2020 - The Year in Reading

It appears that I didn't do a year-end wrap-up post for 2019, so I can't review my goal, but I'm sure I would have said something like "read 1 book per month" so I guess I managed that. 

This year wasn't much of an improvement in my reading habits, but considering how this year was overall.... I won't go on and on; sufficient to say I read a total of 15 books, for an average of at least 1 per month, which ... will have to do, ha ha. Nine of these books were from the TBR Pile, so that is a victory. I didn't complete either of the reading challenges I created posts for, so I hope I can do better than that next year. 

For 2021 - this blog's 10 year anniversary, which is BANANAS - I think I will do the Color-Coded and Mount TBR Challenges again (assuming Bev is hosting again), as I would like to continue to concentrate on that TBR Pile for the most part. I also received a couple books as gifts that I am looking forward to reading. I'll aim for at least 1 book per month as a baseline goal and go from there. 

As always, I wish all of my readers a happy, healthy 2021 - it HAS to be better than 2020, right?? 

What are your goals for 2021?

Some general thoughts

This has been a rough month in some ways and a good one in others. At the beginning of the month, I was feeling very down about the general situation - how can so many people be so easily taken in by a moronic snake oil salesman that has done nothing for them?!?!? It's really difficult for me to grasp, and rather depressing. I feel more hopeful now so I guess we will see what 2021 brings. I did some comfort re-reading over the past couple of weeks but I won't log it. 

Rosemary's Baby - the 1968 film (Spoilers!)

**NOTE: as I mention frequently on this blog, I usually do all I can to avoid any kind of spoilers on my blog. However, in order to review the movie in some kind of meaningful way, I would like to make comparisons to the book, which will involve giving away key plot points and etc. If you are planning to read the book or see the film and wish to avoid spoilers, please avoid this post.**

Oh, and my review of the book in the previous post to this one is spoiler-free. 

As I mentioned in my review of the book that was the basis for this movie, I DVRd this movie as an incentive to read the book to clear it off my TBR Pile. Having now watched it, I think this was an excellent adaptation. It kept all of the key plot points from the book, while removing or limiting some extraneous characters (like the sister). One of the biggest differences is that in the book, Rosemary seems to be developing more agency, while in the movie, she is more of a helpless victim. The movie does make the whole "pregancy horror" theme more obvious though. All in all, I can see why this is considered a classic horror film and I'm glad I have now seen it. 

Rosemary's Baby - Ira Levin

For some reason, despite planning to read this in October for years, I never made it happen. This year I happened to see that the movie version was playing on TV, so I DVRd it, and figured it was a great opportunity to do a review of both versions. 

This was indeed a CREEPY book. There is an overall sense of impending... something that pervades each page as the story unfolds, which builds and builds up until the payoff. It is a deceptively fast read that I suspect would be a good re-read - maybe I will read it again next October and pay better attention to the details. If you like horror, this is recommended. 

Side note: This was yet another Library Sales find, a vintage copy of the book club version from 1967. 

Selection Day - Aravind Adiga

 So here's what I know about cricket: 

-It's a sport

-It's played in many places around the world but mainly those that have had a British presence of some kind

-The uniforms are cool 

-Most people don't understand how it's played, scored, etc. 

Now you know what I had in mind while reading this book, which is set in India and is about two brothers raised by their single-minded, ambitious, and controlling father to become cricket champions. I won't lie, this book wasn't exactly uplifting... among other things, it deals with the realities of privilege, and how people who have the "right" connections have a much easier time to get ahead in life; how a super controlling parent can disrupt a child's development, and push the child to become someone they'd rather not be; and how it's difficult to be "different" in a society that won't readily accept you. In the end, I now know a little more about cricket, and the story has left me thinking about life and the near-cliche Fitzgerald quote about how we're all "borne back ceaselessly into the past." 

As it happens, there was also a Netflix series based on this book, which intrigues me - I will definitely check that out. 

Blindspot - Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore

This book might have the distinction of being the longest resident on my TBR pile. Yet another Library Sale shelves book, the description was intriguing so I picked it up - and then it gathered dust until now. 

This is yet another book that makes me wonder what on earth took me so long to read it. It’s a well written historical novel set in 1760s Boston, and functions as an homage to literature of the period. The authors are both historians and scholars, so they have included wonderful details, like newspaper announcements and stories, and fun wordplay, that really add to the period feel. The authors include slavery and the racism that was rampant in these days (not that it’s gone now, but that’s another blog) and it does make me regret that the founding fathers didn’t eradicate slavery and put their money where their mouths were regarding “all men are created equal” (we won’t touch the status of women, that’s another another blog) when they formed the United States of America. One critique I have of this book is that I could have done with fewer scenes of people “getting busy” if you know what I mean - but that was minor and didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the book. 

All in all this was a really fast read that was hard for me to put down. Recommended. 

Side note - reading a book set in 1760 when a tropical storm has knocked out your electricity definitely helps the reader feel as if they are in the book's time period! 

Daughters of the Samurai - Janice P. Nimura

This nonfiction book was un-put-downable. It’s the true story of a group of young daughters of samurai, who were sent to the United States in the 1870s to learn “western ways” and help lead Japan into the 20th century. After a decade, they returned to Japan and worked to reform women’s education. To be honest, I attended one of the schools that one of these young women attended (albeit many years later, ha ha) and I am shocked that I had never heard of this mission or these young women until I stumbled on this book on the Library Sale shelves. It’s an incredible story and the author has told it skillfully and very well indeed. Highly recommended. 

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

 Confession time! According to the receipt I found in this book, I purchased it all the way back in 2005 - yes, FIFTEEN years ago - ! I remember buying the book, and I remember starting to read it, but for some reason (not lack of interest) I never got around to finishing it, and it ended up on my TBR pile. So much time had passed that I just started over and have finally finished this book. 

After all this time, I guess this book has held up. The premise - “How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” - makes perfect sense, and the author’s description of people who are “connectors” and “mavens” is definitely relatable - I’m sure we all know people like this in our daily lives. And of course, he mentions epidemics and pandemics, which is definitely relatable these days. To be honest, I am not sure what, if anything, I can add to a discussion about this book, but I did enjoy reading it. 

Behold the Dreamers - Imbolo Mbue

Yet another fortuitous Library Sale shelves find! I really enjoyed this book. It was a deceptively fast read that had a lot of depth. I really liked how all the characters were capable of doing good and bad things, just like real people. It was fascinating to see the immigrant experience through the eyes of people seeking the current version of the American Dream, and a bonus to see the reflection of those who seem to be living this dream. What’s also striking about this book is the reality behind these dreams - how much it costs, on a psychological level, to attain what we seem to think of as this dream, and how few people can truly bridge that gap without losing SOMETHING. Recommended. 

The 7-1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

OK, so you know how in my 6-month recap, I mentioned that my library was closed? It was, but it recently reopened in a limited fashion. One of the ways they are trying to get books to people who want them is a service where you tell them a couple of your favorite and least favorite books/authors and they choose a book for you based on this background information. Isn't that a neat idea?? If you think I could resist that, I have some bridges, tunnels, and monuments for sale at great prices (ha ha).

So it is that I ended up with this book, which I really enjoyed. Yes, it could be hard to follow at times, because as readers we are figuring things out at the same time as the narrator, but that's part of the fun. Having read the book, I kind of wish I had the time to re-read it right now, when I could pay attention to the details to see what I would pick up on now that I know why-, how-, and whodunnit. Recommended.

Orphans of the Carnival - Carol Birch (Spoilers)

The review below contains information that might constitute spoilers for this book. 


This was yet another dollar store book find, destined to become mine due to the title and the arresting cover design (side note, this will be my choice for Yellow in the Color-Coded Reading Challenge):

I didn't realize until I read the Afterword that this book was based on a true story, and a real person, Julia Pastrana, who was part of the burgeoning "freak show" circuit in the mid-1800s. The author makes her come alive in the book, and she is a very sympathetic character. Her manager/husband Theo not so much, although he is humanized a great deal as well. Both characters are given complex motivations for their actions. I will say that the author sometimes shifted the third-person point of view from Julia to Theo very quickly, so that a few times it was initially hard to follow whose mind/point of view we were eavesdropping on.

One thing I felt unsure of was the tie-in story set in the 1980s. On the one hand, it kept me guessing - the slight misdirection was well done, and I didn't figure it all out until the end. On the other hand, it took a fair amount of time to get where it was going, and I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters. The end result, however, brought tears to my eyes and was singularly heartbreaking. So in the end I guess it was worth it.

All in all, a fast read that has left me with mental images I'll likely never be rid of. Recommended.

This Last 6 Months in Reading

2020 has really been something, hasn't it? I truly hope whatever we all go through (and survive) makes 2021 stronger and better, like the proverbial phoenix rising from fire and ashes.

Longtime readers may remember monthly recaps, but month after month of writing "hmm, I read 0-1 book(s) this month" is depressing so I have decided to just do a mid-year check in instead.

I managed to read 7 books in the last 6 months, which is pitiful and yet such a vast improvement on 2019 that it seems like a victory. Strangely, the lockdown didn't really lead to more reading, which is too bad; I'm hoping to turn that around in this next 6 months. Of the 7 read books, several were from the library, as I had joined a book club (which is now on hiatus, unfortunately), but I did manage 2 from the TBR shelves. On a positive note, since my library has been closed, I haven't been able to impulsively check out books or buy tempting selections from the Library Sales shelves, so my TBR Pile has actually shrunk. Hooray!

So for the next 6 months, my goal is to read at least 7 more books, all from the TBR Pile. I can do it!

How has 2020 affected your reading?

Blog statement

Hi everybody,

With the state of the world I felt the need to comment.

Longtime readers know that I am not one to allow "politics" on my blog. This is mainly because I fear becoming some kind of battleground for negative people to spew hate and bigotry in the comments. That type of thing is not welcome here.

I would hope that longtime readers have noticed that I read a wide variety of books from a wide variety of authors, and that I participate in a wide variety of reading-related challenges, and that that means I have respect for a wide variety of humanity. I read books of all kinds, written by male and female authors, black, white, and other people of color (POC) authors, authors of all religions (and no religion),  LGBTQIA+ authors, etc. But in case it hasn't been clear:

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Thank you, and stay strong.

Butterfly Skin - Sergey Kuznetsov

One of the countless Library Sale shelves books that have crossed my TBR pile, this one was ... something else. A cover quote warns "the fainthearted had best stay away" and I can confirm that this is indeed the case. To be honest I found this book somewhat confusing; it slips between points of view as it describes the "romance" of sorts between a serial killer and a reporter who is trying to capitalize on his reign of terror. It can be very detailed in its descriptions of the crimes that take place, and of the proclivities of the reporter. All in all I guess this was worth the 50 cents I spent on it; not sure it would have been worth much more.

Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe

The subtitle of this nonfiction book is "A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland" and it's a good primer on "the Troubles" for those of us who heard about them in the news but had no real firsthand knowledge of them. It begins with the story of a disappearance, and then places that disappearance in the larger context of the motivations one both sides of the long-standing conflict in Northern Ireland. Gripping and sad, this book was a good read for a gloomy spring.

Side note: I am going to use this book for the "Black" category of the Color-Coded Reading Challenge

The Man Who Died - Antti Tuomainen

Yet another book I stumbled across at the library and decided to try, since I like Scandinavian crime fiction and this one is set in Finland. As it happens, this was a good find, and I quite liked this book. It was a darkly comic whodunnit that kept me guessing. I'd definitely read more books by this author. Recommended.

Gingerbread - Helen Oyeyemi

Hmm.

Confession: I am not sure what to make of this book. It's kind of a magical realism story that is also kind of a play on fairytale tropes. At times, it held my interest quite well but then it would get rambly and start to feel like a rough draft from a Creative Writing MFA candidate or something. It was a little all over the place. I was hoping to love it but that didn't happen. Oh well.

The cover of this book is really nice, and it's not brown, but because gingerbread is usually brown I am going to claim it for that category in the Color-Coded Reading Challenge.

Before We Were Yours - Lisa Wingate

This book was another book club choice, and it was a doozy. It's a fictionalized version of the harm a real (and really evil) person inflicted on people in the early 20th century, which has repercussions that linger to this day (but that rant* is outside the scope of this blog, unfortunately). The characters were well done and I liked the changing points of view between events that took place in the 1930s and the impact they have in the present day. As the two stories converge, the truth emerges, and I thought that part of the novel was really well done. I read this book compulsively, wanting to find out what had happened and how the stories came together. There should be a lot of good discussion of this book.

*One thing I will allow myself to say here is that evil people like Georgia Tann make me hope there is some kind of judgement in an afterlife, as she is someone who should be punished severely for the horrible things she did.

The Refugees - Viet Thanh Nguyen

Joined a book club, and this was the first read for me - and it was a great choice. Each story in this collection was full of potential for discussion, so much so that we ran over our allotted time and could have kept talking. Standouts for me were "War Years," "The Americans," and the first story, "Black-Eyed Women," which was startling and a perfect way to set the tone for the book overall. Highly recommended.

I'm using this book as my choice for Blue in the Color-Coded Reading Challenge, too:

 

Moth Smoke - Mohsin Hamid

This book was a relatively recent Library Sale Shelves addition to my TBR pile and readers, this was the perfect book to give this blog a fresh start. I loved it. The writing is amazing and the story is rich with symbolism (including the meaning of the title) and themes that one could discuss in a college class or write papers on. When I finished it my first impulse was to go back to the beginning and start reading it all over again, and that's not something I typically feel like doing at all. It's a good thing my secondhand copy is in such good shape because it will move from the TBR shelf to a space in my permanent collection. Highly recommended.

This book is a good candidate for the Color-Coded Reading Challenge, but frankly I am not sure if the cover is a shade of green or a shade of blue. I guess for now I will put it as green. Let me know what you think!

Color-Coded Reading Challenge 2020

Bev at My Reader's Block is also hosting this fun challenge, which you can read all about and sign up here. Over the years I have really enjoyed finding books to fit this challenge, with brown being the most challenging overall. I'll update this post with links as I fill in the categories.

Read nine books in the following categories:

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc.) in the title/on the cover. The Refugees - Viet Thang Nguyen (see linked post for photo of book cover)

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgandy, etc.) in the title/on the cover.

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Orphans of the Carnival - Carol Birch (see linked post for photo of book cover)

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc.) in the title/on the cover.
Moth Smoke - Mohsin Hamid (see linked post for photo of book cover)

5. A book with  "Brown" or any shade of Brown (Tan, Beige, Sand, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Gingerbread - Helen Oyeyemi (gingerbread is usually brown)

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc.) in the title/on the cover.
Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe (see linked post for photo of book cover)

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Selection Day - Aravind Adiga

8. A book with any other color in the title/on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Magenta, Pink, etc.).

9. A book with a word that implies color in the title/on the cover (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Shadow, Paint, Ink, etc.).

Mount TBR Challenge 2020 - Continuing in 2021

Bev at My Reader's Block is once again hosting this great challenge - you can read all the details and sign up here. I am going to commit to the Mount Kilimanjaro level of 60 books, and see if I can manage more.

1. Moth Smoke - Mohsin Hamid
2. Butterfly Skin - Sergey Kuznetsov
3. Orphans of the Carnival - Carol Birch
4. Behold the Dreamers - Imbolo Mbue
5. The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
6. Daughters of the Samurai - Janice P. Nimura
7. Blindspot - Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore
8. Selection Day - Aravind Adiga
9. Rosemary's Baby - Ira Levin
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Pike's Peak
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Mount Blanc
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Mt. Vancouver
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Mt. Ararat
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Mt. Kilimanjaro
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El Toro
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Mount Everest
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Mount Olympus (Mars)

Happy New Year! I'm back!

Hi everyone. Sorry I was gone for so long. There were lots of life-related reasons, which resulted in me not reading very much at all for the past couple of years (ouch, it hurts to type that). I've really missed this blog, and of course reading, so I am going to start back up for 2020. You will see some backdated entries as I post about books I actually managed to read since my absence, with the exception of logging re-reads I did of books that have already been reviewed on this blog (there was some comfort reading going on). Of course, I'll log my reading going forward.

Longtime blog readers know I normally participate in lots of reading challenges. It looks like some of them aren't being hosted this year, unfortunately. For many reasons, I think I will forgo participating in too many challenges this year, and concentrate on 2 of my favorite challenges: the Mount TBR Challenge, so I can focus on TBR pile reading, and the Color-Coded Reading Challenge just because I really like it. I'll also keep track of the ongoing Planet Earth Challenge just because. Look for sign up posts later today.

Best wishes to all in 2020! Happy reading :)