75 Books...More or Less! discussion

I was sloppy with my tracking at the end of the year, but I figured out I got over 50, short of the Rte 66 challenge. Now, I'm shooting for 5 books/month, 12 books per category below (heavy on the RYS - a few more books and I'll officially be a hoarder):

12 Read Your Shelves, Fiction.


12 Read Your Shelves, non-Fiction, maybe just 12 non-Fiction inc. new purchases.


12 NetGalley ARC's, read before Publication Date


12 New releases/favorite authors


12 Read Your Shelves, Kindle edition

Drew I always forget to include Kindle books in my RYS lists. Thanks for the reminder!

Drew wrote: "I was sloppy with my tracking at the end of the year, but I figured out I got over 50, short of the Rte 66 challenge. Now, I'm shooting for 5 books/month, 12 books per category below (heavy on the ..."

I like your divvying of your goals!

Andrea wrote: "Drew I always forget to include Kindle books in my RYS lists. Thanks for the reminder!"
I guess sometime in the last couple months I mentioned that if I were to get a new Kindle, I'd get the paper white, and my wife got me one for Christmas. When I saw how long it took to download the list of books in my Kindle account, I realized I better get going on that virtual pile as well!

Drew wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Drew I always forget to include Kindle books in my RYS lists. Thanks for the reminder!"
I guess sometime in the last couple months I mentioned that if I were to get a new Kindle, I'd..."

Ohhh how are you liking the paper white? We got Amazon Prime for the Whole Foods discounts and I am loving the 2 free books a months and access to so many other free and low cost books. My books on there are growing pretty fast. I will be in the same boat soon.

Andrea wrote: "Drew wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Drew I always forget to include Kindle books in my RYS lists. Thanks for the reminder!"
I guess sometime in the last couple months I mentioned that if I were to get a ne..."

I like the Paperwhite. It's lighter than the Fire, and very good screen resolution. It wasn't a necessity, but I'm glad I have it.

1. Three Seconds in Munich: The Controversial 1972 Olympic Basketball Final Not bad, the author's a journalist and writes like it. He gets to teh story quickly, a lot of facts, could use a bit more depth and insight into the players.
2. Real Tigers Third in a series about disgraced MI5 agents in London assigned to duties that are intended to encourage them to just resign, yet something always happens pulling them in. Good series I just discovered and enjoying reading them all.

Drew wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Drew wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Drew I always forget to include Kindle books in my RYS lists. Thanks for the reminder!"
I guess sometime in the last couple months I mentioned that if I w..."

I have a Paperwhite from a few years ago. It's full so I don't use it. And it's too much of a pain to delete the books on it so it just gathers dust. lol. I read on the Kindle app on my phone.

3. Spook Street Next one in this series, I think I have one more to go to catch up. Each is better than the previous, a good trait in a series.

Drew wrote: "3. Spook Street Next one in this series, I think I have one more to go to catch up. Each is better than the previous, a good trait in a series."

This sounds right up my alley, I am going to start this series.

4. Just Watch Me A fun loving jewel and art thief with a penchant for killing when he needs to decides to steal the most protected jewels in the world, what could go wrong? Well, poor plot lines, inconsistent characters, racism not critical to the plot in any way and several huge holes in the rushed ending could all go wrong.

5. Bell Hammers

6. A Reasonable Doubt Margolin writes legal thrillers with fairly believable plots, likeable characters and endings that make sense. As can be said about many authors, I know what I'm getting and I'm confident I'll enjoy it, and this didn't disappoint.

7. London Rules
8. Stay Close

9. The Truants
boring.

Drew wrote: "9. The Truants
boring."


I don't know why but your one-word review of this made me giggle!

Juli wrote: "Drew wrote: "9. The Truants
boring."


I don't know why but your one-word review of this made me giggle!"
It didn't deserve more. I work at a college and like novels in that setting, and thought this would be similar to Tartt's The Secret History, or Goldman's Boys and Girls Together or Myrer's Last Convertible, but it was just flat, meandering and hard to finish, although I did. Glad at least some good came from it!

10. Joe Country The most recent in this series (The Slough House), still excellent, and a significant twist at the end that will provide a fresh perspective and plot point for the next in the series. Can't wait.

11. Open and Shut First in a series about a lawyer in New Jersey taking on a case that becomes more complex as new mysteries become entwined in the case. It's standard like many other "lawyer against the system" books I've read, but notable for its humor and quick tempo. I noticed an old friend of mine who I'm connected with on here has read them all and gives them 5 star ratings, so I thought I'd give this one a shot. I like it, I'll read on in the series.

12. The List A novella in a series I like.

13. After The Accident I'm going to put my review from the main page here, I think a lot of you will really like this book:
If you like the unreliable narrator mode of story telling, you'll love this book because every voice is unreliable.
After the Accident, pre-publication title Seven Days in July, recounts the stories of eleven people vacationing together in order to be together one last time before the Emma's mother succumbs to her illness. Actually, there may be other motivations that slowly unfold, depending who you believe. And that's the initial hook of this book, the quick jumps as the events on the island are told in chronological order, but not from a single perspective. Emma is our primary narrator, but quite often, the responses of of the others interject. It's clear the stories were being told individually to someone, but the narration makes you feel like you're sitting all in a room and people are interjecting and interrupting to challenge assertions and make their points.
When I started, I thought this was going to be too confusing, but it wasn't at all. The use of Emma as our main narrator provided a constant, albeit an unreliable one. The narration of this book really exposes the implicit and explicit biases from each character's perspective.
This narrative style could have worn off easily enough, and I'm glad that supporting it, or being supported by it, was a well developed plot that kept me up so I could find out what really happened. Or what each character says happened... No spoilers here, but it was refreshing that the style was not there to hide a weak plot, it's a fun story to read.
I am sure that when I read other's reviews there are going to be a lot of differing opinions on the ending, I for one really like how it ends.

Drew wrote: "13. After The Accident I'm going to put my review from the main page here, I think a lot of you will really like this book:
If you like the un..."

Sounds really interesting! Trying to get it from NG.

Drew wrote: "13. After The Accident I'm going to put my review from the main page here, I think a lot of you will really like this book:
If you like the un..."

*makes googly eyes* .... I want to read this.

14. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August takes an interesting look at time, specifically how we travel through time. It isn't a spoiler to say that every time Harry dies, he is born again, at the same time and to the same parents he had the first time, with the memory of his previous lives still intact. Like any time travel story, there are rules, and after a few lives, he finds a purpose and the plot takes off from there. Early on, the narration jumps back and forth between lives, but with purpose, usually to introduce a character who is about to play a role in the overarching plot. There are covert societies, a megalomaniac villain and a couple of narrow escapes. There are plenty of unanswered questions, I find that time travelling/bending stories always do have those, but they didn't' detract from the experience for me. I agree with other reviews, it's a tough book to read quickly, but I enjoyed the journey.
Making absolutely no progress on the read what I own sections, even with the shutdown I'm getting ebooks from the library or netGalley

Drew wrote: "14. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August takes an interesting look at time, sp..."

I've had this on my TBR for years! Someday I'll get to it. lol.

15. The Boy from the Woods I really like Harlan Coben's books, adn this is no exception. I heard him interviewedon the radio many years ago, and he said his secret to writing books that you can't put down is finishing each chapter with a sentence that makes you want to read one more chapter... and that's what he does.

Drew wrote: "14. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August takes an interesting look at time, sp..."

I really loved this book!

Drew wrote: "Making absolutely no progress on the read what I own sections, even with the shutdown "

Hahahahaha! Same! Unless you count rereading things that I own but have read tons of times already (which, for the purpose of the read what you own challenge , I don't). I think, for right now, it's a case of "do what keeps you sane" :)

16. Camino Island I skipped this when it came out, even though I read most of his books. I had no idea it's a Book about Books! It's a decent book, I like Grisham's writing, this one has a few plot holes but a quick fun read.

Drew wrote: "15. The Boy from the Woods I really like Harlan Coben's books, adn this is no exception. I heard him interviewedon the radio many years ag..."

I'm a big fan of Coben too. I have to catch up with his more recent books.

17. The Best Friend
A NetGalley ARC, a good read if you like legal procedurals.

18. The Riddle of the Fractal Monks The third in an amusing series I stumbled upon via NetGalley.

19. Twisted Twenty-Six Same as the last few books in this series, the plot is just there to give the characters funny lines. And they still make me laugh.

20. First Degree An old series that was recommended to me. A scrappy lawyer who takes on unwinnable cases, yet he wins. Sorry for the spoiler, but it's formulaic, of course he wins. Still, well written, a few chuckles and they take a little over a day to read.

21. Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man, and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife

22. The Papers of A.J. Wentworth, BA An amusing book in 1949 about a bumbling boarding school teacher. The cover says it is among the funniest books ever. It is not, but it was a pleasant diversion and a very quick read.

23. March Violets

24. If It Bleeds
Four good stories/novellas, including a return to Holly! This was just what I needed this week - as much as any author, King pulls me into the world of the story, especially in the mind of the narrator in the first person narratives, and all my concerns and worries of the world are put on hold. Yes, I just said Stephen King books are relaxing.
My issue, and it's minor, is with the author's note at the end, where once again, King says he just doesn't know where his story ideas come from. Hey, Stephen, these ideas all came from books you already wrote! Technology goes sideways, an author with supernatural inspiration, a sequel to an earlier book, a question of the sentient nature of our imaginary worlds... that doesn't mean I enjoy them less, I just think he should at least acknowledge he was putting new and inventive twists on themes he has written before. Then again, how many of us read author's notes? I'd read his grocery lists if he'd publish those...

Drew wrote: "24.If It Bleeds
Four good stories/novellas, including a return to Holly! This was just what I needed this week - as much as any author, King pulls m..."

Gotta read this soon! haha yes, his ideas come from his ideas!

25. The Buck Passes Flynn amusing weekend read.

26. Masked Prey Used to love this series, now it's just same plot, different setting.

27. Fat Chance I laughed out loud several times, especially during the first two thirds. The rest was good, wrapping up the story well.

28. Camino Winds 3/5 for me, I get the idea, but it didn't work. And it kind of rips off an episode of CSI: Miami in the beginning. The story is choppy, Grisham's usually a better story teller than this, in my opinion.

29. The Shadow of the Wind
In the first chapter, our narrator is taken by his father to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and as tradition dictates, on his first visit, he may choose one book to keep, with the promise that he'll protect it. The book he chooses sets him on a journey to find out more about the author and why someone wants to destroy all copies of the author's books.
I couldn't put it down, I can't believe it sat on my shelf since December when I "borrowed" it from my daughter, and so far, it is my favorite book this year. And while writing my review, I learned that Fazon has written two more in this same setting, I can't wait to get into them.

Drew wrote: "29. The Shadow of the Wind
In the first chapter, our narrator is taken by his father to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and as tradition dictates..."

I really want to read this series this year!

Drew - did you read Camino Island First?

Andrea wrote: "Drew - did you read Camino Island First?"Yes, I did, just recently. I thought I should read it before I read this one. It was good to know the characters, but you don't have to read Island first in regards to the plot, it's a completely different story.

30. Half Moon Bay I like when the Kellermans write together, and I liked the first two in this series, but this entry was just OK. Two so-so plot lines that didn't really come together.
31. Lullaby Again, Chuck Palahniuk takes an interesting idea and goes weird places with it. This was less weird than others of his I've read.

32. Lady in the Lake This is on just about every list I've seen of books to read this summer, and I can see why. Great plot, very good character development, and a multiple narrator format in the first half that was a lot of fun to read. No spoiler to say that every second chapter was from the POV of a character introduced in the chapter before.

Drew wrote: "32. Lady in the Lake This is on just about every list I've seen of books to read this summer, and I can see why. Great plot, very good character..."

I've heard of Laura Lippman but I've never read any of her books. Maybe I will start with this one!

I just read two of the most gut wrenching and stressful books I've read in a while, and I liked it! Like many, the pandemic's hitting hard and I wouldn't have thought reading books like these would be a good idea, but in fact, they pulled me in so much, and left me so exhausted, it was actually a good thing. It's like hitting a "stress reset button" for me.
33. The Knife of Never Letting Go Apparently this series has been around for over a decade, who knew? My daughter, the recently graduated English major who loves, and will one day write, YA novels was up late reading this, and said when she finished, I had to read it and all she'd say is "it's stressful." And it is. The first hundred pages are Ok, set the scene and move along, and then it just takes off. The main characters are always on the run, making some decisions so bad I was practically yelling at the book, characters you wouldn't think would be killed off are killed off, and almost every chapter ends in a cliff hanger. I finished the last 400 pages in a day, would have been in one sitting but I just had to put it down a couple of times. It really didn't feel like a YA but it's got all the elements, young lead characters, dystopian society, good/evil/some playing both sides, a lot of action. WHen I was rating the book, I did see a lot of 1 and 2 star reviews, and after reading them I get it, but it's 5 for me.
32. Playing Nice Then, late Sunday night, I started reading Playing Nice by JP Delaney, an ARC I had from NetGalley due to be published in July. The only thing that made me put this down is I had to get some sleep and work a full day Monday and Tuesday. This one grabbed me from the get-go and didn't let go until the very end. Peter and Maddie are raising their two year old son and their fragile lives are shattered by a knock on the door. Miles, a wealthy successful banker is there to tell them that they've actually been raising his son, and he and his wife have theirs, the hospital made a mistake. A seemingly honest suggestion offering shared custodies is soon to be revealed as not what it seems, lies, deep secrets revealed, deep secrets kept secret, manipulations and plot twists abound. This isn't a plot line that I would have gone out of my way to read, but I've read a number of Delaney's books and I'm very glad I picked this one up.

Drew wrote: "I just read two of the most gut wrenching and stressful books I've read in a while, and I liked it! Like many, the pandemic's hitting hard and I wouldn't have thought reading books like these would..."

Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series has been on my TBR for yearrrs. I'm hoping to get to at least the first book before the movie comes out. Whenever that is, at this point. I also have an ARC of Playing Nice. I haven't read any of Delaney's other books but I've gotten them on NG as well. Eep. lol. Glad you enjoyed the books!