Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

THE 2020 ATY List 📖 = Reading ✓ = Read On GR ATY as Val’s 2020 Mysteriously Expanding Plan

WAS organized. Now it just is.

✓1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y: Being Enough by Alexi
This year I am reading mysteries. This book has never been shelved as a mystery, so why did I read it.? The number one reason is that I love Greece and Sara Alexi takes me there. The second was that our heroine Rallou is always striving to meet the expectations of her "mama." She strives to be a good mother. She strives to make her husband better. She strives to improve her home. However, "the why" is a mystery. When you read Sara Alexi, you are not just reading a good book. Most often you are learning something about yourself. If not yourself then someone else you know. There is lots of food for thought. And many "aha" moments. I was so relieved to read about Dolly, too.
✓ Less by Greer
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 1: A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
It is not a mystery, or is it? Who is narrating this book? It is clearly a book about romance, or lost romance. It could be about any kind of romance, but it is about gay romance. No, it is about human romance. However, there are some laugh-out-loud funny parts. There are poignant parts. There is a happy ending. That is nice, isn't it? I still want to know why all the people on the camel trip kept getting sick. If you find out, please tell me.

✓ 2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (290) by Ford
Two Asian cultures living side by side in Seattle. One Chinese and the other Japanese. Two young people working side by side in the cafeteria of an all-white school. One father whose power is far-reaching. Who does things for his son's "own good." Is it Romeo and Juliet? What will happen now, after all these years? It is a sweet story with some bitter stirred in. It meant something to me personally, as I was born in Twin Falls, Idaho in 1946. My father had a good friend who was held at the camp, joined the American military and served in Europe. He opened a restaurant in Twin Falls after the war. My parents frequently went out to dinner there. I remember going out to Hunt, the name we attached to the Minidoka Camp. My father drove us out one Sunday afternoon to see the barbed wire fences, the guard towers, and the barren, sagebrush-covered desert. I do not remember any buildings, other than the guard towers. A sad time in American history. I was glad to read a story about the time.

✓3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019: People of the Book by Brooks See below.

✓4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live: The Black Country by Grecian See Below

✓5. The first book in a series that you have not started: ✓Raven Black (390) by Cleeves See message 22; ✓The House on Tradd Street by White
I enjoyed this book as it had everything: murder, ghosts, old houses, history, romance, fantasy. It had me turning pages and not wanting to put it down. If these things float your boat, you might enjoy reading this series, as well.
The Union Street Bakery by Taylor See Message 13

✓ 6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover: Maggody and the Moonbeams by Hess
I've been reading books about Maggody, Arkansas by Joan Hess for years. Always fun, because of the back-woodsy characters in the stories. Everyone is somewhat of a stereotype and true to type. There are intriguing side stories like Raz and his prize pig. I was saddened to learn that Joan Hess departed the earth 3 years ago. I don't think I have read them all, but I am probably almost to the end. This book finds the Maggody Crew at a church camp sprucing it up for use by handicapped children. The baldheaded members of a religious cult hiding there with their children do not pose a problem until one of them is killed. Fortunately, Arly Hanks the Maggody police chief is on the scene to solve the crime. I wish you luck keeping it all straight for Hess tries her best to distract you, the reader.
✓The Vanished Priestess by Blevins See message 9 below

✓7. A book set in the southern hemisphere: To the Land of Long Lost Friends by Smith See Message 12

✓ 8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The": The Clasp (384) by Crosley; See my thoughts in Message 16 below ✓The Sparrow by Russell The story in this book is told in two or three different timelines that are all woven together into one story.
At first, I did not like the timeline structure, because I felt that it gave too much away. In the end, I could see a reason for it. At first, it made me angry, because I had fallen in love with Anne and George, Sophia, Meel-io, and Jimmy. I did not want them to die, but the author made it abundantly clear that they did.
In the end, before the debriefing, we know as much as the Jesuits who must conduct the debriefing of Emilio. Then, during the "inquisition", we learn the truth as it relates to each of the charges brought against Emilio by those who rescued him, by rumor and innuendo, and by those who are pre-dispositioned to find him guilty.
We had questions. As we read, the book got thinner. We knew that disaster awaited us. We feared the horror that we were going to face. Drawn ahead by our morbid curiosity, we read on, despite our fears and not wanting to read more. Drawn ahead by the hope that Emilio would emerge unscathed, we read on. Our questions were answered one by one. Satisfactorily? I, of the royal we, believe so.
In the end, we were overwhelmed by the story of one man's pursuit of God and his dark night of the soul.

✓9. A book that can be read in a day: Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett

✓ 10. A book that is between 400-600 pages: In The Woods by French
It is a thriller, so it is a page-turner. However, I had to set it down twice. Once, I was having visceral reactions to Rob's tension in going into the site of the murder. I began to feel physically ill. Two, when he was trying to browbeat a confession out of Johnathan Devlin, I put the book down with the thought that I might never pick it back up. At about the halfway point, I knew who done it, so to speak. So difficult, because I couldn't say anything to anyone. I like murder mysteries, I am not especially excited about thrillers. All in all, it was a good book. The book club discussion...starting soon, should be interesting.
✓Your Perfect Year by Lucas See comment 5

✓ 11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number: An Island Too Small by Alexi
On the Greek island of Orino, Adonis and Nefeli are wondering: Who is my baba? Who is your baba? Are they the same or different? Their mothers were once best friends, but then Orino became too small for both of them. The sins of the mothers, as the old saying goes. Let Sara Alexis take you on a vacation to Greece. Visit the village and the island and learn how intertwined lives become in small towns, villages, and nearby islands. Breathe in the salty air. But also the afternoon air spiced with pine, thyme, and sage...with a hint of holy basil.

12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people: The President is Missing by Clinton

13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge (Link): (#16 TBR from 2016) An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

✓ 14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers (link): The Photograph by Lively
I am speechless, blown away, amazed by this book. It is haunting. Perhaps, it is a "haunting." Kath the beautiful. Kath the beloved. Kath the nuisance. Kath the bubbling enthusiast. Kath who died far too young, but lives still in vivid memories. Kath who left huge holes in many lives. You may wonder one day who has the right to remember to dead. Who really knows you? How much of you does any one person know? This book may haunt me for a very long time. I hope you read it. If you do, maybe you will tell me how it affected you.

✓15. A book set in a global city: Precious and Grace by Smith
Precious and Grace are the principles in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. In this book, they help a Canadian lady reconnect with her past, they foil a pyramid scheme, and they philosophize about friendship, memories, and the ways of the world. This is a refreshing mystery, as there are no dead bodies and no one goes to jail. Even an incident with Grace's arch-nemesis Violet Sepotho ends with Grace laughing about Violet's "achievement." A thoroughly satisfying read.
✓ The Annie Szabo Mystery Series Vol 1-3 by Blevins See message 9 below


✓16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area: Trouble in Mudbug by DeLeon This was a fun and funny read despite the tension around someone trying to kill the protagonist. It is a quick read that had me fooled until the end. I would like to read more of the Mudbug series.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Gaiman See Message 17

17. A book with a neurodiverse character: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Honeyman

18. A book by an author you've only read once before: These Shallow Graves by Donnelly

19. A fantasy book: Dangerous Hardboiled Magicians by Gilden

✓20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.] from the end: The Oxford Tearoom Mysteries Box Set by Hanna
This is a nice book for highlighting or recreating the atmosphere of Oxford, the town and the university. There are three separate stories in the box set. H. Y. Hanna manages to contrive some original situations and murders for us to solve. Like all good cozies, it also has a love interest. While the principal characters do have a life of their own, they are mostly involved in the progress of the story. Sometimes one wonders how a town like Oxford can have murders occurring every couple of weeks, however. Enjoyable, fun, and sure to help you put on a few pounds (in weight and not sterling) if you make any of the recipes in the back.

21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720: Cress by Meyer

✓22. A book with the major theme of survival: This Tender Land by Krueger
Run for your lives!! And that is what they do, for living at the Indian School is a threat to the lives of the children at the school. The "Black Witch" is in it for herself and is just too diabolical. A river trip out of Minnesota to St. Louis, MO is their plan. Along the way, they meet farmers, homeless families, the love of their lives, family, the discarded, bounty hunters, hoboes, charlatans, religious fervor, and their aunt. They run from the law. People help them. People try to enslave them. They peek into many different ways of life. In the end, the journey turns them into a family. A wonderful book, READ IT!

✓ 23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author: Beyond Cutting (242) by Clifford
A young man from a good family has disappeared in Scotland. The nitty-gritty rumor trail has him down as gay. A broad-sheet editor enlists a friend to investigate. A friend with a doctorate in anthropology and a side-line of haircutting. That alone is intriguing, but Viv is also, at least, bi and somewhat acquainted with the scene. So different. Also, quite normal. She must be making people nervous for her car gets torched and she is attacked twice. How does it all end? One must read to find out.

Whiskey When We’re Dry by Larison See comment 6 below.

24. A book with an emotion in the title: The Hate U Give by Thomas

25. A book related to the arts: The Muse by Burton (393)

26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards: The Night Fire by Connelly;
✓ Disappearing Earth by Phillips
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 26: A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards.
Two little girls disappear off the face of the earth. Strings tie them to many women. We learn of their lives and how the disappearance affects them. We learn of the people of the Kamchatka Peninsula. So many lives have been touched in many different ways. In the end, we celebrate with the natives their new year. We burn the old as we tie our dreams to a branch. We are assured they will come true. What does their mama wish for? Will any dreams come true for all lives contain joy? All lives have tragedies. Everyone wishes for change. This book emphasizes the importance of knowing all the details.

✓27. A book that is a history or historical fiction: In This Grave Hour by Winspear
I love Winspear's books. They are authentic. In my opinion, they are not formulaic. Maisie Dobbs is intelligent and persistent while also being caring and compassionate. Her stories help us to delve deeper into historical events as experienced by the people in the U.K. and Europe during the years from the Great War and into World War II, where I am currently reading. Here is another of those books dealing with the aftermath of the Great War during the approach of WWII. A man exacts revenge for a loss without really understanding what occurred to cause his loss. Truly he acts from his child-mind. So much emotion, everyday life, love-loss, and caring compassion are captured this and every Winspear book.

✓The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Levy
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 27: A historical fiction. A gypsy reads your future. However, she also reads your past. Through the journey, you undertake you discover things you never knew about your family and your life. Perhaps it is a love story, maybe it is a mystery. You just might have to decide.

✓Relative Fortunes by Benn I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 27: a book that is a history or historical fiction. It is 1924 and women have recently received the right to vote. However, so many other rights have remained curtailed, including the right to their own inheritances. I remember in the late 1960s and early 1970s when a woman whose husband was a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam had to get special permission to buy a house! So, Julia is in the States to argue that she should receive her inheritance when she turns 25. Her older half-brother is contesting this happening, as their father's will does not mention Julia. It seems a foregone conclusion that she will inherit, but the decision rests with the older lawyers in the firm. Julia is an independent modern woman. She does not want to have to marry to ensure that she has money with which to indulge her wants and needs, as some of her friends must do. Oh, my! She and her brother decide to wager a bet as to the cause of a suffragette's unexpected death. Julia turns detective. Such twists and turns and unexpected happenings characterize this book. It is the first]in a series. I will read more!


28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author: Glass Houses by Louise Penny
29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser-known book: The Crazy School by Cornelia Read

30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year: Nutshell by McEwan

31. A book inspired by a leading news story: Becoming by Obama

32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan: Bear Town by Backman

33. A book about a non-traditional family: Little Fires Everywhere by Ng
Several different types of families, in fact. Shaker Heights, Ohio is a place and it has been an accepting and forward-looking place for families of all types to live. Single mothers, larger families, adopted families, families of privilege, subsistence level families, surrogate families, mixed-race families, and the list goes on and on. Teens and the troubling high school years. Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. Desperate mothers, model mothers, suppressed mothers, thoughtful moms all with corresponding children. And sometimes to start anew you must start little fires everywhere.



✓34. A book from a genre or sub-genre that starts with a letter in your name: Three Silver Doves by Garner
Paige has the perfect job, in my opinion. She is a travel writer. She is currently working on a series of western resorts. What she finds is great food, interesting people, fantastic settings, luxury accommodations, a touch of romance, and mystery! Ever curious...a perfect characteristic for a reporter, she sticks her nose in where it is unwanted and dangerous. That intelligent and flexible mind gets her into and out of trouble. She must get tired of all the police warnings to stay out of where she doesn't belong. *sigh* If only Jake could understand that she doesn't have a man at every resort. Enjoy!

35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover: Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by Beaton

36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there or put there on a whim: Worth a Thousand Words by Young;

My Big, Fat, Fake Wedding by Natalie Jenner. I read this book for the 2020 ATY Reading Challenge Week 36: a book I put on my list on a whim.

Why did I read this book? It was supposed to be funny and romantic. Funny...? Romantic...not my style of romance. Prurient? Yes. No holds barred sex. Right. The author must have to write these narratives sitting in a bucket of ice or a cold shower for it leaves nothing to the imagination, so, while it was titillating, it was not the romance I was searching for.

✓The Third Angel by Hoffman I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 36: A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there or put there on a whim
The Third Angel walks around among men and gives them hope for he is imperfect and makes mistakes. He is not the Angel of Life or the Angel of Death. One can get very philosophical about this angel and, I guess, it could be anyone in the story, or even you, dear Reader. In the end, the author supposes that the book could be read backward or forward. I am glad I read it as intended, as it would have left me in the midst of sibling rivalry angst the other way. Anyway, this book rather reminds me of the movie Mystery Train because all of the characters are so intertwined with one another. I did enjoy getting to know the characters. And, in the end, I must wonder, did the third angel accomplish its purpose?


37. Two books that are related to each other like a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 (Young author) Between the Lines by Van Leer


38. Two books that are related to each other like a pair of binary opposites: Book #2: Old Author): The Big Sleep by Chandler

✓39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce: The Pompomberry House by Threvithick. Crazy! It is one crazy plot. The people in the book get crazier has the story progresses. The authoress depicted in the story begins to doubt her own sanity. Although the characters seem to know what and why things are happening, it seems as if once they got the story started they could do nothing to stop it from progressing to its crazed ending. Fortunately, our heroine knows how to hold still and shut-up when she should. This book will have you scratching your head and turning the pages at the same time.

40. A book with a place name in the title: Good-bye, Paris by Harris;
✓Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams
I read this book for the 2020 ATY Reading Challenge Week 40: a book with a place name in the title.
I was getting a bit bored with the serious redemptive books I was reading so I thought I would read a light-hearted romance. It looks light-hearted, doesn't it? It was cute and fun, but I wasn't sighing with desire in the end. However, it was really creative and complex. So, in the end, I am glad I read it. Now to find a real heart throbber.

That Night in Paris by Sandy Barker
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 40: a book with a place in the name.
Another romance in the midst of my year of mysteries. I suppose I could say the mystery is: does the romance work out? Okay, well, I am not going to tell you. I did enjoy remembering trips to Roma, as our heroine is on a tour to escape from a flagrant, unintentional, indiscretion with a flatmate. One of the stops was Rome. She is in Paris, where she reconnects with an old friend, accidentally. Then, she meets up with him on purpose in Rome. The author posits that Rome is more interesting than Paris. I have to agree. So many incredible places to visit and see spanning thousands of years. Paris, as beautiful as it is, can never catch-up. Of course, I may be prejudice, because I have been to Rome more often. A good book for remembering, but also pretty romantic. Not the intense, carry me away romance I was seeking, but not one rooted in lust either...which in my opinion makes for the more titillating read. Will you agree?

Meet Me at The Museum by Anne Youngson
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 40: A book with a place name in the title.
It is a different kind of romance. As with most people, Tina's life didn't turn out as she expected. Life in the form of a baby intervened. A marriage that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for that intervened. Then, her best friend dies. All of the dreams they had dreamed seem to die, as well. That museum in Silkeborg they were always going to visit together seems to haunt Tina. Thus begins the series of letters between herself and Anders, the museum curator. And snoops that we are, we read their letters! And we learn that just maybe we might get a second chance for our dreams...just maybe.

✓3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019: People of the Book by Brooks

I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 3: A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019
I read several books about the plight of the Jewish people during WWII. This book was about the history of a Jewish religious text that was several hundred years old. The author has woven fact and fiction together to create a book of stunning impact. A beautifully illuminated Haggadah was uncovered in Bosnia during WWII only to disappear again. In our story, a restorer, scholar is given the job of restoring it once again in 1996 before it is to go on display in a Bosnian museum as a symbol of the unity of Jews, Muslims, and Christians in that country. During the restoration, she discovers many clues about the "life" of the book up until 1996. The various histories are told to the reader, but the restorer can only conjecture the truth, as an archeologist makes conclusions about the ancient people he/she studies. It is a fascinating journey.

✓4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live: The Black Country by Grecian
Set in the late 1800s, this coal-mining town is truly a place I would not want to live. Three people have disappeared and Scotland Yard has been called in to discover their whereabouts or find their murderer. What a story it is! Sometimes there are twists and turns that you are not certain you can negotiate. Sometimes you get a sinking feeling and aren't sure you want to climb out to discover the truth. It is a nail-biting page-turner of the first degree. The author has a great command of the place and the people who inhabit it.

10. ✓Your Perfect Year by Lucas
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 10: A book of 400-600 pages.
I did enjoy this book. It was romantic in a non-cloying way. It dealt with turning your life around; giving it meaning. However, since it is a translation, I am not sure about the original's treatment of Jonathan, for instance. He is supposed to be a man with no purpose, no direction. I am not certain that was portrayed well in the translation. He is certainly a grumpy rich man without skills. He looks for all that is wrong with what others do. He writes letters to get others to change the way they live. Leopold is my favorite character in the book for he does help Jonathan in many ways. Hannah is a sympathetic character, who is portrayed well. It is a fun book, but not a profound read. I am glad I read it. I would read other books by Lucas. I would read it again.

✓Whiskey When We're Dry by Larison
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 23: A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or author.
Jesselyn grew up without a mom on the western plains. Her brother left her and her father. Her father died. She tried to go on alone, but it wasn't working. She decided to find her brother and bring him home. To do so safely, she became a boy. Soon she was a quick draw, hired gun. Her brother was an outlaw. Her dream remained to bring him home and run their spread. Life intervened. I loved the language in this book; so old fashioned. My only complaint was that it was long.

How have I missed this list??? It's the first time I've looked at it and its fascinating. I love the name, and I need to come back and finish reading about all the books you've been reading. I love your notes. I'm on a time crunch so I've only gotten to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet ( which I've been meaning to get to and keep putting off) I'm bumping it up on my list because I am fascinated by the camps here in the US. I first learned about them through a Danielle Steele novel in my 20's ( I'm not even joking), total failure of the American School system to leave that out and only focus on Hitlers camps. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out on what else you read.

Tracy wrote: "How have I missed this list??? It's the first time I've looked at it and its fascinating. I love the name, and I need to come back and finish reading about all the books you've been reading. I love..."
Thank you for your comments and perusal of my list, Tracy!

✓The Annie Szabo Mystery Series Vol. 1-3
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 15: a book that takes place in a global city.
It takes place in and around San Francisco. I wanted to give this book a three-star rating, after all, it is a cozy mystery. In the end, I had to go with four stars. It is fun, funny, weird, wonderful, exciting, educational, strange, complex, and very satisfyingly human. Annie is the narrator. We bath in her thoughts. It is a bath in reality. Satisfying thoughts. Well-said thoughts. Thoughts that you and I think. Colorful thoughts. I loved the passage in The Red Hot Empress where Annie listens to her abandoned car as it bashes down the cliffs on California's coastal highway and into the Pacific Ocean: Miles and years hitting the rock, tossing off small choruses of memories as she dashed to meet the sea, sounding happy, ready to leave me. The car was wiser than I was-it had a lifetime of wear, lifetimes of laughs and food wrappers, too many kids piled inside with cats hiding under its seat. Its natural time was over, and I'd have to say goodbye. One final glug, the ocean swallowed my car. So you see with thoughts like that, writing like that, I was compelled to give it a four-star rating.
The Vanished Priestess by Blevins
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 6: a book with a mode of transportation on the cover. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive," wrote Sir Walter Scott. True then and true now and true in this book...very tangled! And the cause is as old as the ages, as well. It is a fun book, in spite of it all. It must be interesting to author a series, for one must weave a thread of on-going life while telling a story that is just a small intersection in that life. For the series to be successful, it must not dust off the old details in a boring way. Meredith Blevins never writes boring. I will be reading her as long as she and Annie are partners.

A Woman Like Her by Levy
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 48: a book published in 2020.
Aside from the experience of love at first sight, this is a great romance. Again, it is not super sweet. It has some wonderful sayings and a great description of our current political situation in it. It occurs in New York City. Written by a French novelist, who lives in NYC. Yet, it is a translation. And some, on Goodread, call it "Cultural: French." It is about a Jewish New Yorker and a guy from Mumbai. So French, don't you know. I know! It is a love story! That must be what makes it French. Love=France, right?! I sat up reading it. Then, I got up the next morning and finished it. I enjoyed it. Maybe you will, too.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I read this for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 33: a book about a non-traditional family.

Several different types of families, in fact. Shaker Heights, Ohio is a place and it has been an accepting and forward-looking place for families of all types to live. Single mothers, larger families, adopted families, families of privilege, subsistence level families, surrogate families, mixed-race families, and the list goes on and on. Teens and the troubling high school years. Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. Desperate mothers, model mothers, suppressed mothers, thoughtful moms all with corresponding children. And sometimes to start anew you must start little fires everywhere.

To the Land of Long Lost Friends by Alexander McCall Smith
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 7: a book set in the Southern Hemisphere.
Smith's books get 5 stars for their philosophy, their spiritual depth, and their calming effect on my life. A cup of red tea and a slice of fruit cake and all is right with the world. In the meantime, Precious and Mma Makutsi, Rra J.B.L. Makatoni, Charlie, and Mma Polokwane work out the knots in everyday life helping their friends, neighbors, and countrymen, even themselves, to find more fulfilling lives. Sometimes these changes occur so far behind the scenes that the players just think that the ebb and flow of life itself resolved their problems. They are unaware of the role of red tea, fruit cake, Seretse Khama, Obed Ramotswe, the quiet murmurings of husband and wife on their veranda in the evening, and Clovis Anderson have had on their lives and the unraveling of their problems. I sometimes feel homesick for the Botswanan life and afrika, afrika, afrika. And, btw, Charlie, way to go.

The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor.
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 5: The first book in a series that I have not started. What can I say? It is an enjoyable book with interesting ins and outs, but Daisy has a lot of baggage and that drives much of the book. She tends to see herself as at fault, wanting, and needy. It is a book with real people for sure. And it is a charm that it is realistic in that nothing gets solved too quickly. Too bad there is no health insurance associated with her job now, as getting back to see her therapist would be a good idea. What happens next, especially with Gordon? We'll just have to read book two now, won't we?

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 38: Two books that are related to each other like a pair of binary opposites: Book #2: (Old Author) Back, back, back in the olden days, a man named Chandler lost his job. It was the middle of the American Depression, after all. So he cast around for something to do. Since it was the middle of the Depression, work was hard to come by and people made their living doing a wide variety of things; not all of them legal. So Mr. Chandler looked into the underworld to find his subject matter. He had a talent for description, a talent for simile, current slang, and, maybe, a knowledge of the underworld. He drew his women bad and his heroes tough. While his heroes don't always bring the bad guys to justice, somehow they solve the problems and stay out of jail, barely. Marlowe, his private eye, walks that thin line between being a good guy or a bad guy. This book takes you back to that time. Or, at least, back to the time of great Humphry Bogart movies.

Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams
I read this book for the 2020 ATY Reading Challenge Week 40: a book with a place name in the title.
I was getting a bit bored with the serious redemptive books I was reading so I thought I would read a light-hearted romance. It looks light-hearted, doesn't it? It was cute and fun, but I wasn't sighing with desire in the end. However, it was really creative and complex. So, in the end, I am glad I read it. Now to find a real heart throbber.

The Clasp by Sloane Crosley.
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 8: a book with a title containing two words one of them being "the."
This is one of those books that is billed as really funny. If you are open to it, you will find the humor. However, I found I had difficulty with the way the book was written. It is like reading 3 different books that come together in the last chapter. Now "Mystery Train," the movie, does that, but it hangs together really well. I didn't find that happening with this book. Plus, all the time, I was rooting for the introverted, socially backward Victor to beat out Nathaniel with Kezia. And why doe Kezia prefer the Hollywood screenwriter, egoist Nathaniel. At least, Kezia is a flaming success in her world. And it is too bad that Johanna dies after narrating her mystery, but it is good that Victor gets out of his rut. I am also glad for David Sedaris and his better-than-mine sense of humor.

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott I read this book for the 2020 ATY Reading Challenge Week 46: A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire"
This is the Cold War era and the time of the Iron Curtain. Boris Pasternak, a celebrated Russian poet and novelist, has been working on his masterpiece for a decade or more. The Soviet Union under Stalin wants to know what is in the book. They feel it will criticize Communism and Russia. So to find out they kidnap Pasternak's lover and question her. When she doesn't give the answers they desire, she is sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in the Gulag. Fortunately, Stalin dies after 5 years and she is released. Eventually, the book is finished. Pasternak wants to see it published. The Soviet Union says, "NO!!!". Remember they have never even read it. Anyway, the CIA has a plan to leak the book to the people of the Soviet Union at the Brussell's Worlds Fair of 1958. This book highlights the fictitious people involved in that scheme. Pasternak must refuse the Nobel Prize. And then he dies. Of course, I couldn't just ignore the rest of history so I researched what happened then. The USSR falls. Pasternak's sons accept the Nobel Prize, when it is offered again. Khrushev leaves office, reads Dr Zhivago, and wonders what the fuss was about. Reminded me of a Shakespearean play, Much Ado about Nothing. It is just a love story, you know. And so is this book. You have to read it to discover the lovers and their story.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I read this book for my book club and for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 16: a book that takes place in a rural or sparsely populated area.
Oh my, this was a wonderful book! I don't like to read horror and this was horror. It had monsters and goblins, the triple goddess, magical happenings, but it really wasn't scary. Was that because we knew from the beginning that the protagonist lived through it? Gaiman has another book I simply loved. It was The Graveyard Book. It certainly was a horror story extraordinaire, yet it wasn't scary. How does he do that? He put a whole ocean in a bucket. Perfectly believable! How did he do that? And this was a children's book! A book that had the baby's whole family murdered. Buckets of blood everywhere!! Wasn't scary. So if you enjoy comforting horror stories that bend your mind in every direction, this is the book for you.

The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson ✓The Lending Library by Fogelson. I read this book for the 2020 ATY Reading Challenge Week 51: A book with "ing" in the title.
Dodie has a life as many of us do. She began as an art major and ended up an art teacher. She has many passions, besides art, mainly books. She loves kids and aspires to be a mom. Not just any Mom, but a super-duper Mom. Her best friend from art school lives in the same town. She has just adopted a boy from Africa. Also, Dodie started a small lending library in her own home when the town library had to close. (Small?! Amazing how many books will fit in a sunroom when it is a fictional sunroom.) Reminded me of Neil Gaiman's ocean in a bucket. Anyway, BFF dies, baby needs a mom, new boyfriend...does he want to be a dad?, lots of turmoil, the library suffers, romantic break-up...oh dear! Sounds like a soap, doesn't it? I liked the book. It wasn't the romance novel I was looking for. Does it exist?

That Night in Paris by Sandy Barker I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 40: a book with a place in the name.
Another romance in the midst of my year of mysteries. I suppose I could say the mystery is: does the romance work out? Okay, well, I am not going to tell you. I did enjoy remembering trips to Roma, as our heroine is on a tour to escape from a flagrant, unintentional, indiscretion with a flatmate. One of the stops was Rome. She is in Paris, where she reconnects with an old friend, accidentally. Then, she meets up with him on purpose in Rome. The author posits that Rome is more interesting than Paris. I have to agree. So many incredible places to visit and see spanning thousands of years. Paris, as beautiful as it is, can never catch-up. Of course, I may be prejudice, because I have been to Rome more often. A good book for remembering, but also pretty romantic. Not the intense, carry me away romance I was seeking, but not one rooted in lust either...which in my opinion makes for the more titillating read. Will you agree?

My Big, Fat, Fake Wedding by Lauren Landish I read this book for the 2020 ATY Reading Challenge Week 36: a book I put on my list on a whim.

Why did I read this book? It was supposed to be funny and romantic. Funny...? Romantic...not my style of romance. Prurient? Yes. No holds barred sex. Right. The author must have to write these narratives sitting in a bucket of ice or a cold shower for it leaves nothing to the imagination, so, while it was titillating, it was not the romance I was searching for.

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves. I read this book for the 2020 ATY Reading Challenge Week 5: the first book in a series you have not started.
Now that I have read this book I want to visit the Shetland Islands, or Island, as the case may be. Here is a well-researched book about life on a remote island group that is part of the United Kingdom. There is the lonely, old, slightly, looney bachelor, the disappearing young girls, personal prejudice of the long-time residents, and those who want to get it right. What a surprise of a who-dunnit! I want to read more of these books. Well done, Ann Cleeves!

The Knowledge: A Richard Jury Mystery by Martha GrimesI read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 8: A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The." Martha Grimes writes books that are titled after the names of pubs. Those are fictional pubs, I believe. Also, while the world changes, cell phones appear, and other modern updates happen, the characters do not change in age, appearance, or status. That can be a comfort, but also a frustration. I read series because I like the characters. I also am a voyeur, I guess because I want to watch relationships develop between those likable characters. Anyway, The Knowledge: A Richard Jury Mystery is about a pub only for cab drivers with the knowledge of London that can take them to a place no one else can find. This is an intelligent book, by the way. With lots of knowledge of many things, stars and astronomy, cabbies and their networks, street kids and their resourcefulness, and even, Kenya, Nairobi, gems, mining, safaris, and slums. Finally, it is coldblooded and money-grubbing. I thought it was a great book. I think you will, as well.

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson. I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 40: A book with a place name in the title.
It is a different kind of romance. As with most people, Tina's life didn't turn out as she expected. Life in the form of a baby intervened. A marriage that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for that intervened. Then, her best friend dies. All of the dreams they had dreamed seem to die, as well. That museum in Silkeborg they were always going to visit together seems to haunt Tina. Thus begins the series of letters between herself and Anders, the museum curator. And snoops that we are, we read their letters! And we learn that just maybe we might get a second chance for our dreams...just maybe.

42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’: My Sister the Serial Killer by Braithwaite

43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse: The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Davidson

44. A book related to witches: Cave of Bones by Hillerman

45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018: The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover by Albert;
✓Emma: A Modern Retelling by Smith
I love Alexander McCall Smith, and I love Emma. I enjoyed this book, but...EEK! That is terrible, isn't it!? I felt like the book wasn't rooted in the 20th or 21st century. The language was too highfalutin. I found myself looking for parallels with the original, so I think it followed that storyline too closely. I am not sure I would recommend it. Too bad.

✓46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire: The Secrets We Kept by Prescott See Message 17.

47. A classic book you've always meant to read: The Red House Mystery by Milne

48. A book published in 2020: The Last Passengers by Finch; Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Abe; ✓A Women Like Her by LevySee message 10


49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win: All the Light We Cannot See by Doerr

✓ 50. A book with a silhouette on the cover: Thrice the Brindled Cat Hath Mew’d by Bradley
Flavia de Luce has a penchant for finding dead bodies. Usually murdered ones. Generally, it is a convoluted and bizarre situation. The Death. The Discovery. The Solution. This book is no exception. Wise beyond her years, Flavia is brilliant at deductions, as well. And, instead of having the law continuously telling her to mind her own business, the law comes to her for ideas. This book has much to do with sins of commission and omission. Wonderful how well the author puts us back into the post-WWII era in Britain. Love these books!
✓ The Mothers by Bennett
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 50: A book with a silhouette on the cover.
The Mothers, who are they? They have a secret, or they think there is a secret, or they never really know the secret. Why is Nadia so stupid? Will she ever learn? Where is she going with Robert's truck? Why are prize winners always so gloomy and difficult to feel good about?

✓ 51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title: Death Comes eCalling by O’Kane
Just returned to her hometown for a year's stay, Molly receives a letter from an old teacher and a death threat the same day. What?! How could old passions and hatreds survive 20 years of living? Then, her best friend's husband is murdered. Stabbed in the back with Molly's carving knife. What a cast of characters! What a mind that Molly has! Fast-moving! Surprising! Even fun! And it is part of a series, my favorite.
✓The Lending Library by Fogelson. See Message 19
✓ 52. A book related to time: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Willis:
Here is a new profession for Historians among us. And wouldn't it be nice to all travel back to March 2019 today? No, pandemic yet. However, we would know one would be looming on the horizon in late December and early January. We could start planning for testing and vaccinations. When it actually surfaced we would be prepared! Several thousand people would still be alive and no one would be in "lockdown" at this time. Hurray for time travel! Just think, we could even go back and change the election of 2016. Oh, if only!
✓ The Price of Time by Tigner
Nine people enter the world of immortality. Scientists, researchers, investors, and CEOs working together find the secret to unending life. Once they discover it, and they do, what do they do with it. What would you do with it? Interesting question, uh? Read on to discover what they did.

Traitor's Purse by Margery Allingham is a book I read for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 15: A book that takes place in a global city.
It is WW II. Albert Champion is working on a very important case. One that must succeed. He knows this and that is about all he knows. He only knows who he is because someone told him. Oh, dear! He also knows 15 is important, but somehow a blow received on his head has wiped the rest away. Who? What? Why? When? Where? He has to figure that all out before "15" occurs. Good grief, how could it get any worse? And, no cell phones or any of our other convenient gadgets. Deary me! You must help him somehow!

I have read 76 of 75. More reading will be done. More will show up on my plan as read. Today, I celebrate completing my 2020 Challenge. I will not have that anxiety at the last moment that I have had in the past, because I did not finish the 109 that I actually have on my list. Anything that shows up read after today is gravy on the French fries!

Congratulations, Val!

Anna wrote: "Congratulations, Val!"

Thank you, Anna!