Otto, played by Tom Hanks, is a grumpy older man who lives in a townhouse community, located in Pennsylvania. He's been forced to retire from a job he loved, and Otto is someone who needs to feel useful. Each morning, he "does his rounds" of the neighborhood, checking that everyone is parked where they should be, that the recyclables are properly sorted, and that everyone is following the rules. But Otto has a secret. With his wife and his job both gone now, Otto has no reason to keep living. He's determined to end his life on his own terms. Early in the movie, he calls to cancel his electric, gas, and phone services to leave no loose ends. But life has other plans. New neighbors move into the neighborhood, a Mexican-American family. Marisol, played by Mariana Travino, is hugely pregnant; her husband, Tommy (played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), is a nitwit in Otto's eyes. And they have two adorable little girls. This family plies Otto with kindness, requests for help, and delicious food. Throughout the movie, flashbacks in Otto's memory help to fill in the blanks about how he came to be where he is now. With the help of several crises, Otto's icy exterior gradually thaws a bit, and he finds a reason to live.

Like the novel it's adapted from, this movie is hilariously funny, while also including some dark, difficult emotions (it does, after all, include several suicide attempts). Tom Hanks, of course, does a wonderful job of bringing the curmudgeonly Otto to life on screen, and Mariana Travino is excellent as the warm, persistent Marisol. It's a faithful adaptation of the book, following the plot pretty closely, with the exception of Ove becoming Otto and being located in the US instead of Sweden (though there's a nod to Otto's Swedish heritage in the movie). My husband and I both laughed a lot and teared up at the end and had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon at the movies.

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

I'm pleased to say that my health has gradually improved this past week. For much of the week, I was feeling better but still sleeping a LOT (10-11 hours at night plus a nap), but I got managed to get up at a semi-normal time yesterday and today - yay!  I think the new thyroid meds are finally stabilizing things and bringing an end to my 6-month-long relapse. 

On Friday, I was even able to meet up with my two closest local friends for a short walk and lunch. Our three sons, all named James, have been best friends since Kindergarten (they're now 28), so we've been friends for decades. But it had been a very long time since the three of us had all gotten together. We talked for three straight hours!

 

COLD but sunshine and blue skies!

Together again!

This weekend, I wasn't sure enough of my health situation to book a weekend getaway like I wanted to, so my husband and I enjoyed a staycation Friday night through Sunday morning! I declared it a no-work zone (more for me than for him, as I tend to pick up the laptop and squeeze work into every moment). We enjoyed Reubens for dinner Friday night (a real treat for me--bread, cheese, AND a half beer!), went to a Saturday matinee at the theater, got takeout Chinese Saturday night, and had fires in our fireplace all weekend (and extra reading time, of course). Our son was home much of the weekend, too, instead of out with friends, so it was nice to have extra time with him, too.

TGIF - Reubens!

In the theater - with popcorn!

__________

On the Blog

In keeping with my new goal to put less pressure on myself, I did not review every book I read in January (6 total), but I did enjoy writing reviews of two novels that both blew me away:

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - thoughtful and laugh-out-loud funny.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - one of her best! Outstanding coming-of-age story set in 90's Appalachia, told with a unique voice.

And here's my Reading Challenges Update for January:

(Details on my 2023 Reading Challenges page) 

Mount TBR Challenge - 3 so far!

Monthly Motif Challenge (a book with a directional word in the title) - just barely squeaked by with Lessons in Chemistry 

Classics Challenge - book by a female author - The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck 

Alphabet Soup Challenge - D, G, L (I can't believe I already had 3 repeats so early in the year!)

Diversity Reading Challenge - 4 and January's mini-challenge of Non-Western Setting

Travel the World in Books - Canada (Ontario), China, Mexico

Literary Escapes Challenge - California, Maine, Virginia

__________

On Video

Best YA and Middle-Grade Books Read in 2023  - last of my Best of 2023 videos

Friday Reads 2-3-23 - my quick recap of what I was reading this weekend

__________

 

 

 On audio, I started listening to Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris, historical fiction that is also a mystery/thriller, and a good fit for Black History Month. It's set in 1964, and begins in Jackson, Mississippi, during Freedom Summer. Two sisters each decide to flee town for different reasons: one killed a white man who raped her, and the other is single and pregnant. One ends up in a small town in Georgia, and the other heads north, but they don't realize that a man is tracking both of them. It's great so far!

My husband, Ken, is reading book 3 in the Ann Kinnear series, The Falcon and the Owl by Matty Dalrymple. We had a mysterious, spirit-sensing Ann Kinnear weekend! He enjoys this series, too. This one also takes place near us, in southeastern PA, at a small airport where Ann is taking flying lessons. Murder, ghosts, and mystery ensue! I read this one last fall (my review at the link).

Our son, 28, is still reading The White Tower by Michael Wisehart, book 1 in The Aldoran Chronicles, in preparation for book 2, which he just bought with a Christmas gift card. He's discovered new updates to an old favorite video game that is taking up some of his reading time!

Young Damon is nicknamed Demon from a young age, as nicknames are common in the hills and hollers of his home in southwestern Virginia. He narrates this story of his life (at least the young years), beginning at the beginning, when he was born in a single-wide trailer to an addicted young single mother. His father, whose green eyes, red hair, and Copperhead moniker he inherited, died before he was born at a local waterfall area called Devil's Bathtub, leaving poor Demon fatherless and afraid of bathtubs. Mrs. Peggot, the next-door neighbor, was there for Demon's birth and was an important part of his life afterward, as a surrogate grandmother. She was also raising her grandson, Maggot (aka Matt Peggot), who was Demon's best friend, since his own mother was in prison. Demon and Maggot's best years of their youth were spent together running through the woods behind their homes and playing superheroes. Demon not only liked to play superheros, but he loved to draw them--and make up his own--from a young age. As the boys grow up, though, Demon faces a nonstop parade of calamities and challenges, from an abusive stepfather to the wild vagaries of the foster care system and worse. But he tells his story with wit and wisdom.

That is only the very tip of the iceberg of Demon's remarkable story. He endures horrifying and heartbreaking trials as he grows from a child into a teenager and eventually a young man. But, this is not only the story of this one remarkable and remarkably unlucky boy. It's also the story of a whole population, as Kingsolver delves into the real-life issues in Appalachia and America's poor, rural communities, including the foster care system, addiction (particularly opoid addiction), the lack of jobs, and more. You might expect this to be a depressing novel, but it's not. Yes, sometimes, the turns that Demon's young life takes are heartbreaking, but his narrative is also hilarious. Kingsolver is an extremely talented storyteller, and this is one of her best tales, told in a wholly unique voice I came to adore:

"First I got myself born. A decent crowd was on hand to watch, and they've always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me, my mother being let's just say out of it.

On any other day, they'd have seen her outside on the deck of her trailer home, good neighbors taking notice, pestering the tit of trouble as they will. All through the dog-breath air of late summer and fall, cast an eye up the mountain and there she'd be, little bleach-blonde smoking her Pall Malls, hanging on that railing like she's captain of her ship up there, and now might be the hour it's going down. This is an eighteen-year-old girl we're discussing, all on her own and as pregnant as it gets. The day she failed to show, it fell to Nance Peggot to go bang on the door, barge inside, and find her passed out on the bathroom floor with her junk all over the place and me already coming out. A slick fish-colored hostage picking up grit from the vinyl tile, worming and shoving around because I'm still inside the sack that babies float in, pre-real-life."

The colorful language that Demon uses--and especially the hilarious similes and metaphors--make every page of this book an absolute delight to read. Demon is a wonderful character, but he is also surrounded by fully fleshed-out, real-feeling people, both good and bad.

As I said, Kingsolver has based her modern-day story on the basic framework of David Copperfield, which I read a few years ago for Big Book Summer, but you do not need to be familiar with that classic to enjoy this new novel. It absolutely stands on its own. However, if you have read David Copperfield, you are in for an extra helping of pleasure. The parallels between the stories and between the character names are like Easter eggs for readers who've also enjoyed that classic. I listened to Demon Copperhead on audio, and the narrator, Charlie Thurston, fully inhabits Demon's character and voice (listen to a sample). It's a long book that took me almost all of January to finish listening to it, but I was still sorry when it ended because I hated to leave Demon and his friends. This is a spectacular, epic story told by a consummate storyteller. Just reading those first paragraphs that I excerpted up above makes me want to start back at the beginning and read it all again.

560 pages, Harper

HarperAudio

This book fits in the following 2023 Reading Challenges:

Literary Escapes Challenge - Virginia

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

Listen to a sample of the outstanding audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

Or you can order Demon Copperhead from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Welcome to the February 2023 newsletter for the Book By Book blog! 

E-mail me at sljackson@suzanjackson.com to let me know what you think of this newsletter and what you would like to see here in the future.

Book Quote of the Month

"Abandonment. The word was so heinous and ugly. It couldn't even begin to capture the pain it left behind. But Jacob knew what his issues were. He could pinpoint them, name them--he just didn't know how to stop them. It was like he was a hamster, bound up in a wheel, forever running in the same endless cycle."

-- from The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer, a romance novel about a woman with a chronic illness (ME/CFS, the same illness I have). It is filled with amazing passages that tell the honest truth about what it's like to live with this disease, while also being a fun and funny romance. This line really hit me. It feels like a universal truth: that we can often name our issues but still feel helpless to stop them. I know that hamster wheel feeling! You can read my full review of the book here.

Blog of the Month

This month's pick is a blogger that I found through her Youtube channel (like me, she does both). Her blog is Linda Jo Martin and her YouTube channel is Linda Book Lady. I enjoy both of them and have gotten to know Linda since I joined YouTube two years ago. She reads a wide variety of books, including fiction and nonfiction, middle-grade and YA, romance, history, classics, and more. And she makes artwork, too. Her most recent blog post is Linda Book Lady's February 2023 Reading Report and Diary, and one of her recent Booktube videos is Mr. Midship Hornblower and Other Nautical Novels I've Read, which includes a wide range of fiction at sea! So check out her blog and/or videos, and let her know I sent you!

My Reading Life

I mentioned on my blog that in 2023, I'm not going to write full-length reviews of every book I read--I'm trying to reduce stress, improve my health, and make space for more freelance writing. This was a difficult decision because I was a professional reviewer for decades, for FamilyFun magazine, Publisher's Weekly, and Shelf Awareness. I thought that if a book really bowls me over, I can still write a review here and there. Well, as it turns out, my first two books read in 2023 completely blew me away, and I suspect both will end up on my Top Books of 2023 list! So, I have already written a review of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and watch for an upcoming review of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

I am enjoying this time of year, when I have no special reading obligations (other than one book group), so I read whatever I'm in the mood for. In February, I'm focusing on Black History month (though not exclusively) and wintery settings!

A Look Back

February 16 is my Blogaversary! I started my book blog in 2006, so this month marks 17 years of blogging - wow. In honor of that anniversary, I'm sharing the first-ever post I wrote for my book blog, Welcome to My Reading World. It's a fun look back at my reading habits back then and includes some of my top books read in the previous six months. I still remember most of these!

You can connect with me on: 

My blog: http://bookbybook.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueBookByBook

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bookbybook

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SueJacksonDE

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzan-jackson-8436878/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20014156.Suzan_L_Jackson

Welcome to the February 2023 newsletter for the Book By Book blog! 

E-mail me at sljackson@suzanjackson.com to let me know what you think of this newsletter and what you would like to see here in the future.

Book Quote of the Month

"Abandonment. The word was so heinous and ugly. It couldn't even begin to capture the pain it left behind. But Jacob knew what his issues were. He could pinpoint them, name them--he just didn't know how to stop them. It was like he was a hamster, bound up in a wheel, forever running in the same endless cycle."

-- from The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer, a romance novel about a woman with a chronic illness (ME/CFS, the same illness I have). It is filled with amazing passages that tell the honest truth about what it's like to live with this disease, while also being a fun and funny romance. This line really hit me. It feels like a universal truth: that we can often name our issues but still feel helpless to stop them. I know that hamster wheel feeling! You can read my full review of the book here.

Blog of the Month

This month's pick is a blogger that I found through her Youtube channel (like me, she does both). Her blog is Linda Jo Martin and her YouTube channel is Linda Book Lady. I enjoy both of them and have gotten to know Linda since I joined YouTube two years ago. She reads a wide variety of books, including fiction and nonfiction, middle-grade and YA, romance, history, classics, and more. And she makes artwork, too. Her most recent blog post is Linda Book Lady's February 2023 Reading Report and Diary, and one of her recent Booktube videos is Mr. Midship Hornblower and Other Nautical Novels I've Read, which includes a wide range of fiction at sea! So check out her blog and/or videos, and let her know I sent you!

My Reading Life

I mentioned on my blog that in 2023, I'm not going to write full-length reviews of every book I read--I'm trying to reduce stress, improve my health, and make space for more freelance writing. This was a difficult decision because I was a professional reviewer for decades, for FamilyFun magazine, Publisher's Weekly, and Shelf Awareness. I thought that if a book really bowls me over, I can still write a review here and there. Well, as it turns out, my first two books read in 2023 completely blew me away, and I suspect both will end up on my Top Books of 2023 list! So, I have already written a review of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and watch for an upcoming review of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

I am enjoying this time of year, when I have no special reading obligations (other than one book group), so I read whatever I'm in the mood for. In February, I'm focusing on Black History month (though not exclusively) and wintery settings!

A Look Back

February 16 is my Blogaversary! I started my book blog in 2006, so this month marks 17 years of blogging - wow. In honor of that anniversary, I'm sharing the first-ever post I wrote for my book blog, Welcome to My Reading World. It's a fun look back at my reading habits back then and includes some of my top books read in the previous six months. I still remember most of these!

You can connect with me on: 

My blog: http://bookbybook.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueBookByBook

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bookbybook

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SueJacksonDE

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzan-jackson-8436878/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20014156.Suzan_L_Jackson

Welcome to the February 2023 newsletter for the Book By Book blog! 

E-mail me at sljackson@suzanjackson.com to let me know what you think of this newsletter and what you would like to see here in the future.

Book Quote of the Month

"Abandonment. The word was so heinous and ugly. It couldn't even begin to capture the pain it left behind. But Jacob knew what his issues were. He could pinpoint them, name them--he just didn't know how to stop them. It was like he was a hamster, bound up in a wheel, forever running in the same endless cycle."

-- from The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer, a romance novel about a woman with a chronic illness (ME/CFS, the same illness I have). It is filled with amazing passages that tell the honest truth about what it's like to live with this disease, while also being a fun and funny romance. This line really hit me. It feels like a universal truth: that we can often name our issues but still feel helpless to stop them. You can read my full review of the book here.

Blog of the Month

This month's pick is a blogger that I found through her Youtube channel (like me, she does both). Her blog is Linda Jo Martin and her YouTube channel is Linda Book Lady. I enjoy both of them and have gotten to know Linda since I joined YouTube two years ago. She reads a wide variety of books, including fiction and nonfiction, middle-grade and YA, romance, history, and classics. And she makes artwork, too. Her most recent blog post is Linda Book Lady's February 2023 Reading Report and Diary, and one of her recent Booktube video is Mr. Midship Hornblower and Other Nautical Novels I've Read, which includes a wide range of fiction at sea! So check out her blog and/or videos, and let her know I sent you!

My Reading Life

I mentioned on my blog that in 2023, I;m not going to write full-length reviews of every book I read--I'm trying to reduce stress, improve my health, and make space for more freelance writing. This was a difficult decision because I was a professional reviewer for decades, for FamilyFun magazine, Publisher's Weekly, and Shelf Awareness. I thought that if a book really bowls me over, I can still write a review here and there. Well, as it turns out, my first two books read in 2023 completely blew me away, and I suspect both will end up on my Top Books of 2023 list! So, I have already written a review of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and watch for an upcoming review of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

Welcome to the February 2023 newsletter for the Book By Book blog! 

E-mail me at sljackson@suzanjackson.com to let me know what you think of this newsletter and what you would like to see here in the future.

Book Quote of the Month

"Abandonment. The word was so heinous and ugly. It couldn't even begin to capture the pain it left behind. But Jacob knew what his issues were. He could pinpoint them, name them--he just didn't know how to stop them. It was like he was a hamster, bound up in a wheel, forever running in the same endless cycle."

-- from The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer, a romance novel about a woman with a chronic illness (ME/CFS, the same illness I have). It is filled with amazing passages that tell the honest truth about what it's like to live with this disease, while also being a fun and funny romance. This line really hit me. It feels like a universal truth: that we can often name our issues but still feel helpless to stop them. You can read my full review of the book here.

Blog of the Month

This month's pick is a blogger that I found through her Youtube channel (like me, she does both). Her blog is Linda Jo Martin and her YouTube channel is Linda Book Lady. I enjoy both of them and have gotten to know Linda since I joined YouTube two years ago. She reads a wide variety of books, including fiction and nonfiction, middle-grade and YA, romance, history, and classics. And she makes artwork, too. Her most recent blog post is Linda Book Lady's February 2023 Reading Report and Diary, and one of her recent Booktube video is Mr. Midship Hornblower and Other Nautical Novels I've Read, which includes a wide range of fiction at sea! So check out her blog and/or videos, and let her know I sent you!

The novel begins with a brief set of scenes in 1961, where Elizabeth Zott, an out-of-work chemist and single mother of a brilliant five-year-old daughter named Madeleine, heads off to her new career, as the television star of a cooking show called Supper at Six. Then the narrative moves back to 1951 to provide the backstory of how all that happened. Elizabeth started out working as a chemist at a local research laboratory. Her male colleagues--and boss--were all less intelligent but (probably because they knew how smart she was) treated her horribly. She wanted to work on a ground-breaking idea of her own but was usually assigned to scut work and treated like an assistant. Then she met Calvin Evans, the tall, handsome, brilliant chemist who had his own fully-equipped lab to himself because he'd won a Nobel Prize. Like Elizabeth, Calvin wasn't very good with people. He was known for holding a grudge and being a loner at work. But once the two of them got to know each other, it was ... well, chemistry. She moves in with him, he invites her to do her work in his lab, and the two of them are fabulously happy together. Somehow, though, we know from the start that their wonderful relationship can't last because we know where Elizabeth is ten years later.

Most of the novel is about those ten years, from awkward chemist Elizabeth first meeting Calvin to her somehow transforming into a huge TV star, with flashbacks to Elizabeth's and Calvin's earlier lives. The plot is intriguing, but this novel is about so much more than what happens. It's about love, women in the workplace, parenting, and finding happiness. Don't forget that it's historical fiction, too, and paints a complex (and horrifying) picture of the expectations and treatment of women in the 1950's and 60's. But it's the writing that really makes this unique novel shine. Garmus has created characters that you want to spend time with, not just Elizabeth but also Calvin, Madeleine, their neighbor, Harriett, and more. And I haven't mentioned the best part yet ... this book is hilarious! Even though it deals with some very serious issues of sexual assault, mistreatment of women, and more, this novel made me laugh out loud repeatedly, often taking me by surprise with its sudden wit. One of my favorite characters is Six-Thirty, Calvin and Elizabeth's dog, who is incredibly smart as well and takes it upon himself to protect the family. I know that sounds gimicky, but it isn't ... it's hysterically funny to hear Six-Thirty's very astute observations (thoughts--of course he doesn't speak) about the world around him and his role in it. I wanted to include some quotes, but you should experience it for yourself. It's best when the humor takes you by surprise. I loved every moment of this novel, and I never wanted it to end. It was the perfect book to kick off the new year, and it left me smiling and feeling satisfied.

390 pages, Doubleday

This book fits in the following 2023 Reading Challenges:

Mount TBR Challenge

Monthly Motif Challenge - New Year, New Direction (direction in the title - I know "in" is a stretch, but it's the best I did last month)

Alphabet Soup Challenge - L

Literary Escapes Challenge - California

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. I've heard the audio is great!

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

Or you can order Lessons in Chemistry from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

I guess I spoke too soon and jinxed myself last week because my health worsened again. I just have no energy and have been sleeping my life away. I think it's just a matter of getting the right combination and dosing of thyroid meds, so I'm hopeful I can get back to feeling better after I talk to my doctor this week and maybe get another set of lab tests.

I did start the week off well and finally got to enjoy a walk at our local nature center with one of my closest friends ... long overdue! It was a gorgeous day--the only one all week with blue sky--and we talked nonstop and enjoyed catching up.

Blue skies and our lovely creek

Our iconic covered bridge

I'm continuing my #sky365 daily photos, even when I don't feel well. The clouds' patterns and textures have been interesting, but I'd really like to see some sunshine and blue sky! This was probably the most gray and overcast January I've seen in my 33 years in Delaware. 

Pretty clouds but I'd like to see the sun!

__________

On the Blog

No energy meant very little blogging (sorry for those blogs I didn't have a chance to visit last week!). I'm very glad I decided this year to reduce the number of reviews I write. I did manage to finally sign up for my 2023 Reading Challenges, so you can check those out.

Who else out there is already planning what to read for Big Book Summer 2023??

__________

On Video

 I didn't have the energy to record new videos last week, either, but luckily, I had recorded several the week before:

Top 10 Novels Read in 2022 - a quick recap of my favorite fiction last year

Top 7 Nonfiction Books Read in 2022 - the best of the best!

So, if you're looking for outstanding books to read, check out my top picks. I still have one more Best Of video to edit, covering my favorite YA and middle-grade books from last year.

__________

 

 

 

I enjoyed my 2022 Reading Challenges (see how I did at the link), so I'm signing up for the same ones this year.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2023 hosted by My Reader's Block - Now in its 12th year!

This year, I am setting my goal at Mt. Vancouver, 36 books from my TBR shelves. I missed my goal of 48 the past two years (33 TBR books last year), so this seems more realistic. Even though I rarely buy books for myself, I seem to be losing the battle, and my TBR bookcase now has double rows on two shelves! I realize, though, that with library books for book group, graphic novels from publishers, and new releases for the annual Booktopia event, this is a more reasonable goal.

Note that the challenge allows e-books and audios to count, but my main goal is to get through some of the physical books I own, so I usually only count physical books. This challenge has monthly review link-ups.

 2023 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Girlxoxo.

I enjoy this challenge every year! I hit eleven of twelve of the monthly motifs last year, so I will try to hit them all in 2023! This also has monthly review link-ups.

JANUARY- New Year, New Direction “Read a book with one, or more, ‘directional’ words in the title.” ie. (into, over, out, behind, left, right, down, up, north, south, out, etc.) 

FEBRUARY- If You Have A Garden and a Library… “Read a book with a plant or flower on the cover.”

MARCH- Animal, Number, Color, Name “Read a book with an animal, number, color, or name in the title.“

APRIL- I Like Big Books “Read a book over 400 pages long or listen to an audiobook over 14 hrs long.”

MAY- In It To Win It “Read a book that involves a game or contest of some sort.” ie. Virtual reality, video games, war games, psychological mess-with-your-mind games, characters who participate in a contest, or a story in which the character takes on a personal challenge. 

JUNE- Take the Plunge “Read a book from any genre that is set on or near a body of water- lake, ocean, pool, river, etc.” 

JULY- I Need Only One Word “Read a book with only one word as the title.”

AUGUST- A Book and a Song “Read a book with the same title as a song you’ve heard.”

SEPTEMBER- Speculative Stories “Read a book from the speculative fiction sub-genre” i.e. a book with elements that do not exist in the real world.

OCTOBER- Spellbinding or Spooktacular “Read a book that involves something spooky or magical or both.”

NOVEMBER- Around OR Out of this World “Read a book set in a country other than the one you live in OR read a book that takes place in space or on another planet.”

DECEMBER- White-out “Read a book with a wintry setting or a book with a mostly white cover.”

Classics Challenge

In a sad turn of events, the Back to the Classics Challenge that I join every year is not running in 2023. I looked all over and couldn't find another that fits for me (just one that requires 12 classics that fit into monthly themes). So, I guess I'm on my own this year! I'm posting the 12 categories from the Back to the Classics Challenge 2022 because they make it more fun, and I am again setting my goal to read 6 classics this year (I read 7 last year).

7. A classic short story collection. Any single volume that contains at least six short stories. The book can have a single author or can be an anthology of multiple authors.

8. Pre-1800 classic. Anything written before 1800. Plays and epic poems, such as the Odyssey, are acceptable in this category. 

9. A nonfiction classic. Travel, memoirs, and biographies are great choices for this category.

10. Classic that's been on your TBR list the longest. Find the classic book that's been hanging around unread the longest, and finally cross it off your list!  

11. Classic set in a place you'd like to visit. Can be real or imaginary -- Paris, Tokyo, the moon, Middle Earth, etc. It can be someplace you've never been, or someplace you'd like to visit again.

2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

This type of challenge was a new for me in 2021, and I enjoyed it in 2022, too! You just track the books you read, trying to cover all letters of the alphabet (first letter of the title, not counting articles). The past two years, I filled in 21 of 26 letters. I just read the fine print and learned that for Q, X, and Z, they can be the first letter of any word in the title, so maybe that will help me!

2023 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

I always sign up for a nonfiction challenge, and I enjoyed this one the past two years, when I read 13 nonfiction books each year. I am once again signing up for the Nonfiction Nosher category and shooting for reading at least 12 and hitting as many of the 12 categories as I can (last year I got 9 of the 12 categories).

History
Memoir/Biography
Crime & punishment
Science
Health
Travel
Food
Social Media
Sport
Relationships
The Arts
Published in 2023

Diversity Reading Challenge 2023 hosted by Celebrity Readers.

This is also a familiar challenge for me that I enjoy every year. I read 45 diverse books last year (out of 75 books total), so I will aim to hit that high of 45 again this year! This challenge also includes monthly mini challenges (I hit 8 of them last year) and a link-up for reviews.  

Mini-Challenges:

JANUARY – diverse folktales/culture/mythology; or diverse retelling; or non-western setting
FEBRUARY – poc: Black/African American
MARCH – #ownvoices; or gender: female authors in male-dominated genres/non-fiction
APRIL – poc: Middle Eastern/South Asian
MAY – poc: East Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander 
UNE – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
JULY – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
AUGUST – mental health/addiction
SEPTEMBER – poc: hispanic/latinx
OCTOBER – physical/sensory/cognitive/intellectual/developmental disabilities
NOVEMBER – poc: Native American
DECEMBER – religious minorities

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge hosted by Mom's Small Victories (great blog!)

I signed up for this one back in 2014, so this is a continuation (it's a perpetual challenge) - I can't wait to see what places I visit in books in 2023! In 2021, my books took me to 36 places outside the U.S., covering 17 different countries, but in 2022, I only read books in 16 places outside the U.S. and 14 different "countries" (and that was including Mars, Venus, and the Moon - lol). So, I hope to get back on track this year with more global reads.

2023 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

I love tracking where I read domestically, as well. In 2022, I read books set in 25 different states. I'm looking forward to reading in even more states this year!

Big Book Summer Challenge (link to 2022; 2023 link will go up in May) hosted by Book By Book (me!)

My own annual challenge that I host each summer, beginning Memorial Day weekend (end of May) and running until Labor Day (first Monday of September). Hope you'll join me for the laid-back fun this summer!

What Reading Challenges are you doing in 2023?

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

Ahhh ... it was nice to return to "normal" life last week after our hectic, last-minute travel week. Even better, with all of my medication changes and my doctor's help, I think my thyroid and other hormones are finally stabilizing. Last week was the best I've felt in many months! I am gradually trying to regain my stamina by walking a little bit every day and very slowly re-starting some light weight work. 

#sky365 Day 20 - this was one of our better days last week!

Even better, I am able to do some things again! I went to my neighborhood book group last week for the first time in eight months--victory! And I had the energy to plan meals and cook more (instead of the afternoon agony of "what are we going to make for dinner?"), including a belated birthday dinner for our son, who turned 25 while we were in Texas.

Happy 25th!

Last night, we celebrated Chinese New Year with delicious takeout. This is one of many "small celebrations" we enjoy this time of year, in the doldrums between the December holidays and spring. You can check out my video, Celebrate Everything, Big and Small!, for more ideas (it's taken from a chapter in my book about living with chronic illness, but this is a great way to add joy to any life!).

Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year! Year of the Rabbit

 

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On the Blog

Lots of end-of-year catch-up last week! New posts:

Best Books Read in 2022 - includes some fun facts & stats about my reading, my top picks in different categories, and my Top 10 (or whatever) Lists. 

2022 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up - a great reading year with lots of fun challenges! 

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On Video

2022 Reading Wrap-Up and Best Books of the Year! - a video version of my year-end wrap-up

Friday Reads 1-20-23 - brief weekly recap of what I'm reading 

__________

On audio, I am still listening to Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my all-time favorite authors. It's a novel about a boy named Damon (nicknamed Demon), based loosely on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Instead of London, it's set in modern-day Appalachia in the mountains of southern Virginia. Like Dickens, it delves into important issues of poverty (only in America) while also being very entertaining. Kingsolver is a great storyteller, and this is definitely one of her best! I'm loving it so far and having fun recognizing the parallels to David Copperfield (though you don't need to have read that to enjoy this). I'm close to the end now, rooting for Demon in spite of his awful circumstances. This is a must-read novel!

My husband, Ken, finished reading Sand by Hugh Howey. We are both huge fans of his Silo trilogy (Wool, Shift, Dust), which was excellent. Here he explores a different post-apocalyptic world, one buried in sand, with four siblings who get lost after their father dies. Ken says it was excellent. Howey is such an incredible writer--I can't wait to read this one, too!

 Now, Ken is reading another Christmas gift from me, No Plan B by Lee Child and Andrew Child (his brother). This is Ken's all-time favorite series, and I get him the latest book each Christmas. He is, of course, enjoying it!

Our son, 28, finished Enchanter by Terry Mancour, book 7 in the Spellmonger series. He discovered this series last year and has been quickly devouring it! Next, he read The Silence of Unworthy Gods by Andrew Rowe, book 4 in Arcane Ascension, another favorite series. And now, he's rereading The White Tower by Michael Wisehart, book 1 in The Aldoran Chronicles, in preparation for book 2, which he just bought with a Christmas gift card.

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Here's my annual recap of the reading challenges I participated in last year. I think I did pretty well, and I enjoyed all of these! I'll post the summaries below, and you can see the full lists of books I read for each challenge on my 2022 Reading Challenges page.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2022 hosted by My Reader's Block

My goal: 48 books from my own shelves (Mt. Ararat)

Result: 33 books (counting only print books, not e-books or audios)

Try again this year!

Goal: 1 book for each Monthly Motif (12).

Result: I hit the target for 11 of the 12 months!

Close! Try again this year!

Back to the Classics Challenge 2022 hosted by Books and Chocolate.

Goal: Read 6 classics in 6 of the 12 categories

Result: I read 7 classics in all that fit into 6 categories.

Success!

2022 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

Goal: Book titles that fit onto 26 letters of the alphabet.

Result: I read books with titles starting with 21 letters of the alphabet (same as in 2021).

Try again this year!

2022 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

Goal: 12 nonfiction books (Nonfiction Nosher category)

Result: I read 13 nonfiction books that fit into 9 of the 12 categories.

Success!

Diversity Reading Challenge 2022 hosted by Celebrity Readers.

Goal: 40

Result: 45 (I read 33 diverse books in 2021), and I hit 8 of the 12 mini-challenge categories.

Success!

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge hosted by Mom's Small Victories

Goal: No particular goal, but in 2021, my books took me to 36 different places outside the U.S., in 17 different countries

Result: 16 books set outside the U.S. in 15 different places (including Venus, Mars, and the moon - ha ha!)

Success, but I'd like to read more globally in 2023.

Goal: Nothing specific, but I read books set in 23 different states in 2021.

Result: I read books set in 25 different states.

Success, but I'd like to read even more geographically broadly in 2023.

Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Book By Book (me!)

(Note that you only need to read one Big Book of 400 or more pages to participate)

Goal: No specific goal, but I read 12 books for Big Book Summer 2021.

Result: I read 13 Big Books in summer 2022!

Success!

Readers Imbibing Peril XVI Challenge:

Goal: No particular goal, but I read 11 RIP books in fall 2021.

Result: I read 15 RIP books in Fall 2022.

Success!

Fall Into Reading Challenge, featuring Book Bingo, hosted on YouTube by:

Goal: BINGO!

Result: I filled 10 of the 12 spaces, with BINGO in lots of different directions!

Success!

You can see a complete list, with links to reviews, of all the books I've read since 2015 at the Book Reviews tab.

Stats and Facts

Total Books Read in 2022 = 75 (a few less than the previous year)

Adult Fiction = 45 (60%)

Adult Nonfiction = 13 (17%) – 6 were memoir

Teen/YA = 6 (8%)

Middle-Grade = 13 (17%)

Of Those:

Audiobooks = 29

Graphic Novel/nonfiction = 6

Short Story Collections = 1

Classics = 7

Fun Facts:

Women Authors = 38 (51%)

Diverse books = 45 (60%)

From my own shelves = 33 (44%)

Re-reads = 0

Authors read more than once in 2022: Matty Dalrymple (2) and Emily St. John Mandel (2)

Shortest book:  History Comics: The National Parks by Falynn Koch

Longest book: The Count of Monte Cristoby Alexander Dumas

Average book length: 347 pages

Pages read: 26,380

Top Picks - Best of the Best

Best Adult Fiction 

 Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir

Best Nonfiction  

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

Best Memoir   

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

Best Audio

 The Sentenceby Louise Erdrich

 Best Teen/YA

 Kent State by Deborah Wiles

Best Middle-Grade  

Denis Ever Afterby Tony Abbott

Best Graphic Novel/Nonfiction
Booked by Kwame Alexander

Best Classic 

 The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Top 10 (or Whatever) Lists

Lists are alphabetical, except for the Fiction list (the first 4 are those I liked best). Some books appear on more than one list.

Top 10 Adult Fiction

Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir

This Tender Landby William Kent Krueger

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Lucky Turtleby Bill Roorbach

Hearts in Atlantisby Stephen King

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson

Daisy Jones and the Sixby Taylor Jenkins Reid

Sea of Tranquilityby Emily St. John Mandel

The Sentenceby Louise Erdrich

The Overstoryby Richard Powers

Top 7 Nonfiction/Memoir

Black Boy by Richard Wright

History Comics: The National Parks by Falynn Koch

Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Top 3 Teen/YA

Kent State by Deborah Wiles

Like a Love Storyby Abdi Nazemian

A Lite Too Brightby Sam Miller

Top 7 Middle-Grade

Behind the Mountainsby Edwidge Candicat

Booked by Kwame Alexander

Denis Ever Afterby Tony Abbott

History Comics: The National Parks by Falynn Koch

Mysteries of Trash and Treasure: The Secret Letters by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Ruby Lee and Meby Shannon Hitchcock

Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte

Top 3 Graphic Novel/Memoir

Booked by Kwame Alexander

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo: The Tangled Web by Drew Weing

History Comics: The National Parks by Falynn Koch

Top 10 Audiobooks

Behind the Mountainsby Edwidge Candicat

Denis Ever Afterby Tony Abbott

The Diamond Eyeby Kate Quinn

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Kent State by Deborah Wiles

Like a Love Storyby Abdi Nazemian

A Lite Too Brightby Sam Miller

The Sentenceby Louise Erdrich

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

What were YOUR favorite books read last year? 

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

Happy Monday! I am SO very glad to be back home after our whirlwind weekend traveling to San Antonio, Texas, and back for our brother-in-law's funeral. We hadn't been there since 2002, and though we've seen our nephews since then (including a funeral last year), we hadn't seen some of their kids in over 12 years! Some were too young to remember us and some hadn't been born yet, so we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them all better. And we had a wonderful Celebration of Life for our brother-in-law.

Though the occasion was sad, we had plenty of time together sharing memories and laughing. I'm feeling very grateful for our family, and we are determined not to let so much time pass before we see them again! 

 

My husband and I (r) with our nephews & their families

My husband and I with our brother-in-law, Tim, in 2019

We even had a little sight-seeing time Friday morning, to enjoy a beautiful, quiet morning on the Riverwalk and meet our nephew and his kids for lunch, with a quick peek at the Alamo. 

Remember the Alamo!

San Antonio's lovely Riverwalk

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On the Blog

Not much time for anything but planning the trip and packing last week, but I did manage another 2022 wrap-up post:

Favorite Movies Watched in 2022 - My top picks for the year in each genre. I only review movies I enjoy, so all of the movies listed at the end of the post are worth watching!

Blog News:

I have been struggling to decide what to do with my two blogs because I know I am doing too much. I'm always behind, I don't have enough time for other writing (that actually pays!), and the pressure is affecting my health. I love this book blog, and I love the online community here, so I don't want to give that up. So, I decided last week not to write full book reviews, but to focus on Monday posts, movie and TV reviews, and then that leaves time for some stuff I have missed, like Top Ten lists. 

Then, I finished reading Lessons in Chemistry (see below) and immediately wanted to write about it to share how great it was! That's when I had a shocking realization: I don't have to review every book I read! I know, crazy, right? I tend to be an all-or-nothing type of person, so this was news to me. So, for now, I think I will write about what I'm reading here in my Monday posts, talk about books in my videos, and maybe (or maybe not) write a full review once in a while when I read something really outstanding. I'll also need to review books I get from publishers, but that's mostly audios and graphic novels these days.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or any suggestions! I'll be finally working on my 2023 goals this week and giving more thought to how I want to spend my time, which brings me to ...

__________

On Video

Though I posted this video mainly for my chronic illness audience, it's really broadly relevant to anyone who wants tips on effective goal-setting and strategies for taking small steps toward the life you want.

Setting Goals When Chronically Ill (Or Not!)

 Now I need to take my own advice :)

__________

I finished reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus last week and absolutely loved it! Great way to start the new year. Now I am reading The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk, a novel my book group chose for this week. Liesl has worked in the rare books department of a large university in Toronto for decades when her boss has a stroke, and she is appointed as interim department head. Almost immediately, though, a very expensive new acquisition goes missing, and a colleague stops showing up for work. Liesl is under great pressure to find the book and uncover the library's secrets. It's also about being a professional woman surrounded mostly by men and about aging. I'm enjoying it so far; it should be a good book for discussion.

On audio, I am still listening to Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my all-time favorite authors. It's a novel about a boy named Damon (nicknamed Demon), based loosely on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Instead of London, it's set in modern-day Appalachia in the mountains of southern Virginia. Like Dickens, it delves into important issues of poverty in America while also being very entertaining. Kingsolver is a great storyteller, and this is definitely one of her best! I'm loving it so far and having fun recognizing the parallels to David Copperfield (though you don't need to have read that to enjoy this).

My husband, Ken, is still reading one of my Christmas gifts to him, Sand by Hugh Howey. We are both huge fans of his Silo trilogy (Wool, Shift, Dust), which was excellent. Here he explores a different post-apocalyptic world, one buried in sand, with four siblings who get lost after their father dies. Howey is such an incredible writer--I can't wait to read this one, too

Our son, 28, finished The Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan, book 3 in the Legends of the First Empire series. Now, he is reading Enchanter, book 7 in the Spellmonger series by Terry Mancour. If you're a regular reader, you know he's been tearing through this series recently and is loving it!

 __________

The TV icon in the image above is still mostly accurate, as we once again watched just one movie in a theater last year because my health was so poor most of the year. I'm hoping to get out to the recliner theaters a little bit more in 2023!

As in years past, you can see my full list of movies reviewed this year further down, and my top picks in each genre just below. To see all of the movies I have reviewed on my blog (a considerable list), check out the Movies tab, where they are listed by genre, though it's getting harder to categorize a movie into just one genre as there's so much cross-over now. Links go to my reviews, with a trailer. Note that where each movie is available might have changed over the years, since I first reviewed it, so double-check to see where you can watch it now.

Best of the Best Movies Watched in 2022:

Best Action/Suspense/Thriller 

Parasite

clever, funny, family drama that turns into a suspenseful thriller 

(Oscar winner: Best Picture)

Best Drama

Where the Crawdads Sing

Murder mystery/legal drama/love story/coming-of-age story set against a gorgeous natural backdrop

 Best Comedy 

Licorice Pizza

nostalgic coming-of-age comedy/drama set ion 1970's L.A. 

(nominated for Best Picture)

Best Sci-Fi

The Adam Project  

heartwarming, funny, action-packed sci fi adventure 

All Movies Reviewed in 2022:

I only review movies I really like, so all of these are worth a viewing:

Action/Suspense/Thriller

Glass Onion - fun, eye-popping suspenseful mystery with an all-star cast

Parasite - clever, funny, family drama that turns into a suspenseful thriller (winner: Best Picture)

Drama

Honey Boy - entertaining & moving film about a dysfunctional Hollywood childhood

The Power of the Dog - tense Western drama with emotional complexity (nominated for Best Picture)

Where the Crawdads Sing - Murder mystery/legal drama/love story/coming-of-age story set against a gorgeous natural backdrop

Comedy

Licorice Pizza - nostalgic coming-of-age comedy/drama set ion 1970's L.A. (nominated for Best Picture)

The Lost City - a light, fun adventure-romance

Sci Fi

The Adam Project - heartwarming, funny, action-packed sci fi adventure

Finch - warm, funny, suspenseful drama set in a post-apocalyptic world

Life

Shortly after I posted last week's Monday reading post, we got the news that our brother-in-law had died the night of January 1. We were heartbroken. Tim was the kindest person I've ever met--compassionate, generous, and a friend to all. This week, we'll be traveling to Texas for the memorial service and to be with our three nephews (Tim's sons) and their families.

So, it's been another rough start to the new year here! Last year, it was my father-in-law, the nursing home, and multiple cases of COVID. My own health is still quite poor, so I am worried about managing this big trip. I'm working with my doctor to adjust my thyroid meds, with the hope that will give me more energy and stamina for this week. With my immune disorder, I also had no plans to fly anytime soon, but it will take two flights each way to get us there and back. So, I'm feeling pretty anxious at the moment.

On a more positive note, I enjoy listening to the Happier podcast with Gretchen Rubin, and their annual challenge for this year is #Outside23in23, to spend 23 minutes a day outdoors. I already have a long-standing personal goal of getting outside for at least 10 minutes a day (tough for me, given the ups and downs of my illness, but so rewarding!). I'm using their challenge for extra motivation. Last week, I started #sky365 - posting a photo of the sky each day! I'm really enjoying this so far. So, if you're on social media, join the fun and use #sky365 to share the view of the sky where you live.

#sky365 Day 5

Day 7

Lots of clouds this week, but the sky is still beautiful!

__________

On the Blog

 Lots of catching up last week! I finished my last 2022 reviews and starting my wrap-up posts:

Movie Monday: The Glass Onion - super-fun, twisty mystery in this bright, suspenseful sequel to Knives Out (though you don't need to have seen that to enjoy this one).

Favorite TV Shows Watched in 2022 - If you're looking for something to watch, I reviewed some outstanding TV shows last year!

Fiction Reviews: Two Novels on Audio - reviews of Hidden Pictures, a supernatural thriller, and Now Is Not the Time to Panic, a coming-of-age novel about art - both great!

Fiction Review: The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer - a fun romcom with a twist

__________

On Video

Friday Reads 1-6-22 - quick update on my two first reads of the new year - both excellent so far!

__________

 My first book of the year is a Christmas gift from my husband, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and it is just as wonderful as everyone said! This story of a rebel female chemist in the '50's and '60's is moving, thoughtful, and hilarious. I'm almost finished with it but don't want it to end.

And my first book on audio is equally outstanding: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. She's one of my favorite authors, and this is definitely one of her best novels ever! It's based loosely on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens ... only set in modern-day Appalachia in Kentucky. It's immersive and captivating and addresses the realities of the lives of some of the poorest Americans, while also being very entertaining. Very Dickens-like!

My husband, Ken, just started one of my Christmas gifts to him, Sand by Hugh Howey. We are both huge fans of his Silo trilogy (Wool, Shift, Dust), which was excellent. Here' he explores a different post-apocalyptic world, one buried in sand, with four siblings who get lost after their father dies. Howey is such an incredible writer--I can't wait to read this one, too!

Our son, 28, finished both Shadowcaster and Stormcaster (a Christmas gift) by Cinda Williams Chima. He's now started on The Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan, book 3 in the Legends of the First Empire series. But he has a busy week at work starting now, so that means less reading time.

 __________

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt's father, Rabbi Aaron Goldblatt, is a world-renowned Jewish religious leader. She was brought up on Long Island and attended the Jewish Camp Ahava every summer of her youth. When she was eighteen, she was struck down with ME/CFS, a debilitating immune disorder, though she lives her life as best as she can, within the limits of her disease. But Rachel has a big secret, kept from everyone except her best friend, Mickey: Rachel is a best-selling author, under the pen name Margot Cross, of ... Christmas romances. She knows it would destroy her parents (and possibly her father's reputation) to find out about her secret life, so she tells everyone she's a freelance writer. In her apartment, her spare bedroom/office is crammed from floor to ceiling with all kinds of Christmas decorations, posters of her books and movies, and awards she's won, plus her enormous collection of Santa figurines. Margot Cross doesn't make public appearances, but that is just fine with Rachel, since she wouldn't have the stamina for it anyway. Now, her summer camp nemesis, Jacob Greenberg, is coming to New York ... and her parents have invited him to Shabbat dinner! She has no desire to see this guy she was in love with who humiliated her in front of the entire camp when they were twelve years old, but she goes to her parents' house that weekend with an ulterior motive. Her publishing house is insisting her next book be a Hanukkah romance, and Jacob, a professional party planner, is hosting a huge Matzah Ball Max next week. Rachel just has to get to a ticket, to provide some inspiration on how to make Hanukkah seem as magical as Christmas.

So, right off the bat, even as a non-romance reader, I noticed plenty of classic romance tropes here: enemies-to-lovers, secret life, second chances, and all kinds of misunderstandings between Rachel and Jacob. But this novel is unique because Rachel isn't your typical perfect romance heroine straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. She feels very real and authentic, flaws and all. Of course, as a fellow ME/CFS sufferer, I greatly appreciated the honesty in how her restricted life is portrayed, but I don't want to give the impression that this novel is depressing. It's very entertaining, with plenty of humor and romcom-ness; it's just also real. You can expect lots of hilarious hijinks and a happy ending in this unique holiday romance.

385 pages, Mira

Harlequin Audio

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

Mount TBR Challenge

Monthly Motif Challenge - The Fire Is So Delightful (fire/candles on the cover)

Diversity Challenge (December mini challenge - religious minorities)

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, narrated by Dara Rosenberg. and/or download it from Audible.

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

Or you can order The Matzah Ball from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

I'm trying to catch up on my December reviews, so I can wrap up my 2022 reading! These were the last two audio books I listened to last year, two very different but gripping stories about young people that I enjoyed.

This unique thriller ratchets up the tension, as Mallory's idyllic days with Teddy turn frightening. But the truth is even stranger than she suspects, with plenty of surprises in store for the reader. I really liked Mallory and Teddy and was rooting for them, as the suspense grew. I finished this compelling story in record time.

384 pages, Flatiron Books

Macmillan Audio

This book fits in the following 2022 Reading Challenges:

Diversity Challenge

Literary Escapes Challenge - New Jersey

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, narrated by Suzy Jackson (!), and/or download it from Audible.

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local! Purchase Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak.

__________

This is a fun, thoughtful, propulsive coming-of-age story. It's about friendship, being a teen, first love, and the power of art to change the world. As with most Kevin Wilson novels, it is a wholly unique story, with a sense of humor, even as things turn darker. It's made all the more provocative by the addition of Frankie's perspective as an adult, twenty years later. The author's note at the end makes it all the more intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, thought-provoking novel.

256 pages, Ecco

Harper Audio

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, narrated by Ginnifer Goodwin, and/or download it from Audible.

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local! Purchase Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson.

Listed down at the bottom of this post are all of the shows that I reviewed here on my blog in 2022. I have also added all of these to my TV Reviews tab on the blog, so you can come back anytime to see ALL of the shows I have ever reviewed here (note that where to find shows may have changed over the years). And check out my Summer Shows 2021 and my 2022 Fall TV Preview posts for lots of other shows we enjoyed this year, some carried over from past years (everything listed under Fall New Shows we tried and enjoyed!).

I only review shows I like, so anything listed here or on the TV Reviews tab is worth trying. I didn't write a lot of TV reviews last year, so try them all!

Best of TV   

 Best Drama

The Handmaid's Tale (H)

Glad I only just reviewed it this year so I could call it out - some of the best TV ever.

Best Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Legal/Action

4-way tie? No? OK, then ...

Shining Girls (Ap) (also fits under Sci Fi)

 Best Sci Fi 

Best New Show

The Bear (C, H) 

(I added this category just to mention this show!)  

All TV Shows Reviewed in 2022

So much good TV last year!

CBS or P+ = CBS All Access (now Paramount+)

H = Hulu 

HBO

Drama

The Bear (C, H)

The Handmaid's Tale (H)

Transplant (C, P)

Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Legal/Action

The Flight Attendant (HBO) with humor

The Old Man (C, H)

Shining Girls (Ap) (also fits under Sci Fi)

So Help Me Todd (C,  P+, H). with humor

Sci Fi 

Kindred (H)

First, you don't have to watch Knives Out to see Glass Onion (but you should see it because it's a great movie--my review at the link). The only common denominator is Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, who in this movie, has been invited to a mystery weekend on a private island by one of the world's richest men, tech giant Miles Bron (Edward Norton). Miles has also invited his five closest friends: Claire (Kathryn Hahn); Duke (Dave Bautista), who brings his girlfriend, Whiskey (Madelyn Cline); Birdie (Kate Hudson) who brings her assistant, Peg (Jessica Henwick); Lionel (Leslie Odom, Jr.); and Andi (Janelle Monae). The invitation is an elaborate wooden puzzle box, and Miles' set-up on the tiny Greek island is super-luxurious. At first, it seems like a gathering of friends for a fun murder mystery weekend, but you soon realize there is a lot of tension behind the scenes among the old friends. These backstories and issues are slowly revealed, amid sunshine and gorgeous scenery, until a real-life murder shakes up the guests and the host. Good thing world-famous detective Benoit Blanc is there! 

This movie is pure fun. The scenery and cinematography are eye-popping and colorful, the all-star cast is excellent, the mystery is twisty and unpredictable, and a great sense of humor runs through everything. In fact, it's hard to catch all of the fun asides in this fast-paced, action-packed mystery. In an interview, Daniel Craig said it's best to watch the movie twice to catch all the Easter eggs. It's a 2 1/2-hour romp that will keep you guessing right up until the famous detective solves the mystery (though the audience is let in on a secret partway through). If you're looking for entertainment and escape, this is the perfect movie to banish those winter blues.

Glass Onion is in theaters and available on Netflix.

Check out the trailer below for a taste of the colorful exuberance of this unique film: