2024 First Half Favorites

Better late than never, here are my top five reads from January to June 2024. Note these may have been published before 2024, and I’m not including re-reads. They’re in no particular order.

Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka - This autobiographical graphic novel gave me all the feels. Jarret grew up with his grandparents after being largely abandoned by his drug addicted mother and his MIA father. His grandparents weren’t exactly traditional but they got the job done. Bonus points for 1990’s Massachusetts nostalgia.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - I can’t say it better than a million reviewers and the Pulitzer Prize have already said. I’ll just say this lived up to the hype for me, and I recommend it on audio.

On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu - This is one of the great books of 2020-2021 that I feel got lost amid all of the world events. If I could make it required reading though I would because it puts a very relatable face on a refugee family.

All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby - Another book that deserves the hype. Cosby is a auto read author for me. I know that once I start his books I can’t stop.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe - This was one of my most anticipated summer releases. It was so unique while being relatable all at the same time. How to describe the book about a young single mother making it work via her only fans account with the help of her washed up pro wrestler Dad? I can’t. Just read it.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

April 2024 TBR

February starting TBR: 369

March ending TBR: 437
(I found a big cache of books I had saved on Everand and hadn’t added to my TBR)

I completely forgot to post at the end of February so I’m just picking up where I left off. March was a slow reading month, but I know April will be better because soon it will be front porch reading season!

Here’s my planned list:

1) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (reading a chapter a day-expect to finish in April)

2) File M For Murder by Miranda James

3) The Women by Kristin Hannah

4) Built To Last by Jim Collins

5) Murder at the Marina by Ellen Jacobson

6) Eight Bears by Gloria Dickie

7) Tales From The Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater

8) The $64 Tomato by William Alexander

9) Climate Resilience by Kylie Flanagan

10) Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott J. Shapiro

11) Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

12) Something by Ruth Ozeki

13) Book club book TBD

14) Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly

15) The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun

16) Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani

17) Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom

18) Things Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse by William Neuman

19) A New Song by Jan Karon

20) Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

February 2024 TBR

January starting TBR: 376

January ending TBR: 369

Celebrating here because my TBR actually went down for the first time since I’ve been tracking. If I keep going at this rate I should be done by…2030 or so.

Here’s my rough reading list for February. It’s a short month, but I’m hoping to get through 20 books or so.

1) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (reading a chapter a day-expect to finish in March)

2) The Brother Gardners by Andrea Wulf

3) Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

4) Whale Rider by Ihimaera

5) On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu

6) Love and Death In Kathmandu by Amy Willesee

7) A library book from my list (depends on what comes in)

8) You Are Your Best Thing

9) Koala : A Natural History and an Uncertain Future by Danielle Clode

10) Book club book

11) In the Weeds by Tom Vitale

12) In Extremis by Lindsey Hilsum

13) A Plus One For Murder by Laura Bradford

14) Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

15) The Longest Line on the Map by Eric Rutkow

16) Lead Through Anything Dustin Seale & Ed Manfre

17) This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

18) Any ARC

19) The County Line by Steve Weddle

20) Glowing Still by Sara Wheeler

I Haven't Read A Book In Two Years, What Should I Read Next?

I was looking at my analytics the other day, and I was thrilled to see that someone had found me by searching the phrase I Haven't Read A Book In Two Years, What Should I Read Next? Searcher, I hope you found an answer!

Ever since then I was imagining having a conversation with this person over a cup of tea trying to talk them into a stack of my favorite books. Would I send them home with Devotions by Mary Oliver since short approachable poetry might lend a sense of accomplishment or with something that they could immerse themselves in like Stephen King’s 11/22/63? Or maybe something more popular like The Martian by Andy Weir or A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman would be better.

The possibilities are almost endless. What would you recommend?

May TBR

I know there’s still ten days left in April, but I’m already thinking about May. Summer reading season is almost here so I’m going to take the month of May to catch up on all my TBR read books from the winter and spring that I haven’t been able to get to.

Reading cookbooks

I love to curl up and read a good cookbook. Some people think this is weird, but a good cookbook can read like a memoir. Here are some of my favorites.

You can click on any of the images above to see a description on amazon.com.

(Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!)

Books That Take Place In 24 Hours Or Less

Someone mentioned to me the other day that they enjoy books that take place in just one day. I had never thought of that as a thing, but then I decided I loved it. A google search, plus a look at my own TBR gave me this list of solid 24 hour books.

Any titles to add?

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

The 20 oldest books on my TBR

I started using Library Thing in 2014 to track the books I've read, and to track the books I want to read. This makes me sound like Angela from The Office, but I find Goodreads to be a bit too flashy for my tastes.

Today I was shuffling through my TBR and realized I had books on there that dated from the inception of my account in 2014. That inspired a new reading challenge. If I don't read these 20 books by the end of 2016 I'm taking them off my list.

I'm going to post the covers here. If you want the amazon.com description click on the cover.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

BINGO!

I think this is the best Books on the Nightstand Summer BINGO card I've ever gotten. There isn't a single square that I'm not excited about filling in. As of right now, here's what I'm leaning towards as far as my BINGO reading list.

A mental health memoir: Girl, Interrupted

A dark, upsetting, or sad book: We Need To Talk About Kevin

Written by an author you've met: 168 Hours

Cozy Mystery: All Shall Be Well

Published before 1900: Wuthering Heights

An audiobook: The Knockoff

From the Harvard Classics 5 foot shelf: Pride and Prejudice

That you loved as a child: Baby-Sitter's Club (one of the new graphic novels.)

Set in Australia: Wildflower Hill

With a happy ending: The Little Beach Street Bakery (I'm assuming from the cover. It has a picture of a cupcake with the beach in the background.)

A Newberry or Caldecott winner: The War That Saved My Life

Horror: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Travel writing: My American Revolution

Published in 2016: Eligible

Set at (or near) the North or South Pole: Letters from Father Christmas

Shortest book on your TBR: O Pioneers!

Mentioned on the Gilmore Girls: Ella Minnow Pea

Currently on the nonfiction bestseller list: Rise of the Rocket Girls

That spans multiple generations: The Baker's Daughter

Set in Africa: O, Africa! (I'm disapointed in the selection for this one. Why has no one written a multi-generational historical novel about Africa?)

A retelling of a classic: Northanger Abbey

Nonfiction: Grandma Gatewood's Walk

With a day of the week in the title: The Wednesday Wars

Nonfiction about your hometown or state: Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

My summer reading list

My son is so wrapped up in sports that we don't even recognize months in this house any more. We just have soccer season, baseball season, basketball season, etc. Reading is my sport, and summer is undoubtedly my sport's season. I spent way more time than is normal this week coming up with my summer reading list.

(Need inspiration for your own list? Try Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading Guide and Summer Reading BINGO from Books on the Nightstand.)

To read amazon.com's description of these books click on any of the images.

NOTE: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

Halftime Reading Goals Progress

Can you believe it? 2016 is half over. Any resolutions I made to improve myself in January have been long abandoned, except for the ones related to reading. I'm still trying to meet my 2016 reading goals for non-fiction, reading out loud, and classics.

Goal #1:

Read 50 non-fiction books, at least 40 from a list I curated from my TBR.

Progress: I have read 28 non-fiction books so far this year, but only ten are from my list. I'm in the middle of a huge book from my list now, so progress will be made this summer.

Goal #2:

Read the 5 chapter books on this list out loud to my kids.

Progress: I have read three chapter books out loud to my kids (plus numerous story books), but none were from my list. Not to fear, we have started two books from the list, so this shouldn't be a total shut out.

Goal #3:

Read these 8 classics in 2016.

I've read 3/8, almost half of my list. I would have read Grapes of Wrath too, but for some reason I've been waiting for weeks for my library hold.

Reading Challenges:

Modern Mrs. Darcy's reading challenge:

I only have 2 books left for this one -- "A book chosen by your sibling, spouse, child, or BFF", and "A book that was banned at some point".

BookRiot's Read Harder Challenge:

I've read 10/24 books for this challenge. Time to step it up! I'm starting with my selection for 500+ pages - City on Fire.

Books on the Nightstand Summer Reading BINGO:

I am super excited for my BINGO card - this is my 3rd year doing this, and I think it's my best yet.  I usually try to read the whole square, and I usually get pretty close.

My TBR

I started the year with 400 books on my TBR, and am down to 383. Not bad, since I feel like I've added about a thousand books since summer reading lists started coming out.

Happy reading!

Books I'm actually going to buy

I'm a heavy library user - both out of cheapness, and out of a strong desire not to have my house collapse under the weight of all the books I would own if I had to buy everything I read. That said, there are two books I've decided to pre-order this summer, because I just can't wait for the library.

Just like every other Muggle around I'll be reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child this summer. I'm sure there will be spoilers galore, and I want to binge on this one before I read all about it on Twitter.

I LOVED The Fifth Season when I read it last week, and NEED to read the next installment, The Obelisk Gate, when it comes out in August. It comes out two days after my birthday, so this won't be hard to justify!

Do you still read actual books (not in electronic format?) Are there any you're planning on adding to your shelves this summer?

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

April 2016 Quick Lit

Each month I link with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit as a way to talk about the books I liked, but didn't review.

I read Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan because someone told me that if I went to a liberal arts school I would relate to it. I think whoever made that recommendation confused liberal arts colleges with all women's colleges (not the same thing btw.) I still liked the book, but the ending was a bit abrupt.

When I was searching my library for Commencement I ran across Maine also by J. Courtney Sullivan. I checked it out right away because I'm going to Maine later this year. I feel like that's a pretty good rule of thumb - if you run across a book about a place you're visiting, check it out. I liked this book. It's told by three narrators. Each one seems sympathetic when you read their chapters, but unbearable when you read about them in other chapters. Of the three books I've read by Sullivan, this was my favorite (I read The Engagements a year or two ago, and thought it was OK.)

I was a little frustrated with The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. This 14 hour audio book mostly seemed to be about how Britain is so much better than America, and how everyone who isn't him is stupid. However there were descriptions of walking through random places that appealed to my wanderlust enough to keep me listening.

My son and I read Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein together and loved it. This is my son who "hates reading", barely tolerated me reading him Harry Potter, and thought THE MOVIES WERE BETTER. He begged me each night to read until my voice gave out, and when we finished he demanded we buy the next one immediately. If you have a reluctant reader who strengths lie more in the field of puzzles and math, give this book a try. (I was so relieved that Captain Underpants isn't the only solution when kids hate reading. I get that suggestion all the time, and while I have nothing against potty humor, I just can't read it out loud night after night.)

Since I've been in kind of a reading slump, I've been catching up on my back issues of One Story. My favorite was When in Dordogne by Lily King. I liked the uplifting coming of age story. This is a journal worth subscribing to if you like short stories. The stories are good, and the issues are great for tucking in your purse when you run into reading emergencies.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

2016 Reading Goals Progress

Spring is officially here, meaning it's a whole new season of reading! I set some pretty ambitious goals at the beginning of the year in hopes of getting my TBR down. Here's how I did.

The Good: Classics

I made a list of 8 classics I want to read this year, and during the winter I read two of them. I just need to keep up that pace, and I'll nail this. 

The Bad: Non-fiction

I read 16 out of the 50 non-fiction books I want to read this year, but only 7 of them were from my list of 40 assigned books. I need to pick it up if I want to read all 40 in 2016.

The Ugly: Read Out Louds

I assigned myself 5 chapter books to read out loud to the kids, and I didn't read any! (We did read two chapter books out loud, but none from the list.) I would say that we'll make up for it in spring, but we just discovered Mr. Lemoncello!

My TBR

I made all of these lists at the beginning of the year as a way to really make an effort to read down my TBR. I started with 400 books, and am up to 401. So, I appear to add books at the same rate I read them.  I guess I can be happy with that.

Reading Challenges

I love reading challenges! I'm doing two so far in 2016.

For The Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge I've read:

A book published this year: Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

A book you can finish in a day: The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs

A book you've been meaning to read: 10% Happier

A book you own but have never read: Left For Dead

A book that intimidates you: The Green Road

For The Book Riot Read Harder Challenge I've Read:

Read a book out loud to someone else: Love From Paddington

Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel: An Ember in the Ashes

Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900: The Mapmaker's Children

Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie: A Walk in the Woods

Read a food memoir: Plenty

Read a play: The Importance of being Earnest

How is your reading year going?

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. thanks for your support!

Quick Lit March 2016

Love to be reading outside again!

Each month I link with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit as a way to talk about the books I liked, but didn't review.

I had a sick day a few weeks ago, and reading A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie in bed was just the right medicine. I read this all in one day, and immediately reserved a few more in the series. I needed a good distraction while I waited for Career of Evil to finally come up on my library holds list.

I picked up Train Like a Mother by Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell as inspiration for my summer hiking training. I liked the advice on time management, nutrition, coming back from an injury, and play lists even it was focused on training for a running race. Still useful even though I run a mile at best each week.

If I were to play the game where I had to match Cormoran Strike characters to Harry Potter characters Matthew the fiancé would be Umbridge. I was really hoping he would turn out to be the killer so we could be done with him. (That's not a spoiler: he was never a suspect.) Still a good book though; I can't wait for the next one.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton was the first book in recent memory that I could guess the ending to before it happened. That doesn't make it a bad book. I liked the characters, and I'm glad I read it.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. thanks for your support.

Quick Lit February 2016

Each month I link with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit as a way to talk about the books I liked, but didn't review.

The Japanese Lover is about love, growing old, expectations, and loss. It is mostly a love story between a Jewish refuge and a Japanese man during World War Two in San Francisco, but there are current day issues as well. There's too much going on in this book to make it great, but it was perfect when we were snowed in.

When Books Went to War was a super interesting account of books, and their role in World War II. Reading! It's patriotic.

Hissing Cousins is a complete account of the rivalry between everyone's hero Eleanor Roosevelt, and the original mean girl Alice Longworth. I listened to this while I was shoveling us out from the blizzard, and I barely noticed what I was doing.

An Ember in the Ashes has all the elements of good dystopian YA. Love triangles (well, love squares really), battles between teenagers, conversations interrupted just when you're about to find out what's going on...

Read this one if you liked Divergent.

Maybe it's just because I'm such a super James A. Garfield fan girl, but I didn't get into Lafayette in the Somewhat United States as much as Assassination Vacation. Still it was completely worth it for the section on the political implications of playing a French Revolutionary War hero at Colonial Williamsburg during the Bush administration.

(Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!)

Books that make me want to read other books

Everything I've read about Mary Karr's The Art of Memoir has been positive, but I've put off reading it because someone said it would cause me to add dozens more books to my TBR. Since my list usually hovers around 400 books, I'm a little scared to read a book that will add to it. So, I'm putting that one off until I can get my list down to 375 or so.

It wouldn't be the first time a book forced me to add to my TBR. It was Kelly Corrigan's Glitter and Glue that got me to try My Antonia, and Katherine Reay's books always have me tempted to spend my whole paycheck on Barnes & Noble Classics. So, it's not a bad thing that a book will cause me to read other books. I just need to put it off for a while. For the sake of my family. And my future employment prospects.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

Quick Lit January 2016

Each month I link with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit as a way to talk about the books I liked, but didn't review.

3/4 through The Nightingale I would have said it was good, but not great. But the ending, wow. I am talking a miss your kid's school bus level of gripping. Great feminist message at the end too.

The Bassoon King is surprisingly deep. Not just another celebrity memoir. Give it a try if you've been holding off.

Two of the books I read last month were in an effort to find new Christmas stories. Both A Christmas Escape and A Christmas Blizzard gave me what I was looking for: short, entertaining novels with an uncomplicated story. (Disclosure: I got A Christmas Escape from the Library Thing Early Reviewers Program.)

Kitchens of The Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal was my first read of 2016. I've been on the library holds list for this one since the summer, and it was worth the wait. It's hard to describe. It's hopeful and heartbreaking at the same time, and has you cheering for bad decisions. Plus, it includes recipes.

(Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!)

New gardening books to beat the winter blues

Every day this week my mailbox has been stuffed with gardening catalogues. Winter just started and already I'm dreaming of spring. Before I start my seeds, I'm going to see what's new in the gardening section of my library. Here's a few that I'm hoping I'll find.

A Wilder Life by Celestine Maddy

The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone

The Herbal Apothecary by JJ Pursell

(Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for the support.)

Forty Non-Fiction Books I Want To Read in 2016

My goal in 2016 is to read 50 non-fiction books, with 40 of them being "pre-assigned". This is in an effort to read more substantial non-fiction. These are in no particular order, and selected from my TBR list, my library holds list, and from books I already have at home.

You can click on any of the images above to see a description on amazon.com.

(Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!)