanity is questioned. Highly recommended but, as always, with HoD, be prepared to be made uncomfortable, despite - or perhaps in part because of - the lush prose.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
3 stars (I don't hate myself for reading this.)

Category: Author Name Beginning with Vowel

A slightly above average YA novel about friendship, first love, and betrayal. Vera and Charlie have been friends forever, but when Charlie takes up with a new group, Vera is left to sort out her feelings, the truth, and what it means to forgive. This was a smarter book than a lot of the examples of the genre, but there were still some big holes in the plot that I don't think King closed adequately, and when a novel depends on the supposed charisma of one of the main characters, it's incumbent upon the author to make that charisma come through clearly to the reader. For me, I didn't get why a smart and cool girl like Vera would be so invested in Charlie. But maybe that's just me. I never did have time for teenage angst - even when I was a teenager.

The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
3.5 stars (Pretty good, with a few things done very well.)

Category: Overflow

The third in a series by a favorite author. As usual, the humor carries the day.

>81 katiekrug: I like the rating of "It may not be perfect, but it was perfect for me." That's very true! Sometimes books just come along at exactly the right time. Glad to hear that HoD was a success for you. I might have liked it more in university if I'd had the Kenneth Branagh audio version :)

>84 rabbitprincess: - This was my first listen of HoD but I've read it several times. It's a favorite of mine!

I may need to revise my rankings based on yours. I love your 5 star description as sometimes that is what I need for a book I love. Had that recently with Maybe in Another Life where I gave it four stars but really for me it was a five.

>81 katiekrug:
I didn't know Branagh had done audiobooks and I loved Heart of Darkness when I first read it - I'll definitely try the audio when it's time for my reread.

>86 LittleTaiko: - Yep, some books just touch us in a special way...

>87 -Eva-: - It's *very* good!

Cold Earth by Sarah Moss
4 stars (A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy.)

Category: Overflow

An LT find, finally ready for the inaugural meeting of my RL book group. I was the only one who really liked it. The others found it too ambiguous for their liking and seemed to miss the point of what (I think) Moss was trying to do - a study of a specific point in time where ordinary people, mostly strangers to each other, are put into an extraordinary situation. I thought the tension was really well done and the different characters' voices nicely distinct.

Among the Missing by Morag Joss
4.5 stars (A great read, among my favorites of the year.)

Category: Overflow

This was a random audio pick from my library, and a good find! If I hadn't listened to it, it might "only" be a 4-star read for me, but the trio of narrators (especially the two females) did an excellent job. This is the story of three strangers in Scotland thrown together by tragedy and the intricate connections that hold them together and then rip them apart. Good stuff.

40 Love by Madeleine Wickham
3 stars (I don't hate myself for reading this.)

Category: Overflow

The narration of this one was great, and there were some very funny bits, but overall, too much of it was unbelievable and the characterization relied too much on stereotype and cliche. It's a fairly harmless, light read and was good company on the treadmill and in the car.

Well, at least my "Overflow" category is nice and full.....

Not sure I'm surprised that I haven't been doing much with this challenge. Good intentions and all that - but I've been really busy and not reading much, which is annoying.

Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo
5 stars (I connected with this book in a special way. It may not be perfect, but it was perfect for me.)

Category: Moldy Oldies

It took me over a month to finish Nobody's Fool but that had more to do with me than with this excellent novel. I ended up loving it and connecting with it in a way I did not expect, and much more so than with Russo's Pulitzer winner, Empire Falls. I think this was mostly due to my familiarity with the area in which the novel takes place (upstate New York, north of Albany and near a fictionalized version of Saratoga Springs which I visited often as a child) and my familiarity with the characters peopling Russo's world. They were so real to me, all their foibles and kindnesses and self-destructive behavior, all the quiet despair of living on the edge in a dying town. But it's all rendered very subtly, with humor and grace.

The protagonist, Sully, is a ne'er do well handyman with an ex-wife, a mistress, a resentful son, confused grandson, and devoted best friend upon whom he heaps (usually good-natured) abuse.

This is how Sully's life goes:

"He didn’t know for sure, of course, but it just made fatalistic sense the truck would die today. Yesterday he’d had a job offer that was contingent upon having a truck, which meant the truck had to die.” (page 227)

And this is the enigma that is Sully - a good man with a good heart who mostly seems to make bad decisions and has trouble connecting with other people on anything but a superficial level (Ralph is his ex-wife's husband and Peter is his son):

“'People like Sully,' he said. 'I do myself. He’s…' Ralph tried to think what Sully was.

'Right,' Peter said. 'He sure is.'” (page 386)

There is not a huge moment of redemption in this novel, where the sun suddenly shines on Sully and all becomes clear. But he does seem to begin to come to have a sense of his impact on people and to care what that impact is. His former carelessness becomes unacceptable in the face of the growing affection between him and his grandson. He remains implacable in some things though, including his hatred of his deceased father who was a mean and bullying drunk who abused his wife and sons.

“But Sully could only surrender so much, and he understood that if he and Ruth married, she’d eventually have him visiting Big Jim’s grave with fresh flowers. She’d go with him and make sure he left them. And where was the justice in that? It would mean that in the end Big Jim had fooled them all and beat the rap, walked out of court on some flimsy Christian loophole called forgiveness. No. Fuck him. Eternally.” (page 543)

Harsh, yes, but I feel the same way about certain people and circumstances in my life, so again, the bell rang clear and true for me.

And a final quote, which I just loved, because it perfectly describes the complexity and mystery of love and what ties us to other people:

“For fairness and loyalty, however important to the head, were issues that could seldom be squared in the human heart, at the deepest depths of which lay the mystery of affection, of love, which you either felt or you didn’t, pure as instinct, which seized you, not the other way around, making a mockery of words like ‘should’ and ‘ought’. The human heart, where compromise could not be struck, not ever.” (page 545)

Highly, highly recommended, if you can tolerate a book in which not much seems to happen. Still waters run deep.

Notes: I read this for the American Author Challenge.

The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich
3.5 stars (Pretty good, with a few things done very well.)

Category: Overflow

In the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train (psychological suspense, unreliable narrator, "girl" in the title), this ended up being an uneven and unsettling read. Marinovich keeps up a good pace through most of it, but some of the characters and details didn't ring true for me and seemed too contrived. The twists weren't twisty enough and the twisted nature of what the narrator discovers was too twisted - not because I'm a prude but because it just seemed to come out of left field. Still, the tension, like the pacing, is pretty well done and I was rapidly turning the pages at the end to find out what would happen.

The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley
3.5 stars (Pretty good, with a few things done very well.)

Category: Pulitzer Winners

This would have been just a 3-star read for me if not for the eponymous novella that closes out the collection. It's the story of an ordinary man and his love for his family, including his wife whom he believes to be cheating on him. There is a section where the family deals with the flu that was just wonderful - funny and sad and heart-stirring.

The rest of the collection is composed of fairly slight short stories that were fine but didn't do much for me. Smiley's writing is excellent, of course, but the stories were not compelling to me.

Notes: Read for the American Author Challenge.

I loved Cold Earth! And Morag Joss is one of my favorite authors.

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
4 stars (A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy.)

Category: Set in London

Almost - but not quite - as delightful as 84 Charing Cross Road, this is the story of Hanff's long-awaited visit to London, a trip made possible by the success of 84CCR. It's in the form of a diary and features the same sly humor as the earlier volume, this time touched by the understandable awe of a woman finally visiting the place she's dreamed about for so long.

Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb
3.5 stars (Pretty good, with a few things done very well.)

Category: Overflow

Comfort reading for me. This series continues to serve its purpose.

The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Re-Making of the Modern World by Daniel Yergin
4 stars (A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy.)

Category: Nonfiction

A comprehensive and even-handed volume on the global energy picture - from hydrocarbons to photovoltaic cells. Yergin includes some fascinating anecdotes (there is a great one about President Obama at the Copenhagen climate change conference) and keeps the book moving; it probably says more about me than him that I zoned out during some of the more science-y and engineering-y bits... Overall, I came away from the book pretty much where I started - in supporting the growth of renewable energies and the technology to make them more widespread while understanding that a complete repudiation of fossil fuels is both ill-advised and nigh-on impossible at this point.

Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
4 stars (A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy.)

Category: Overflow

This is my second mystery by Bauer (after the excellent Blacklands, and I think she is becoming a favorite. This is a well-paced and intriguing novel about a murder (maybe?), mostly told from the perspective of an 18-year old with Asperger's Syndrome. There are a few other points of view, as well, and they are all distinct and well-developed and helped move this beyond a typical murder mystery.

The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley by Phyllis McGinley
3 stars (I don't hate myself for reading this.)

Category: Moldy Oldies

Phyllis McGinley wrote light verse around the middle of the 20th century. This slim volume collects some of her work and was a fun little read, but will probably not stay with me for very long. Still, I had some favorites:

From "A Kind of Love Letter to New York"

...
The smog in the winter, the neon in the dark,
The avenues and avenues with nowhere to park,
The feel of the cinder, gritty on the pane,
And the hoot of the taxi as it passes in the rain.

Too new for an empire, too big for its boots,
With cold steel cables where it might have had roots,
With everything to offer and nothing to give,
It's a horrid place to visit but a fine place to live;
...
Ah! some love Paris,
And some Purdue.
But love is an archer with a low IQ.
A bold, bad bowman, and innocent of pity.
So I'm in love with
New York City.

>96 RidgewayGirl: - I was glad to discover both, Kay!

>100 katiekrug: - That was an interesting read, having him as the main narrator really kept you off guard.

>101 katiekrug: - What a great poem - thanks for sharing!

>100 katiekrug: I'm glad I already have this on my BB list. Maybe I should move it up a bit. :)

Ever since Blacklands, Belinda Bauer has been a go-to author! I thought Rubbernecker was excellent as well.

Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks
4.5 stars

Category: Nonfiction

A fascinating look at the lives of Muslim women in the Middle East, especially Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. I wish she'd write an updated foreword or end note to it, as I'm sure much has changed in the two decades or so since she wrote it - changes for both the better and the worse, I imagine. Having visited the region many times, I appreciated getting more insight into this correctly termed "hidden world" and will make my next visit in September with a deeper understanding of the culture, religion, and foundation of both.

Sky Bridge by Laura Pritchett
3.5 stars

Category: Overflow

There were flashes of the later brilliance Pritchett exhibits in Hell's Bottom, Colorado but overall, this was obviously a first novel - overwritten in parts, with unbelievable characterizations, and Very Important Messages delivered with the subtlety of a jackhammer. Don't make this your first Pritchett, as you might never return to her, and she definitely deserves more readers. Just maybe not of this book.

ETA: Also, I hate the cover. SPecifically, I hate the small inset picture. That lock in the shape of a heart is so obvious and unsubtle - emblematic of my issues with the book, I think!

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn
3 stars

Category: Overflow

The fourth in a quartet by a favorite author, this was the weakest of the lot and hinged too much on a ridiculous scheme that would never work.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
3.5 stars

Category: First or Last Name Beginning with a Vowel

Probably because I knew this novel was known for a twist, I figured it out pretty early. But props to Ms. Christie for making me second- and third-guess myself along the way, even if I ended up being right in the end.

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
3 stars

Category: Nonfiction

Surprisingly, I found this one to be pretty meh. It dragged on a lot, and maybe that was the fault of the narrator of the audio. The secondary stories (i.e. not the story of the Andrea Gale) were, for the most part, more interesting to me, and I wish there had been more about those.

The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Ann Noble
4 stars

Category: Overflow

A charming fairty-tale influenced fantasy of a girl becoming a mermaid, and her sister's efforts to get her to the ocean before she dies. The audiobook was read by Kate Rudd, who did a wonderful job. A more fantastical novel in the vein of Sarah Addison Allen or Alice Hoffman.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
3.5 stars

Category: Overflow

A young adult survival story with a few too many coincidences and lucky breaks for this practical-minded adult to get past. No doubt an excellent read for the intended audience.

The Travelers by Chris Pavone
4 stars

Category: Overflow

A fun, well-paced international spy thriller that moves relentlessly between Europe and the US, with a reluctant "spy" at the center of a mysterious conspiracy.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
4 stars

Overflow: Nonfiction

A fascinating account of Chris "Alexander Supertramp" McCandless who walked into the Alaskan wilderness in the spring of 1992 and died of starvation approximately 100 days later. Krakauer interweaves Chris' story, the stories of other well-known adventuring loners, and his own story of time spent in the wilds of Alaska. He creates a surprisingly complete picture from the small amount of information and sources available to him, and presents a complex portrait of a young man who was idealistic and naive, arrogant and self-conscious, and brave in the face of hardship but frightened of personal connections. Some internetting after I finished listening to the book revealed that there was yet more to the story and that people were still drawn to it. I know I won't forget it any time soon.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
3.5 stars

Category: First or Last Name Beginning with a Vowel

I somehow missed this book when I was growing up, so didn't get to experience it as a child. That is probably why, while I enjoyed it, I didn't find it as enthralling or magical as so many others here, whose opinions I respect and often share. It was fun and funny, and I can see how a child would find it enthrallingly clever. I will be recommending it to my nieces and nephew.

The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
4 stars

Category: First or Last Name Beginning with a Vowel

I liked this more than the past couple of entries in this series. The information on Catholic and Anglican devotional spaces and pilgrimage sites was interesting, and Ruth continues to be a frustrating and endearing character. Recommended for fans of the series.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
4.5 stars

Category: Set in London (mostly)

What fun! Not a re-telling of Jane Eyre but a historical novel inspired by it, this is a lushly written, action-packed romp through the life of 24-year old Jane Steele, a murderess 5 times over. Occasionally veering into the melodramatic (probably by design), Faye is obviously having fun with her subject and the time period. It's Gothic and bawdy while also being thoughtful in how much and how little it draws from its inspiration.

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
5 stars

Category: First or Last Name Beginning with a Vowel

I would read a phone book written by Stewart O'Nan. He knows just the perfect detail to include to immediately draw the reader in and identify with his characters and their experiences. This novel is about the aftermath of the disappearance of an 18-year old girl. The different ways in which her parents, and her sister, and her friends cope with her absence and the mystery surrounding it, are illustrated in vignettes told from various perspectives. What I loved was how the characters were all distinct and how O'Nan gave them each their own story but ultimately brought them all to the same place, as if acknowledging the importance of the paths we take, as opposed to the destination we come to.

Great catch -up, Katie. I am looking forward to Jane Steele, one that both you and Ro loved!! And once again, I am saying I need to give Stewart O'Nan a try. I do have Snow Angels on my Kindle so one day in the future I will get to him.

>114 katiekrug: It looks like you enjoyed Into the Wild more than I did.
>117 katiekrug: Jane Steele sounds interesting!

I really liked into the wild, as well. It has been a few years, but i think i gave it 4 stars as well.

My, you have been quite busy. :)

>110 katiekrug: - That is one of the cases where the movie was so much better than the book.
>115 katiekrug: - I was fortunate to have read this when I was younger and loved it so much. Definitely could see where it might not have quite the same appeal if reading it for the first time now.

>109 katiekrug:
Ha! I know about that twist too, but haven't read the book. Good to know it's a good read even if I'm forewarned. :)