Mount TBR 2022 discussion

Back for my 9th year climbing the peaks. This will be my second attempt at Mt. Kilimanjaro, looks like I'll make it for 2021, so have high hopes for this year in 2022, and to go even further. I have hundreds of unread owned books, and a backlog of NetGalley books that I want to clear out. My books are of all formats, but I would like to focus on print as it clears space on the shelves (if I don't keep after reading). Above all is the primary goal to enjoy the climb, it's not the destination but the journey. Happy reading.

Mount TBR 2022 edition:

Running List:
print (or eBook) unless otherwise noted
* listened to audio library copy (own print or eBook)

-----------Pike's Peak ----------------
January:
1. Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
2. Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women by Annabel Abbs*
3. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
4. The Contemporary American Essay by Phillip Lopate
5. Truly Like Lightning by David Duchovny
6. The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher*

February:
7. The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed
8. I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
9. Mister Abracadabra by Charonne Wali & Nannette Grill
10. The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds by Jon Dunn*
11. Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson*
12. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk*

-----------Mount Blanc---------------
February:
13. Bound for Canaan: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad, America's First Civil Rights Movement by Fergus M. Bordewich
14. Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer

March:
15. Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn*
16. Pam of Babylon by Suzanne Jenkins
17. Breathing Lessons: A Doctor's Guide to Lung Health by MeiLan K. Han*
18. Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks
19. Canopy: Poems by Linda Gregerson
20. What You Can See from Here by Mariana Leky*
21. Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
22. The Sediments of Time: My Lifelong Search for the Past by Meave Leakey & Samira Leakey*
23. What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

April:
24. The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley*

-----------Mt. Vancouver ------------
April:
25. The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer
26. People of the Longhouse by W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neal Gear (audio)
27. Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain*
28. A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco
29. Where No One Should Live: A Novel by Sandra Cavallo Miller
30. Alien Nation: 36 True Tales of Immigration by Sofija Stefanovic

May:
31. The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers
32. The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence*
33. Signature by Hunter Dukes
34. Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries by Jon Ronson (audio)
35. The Quantum Spy by David Ignatius

June:
36. Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly

-----------Mt. Ararat -----------------
June:
37. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (audio)
38. Outlandish: Walking Europe’s Unlikely Landscapes by Nick Hunt
39. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

July:
40. TV by Susan Bordo
41. Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron
42. She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick
43. Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
44. We Were Beautiful by Heather Hepler

August:
45. The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
46. Site Fidelity: Stories by Claire Boyles
47. My Time Will Come: A Memoir of Crime, Punishment, Hope, and Redemption by Ian Manuel
48. Devil Sent the Rain by Lisa Turner

-----------Mt. Kilimanjaro ----------
September:
49. The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

October:
50. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie (audio)
51. The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber (audio)
52. The Imperiled Ocean: Human Stories from a Changing Sea by Laura Trethewey (audio)
53. Queen of Dreams by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

November:
54. Time Out Of Joint by Philip K. Dick (audio)
55. The Ecopoetry Anthology edited by Ann Fisher-Wirth & Laura-Gray Street.
56. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller
57. Bacon and Beans From a Gold Pan by George Hoeper
58. Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold & David Roberts

December:
59. A Small Death in the Great Glen by A.D. Scott (audio)
60. The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard by David A. Goodman

-----------Bonus Books --------------
61. I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal

Welcome back, Pamela! Happy climbing.

Thanks Bev!

A few notes for myself - goals for my 2022 reading journey from my own collection (not in order of importance)

📚 At least one book from each shelf I own. (28 shelves)
📚 Clear out the backlog from netGalley (around 30 books) ✔️
📚 Read at least 12 books from owned audio books (mainly audible)
📚 Read at least 1 book from my Nook (prefer to read 6) ✔️
📚 Overall gain less new books in the year than I read (net zero/negative)

It's very likely I won't reach all of these goals, but that's okay. It does give me something to strive towards. I haven't read any nook books in a few years, so I need that goal. A couple of my shelves contain mostly reference books so that will be difficult to find something from there. Perhaps I should take them out of the list. My highest goal will be to REDUCE what I own to read. I barely achieved that in 2020 and looks like 2021 also I'll squeak by, if I don't go crazy in these last few weeks.

Numbers: as of Jan.1, 2022
Own-to be read total: 1,041
📘 Print books: 675
🎧 Audio books: 140
💻 eBooks: 226

I think it's that reduction goal that most of us are actually aiming for, but it's also the hardest. *sigh* Best of luck on your climb!

ETA: I have a special GR/LibraryThing shelf for reference books (or really books that I don't want to get rid of but aren't really for reading). I'd recommend removing them from the list.

Alanna wrote: "I think it's that reduction goal that most of us are actually aiming for, but it's also the hardest. *sigh* Best of luck on your climb!

ETA: I have a special GR/LibraryThing shelf for reference books..."

Thanks Alanna!
I actually don't have reference books added into goodreads, with maybe a couple of exceptions. My reading around my shelves are the physical ones around my house.

My shelving is very loosely organized by subject for non-fiction and by author for fiction. So the reference books tend to be gathered together on a couple of shelves. But since everything isn't exactly shelved perfectly things can be out of order, so on a fully reference shelf I may find a book I could read like a regular book. Also I still find books I haven't added to goodreads, but I made a huge effort over the years to add everything, excepting reference. 😃

Good luck on your climb as well!

First stop on the climb is Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver.

5 stars, print book

I've enjoyed Kingsolver's books in the past and this one was no exception. Love the writing style. This book was told in two timelines, of two families, but in the same location in Vineland, NJ. Both deal with several issues including a house that is falling apart due to poor construction. I got this book in June 2018 and wish I'd read it sooner. It will remain on my shelves, for now at least. I have given away the other Kingsolver books I owned and read and partly regret it now.

Book 2 is Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women by Annabel Abbs.

4 stars, audiobook

Partly autobiography and partly biography of six women, some who are not known very well and a couple who are, all are artists, mostly writers but a few are painters. All went on journeys, mostly long hikes or walks, most alone, and Abbs goes to those places and trys to connect to these women of the past. She finds points where they match, such was fear of walking in the forest alone and overcoming that fear. Somewhat literary and could sustain another reading. Picked up this book from NetGalley in September 2021, but listened to the audio. The narrator was somewhat dramatic in her reading.

Book 3 is The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb.

2.5 stars, eBook

This was a mixed one for me. The mystery wasn't really the focus in the book, although it is about who stole Ray’s heirloom violin. Much of that aspect is put aside to tells Ray full story, which is absolutely heart-breaking. Without nearly any support except for his grandmother, and of course racism, because blacks don't play classical? But the book bogged down, was repetitive. The bright spots were the lyrical descriptions of the music when Ray was playing. It kept me reading. Picked up this book from NetGalley in September 2021.

Book 4 is The Contemporary American Essay edited by Phillip Lopate.

5 stars, print book

I read this over 600 page book much quicker than expected. Truly I thought this would take months, reading other books in-between, but I just enjoyed the essays! I wanted to see what was next, so kept reading. There were one or two that I didn't care for, but most were great essays. The length was varying, as the topics and each one held a surprise. I bought this book, along with the two companions in a series, mid-December last year. I might try another one this year, although these type of intentions usually get waylaid by all the other books.

Book 5 is Truly Like Lightning by David Duchovny.

4 stars, print book

A somewhat over-the-top tale that is centered on Bronson Powers, an ex-stuntman turned Mormon survivalist with three wives and many children. They lived 20 years out in the desert until interference comes along, a greedy developer trying to get them to sell cheap. Bronson is done with the corruption of the world, yet sees no choice but to go along with a proposed test of his homeschooling vs San Bernadino County's school district. It's somewhat long and much is thrown into the book. Got this book in March 2021.

Book 6 is The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher.

4 stars, audio book

An account close to fact about Sylvia Beach and her bookstore she founded, Shakespeare & Company, and English language store in 1920s Paris. Beach is also known for being the publisher of Ulysses by James Joyce, banned in America before Joyce was finished writing it. There was much focus on Joyce and getting this book published, also her relationship with fellow bookstore owner Adrianne Monnier. I got a copy of the book from NetGalley in October 2021, but I listened to an audio copy from the library. The narration was perfect for this book.

Off to a good start in January.

Book 7 is The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed.

3.5 stars, print book

A short book, novella in a post-climate change at some unknown point in the future, generations later. We begin with teenage protagonist Reid who receives an acceptance letter to Howse University, a place in a dome. Everyone is elated for her, except her mother who says this is a fantasy, the place doesn’t exist. What is right? Also they have the Cad, a semi-sapient fungus that can control their muscles when felt the host body is in danger. Interesting world, felt almost like a start to a series, or at least another book. Got this book in June 2021.

Book 8 is I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys.

4 stars, eBook

A harrowing tale of what a tyrannical government looks like, told through the eyes of a teenage boy in Romania 1989. Everyone is trapped by the “Secu” security that enforces the draconian rules of the leader, which there are many. Everything is owned by the state, including the people. They are starved, brutalized and scared into silence, and nearly everyone could be an informer. A young adult book, quick read. There is some hope with the young love. The book just came out this week but I got this from NetGalley in December 2021.

Book 9 is Mister Abracadabra by Charonne Wali & Nannette Grill.

3 stars, print book

This is a re-read but it's been decades since I've read the book. It's one of the few remaining books I own from childhood, most got lost due to a flood. I had no memory of what this book was about, so I read it. It has a feeling of Peter Pan with a bit of other children classics mixed in. The illustrations have multitudes of colors and patterns mixed, it’s a busy blend of imagery. It is a whimsical tale. No idea when I got the book, certainly one of the oldest books I own, and if I remember correctly it was a gift.

Book 10 is The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds by Jon Dunn.

4 stars, audio book

This book is dense! Full of the hunt for hummingbirds along with history, science, and tales about these little birds. Jon Dunn travels around the Americas searching for specific types of hummingbirds. Part travelogue, history, cultural and scientific book. It covers a lot of territory, and was done well. Can't help but to learn a little something about these tiny birds. I listened to the audiobook while also have an eBook copy from netGalley since April 2021.

Book 11 is Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson.

2.5 stars, audio book

A long book that was too thick with daily details and not enough with plot. I expected the book to be a bit different too, so that didn't help, but I stuck with it, then the ending was overly dramatic and just seemed unnecessary. Disappointed with this book. At least I'm getting through my NetGalley backlog. Picked this up in April 2021 and listened to the audiobook from the library.

Book 12 is The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk.

3 stars, audio book

I was looking forward to this mystery set in an academic library, about a missing rare and expensive book the library just acquired. The acting director Liesl Weiss is having a difficult time with her colleagues undermining her authority, and another gone missing. Somehow the book still wasn't that great. It was okay, just not spectacular as I hoped. Another NetGalley book, picked up in June 2021, but I listened to the audio from the library. It really has helped tackle the backlog. With this done, I've reached the top of Pikes Peak!

First leg up Mount Blanc, book 13 is Bound for Canaan: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad, America's First Civil Rights Movement by Fergus M. Bordewich.

5 stars, print book

Definitely an Epic Story! Well researched and well written history all about underground railroad from the early beginnings and until it dismantled with the start of the Civil War. This wasn't a fast read by any means, took me almost the entire month, but it was fascinating and gripping at moments. I'm so glad I picked this up as my understanding was vague before. This was an excellent book to learn about this time in American history. It's not clear when I bought the book, either October 2013 or April 2014, in any case it's been too many years.

Book 14 is Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer.

3 stars, print book

Wasn't entirely sure of what I was getting into, but I was confused for much of the book. Ends up following like a thriller, or quest type book, where one clue leads to the next, and you have to be ahead of the bad guys that keep trying to kill you or those around you because they think they know something. Somewhat strange book for me. But I kept going trying to figure this thing out. My first (maybe last) VanderMeer book.
The publisher sent me a book after a library virtual conference I attended, maybe that's how I got it, as I didn't request the book, just arrived in my mailbox in February 2021.

Book 15 is Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn.

3 stars, audio book

A story of a teen living in a poor neighborhood in South Africa, called Sugar Town. Her mother has memory and other issues, and Amandla wants to know how her mother gets their money, so follows her one day and discovers a family she knew nothing about. Unfortunately, her grandfather is a racist, doesn't want a mixed-race girl around, nor his daughter. The grandmother on the other hand, while being very ill does want them around. It was a captivating tale, yet I didn't feel anything was super special about the story. It was decent. I got a NetGalley copy of the book in April 2021, however I listened to the audio from the library.

Book 16 is Pam of Babylon by Suzanne Jenkins.

1 star, eBook

This was such a train wreck of a book. Yes, I am to blame for continuing to read and not DNF the book, but I stuck with it just amazed at how it went from bad to worse in unbelievability with the situation and character development, let alone the grammar and writing errors and problems. At least I got for free, from one of those a free Fridays from B&N I think, in December 2016. It is a nook book! I read something from my nook! (it's been a long while.) I need to find something better for the next nook book...I have many to chose from!

Book 17 is Breathing Lessons: A Doctor's Guide to Lung Health by MeiLan K. Han.

4 stars, audio book

A slightly short book all about the lungs. I found the book informative and interesting, although I hoped for more advice on lung health. The subtitle was a bit of a misnomer, as it was about much more than just improving your lungs. Also seems like more research is needed. I listened to the audiobook from the library yet got the book from NetGalley in August 2021.

Book 18 is Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks.

4 stars, eBook

Subject matter wasn't exactly easy, the Kid is young and convicted of a sexual crime, now in his first year or so of his ten years on parole, wearing a leg monitor. The Professor is a near opposite, takes interest in him as he's doing research on homelessness and convicted sexual felons. There is something about how the Kid develops, and the ending that really made this book. This is one of my nook books (now two done!) Goodreads shows I added the book in June 2016, but I don't trust that date, it's more likely when I was uploading a bunch of my books. More likely I bought this in 2013 after reading another Banks book.

EDIT: found my receipt of purchase and I did indeed buy this in June 2016. Goodreads was right. 😀

Book 19 is Canopy: Poems by Linda Gregerson.

3.75 stars, eBook

A book of poetry that I'd hoped was focused on nature. That didn't seem to the be the focus, instead the layers cover all sorts of areas, some seem painful. The poetry is good, meditative, but not my favorite. I got this book from netGalley at the end of December 2021.

Book 20 is What You Can See from Here by Mariana Leky.

4 stars, audio book

A translation from German that is reminscient of Frederick Backman's books, with quirky characters from a small village. Here we have Luisa as the main character at a young age, then later as a young adult. She doesn't have a firmly stable household, as her father travels around the world for he says pain, escaping pain. There are many important adults in Luisa's world. The book is about all types of love. It's somehow lighthearted despite some heavy topics. I got the eBook from NetGalley in April 2021, however listened to the audio book from the library to finally read this. I shouldn't have waited.

Book 21 is Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.

4 stars, eBook

A historical novel taking place in the early 1970s in Brimingham, AL where two underage poor girls were sterilized against the family's wishes. The father and grandmother were illiterate and didn't understand what was going on. Civil Townsend is the main character here, she was their nurse and not working that day. She was extremely upset, took on these girls and the family almost like her own. She helped sue the federal government on the family's behalf, which they won. It's an emotional ride of a book. Despite that it is not yet published, but soon, next month, I got this book from netGalley in September 2021.

Book 22 is The Sediments of Time: My Lifelong Search for the Past by Meave Leakey & Samira Leakey.

4 stars, audio book

This was a fantastic book. An autobiography (with help of her youngest daughter) of an anthropologist that covers bits of her life and science. There were moments when she went somewhere unexpected, but it was relevant and interesting, such as our teeth. Didn't know that there was an aspect in our teeth that are similar to tree rings, actually there is a lot about teeth in the book, as these are some of the fossil finds. And teeth can tell you a lot about the diet as well. Enjoyed the book! Another NetGalley book (working hard on the backlog!) that I listened to the audio book. I got the book in November 2020, a really old one for netGalley.

Book 23 is What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster.

3.5 stars, eBook

Last book for March, in the best month I've had for this challenge. This book looks look at two different families in the same town, both dysfunctional in some way. The book jumps around in time, with different characters point of view, so there's no solid placement in the book. I didn't like the format, it distracted from the story overall. Late in the book is a little surprise, which was kinda annoying, not surprising, and really, maybe 3.5 stars is generous. The book was billed as two families, and how race effects the families, and there is that, but buried within a lot of other family drama. I got the book from NetGalley in December 2020.

For the peak of Mount Blanc book 24 is The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley.

4 stars, audio book

It's a bit of a detective type story with the main character attempting to certify the legitimacy of a claimed marriage that was done in secret, when the witnesses already died. Takes place in Scotland in 1707 looking back to the late 1600's. This book is also a prequel to two other books, one I own but have not read yet. I got into this story as a stand-alone with no problem. I listened to the audiobook but got an eBook from NetGalley in July 2021. Audio was the way to go for this one.

Climbing Mt. Vancouver with book 25 as The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer.

4 stars, eBook

Another somewhat detective story, the great-grandson of the thief who stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911, attempts to find out what happened. An artist and art history teacher himself, he gets a clue and drops everything going to Italy and reads his great-grandfather's journal of his life, crime, and why. Unfortunately, he is being followed and watched, and people around him have died. A thriller and historical, as the basis of this book is true. Enjoyable, quick read. I got this from NetGalley in August 2021.

Book 26 is People of the Longhouse by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear.

3 stars, audio book

This is a book in two series: People of the Longhouse #1 and North America's Forgotten Past #17. I have read all the prior books in the series, and this was the darkest one yet, and the lowest I've rated. The story focus is on a group of children that were stolen then sold to others who want to use them, typically in sexual ways or abuse them in other ways. There is a rescue group as a major part of the story as well. This book ends abruptly, so now I do want to continue and own the next book. I bought it a few months ago so it won't count here, unless I wait too long. This audio I purchased in April 2016.

Book 27 is Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain.

3 stars, audio book


I attended an author event, and of course, she made her book sound interesting. Well, some of it was and some...not so much. The book wandered around a bit, maybe she didn't have enough material, or focus. There was too much advice, like a self-help book, but this was not what I was looking for! There was a lot of her own experiences, and that was interesting. I think she needed another year to coalesce the book into something better. I picked the book up from NetGalley in December 2021. Listened to the audio book from the library, and she narrated wonderfully!

Book 28 is A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco.

5 stars, print book

I adored this little book. It is about half-sized and full of all the information one needs to start to understand pigeons, which are also doves (same bird, two names). There's a small amount of history, biology, different breeds, and much more. The book is exactly as it says and the best part -- it's full of these adorable drawings. So cute! I got this book from NetGalley in June 2021.

Book 29 is Where No One Should Live: A Novel by Sandra Cavallo Miller.

4 stars, eBook

A slow medical mystery, that is more a romance between doctors. The focus of this book is around several doctors, Maya works in Arizona Public Health and on Thursdays at the clinic that also trains resident interns. Her boyfriend is a heart surgeon, so we have many doctor characters. We get mostly her life and the people around her, and the mystery is around the clinic. It was an enjoyable book, a slow one. The heat is not only oppressive and ever present, but almost a character as well. I got this book from NetGalley in September 2021.

Half-way up the peak with book 30 as Alien Nation: 36 True Tales of Immigration by Sofija Stefanovic.

3.5 stars, print book

Very short essays from 36 different immigrants that most of whom call themselves New Yorkers. They come from all around the world, but end up in the generally the same geographic area. They are mostly tales from a stand-up at Joe's Club in NYC, but not all, and some of the immigrants are Australian. It may be better as a podcast or audiobook, something closer to the original form. I got a copy of this from NetGalley in June 2021, but read a hardback copy from the library. Hope the next half of the peak goes as well as it's been so far. 🤞😀

Recently finished book 31 The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers.

4 stars, eBook

I enjoyed this book, about two friends in the summer of 1989 that create these intricate crop circles in the fields of England overnight. Each chapter is about the crop circle they create and ends with the news report afterwards. It is an unique book and I really wanted to give it all the stars, but felt like the author pushed climate change into the story. Not every book has to address this and felt very out of place for this book. Got the book from NetGalley in December 2021.

Yesterday finished book 32 The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence.

5 stars, audio book

This is a non-fiction book where the author explores the line where trees stop growing, not in height but the far north, so places like Scotland, Canada, Russia, and Greenland. Each place has one tree that dominates, Here talking about climate change is very appropriate, and what is happening to the landscape and the forest. We also get a lot on the local native populations, how they live and do so in the past, before modern times. I got an eBook from NetGalley in December 2021, but listened to an audiobook from the library. With such dense thick sentences this was the way to go for me.

Book 33 is Signature by Hunter Dukes.

2 stars, eBook

Didn't quite finish the book, it was sucking all the joy out of reading and was helping to contribute to a book slump. Decided to give it up, stop. I read over two-thirds of the book, not even 200 pages long, but it was enough. The author was going far off-field from the topic of signatures and was overly academic for no reason. This is from the Object Lessons series that I have (mostly) enjoyed with this entry as the least readable to me. I got the book from NetGalley in October 2020.

Book 34 is Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries by Jon Ronson.

3.5 stars, audio book

A collection of essays Ronson previously published (mostly with The Guardian) but with added info and details. Some of the topics are strange, well most of them are. Too often they seem like stories with no purpose, just ends and felt a little jarring. I like the last one the best, very personal to Ronson, but seemed to sum up the collection well. I bought this audio book in June 2015, one of the older unread owned audio books.

Book 35 is The Quantum Spy by David Ignatius.

3.5 stars, print book

Felt like everything I was reading (maybe too many different books) was taking way too long, so I pulled this one off my bookshelves. It was a quick read, as a spy story of the US against China. Not my typical type of book, but it held my interest despite the writing feeling a bit stilted. I got this book at a library conference in June 2017, been sitting around long enough. I'll be giving the book away in one of the neighborhood little free libraries. Hope to get another one done before the end of the month, yet unlikely.

For the peak of Mt. Vancouver, book 36 Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly.

4 stars, print book

This is very short, perhaps could be read in an hour or so, easily in one sitting. I didn't though. At first wondered why it took me so long to read this, then realized I was entirely mistaken on what this book is...an autobiography by one woman told in very short essays, unconnected except they are all her life. I found it so appealing! I got the book in June 2017, and I'm going to keep it, maybe read again someday, it's just so short! Onward now to Mt. Ararat!

Book 37 is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.


3.75 stars, audio book

Somewhat a romance, following two people from their school days in Nigeria and their immigrant experience in the US or England. They reconnect when both back in Nigeria. The book says a lot about Race. Took a long break in the middle of listening, glad I returned and finished the book. I bought the audiobook in January 2015, one of my earliest bought audiobooks. Finished the book a few weeks ago, trying to catch up now.

Book 38 is Outlandish: Walking Europe’s Unlikely Landscapes by Nick Hunt.

4 stars, print book

Non-fiction travel book where Hunt goes around to some unusual places found in Europe. A desert in Spain, the artic in Scotland, jungle in Poland and Hungary's steppe. The book is very descriptive and Hunt likes to walk, like for most the day and days on end. Most of these environments are extreme. I liked his writing style but glad there were only four location. I got the eBook from netGalley in December 2021 but had a hard time with the book format so switched to print from the library. I've fallen behind in my log, catching up today. Finished June 27.

Book 39 is How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu.


5 stars, print book

I was not sure it was a good idea to start this book that was about a pandemic, artic plague they called it in the book, but the characters quickly drew me in. I loved this book! The format is of a series of short stories, but they are connected with a few characters coming back in later stories, maybe as a main character where previously was in the background. Time moved forward with each chapter-story as well. I can see myself reading this book again, or better yet, watching it as a movie (hopefully!) I got the print book last year in October. Finished June 28.

Book 40 is TV by Susan Bordo.


4 stars, print book

Another in the Object Lessons series focused on a single object, in this case television. The authors can take this wherever they like and in this case the focus was on how TV has changed viewers, Americans by the values presented in fictional shows and news programs. It is based in feminism and political critiques. I loved her writing style and why I didn't watch most of the tv shows covered in the book, enough details were provided to understand her points. Same as book 38 above, got eBook from netGalley but switched to print from the library, had the book since February 2021. Finished earlier today.

Book 41 is Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron.

3 stars, print book

A quick read, thriller book with a nearly unreliable narrator. Cassie is in major stalker territory, perhaps this is her trying to find some connection to someone in the world. The book takes place for a large time at work, Cassie is a temp lawyer after what she did at her previous great law job. Finding that out takes most of the book. I like how the ending of the book, well the last portion, changed and vastly improved where the story ended up. I got the book in February last year.

Book 42 is She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick.


3.5 stars, print book

Another quick read, actually just a few hours for this book. A young adult book, a blind 16 year old takes her younger brother to New York City from their London house to find their missing father. He's a writer on a research trip in Switzerland but there was an email from someone who found his notebook of ideas in NYC. Mom is off to see her sister and couldn't be bothered, so impulsively Laureth goes to retrieve the notebook and find Dad. There's a bit of author maneuvering in the book, talking about coincidences and the number 354 and overall hurt the story line. I got the print book in July 2014.

Book 43 is Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach.

4 stars, print book

Finally got another done for the month. My reading has slowed to a trickle, even though I started the month as a flood. Happy to finally have another read. This book is about the human-animal encounters, mostly when they are nuisance, but sometimes when they harm or kill humans, yeah that's a nuisance. My first Mary Roach book, and she does had humor in the book, which I enjoyed. Her book topics are mostly unusual, but I may have to read another. I got this book from NetGalley in June 2021.