75 Books...More or Less! discussion

I haven't made my goal in the last couple of years but I'll keep on trying.

1.

A great read to start the year. A dachshund in peril, a couple about to make a big life change, a city under siege and it all comes together beautifully.

2; R is for Ricochet

I always enjoy Kinsey Milhone though this one isn't a favorite.

Hi, Karen. Looks like you're starting off the year right on target. I had a slow reading year twice in a row and am hoping to regain the pace I like (e.g. LOTS of reading) this year.

Glad to see you back, Karen. Hopefully this will be your year!

Thanks everyone.I have several books going on at once now, enjoying them all.

3.Burn Marks

My return to Paretsky after a long break and my first read on my Kindle.

4.We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

Tremendous read.Thought-provoking and moving.

5.Guardian Angel

Another Paretsky. Need to space these out.

6.Dark Places

I have liked all Flynn's books, though some parts are a tad on the gory side. Definitely all page-turners. I can see how there might be quibbles about the end of this one.but quite entertaining.

7.A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Can't believe it took me so long to get to this. I loved it all.


8. My Cousin Rachel Suspenseful with great atmosphere and characterization.

I've actually never read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Yet another one of those "everyone's read it but me" books.

It was really fantastic.

9. Angel

Another fantastic book by one of my favorite novelists. So far a very good reading year.

10. Thank You All Very Much Also known as the Millstone. I read another Drabble a long time ago (The Garrick Year and really liked it but hadn't returned to her. This is a story of single motherhood in early sixties London. Quite ahead of its time, I think.

Karen, I have not read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn yet either, it's on my bucket list!

11.Fin & Lady: A NovelVery entertaining fable about orphaned boy being raised by his unconventional sister.

12.Frances and Bernard Beautifully written epistolary novel about a complicated
friendship/romance.

13. Tales of the CitySan Francisco in the seventies with lots of entertaining characters.

14. The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen
I love to cook and reading this biography just made me want to get better at it.

15. Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste

I ripped through this entertaining book. I have encountered a lot of these characters before. A great read for foodies.

16.Blue Plate Special: An Autobiography of My Appetites

Very entertaining memoir. I look forward to reading some of her novels.

17. This is Where I Leave You

Funny but uncomfortable. My first read of anything by Tropper.

I picked up A Tree Grows in Brooklyn last year because I'd never read it... it's still waiting in my pile :/ Maybe I need to just sit down and do it!

It's really great, Stacie and Andrea.

18. Fahrenheit 451 Finally got to this. Thought-provoking and still relevant. Need to watch the film again.

19. A Midsummer Night's Dream Trying to get through more Shakespeare. I think it's easier to watch the plays if you've read them first.

20.The Old Man and the Sea My husband encouraged me to read this as it's one of his favorites. It didn't disappoint, the ending is stunning.

21. Life After Life What a read. So many ideas to ponder, plus flat-out terrific storytelling. More Atkinson is in my future.

22. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

My first Anne Tyler. Everyone seems to love this book. It took a while for me to get absorbed in it, but Tyler's writing is very quietly elegant.

23. One Good Turn

Back to Atkinson's detective, Jackson Brodie. A fast read, lots of twists and turns and great characters. Gloria is a really great creation.

Karen wrote: "23. One Good Turn

Back to Atkinson's detective, Jackson Brodie. A fast read, lots of twists and turns and great characters. Gloria is a really great creation."

Karen, I have all of the Jackson Brodie series on my kindle, bought when they were the daily deals. I really need to get to them soon. Her first Jackson Brodie, Case Histories, was made into a movie on PBS and was very good.

Karen, "uncomfortable" is a good word to describe this book!

24.The War of the Worlds Unnerving and bleak.

25.Ann Veronica Great protagonist. I think the writing is a little clunky, though.

26. She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me

Excellent memoir.I zipped through it and lent it to my
South African neighbor.

27.Too Close to the Edge Enjoyable mystery, picked up the series after a long absence.

28.Birds of a Feather Forgot this one from a while back. Second Maisie Dobbs. Like the setting, though Dobbs can be irritating.

29. After I'm Gone Quite the page-turner.

30. The Moons of Jupiter My first Munro.My favorite story was "Accident."

Karen, I have read two Munroe books and I struggle with her writting for some reason. I like the storylines though so I keep trying :)

They are rather leisurely paced, aren't they?

Karen wrote: "26. She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me

Excellent memoir.I zipped through it and lent it to my
South African neighbor."

Karen, I've just added this one to my "To Read" list. It just sounds fascinating.

It really is, Karol.

31.The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I liked parts of this quite well but the romance felt too predictable.

32.Richard III

My slow progression through Shakespeare.

Karen wrote: "32.Richard III

My slow progression through Shakespeare."

Big smile. I don't think I've even tried reading Shakespeare since I took a class on his work for a semester in high school. Good for you, Karen.

33. Bossypants

This was fun. Now I need to watch 30 Rock.

34.Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Bourdain can be offensive but I guess that's the point.

Karen wrote: "33. Bossypants

This was fun. Now I need to watch 30 Rock."

I agree!!

Karen wrote: "34.Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Bourdain can be offensive but I guess that's the point."

I'm interested in listening to this audiobook.

If he does the narration that would be fun.

Elyse wrote: "Karen wrote: "34.Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Bourdain can be offensive but I guess that's the point."

I'm interested in listening to this audiobook."

He does do the narration! My library has the audiobook, I'm excited!

35. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

This has been my year for food memoirs.

36.Delicious!

Reichl's first novel is a lot of fun.

Karen wrote: "35. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

This has been my year for food memoirs."

I just finished Kitchen Confidential (which was great on audiobook) and I'm now listening to Medium Raw!

I should listen to those, I bet he's great reading them.

37.In the Drink Christenson is funny but it got repetitious for me and I found the ending unsatisfying. I'll read more of her novels, though, because I really liked her memoir.