Walklover’s 75 Books Challenge for 2020
Forum75 Books Challenge for 2020
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1walklover
Happy New Year everyone! Had a bit of trouble posting at the end of my 2019 thread - so best wishes for a wonderful New Year to all of you!
2walklover
1. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki - A terrific graphic novel recommended by Joe. A great story involving young love, toxic relationships, friendship - and growing up.
3walklover
2. Ali Cross by James Patterson - A middle grade novel involving the young son of Alex Cross, one of my favorite Patterson characters. It was an okay story, but not totally believable at all points.
4walklover
3. The Dolls by James Patterson with Kecia Bal - This BookShot was a bit too far-fetched in plot for me to recommend.
5walklover
4. The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood with art and adaptation by Renee Nault - I first read The Handmaid’s Tale many years ago. It was actually the first book I ever stayed up all night to read. I’ve watched the television series and read The Testaments, but it was really wonderful to go back to the “original” - and the art is fabulous.
6walklover
5. > The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees by Meredith May - I loves memoirs and I’m drawn to any story involving bees. I really enjoyed this book - a story of a young girl whose parents divorce and whose mother deteriorates day after day. May was lucky to live with her grandparents (and her mother0 - particularly her grandfather who helped her cope by involving her in his beekeeping business.
7walklover
6. > The Spring House by Mary Ellen Taylor - A lovely story about a small town and its history - and the woman whose life is made better by living there.
8FAMeulstee
Happy reading in 2020, Debbi!
11PaulCranswick
Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!
12thornton37814
Hope 2020 is filled with good reads!
15SuziQoregon
Happy New Year Debbi! You're off to a great year of reading.
16msf59
Happy New Thread, Debbi! I hope your New Year is off to a fine start. It sure sounds like your reading is. Hooray for Laura Dean!
19richardderus
Oh here you are! Happy new bestie, Fina, arrival. I hope y'all get some sleep on the way home.
22PaulCranswick
Where are you Debbi?
Guess we know a bit because of the posts from the Cafe but it is always nice to hear from you directly!
Have a lovely weekend.
Guess we know a bit because of the posts from the Cafe but it is always nice to hear from you directly!
Have a lovely weekend.
23PaulCranswick
I wanted my message this year to be fairly universal in a time we all should be pulling together, whatever our beliefs. Happy Celebration, Happy Sunday, Debbi
24walklover
Hello to everyone!! I’m sorry I’ve been absent for so long, but between being sick for quite awhile (basically okay now) and the craziness of self-isolation, my reading has been sporadic - and my thoughts hard to coordinate. I hope this finds everyone well - and I thank you all for your warm wishes and remarks.
25walklover
7. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Just finished reading this aloud to Joe and we have begun the next - with only one to go after that. Truly enjoying the experience - and the books.
26walklover
8. Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat - I’m a big fan of Danticat and everything I’ve read by her. This one is non-fiction and tells of Danticat’s family both in Haiti and America.
27walklover
9. The Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox - This is one of the best of Patterson’s I’ve ever read and i would definitely recommend it - as both an easy and a great read.
28walklover
10. Muffin to Fear by Victoria Hamilton - A lovely cozy mystery about a castle in America and the murders that keep occurring there.
29walklover
11. The Fated Sky: A Lady Astronaut Novel by Mary Robinette Kowal - This is the second Lady Astronaut novel recommended by my son, Jesse - and I thoroughly enjoyed it as much as the first.
30walklover
12. Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston - I would recommend this for anyone who has ever dreamed of owning land and experiencing all that involves. Beautifully written!
31kidzdoc
I'm also a huge Danticat fan, and I loved Brother, I'm Dying. I'll have to look for her newest book, Everything Inside.
32Berly
Glad to see you here again, and posting lots of books! Stay well now. : ) ( I will have to look for The Inn...)
33jnwelch
So much good reading! I'm glad you loved Deep Creek. Me, too, as you know. I need to get to Brother, I'm Dying.
34walklover
>31 kidzdoc: A fellow Danticat fan - one more reason to be glad we’re friends.
35walklover
>32 Berly: Glad to be back. Hope you and yours are well. I think The Inn is one of his best.
36walklover
>33 jnwelch: I’ll put Brother, I’m Dying in your TBR pile.
37walklover
13. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman - I’m a huge Van Gogh fan and learned so much from this novel. I recommend it to anyone who likes Van Gogh and other painters of his time, historical fiction, family relationships - and excellent writing.
38walklover
14. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel by Kim Michele Richardson - I loved this book. Thank you to Joe for the recommendation. There are two main themes here - the amazing story of the first mobile library in Kentucky and the people who rode horseback (or mule or donkey) to deliver literature of all sorts to the poorest of the poor - and - the story of Cussy Mary Carter, a fictional person used to represent the actual blue-skinned people of Kentucky.
40walklover
>39 ffortsa: Thank you so much. Hoping you and yours are all safe and well.
41walklover
15. Chase: A Michael Bennett Story by James Patterson with Michael Ledwidge - Another Bookshot - “Stories at the speed of light”. This one had one of my favorite Patterson characters, Michael Bennett. It was a good fast read - but I wish Bennett’s family (his ten adopted children) had been featured more.
43richardderus
Debbi, I'm putting this link to The Guardian's piece on Puzzling in the Time of COVID-19 on several of y'all puzzlers' threads.
44PaulCranswick
I am celebrating the end of Ramadan, Debbi, a time of thanks and forgiveness and I want to say my thanks to all my LT friends for helping keep me somewhat sane these last few years.
46walklover
>44 PaulCranswick: - Thank you for the Mother’s Day wishes - and for including me in the friends that have kept you sane. Hope all is well with you and yours.
47walklover
>43 richardderus: I’ve been puzzling every day for weeks - helps to really concentrate on one thing.
48walklover
>45 Berly: Hi Kim! I hope all is well with you and your family.
49walklover
16. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood - I’m a big Atwood fan, but this was definitely not one of my favorites. I truly appreciate the way she builds a dystopia world and the people who inhabit it, but wasn’t too invested in the story as a whole.
50PaulCranswick
In this difficult year with an unprecedented pandemic and where the ills of the past intrude sadly upon the present there must still be room for positivity. Be rightly proud of your country. To all my American friends, enjoy your 4th of July weekend.
51walklover
17. The Library Book by Susan Orlean - Having read The Orchid Thief, I was looking forward to this book - and it lived up to my hopes. A non-fiction book themed around the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library fire that destroyed/damaged more than a million books, Orlean takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of libraries and librarians - and the people who frequent libraries. Her writing is so beautiful - there were times when I had to reread a line or two or just stop to think about the beauty of the language I had just read.
52walklover
18. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder - I just finished reading this one to Joe - and thoroughly enjoyed it. It covers Laura’s teaching career and her courting/engagement/marriage with Almanzo. Looking forward to reading the last book of this series, The First Four Years.
53walklover
19. Pattern of Betrayal by Mae Fox and Amy Lillard - A cozy mystery with an well-written Murder that kept my attention. I was very interested in finding out “Who did it?” - and was pleased with the way the story wrapped up.
54richardderus
Debbi, I recommend a really challenging but hope-filled read to you, and it's also endorsed by Katie Krug: The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop. Such a lovely arrangement of words to tell a very, very hard-to-bear story, with a fillip at the end that makes the journey worth the walk.
Heh. See what I did there?
Heh. See what I did there?
55PaulCranswick
Debbi, I am saddened to read on Joe's thread of the passing of your brother. Please accept the condolences of your friends from these tropical climes - we will be thinking of you all at this difficult time.
56jnwelch
Thanks for recommending The Library Book to me, Hon. Great book.
57walklover
>54 richardderus: - Thank you for the recommendation, Richard. I will put it on my TBR list right away. I hope this finds you safe and well.
58walklover
>55 PaulCranswick: - Paul - Thank you so much for your kind words about the loss of my brother, Dan. It has definitely been hard - made even harder by the fact that I have been unable to travel to Tennessee for the burial - or to see my other brother. They did put the funeral on speaker, so Joe and I were able to listen to the whole thing - but I really wish I could have been there. Please stay well and safe.
59walklover
>56 jnwelch: Glad you enjoyed it - I owed you one with all of the great recommendations you’ve given me.
60walklover
20. The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths - I’m a big Elly Griffiths fan and was very excited to be able to read the first book of the Magic Men series. Unfortunately, I was not as pleased with this series as I have been with the Ruth Galloway series. I found this book very very slow moving. There were some interesting characters - not all - and a decent mystery (which I figured out about a chapter and a half before the police :) ). I plan to read the next one in the Magic Men series to give it one more chance - fingers crossed.
61walklover
21. The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths - This is Book 12 in the Ruth Galloway Mystery Series - a series I have really enjoyed. This one was good, but I’m beginning to have some difficulty with the two main characters. Actually I’d like to give them both a good kick in the butt. I don’t like the way the male treats the female - and the way the female treats the other man in her life. It makes me quite angry - and sometimes gets in the way of the storyline for me. But - I’m sure I’ll continue to read the series - and continue to want to sit them both down for a serious talking to.
62walklover
22. Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs - I’m a sucker for a good cozy mystery and Laura Childs and her Tea Shop Mysteries are my favorites. well-developed characters (many of whom return in each book), good mystery and great surroundings in Low Country South Carolina. Thank you to Joe for finding this one for me (and Becca) when he went to the library.
63walklover
23. Ants Among Elephants by Sujatha Gidla - This is the story of “an untouchable family and the making of modern India”. It isn’t an easy book to read - a great deal of information to process - but definitely a worthwhile one.
64walklover
24. Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut by Sarah Graves - Another cozy mystery - this one not quite as good as any by Laura Childs, but I don’t think I’ve ever read any that are better than hers. It was an okay read, but quite honestly, although the mystery itself was a good one, the ending and explanation(s) of who and why were just okay.
65walklover
25. Sylvie by Sylvie Kantorovitz - I received this book as an Early Review copy from Librarything. It’s a graphic novel that, in my opinion, was written for a young audience. That age group would probably be more inclined to a story told in such a slow “even” manner (sorry, hard to describe for me). I know that a number of the previous reviewers have spoken quite highly of the book. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it as interesting as many others. It was much too “bland” for me.
66walklover
26. Happily Ever After by Debbie Tung - I loved Quiet Girl in a Noisy World - and enjoyed this one just as much. Tung “gets” what it’s like to be someone who is not always at ease with other people - and gets her point across in a delightful way.
67Berly
Hi there! Just making the rounds (finally!) and getting caught up. I really need to get back to the Ruth Gallaway series....someday soon I hope. So sorry to hear about your brother passing. This whole COVID thing just makes it even harder. Hugs.
68PaulCranswick
This Brit wishes to express his thanks for the warmth and friendship that has helped sustain him in this group, Debbi.
69walklover
>67 Berly: - Thank you so much for your kind words on my brother’s death. you’re absolutely right - COVID has made everything harder. But - we need to have hope for 2021 and our new administration. wishing you and yours a truly wonderful holiday season.
70walklover
>68 PaulCranswick: - And the same right back to you, Paul. Hoping 2021 brings us back to the UK and that we can meet and catch up in person.
71walklover
27. Golem Girl by Riva Lehrer - I know Riva as an acquaintance and was absolutely riveted by her memoir. You learn many eye opening things about disability and how many of those with disabilities are so poorly treated - and so often looked at as objects rather than people. I would very highly recommend this book to everyone. i think it’s a very important read.
72walklover
28. Juror #3 by James Patterson - (written with Nancy Allen)
I think this is one of Patterson’s best in a long time. It’s an easy read with a great plot, well-written characters - and a good mystery.
I think this is one of Patterson’s best in a long time. It’s an easy read with a great plot, well-written characters - and a good mystery.
73walklover
29. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie -
This is a wonderful book about “race, love and identity”. In this time of troublesome and horrific behavior towards immigrants, it should be on everyone’s To Be Read list.
This is a wonderful book about “race, love and identity”. In this time of troublesome and horrific behavior towards immigrants, it should be on everyone’s To Be Read list.
74walklover
30. The Making of a Racist by Charles B. Dew - I found this book in a column of my aunt’s - and I’m very glad I did. It is a very well-written account of a young man’s journey from racist to one of understanding his roots and realizing how he became so bigoted.
75walklover
31. The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs - Thank you to Joe for the recommendation. This is a lovely book about a woman who loses her mother and boyfriend on the same day - and winds up trying to save her mother’s bookstore (where she basically grew up) and take care of her aging grandfather. It involves love, loss, friendship - and the search of a woman for want she really wants out of life.
76walklover
32. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - A wonderful story (once again recommended by Joe0 about a group of seniors who meet once a week and solve mysteries. But it goes deeply into their pasts - and offers up many other interesting characters.
77richardderus
Tachyon Publications, an SFF house, posted this on Twitter. Says it all, no?
78walklover
>77 richardderus: - Why yes, it does!!
79walklover
33. Smoke and Mirrors by Elly Griffiths - Definitely not my favorite series, but I enjoyed this book (the second in the series) much more than the first. I felt the story moved at a much better pace. The main characters remained the same - and there was great continuity in their makeup.
80walklover
34. Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely - Thank you, Joe, for the recommendation - sharing our Kindle libraries is a great thing. It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did I was hooked. Blanche White if an African-American maid in the South. She gets into some trouble and runs away to be a maid for a very wealthy family out in the country. Of course, there’s a murder - and in order to keep herself out of the limelight as a subject, she uses everything and everybody she knows to solve the whodunit. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
81Berly
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May 2021 bring you less need for masks, loads of peace and joy, good health and, of course, books!
82PaulCranswick
I hope you get some of those at least, Debbi, as we all look forward to a better 2021.
83walklover
>81 Berly: - Wishing you and yours the very same! On to 2021!
84walklover
>82 PaulCranswick: - Thank you, Paul! I wish all of the same for you and yours! On to 2021!