On The Same Page discussion

My First Challenge is to read books from the Rory Gilmore Challenge. Here are a few of the books I have already selected:

Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry Completed 1/14/2023
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton Completed 12/31/2023
Night by Elie Wiesel Completed 1/12/2023
Breakfast at Tiffany's Truman Capote Completed 05/08/2023
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Completed 4/20/2023
The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman Completed 05/23/2023
Candide by Voltaire
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin Completed 8/12/2023
The Time Traveler's Wife Completed 7/31/2023
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain Completed 1/27/2023
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Completed 10/21/2023
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Completed 3/1/2023
Bell Canto by Ann Patchett
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Year of Magical Thinking Completed 1/27/2023
Brave New World Completed 2/26/2023

My Second Challenge is to read books that the authors are new to me. Here are what I have selected so far.

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The Latecomers by Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Lost Apothecary Completed 1/7/2023
The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu
The Family by Naomi Krupitsky
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
Vladimir by Julia May Jonas
Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
The Night Ship by Jess Kidd
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
by Laurie Lico Albanese Completed 3/10/2023

My Third Challenge is to continue with the theme of my 12+4 Challenge of Diversifying my reading of different genres and see which one I read the most of at the end of the year.

Fantasy
The Atlas Six 1/21/2023 4 stars
Sacred Hospitality 1/21/2023 4 stars
Within These Wicked Walls 4/19/2023 4 stars
The House in the Cerulean Sea 6/17/2023, 5 stars
All the Birds in the Sky 9/30/2023, 4 stars
All of Us Villains 10/8/2023, 5 stars
All of Our Demise 11/7/2023, 4 stars
The Lover 11/20/2023, 4 stars

Romance
Once Upon a December 1/11/2023, 5 Stars
The Challenge 1/12/2023, 4 stars
The Bromance Book Club 3/23/2023 4 stars
A Thousand Heartbeats 4/5/2023 4 stars
Stars of Fortune 5/12/2023, 4 stars
Happy Place 5/15/2023, 5 stars
The Devine Doughnut Shop 5/21/2023, 4 stars
The Bodyguard 6/26/2023, 4 stars
A Summer Affair 6/30/2023, 3 stars
The Time Traveler's Wife 7/31/2023 4 stars
One Last Stop 8/26/2023, 4 stars
Silver Bay 8/31/2023 3 stars
Almost Like Being in Love: A Novella 10/13/2023, 4 stars
Things I Wish I Told My Mother 12/31/2023, 4 stars

Mystery
Fear The Wolf 1/4/2023, 4 stars
NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority 1/11/2023
4 stars
And Then There Were None 3/1/2023 4 stars
Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight 3/8/2023 4 stars
Velvet Was the Night 03/30/2023, 3 stars
Back to the Garden 5/4/2023, 4 stars
The 23rd Midnight 05/31/2023, 4 stars
Still Life 9/2/2023 4 stars
Murder at the Royal Ruby 9/12/2023 4 stars
An Intention Most Bitter 12/6/2023, 4 stars

Contemporary Fiction
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 1/27/23 4 stars
Beartown 02/11/2023, 4 stars
The Book of Unknown Americans 2/23/23 4 stars
A Redbird Christmas 5/18/2023, 4 stars
Golden Hills 6/29/2023, 4 stars
The Scenic Route 9/13/2023 4 stars
The Chicken Sisters 9/23/2023 4 stars
The Summer House 9/30/2023 4 stars
The Perks of Being a Wallflower 10/21/23, 4 stars

Young Adult
The Sun Is Also a Star 6/9/2023, 4 stars
Looking for Alaska 11/20/23, 4 stars
The Inheritance Games 12/11/2023, 4 stars

Non Fiction
Milk and Honey 1/13/2023, 4 stars
The Year of Magical Thinking 1/27/2023, 4 stars
Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember 2/17/2023 3 stars
Swerve or Die: Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR Racing 3/18/2023 4 stars
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism 03/31/2023, 4 stars
How I Saved the World 4/12/2023, 4 stars
The Art of War 4/19/2023, 4 stars
Books for Living 4/26/2023 4 stars
It Will All Work Out: The Freedom of Letting Go 8/17/2023, 4 stars
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics 9/5/2023 4 stars
Keith Urban 9/30/2023, 4 stars
Greenlights 11/30/2023, 5 stars

Thriller
Just the Nicest Couple 1/30/2023, 4 stars
The Villa 4/27/2023 4 stars
If We Were Villains 7/10/2023, 4 stars
After Death 7/30/2023 4 stars
A Show of Faith 8/14/2023 4 stars
The Mosquito 11/22/2023, 4 stars

Literary Fiction

Science Fiction
Brave New World 2/26/23 4 stars
Void 7/1/2023, 4 stars
The Six Deaths of the Saint 8/1/2023
Ready Player One 9/11/2023 4 stars

Horror
The Sanatorium 05/28/2023, 4 stars
The Stepford Wives 8/12/2023 4 stars
Ankle Snatcher 10/1/2023 4 stars
The Winter People 10/9/2023 4 stars

Historical Fiction
The Lost Apothecary 1/7/2023, 4 stars
A Mind of Her Own 2/2/2023 4 stars
Hester 3/09/2023 3/10/2023 4 stars
Calico Joe 7/18/2023, 4 stars
The Invisible Hour 8/13/2023 4 stars
The Alice Network
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek 12/31/2023, 4 stars

Humor/Comedy
Skipping Christmas 1/8/2023, 4 stars
The Guncle, 02/10/2023 4 stars
Nothing to See Here 6/3/2023 4 stars

Christian/Spirituality
Cross Roads 6/16/2023, 4 stars
Classics
Night 1/12/2023 5 stars
Driving Miss Daisy 1/14/2023 4 Stars
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County 1/27/2023, 4 stars
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 3/4/2023, 4 stars
The Art of War 4/19/2023, 4 stars
A Streetcar Named Desire 4/20/2023, 4 stars
Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories 5/8/2023, 4 stars
The Children's Hour 5/23/2023, 3 stars
Green Mansions 11/27/2023, 3 stars
Ethan Frome 12/31/2023, 4 stars

New to me Authors is a great category!!!

I like your challenges. I've read a few of Rory's books; Night, Lord of the Flies, Clockwork Orange. Your new authors are all new for me as well. Good luck with your selections.

I've read a few of the books from the Rory Gilmore list - The Children's Hour, A Clockwork Orange, Lord of the Flies, And Then There Were None. Am hoping to read The Family before the end of the year as it is one of my 12+4 in 2022. Happy Reading!

I have been wanting to try the Rory Gilmore Challenge for a few years. I have read a few but thought it would be change of pace for me. It will take some time to get thru all 408 books on the list.

Denise wrote: "My First Challenge is to read books from the Rory Gilmore Challenge. Here are a few of the books I have already selected:"

I love this challenge, and most are on my TBR or have been read. That clockwork orange is "different".... I had to use a NADSAT dictionary, which is the russian slang used by the teens in this book; here: https://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/ell...

Good luck with this fantastic list, Denise!

Great challenge lists. I’ve read several on the Rory Gilmore list, Ethan Frome, A Street Car Named Desire, Night, Lord of the Flies, And Then There None, and The Joy Luck Club a number of years ago. Maybe it’s time for a reread? After your reviews ;)

Firekeeper’s Daughter was a good read. Hope enjoy it.

I, also, have Jess Kidd’s The Night Shift on my challenge for 2023. If you get the chance, I highly recommend her previous books.

Good luck!

I'm aiming to read Bel Canto this next year, too.

The Rory Gilmore list is a great list. I have only read A Clockwork Orange, Lord of the Flies, Bel Canto, The Joy Luck Club and The Firekeeper's Daughter, but I enjoyed them all. I hope you do too, Denise. Best of luck!

I have read and enjoyed A Streetcar Named Desire, Night, Candide, A Clockwork Orange, Lord of the Flies, And Then There Were None, and The Joy Luck Club. Okay, "enjoyed" might not be the right word, for some of them, but they were all well-written. You'll understand when you read them.

Completed , 4 stars. Fits into my new author category and Genre category.

A very engaging and entertaining historical novel. The story jumps effortlessly from past to present. It is full of mystery and self discovery. I was drawn more to the story in the past than the present.

Finished , gave it 4 stars. Skipping Christmas is a novel idea that I may have to do one day. This was a witty story that kept me entertained from beginning to end. I enjoyed the characters Luther and Nora, but some of the neighbors were a little aggressive.

Finished , gave it 5 stars. A beautiful story of love set during Christmas time. This book will warm your heart and take you away to a magical place. I have read almost all of her previous books and this one ranks up at the top. The dog Bernie was one of my favorite characters. I could easily see this book made into a Hallmark movie.

Finished , gave it 4 stars. I love this series and this one did not disappoint. It was fast moving and multiple intertwined parts that are wrapped up like a nice bow by the end. The story will draw you in right up to the last page. I look forward to the next one in this series.

Finished , gave it 5 stars. This was an exceptional memoir about the horrors that happened at the concentration camps during WWII. It is quite disturbing to read about the atrocities that happened, but a must read in order to understand what happened and to know what really happened. You are able to feel the pain, suffering and loss that this survivor underwent while being tortured during this time.

Finished , gave it 4 stars. I love Danielle Steel books and this one did not disappoint. The story is fast paced, at times a little too much. I think that more focus could have been made on the kids getting lost in the mountains rather than the life after. The second half of the book explores the aftermath and was a typical love story with drama and cheating. The ending also seemed a bit rushed to me with too many neat bows.

Finished , gave it 4 stars. Word are powerful and this poetry collection was just that. It is amazing how one can put together words that just speak to you. I don't normally read poetry, but I enjoyed this collection very much. Some of the poetry was a little too erotic for me, but others were like they were reading the thoughts in my mind and were articulated on paper. What I took from her words are that we don't need a man to get thru life and to love ourselves first.

Finished , 4 stars. A short but sweet play. I loved the movie and the play did not disappoint. It brings together friendship, humor and history.

Denise wrote: "Finished , gave it 5 stars. This was an exceptional memoir about the horrors that happened at the concentration camps during WWII. It is quite disturbing to read about the atr..."

Read this a couple of years ago. Excellent novella that really packs a punch.

Completed , 4 stars. I loved the character development in this story, this was also part of the downfall of the story as the plot was slow to get to. Much of the book is centered between 7 POV's that it can get confusing where you are and what you are reading. By the end of the book the plot starts to make sense. I hope that the second book answers some of the questions that still need answered.

Completed , 4 stars. Cute novella that gives you a little glimpse into the main characters before being invited to The Alexandrian Society.

Finished , gave it 4 stars. A story of love, life, loss and forgiveness. I play video games a lot so I appreciated the origins on how they are made and how much passion goes into making them. Sadie was a character that I had a hard time liking, often feeling frustrated and annoyed by her character. Marx however was my favorite character and wish his story was different. Overall I enjoyed the story and found the ending satisfying.

Finished , 5 stars. A few years a ago I lost two family members within a 2 week span so I can relate to thinking that they are coming back and not really gone forever. You can feel her honest emotions and her heartbreaking grief in this memoir. Reading this was painful but also comforting.

Finished , 4 stars. I was introduced to Mark Twain in Jr High and I still enjoy reading his stories. He writes as if he is talking right to you telling his stories. I enjoyed the humor he puts in and the imagination that he has.

Denise wrote: "Finished , 5 stars. A few years a ago I lost two family members within a 2 week span so I can relate to thinking that they are coming back and not reall..."

I just discovered Didion last year. An excellent writer. This was a powerful story, emotional, excellent.

Completed , gave it 4 stars. I was hooked from the first chapter. It kept me guessing throughout, but never did guess the actual ending. The story does end with a few loose ends that I felt could have been tied up better and not rushed so much.

Finished , 4 stars. , 3 stars, , 4 stars, and , 3 stars.

Finished 4 stars and 4 stars.

Finished 4 stars. A classic Agatha Christie book that kept me entertained the whole time.

Completed , 4stars , 4 stars and , 4 stars.

Denise wrote: "Completed , 4stars , 4 stars and , 4 stars."

You're on a roll.

Finished , 4 stars and , 4 stars.

Finished March with , 3 stars and 4 stars.

Finished , gave it 4 stars.

Finished , gave it 4 stars and , gave it 4 stars.

Finished , 4 stars and , 4 stars.

You're moving right along.

Finished , gave it 4 stars. A roadmap of his love of books and what they have meant to him. It also reminds us to make the time for reading, put down our devices and just enjoy the story. One of my favorite passages was: “Reading and naps, two of life's greatest pleasures, go especially well together.”

Finished 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Denise wrote: "Finished 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars


Looks like you've had a great reading run! Good to see that you loved Happy Place, I just borrowed it from the library. And put The Villa on my list :)

Finished 4 stars, 3 stars, and 5 stars

Finished 4 stars and 4 stars

Finished , 4 stars and , 5 stars.

So many good books all in a row!

Finished , gave it 4 stars.

Finished 4 stars, 3 stars, and 4 stars

Wow! You're making great progress & have read some great books. Congrats!

A few of your books I really enjoyed on audio. The Bodyguard, Nothing to See Here, and The Sun is also a Star. All fun books!

Finished 4 stars and 4 stars