75 Books...More or Less! discussion

Hi everyone! I am new to the group and I am really looking forward to tackling the challenge this year and connecting with all of you!

Welcome Karina! Head over to Introductions and tell us a little about yourself! :)

Great to have you Karina!!!

1. The Gamblers Anatomy - Jonathan Letham

Two days in and you've already got one book under your belt- that's always a nice start to the year :)

2. The Clocks - Agatha Christie

Thank you! I'm on vacation so I am taking full advantage!

3. The Janissary Tree - Jason Goodwin

4. Swimming Lessons - Claire Fuller

At this rate you'll hit 75 in no time!

5. Glamorama - Bret Easton Ellis

This books gets one star. It took me almost a year to finish. It makes absolutely no sense and I'm just happy to get it off of my currently reading list.

Karina wrote: "5. Glamorama - Bret Easton Ellis

This books gets one star. It took me almost a year to finish. It makes absolutely no sense and I'm just happy to get it off of my currently reading list."

Oh no! Why didn't you quit it? Or are you like me and have a hard time not finishing even when you don't like it? I always have hope it could get better...! lol. Sometimes it does. But I've realized I'm wasting precious reading time by not just moving on to a good book. :)

Karina wrote: "5. Glamorama - Bret Easton Ellis

This books gets one star. It took me almost a year to finish. It makes absolutely no sense and I'm just happy to get it off of my currently reading list."

I hate it when that happens :( I'm always torn between pitching it into a fire and plowing through, hoping that it gets better at some point and justifies the time I spent on it. It's so hard for me to actually quit before finishing...

6. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

This gets two stars. It's a hefty, depressing book and the characters aren't likable. Took me a while to finish only because I needed more light reads to break it up after each book ended.

Elyse wrote: "Karina wrote: "5. Glamorama - Bret Easton Ellis

This books gets one star. It took me almost a year to finish. It makes absolutely no sense and I'm just happy to get it off of my currently reading ..."

I have a hard time letting go! lol but I will read other books in between!

Stacie wrote: "Karina wrote: "5. Glamorama - Bret Easton Ellis

This books gets one star. It took me almost a year to finish. It makes absolutely no sense and I'm just happy to get it off of my currently reading ..."

I feel the same way. Now I have no desire to read American Psycho!

7. Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? - Kathleen Collins

I really loved this collection of short stories about being black in the 1960s. It shows a perspective of how black people looked at each other in terms of how "black" they were or if they grew up in the North or South. One of my favorite short stories was Dead Memories....Dead Dreams. It's a short collection but I savored every minute.

8. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
I give this one four stars even though a post apocalyptic book burning society that lives off tv scares me! I'm surprised I never picked up this book in my almost 30 years until now. I recommend everyone should read this!

Karina wrote: "8. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
I give this one four stars even though a post apocalyptic book burning society that lives off tv scares me! I'm surprised I never picked up this book in my almost 3..."

One of my favorites!!

9. The Stranger by Albert Camus

This short and impactful read is more than just about "the meaning of life". It's also about what makes us "human" and how aren't we still human even if our emotions are detached and not as "emotional" as society may dictate.

I give this four stars and I'll probably want to pick up a companion read for this. My first Camus book and I look forward to others.

10. Off to Be the Wizard - Scott Meyer

I gave this three stars. It's a cute book and funny and original but it dragged on in parts for me. It's part of a series but I'm not sure if I am interested enough to continue it. We will see!

Off to be the Wizard is in my TBR but I'm in no rush to get to it.

11. Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

I don't normally read YA literature these days but this was the pick for a book club I'm a part of. I give this book three stars mainly because the main character Eleanor was both unlikeable and annoying at times and I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It's a quick and easy read (I read this in a day).

12. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk - Kathleen Rooney

I really enjoyed this novel. Very poignant, witty, and self reflective. I give it four stars!

Karina wrote: "12. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk - Kathleen Rooney

I really enjoyed this novel. Very poignant, witty, and self reflective. I give it four stars!"

Am adding it to my To Read folder! Glad you enjoyed it.

13. Scandals of Classic Hollywood - Anne Helen Peterson

I am an avid listener of the You Must Remember This podcast by Karina Longworth. I am currently going through her show notes and reading books that she uses while researching for her podcast. This book was listed under an episode on Judy Garland. I was unimpressed by this book and felt that the podcast does a much better job of fleshing out the story and really trying to separate fact from fiction. I give this 2 stars.

14. Miss Marple's Final Cases - Agatha Christie

This book has been on my want to read list for a long time, I finally bought it a couple of weeks ago. I've read all the other Miss Marple's books and this short story collection is a nice ending to the series. I really enjoyed it. In the collection, there are two short stories that have nothing to do with Miss Marple and seem out of place but I did like them just not sure they belong in this short story collection. I give this 4 stars.

15. The Book of Lost Illusions - Paul Auster

The beginning and ending of this novel are pretty depressing. I was not a fan of some of the convoluted chapters, especially when he describes movies scene by scene. Completely unnecessary to the story line. I give it three stars, because once you get through some of the unnecessary movie chapters, it's pretty interesting.

16. The Bette Davis Club by Jane Lott

Okay. So I am really conflicted by this book. It was an easy ready and nothing too deep, but I found that some aspects of the book were cliche and convoluted when they didn't need to be. The premise of a 50something woman amidst a mid life crisis chasing her niece around the country with her jilted much older fiancé sounds like it would be pretty interesting. And it was, but there were certain aspects that made no sense: why does the character after only living in England for 8 years as a child still have her British accent? Why is her 19 year old niece suppose to marry a 40something? Why didn't Margo get an inheritance?

Three stars

Karina wrote: "8. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
I give this one four stars even though a post apocalyptic book burning society that lives off tv scares me! I'm surprised I never picked up this book in my almost 3..."

I've had this book for a long time but I have made it 42 years without reading it so don't feel bad! It's such a classic school book I'm surprised I did not read it in high school or maybe I just forgot...lol

17. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

I give this four stars. It's really enjoyable and also heartbreaking. I loved the stories about each member of the family and the layers you went through as the story unfolded. I also have a soft spot for Oscar because his favorite series is the Lord of the Rings!

Karina wrote: "17. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

I give this four stars. It's really enjoyable and also heartbreaking. I loved the stories about each member of the family and the layers you ..."

I loved the nerdy references! :) It was a difficult audiobook to listen to, there was so much going on!

Elyse wrote: "Karina wrote: "17. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

I give this four stars. It's really enjoyable and also heartbreaking. I loved the stories about each member of the family and ..."

I loved the nerdy references. Another book with great nerdy references that I loved is Ready Player One! Read that last year and it was awesome!

Karina wrote: "I loved the nerdy references. Another book with great nerdy references that I loved is Ready Player One! Read that last year and it was awesome!..."

YES! I love Ready Player One! The audiobook was amazing with Wil Wheaton narrating! <3

18. The Grownup - Gillian Flynn

This is a short story that was mediocre. I'm just not a fan of Flynn. I HATED Gone Girl and this book with all these twists was reminiscent of expected twists after having read Gone Girl. Three stars.

Karina wrote: "18. The Grownup - Gillian Flynn

This is a short story that was mediocre. I'm just not a fan of Flynn. I HATED Gone Girl and this book with all these twists was reminiscent of expected twists after..."

I liked Dark Places the most. I did not like Sharp Objects. Gone Girl was alright. This short story was creepy!

19. Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church by the spotlight team at the Boston Globe

After watching Spotlight, I had to read this. I grew up in RI and I was in high school when the scandal broke out but I wasn't paying much attention. I could never imagine what these priests did and how the church covered for them. It makes me angry that this went on for so long and the church knew and did nothing.

Karina, I lived in a little town outside of Boston and one of the priests was in our church. My brother was an alter boy at the time and he said he always used to be taking the other boys for pizza and he said he just felt creepy around his so he didn't go. Unfortunately, he did molest several boys we knew. One was very much impacted by it and it in turn ruined his life. He was a very nice boy too. Incredibly sad and very secretive.

Karina wrote: "19. Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church by the spotlight team at the Boston Globe

After watching Spotlight, I had to read this. I grew up in RI and I was in high school when the scandal br..."

So so awful.

20. Nineteen eighty-four by George Orwell

I give this book three stars (besides the ending) I felt that this would have worked better as an essay over a novel

21. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

I have no clue how this book has such a high rating on GR when it is basically normalizing this child / adult sexual relationship. It was disturbing. The book itself is well written and I enjoyed the first few parts of the book but when it turned into a sexual relationship, and the fact that the aunt who was trying to separate the adult from the child was vilified and how other characters were romanticizing the relationship, was just too much. I give this book three stars because of how well written it was, but I feel like I need a shower after reading this.

Karina wrote: "21. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

I have no clue how this book has such a high rating on GR when it is basically normalizing this child / adult sexual relationship. It was di..."

Oh my. I did not know that was the situation! I was going to use it for a challenge, "book narrated by child" but I switched it to Room. Kinda glad I did!

Elyse wrote: "Karina wrote: "21. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

I have no clue how this book has such a high rating on GR when it is basically normalizing this child / adult sexual relation..."

From people who have read Lolita (I still haven't read it), they said the guy in that book is always known to be a "bad" guy. I am still unsettled by what I read and how people are reacting to it. I feel as if this story could have been so much more, instead, they cast Kellen (the guy in Ugly and Wonderful) as sort of a hero and it enrages me.

Elyse wrote: "Karina wrote: "21. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

I have no clue how this book has such a high rating on GR when it is basically normalizing this child / adult sexual relation..."

I read Room but I didn't love it! lol but I will have to give the movie a shot!

Karina wrote: "From people who have read Lolita (I still haven't read it), they said the guy in that book is always known to be a "bad" guy..."

I'll be reading/listening to Lolita soon, I'm the queue for it at the library and it's for another challenge, "book with an unreliable narrator."

22. Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban by Rob Delaney.

I give this 3.5 stars. He's a funny writer and I've owned this book for awhile. I wish the book was a little more linear and more substantive and less penis jokes but the chapters regarding his sobriety are the best. The honesty interwoven with humor is great.

23. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This is a nice light hearted read that was really enjoyable and I'm glad a co worker recommended it. I give this 3.5 stars.

24. The Possessions - Sara Flannery Murphy

This was an interesting book that took a little while to get going. It's about this woman Edie who works for the Elysian Society as a body where you take this pill and essentially become possessed by a paying customers dead love one. She becomes fixated with one customer in particular, Patrick Braddock, whose wife Sylvia died 18 months prior. There is an unsolved murder thrown in, some deceit and attempts at mystery, but I find that there are plot points thrown in that don't make sense or go no where, especially with the murder.

I give this book three stars.

Karina wrote: "24. The Possessions - Sara Flannery Murphy

This was an interesting book that took a little while to get going. It's about this woman Edie who works for the Elysian Society as a body where you take..."

Sounds pretty creepy!

25. Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt

I really enjoyed this book! I love reading stories about women breaking barriers and doing amazing things. This book concentrates on the women who worked for JPL that eventually became a subsidiary of NASA. Really great read!

also, I am third way done with my goal for the general challenge. I need to get back to my books I own, but I have a backlog of books I have from the library plus a bunch of books I've been given to borrow plus I have a busy month of work ahead!! I hope I can get it all done! (I know it's only March but I am pretty ambitious!)