On The Same Page discussion

1. Read War and Peace - Completed 4/8/2022

2. Read 40 additional books, but for every book I read that is not on my TBR as of 12/31/2021 I will read at least 2 that are. - Completed 7/22/2022

I've never read War and Peace. Good luck. Good luck with all of your selections.

Good luck

I've been wanting to read War & Peace for a long time, but read Les Miserables last year instead. I am not sure I want to commit to reading it this coming year, maybe in 2023, depending on how it goes with you. Seems like an ambitious challenge, good luck.

War and Peace is on my list for someday, too. It's a huge commitment and I'd need to be in the right frame of mind, but I can't wait to see how it goes for you and what you think of it. Is it too much? How readable is it? Does it keep you engaged or do you feel like skipping boring pages?
Good luck and happy reading!

Karol wrote: "Read 40 additional books, but for every book I read that is not on my TBR as of 12/31/2021 I will read at least 2 that are.."

Yyeesss; I like that punishment. More books; because goodness knows I wouldn't stick to that rule. LOL

Good luck Karol

Karol wrote: " for every book I read that is not on my TBR as of 12/31/2021 I will read at least 2 that are."

I like this challenge. I hope it is easy for you to do!

Challenge #2:

1. , Not the Faintest Trace, by Wendy M. Wilson. 1/2/2022, 4/5 stars

I loved the setting, which was New Zealand in 1877, and the story itself, although it was a bit gruesome in places. The main characters were a Scandinavian immigrant (female) and from Her Majesty's 57th Regiment of Foot, Sergeant Frank Hardy. The sergeant is a most interesting character; the Scandinavian love interest not so much. But I have a feeling in future books of this series she will grow into an interesting character also. (I hope so).

2. Murder at the Filmore, by Zelda White. 1/5/2022 3/5 stars, and

3. The Vanishing Spy, by Zelda White. 1/8/2022, 4/5 stars.

Am I avoiding reading War and Peace? Not exactly . . . it has been a busy week with company staying with us so a couple of short novels in the cozy mystery genre seemed like a good choice. I liked the second in the series much more than the first.

Challenge #2

4. Deadly Odds, by Zelda White, 1/11/2022, 3/5 stars

5. Iced Out in Iceland, by Zelda White, 1/15/2022, 4/5 stars

6. Scarecrow Calling, by Zelda White, 1/17/2022, 3/5 stars

7. Galapagos Gone, by Zelda White, 1/21/2022, 3/5 stars

Challenge #2:

8. The Thai Amulet, by Lyn Hamilton, 1/25/2022, 4/5 stars

9. The Magyar Venus, by Lyn Hamilton, 2/4/2022, 4/5 stars

10. The Moai Murders, by Lyn Hamilton, 2/18/2022, 4/5 stars

11. The Orkney Scroll, by Lyn Hamilton, 2/25/2022, 4/5 stars

12. The Chinese Alchemist, by Lyn Hamilton, 3/3/2022, 5/5 stars

I am so happy my sister loaned her archeological mystery series to me. I enjoyed every single one. Seems like the author got better and better with each one.

So far this year, all the books I've read were on my "To Read" list prior to 2022.

Challenge #1

Currently reading War and Peace . . . about 25% of the way through it.

25% of the way through War and Peace is awesome, we are almost 25% of the way through the year, so you're ahead of schedule. It looks like you've been reading some good series books too. I love it when books get better and better in a series. I need to get caught up on some of my series. :-)

25% and it's March?? Way to go!! I've never read it either

Goal #1: Complete

Yes, I finally read War and Peace!

Some of the military descriptions were a bit of a slog for me. However, I did a little reading on the side about the Napoleonic Wars and that helped give me perspective that made the novel more enjoyable. Such a tremendous work, and I'm glad I did finally read the whole thing.

Well done on finishing that so early in the year

Karol wrote: "Goal #1: Complete

Yes, I finally read War and Peace!

Some of the military descriptions were a bit of a slog for me. However, I did a little reading on the side about the Napoleonic Wars and that ..."

Yay!!! That is so awesome, Karol!! Congratulations!!

Also; the amount of finished books is nothing to sneeze it. Kudos to you on all of your progress this year!!! Woot!!

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Well done on finishing that so early in the year"

Thanks, Desley!

Alondra wrote: "Yay!!! That is so awesome, Karol!! Congratulations!!

Also; the amount of finished books is nothing to sneeze it. Kudos to you on all of your progress this year!!! Woot!!
..."

Thanks, Alondra!

Challenge # 2

13. The Miracles: Understanding What Jesus Did, by Gary Inrig, 4/8/2022, 4/5 stars

14. The 8:55 to Baghdad, by Andrew Eames, 4/15/2022, 4/5 stars

Book # 14 was not on my to read list at all, but when I was browsing in my local library it practically jumped off the shelves. I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie, and this book tries to trace her steps as she traveled from London into Syria and Iraq where she spent much of her 2nd marriage to an archeologist. I absolutely loved it.

In keeping with my challenge, my next two books are from my "To Read" list (logged prior to this year). I will be returning to the Martha Grimes "Richard Jury" series for those.

Karol wrote: "Goal #1: Complete

Yes, I finally read War and Peace!

Some of the military descriptions were a bit of a slog for me. However, I did a little reading on the side about the Napoleonic Wars and that ..."

Amazing job!!

Karol wrote: "Goal #1: Complete

Yes, I finally read War and Peace!

I did that last year, and it's a great sense of accomplishment! It took me a long time, but I really liked it too.

15. The Blue Last, by Martha Grimes, 4/19/2022, 4.5 stars

16. Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon, by Robert Kurson, 4/23/2022, 5/5 stars

My intention was to read the next two in the Richard Jury series, but I found The Blue Last to be pretty intense. So I took a break to read Rocket Men which has been on my To Read list ever since it came out.

I plan to start "The Grave Maurice" which is the next one in the Richard Jury series today.

Karol wrote: "15. The Blue Last, by Martha Grimes, 4/19/2022, 4.5 stars

16. [bookcover:Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts ..."

I haven't read as many of the Richard Jury mysteries yet but it's a most enjoyable series.

Challenge #2:

16. Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon, by Robert Kurson, 4/23/2022, 5/5 stars

17. The Grave Maurice, by Martha Grimes, 4/28/2022, 4/5 stars

18. The Last Call, by George Wier, 1/4/2022, 3.5 stars (I had forgotten to log this one until I was looking through my Kindle library this morning).

19. Missing, by Shelley Shepard Gray, 4/29/2022, 4/5 stars

20. The Search, by Shelley Shepard Gray, 4/30/2022 4/5 stars

21. Found, by Shelley Shepard Gray, 5/5/2022, 4/5 stars

22. Peace, by Shelley Shepard Gray, 5/6/2022, 4/5 stars

These books by Shelley Shepard Gray were above average horse and buggy reads (Amish/Christian perspective). I suppose the target audience might be young adult - they were clean romances of younger people set during a murder investigation. Unlike so many other Amish novels that I've read, these books dealt with some very complex issues and they did not present a glorified image of the Amish people. Nicely done.

23. The Lake Never Tells, by Alex Tully, 5/8/2022, 5/5 stars

This young adult book was excellent. I absolutely loved it. Another story that centered around a murder investigation but had so much more. Friendship and family relationships are key in this novel.

Congratulations on finishing War and Peace. I have never been brave enough to try.

〰️Beth〰️ wrote: "Congratulations on finishing War and Peace. I have never been brave enough to try."

Beth, it did take me a while to get into the story, but once I got going I enjoyed it. I also did a bit of side reading on the Napoleonic Wars, which helped me make sense of the "war" aspect of the book.

Challenge #2

24. The Baseball Whisperer: A Small-Town Coach Who Shaped Big League Dreams, by Michael Tackett, 5/15/2022 4/5 stars

Interesting story about a college league team that found great success despite the challenges of being in Iowa (long distances from competing teams) and in a very small town. It was surprising to read about the future major league players that honed their skills on this team.

25. The Winds of Change, by Martha Grimes, 5/18/2022, 5/5 stars

To me, the writing in this series gets more and more interesting with each book. This one is # 19 and I am far from tired of the series.

26. The Old Wine Shades, by Martha Grimes, 5/20/2022, 5/5 stars

27. The Women of the Copper CountryMary Doria Russell, 5/28/2022, 4/5 stars

I read this historical fiction novel for the book club at my library. It was so interesting to me, as I knew a little about the copper mining country of the northern part of the upper peninsula, and about the town of Calumet in particular. However, I did not know much about the labor strike that occurred in 1913 which was the subject of this book. Fascinating, well-written, and largely historically accurate.

This book was not in my To Read list at the beginning of the year, so I made sure the next two reads were in keeping with my goal.

28. Out of the Silence: After the Crash, by Eduardo Strauch Urioste, 6/2/2022, 3/5 stars

29. Man in Black, by Johnny Cash, 6/4/2022, 4/5 stars

30. It Ends with Us, by Colleen Hoover, 6/10/2022, 3/5 stars

31. Death Turns a Trick, by Julie Smith, 6/12/2022, 3/5 stars

32. The Sourdough Wars, by Julie Smith, 6/15/2022, 3/5 stars

33. Wolf Island: Discovering the Secrets of a Mythic Animal, by L. David Mech, 6/17/2022, 3/5 stars

It Ends with Us was for a group read. Everyone else in the group loved it. I thought it was good but didn't like it quite as much. It was awfully predictable for me.

Death Turns a Trick and The Sourdough Wars are the first two in a 5-book boxed set of cozy mysteries written in the early to mid-1980's. Before the internet, and before cell phones. Suspense is real when the phone line gets cut!

Wolf Island: Discovering the Secrets of a Mythic Animal was an intriguing non-fiction read. I learned more about wolves and their hunting habits than I wanted to know. Plus, I loved the aspect of hearing what Isle Royale, which is off the northern tip of the Keewanaw peninsula (northernmost part of the upper peninsula) was like when studies of wolf habits were done.

Next I shall return to that boxed set!

Karol wrote: "30. It Ends with Us, by Colleen Hoover, 6/10/2022, 3/5 stars

31. [book:Death Turns a Tr..."

I like the Rebecca Schwarz and generally the Skip Langdon series. I didn't particularly enjoy the Tabitha Wallis series, at least the one book I read so far.

34. Tourist Trap, by Julie Smith, 6/22/2022, 3/5 stars

35. 28 Summers, by Elin Hilderbrand, 6/28/2022, 4/5 stars

36. The Boy from the Woods, by Harlan Coben, 6/30/2022, 5/5 stars

37. A Nation in Crisis: How the Prophecy of Jeremiah Speaks to Our Culture, by Ray C. Stedman, 7/4/2022

Looks like I will be completing this challenge well ahead of schedule. Retirement is great!

Two of these books are from well-known authors I've never read before: Elin Hilderbrand, and Harlan Coben. I like both of their books very much. For sure I will read Harlan Coben again because there is a sequel out for A Boy from the Woods.

Congratulations on retirement and being able to knock out this challenge. I think War and Peace alone was a full year challenge. Looks like the first half had some great reads. Wishing you more great reads in the second half.

Congratulations on retirement and hope you enjoy reading at your own pace! I'm so glad you enjoyed books by Hilderbrand and Coben. I haven't read either of the books you have, but both are on my TBR. Out of the books I have read by these authors, The Rumor is my favorite by Hilderbrand and Hold Tight is my favorite by Coben. But there are plenty more to read. Enjoy!

Congrats on retirement (insert jealous emoji here) and almost finishing this challenge. Now what?

Karol wrote: "34. Tourist Trap, by Julie Smith, 6/22/2022, 3/5 stars

35. 28 Summers, by [author:Eli..."

I'm enjoying the Rebecca Schwarz series as well. Not my favorite but a fun read.

Challenge # 2 Wrap-Up

38. A Being So Gentle: The Frontier Love Story of Rachel and Andrew Jackson, by Patricia Brady, 7/12/2022, 3/5 stars

I was hoping to learn about the love story of Rachel and Andrew Jackson. I suppose I did learn all that the remains of history have left for us to know. But if the author had stuck to the topic the book would have been maybe 25 pages. The book was well-written and had a great deal of information about Andrew Jackson. With a different title I might have rated it higher, but I really ended up being disappointed.

39. My Hope Is in You: Psalms that Comfort and Mend the Soul, by Bill Crowder, 7/19/2022, 5/5 stars

40. The Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley, 7/22/2022, 5/5 stars

Wow! This novel truly impressed me. I am grateful for the book club at my local library for choosing this "Michigan notable" novel. I found it to be excellent in terms of character development of the main character. Frightening situations, tribal culture, and family relationships blended into an expertly told story.



With this, I complete my 2020 challenge - yay!

I'll probably still be chipping away at my "To Read" list but I also want to browse the local library shelves and maybe go to a book store or two . . .

Karol wrote: "Challenge # 2 Wrap-Up

38. [book:A Being So Gentle: The Frontier Love Story of Rachel and Andrew Jackson|..."

Congratulations, Karol!

Karol wrote: "With this, I complete my 2020 challenge - yay!

I'll probably still be chipping away at my "To Read" list but I also want to browse the local library shelves and maybe go to a book store or two . ..."

Congratulations, Karol!! Woot!!

Way to go, Karol!!