Books that Didn’t Make the Blog

It was a stellar year for reading. All the quarantining gave me ample time to read and read and read. I had a total of 165 books, including finishing eight series (some I read in toto during 2020).

• Here’s a link to my original plan for the PopSugar challenge. One hundred choices, and I had to pick fifty.
• Here’s what I actually read for the challenge, some the same, some not.
• And here’s my list for 2020—well, until Dec. 18. I still have three audios, one paper, and a digital started. LOL

Finally, thank you for joining me on this journey that was the 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge. Here are a few books that didn’t make the blog:

• Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw—A Medical Thriller. This novel has a paranormal doctor caring for vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and the like. Great story, and very fun, but the medicine didn’t save the day. I opted to read another for the blog.
• The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett—From a Series of more than Twenty Books. This is a Disc World title and not one of Mr. Pratchett’s best. It took me a long time to read it, and then I had little to say when I finished.
• The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin—Book with a Made-up language. Old sci-fi can either be fun or tedious. I enjoyed this novel very much. All the philosophical debates about government, free will, interplanetary relations was an excellent choice for 2020. But I didn’t feel the language added to the story enough to count for this category. A Clockwork Orange was a better choice.
• Fright or Flight Anthology by Stephen King, et al.—Anthology. I’m a horror fan who started reading Mr. King at eleven years old. I saved up all my horror choices for October and then realized I had way too many horror books on the list. Instead, I added a romance anthology. This anthology was interesting, containing new and old stories. I especially liked Nightmare at 20,000 Feet that ended up being a Twilight Zone tale.
• The Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie—Book Pubbed in the 20th Century. This year I finished all the books written under the name Agatha Christie. Such a feather in my cap! But when I read this one, I liked it but didn’t think it had enough meat for the blog. Instead, I choose a romance by Marion Chesney (AKA MC Beaton). One of my highest viewed posts!
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater—Favorite Past Prompt: Audio. I am a huge fan of Ms. Stiefvater from her Raven Boys series. But Shiver didn’t speak to me. I liked it, enjoyed all the teenage angsty and such, but in the end, I had little to say. So I added Nora Roberts to the list again, trying to infuse some more romance.
• The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan—Book Pubbed in 2020. As this was the last in the series, I opted not to include it. Also, the new Hunger Games was published first, and I wanted to check that item off. I loved the Magnus Chase series for so many reasons. Go read it!
• Astrophysics for Busy People by Neil deGrasse Tyson—A Subject I Know Nothing About. Loved it, very short though, and the Bill Bryson fit better with the Libba Bray novel.
• Y by Sue Grafton—Book with only Text on the Cover. The last in the series and the last by Ms. Grafton.
• The Wild Robot by Peter Brown—Book with a Robot. Loved this story, but it’s a kid story, and seriously, Martha Wells’ Murderbot stories are the BEST things I’ve read in a while.
• Legend by Marie Lu—4 Stars or Higher Rating. An excellent book, but Speak was so amazing it needed to be in the blog. Plus, Legend hints at a pandemic. I already hit that with The Host.

There were tons of books I almost read for the challenge but choose not to. These titles you can see on the first link, but I added a few including White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson, The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (which I had to put down because of all the fat-shaming. I won’t ever read her again.), Call of the Wild by Jack London, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. (I actually read those last two, but this post is long enough.) 

Next week, let’s talk about the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge! (I’ve already started making lists…)

 

 

 

 

 

Book 50 A Timeless Romance Anthology

 

We’ve made it to the last book for the 2020 Challenge. Thanks so much for sharing this journey with me. Next week, let’s wrap up the year, and the following week, on to the 2021 Challenge!

A Timeless Romance Anthology: A Regency Collection by Anna Elliot, Sarah M. Eden, Carla Kelly, Josie S. Kilpack, Annette Lyon, and Heather B. Moore fulfilled the category “An Anthology” for the PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge. It is my last book for the challenge.

This book had six novellas all set in the Regency period (1790-1820). It contained a Pride and Prejudice story, a friends to marriage tale, then a novella featuring American Quakers, a reunion story, a rekindle tale, and an unusual match. The novellas spanned many of the tropes and storylines found in historicals. For those wondering if you might want to dip your toes in the historical romance pool, this is the book for you.

I loved the diversity in storylines in this anthology. Not all of them were a Jane Austen retelling. I say that with a grain of salt as the first book, The Wedding Gift, was basically a Pride and Prejudice fanfiction. The author imagined Eliza and Darcy’s life after their marriage (or right before) and told a thrilling tale of suspense. P&P is my all-time favorite book, and I enjoyed how the author kept true to the characters.

Another of the novellas I enjoyed was The Affair at Wildenmoore where a husband and wife must rekindle. I loved the idea of restarting a love story for an older couple. Unfortunately, the whole plot problem could have been solved with a conversation. But that being said, it was a lovely story, and I routed for the wife.

If you force me to choose a least favorite, which I am hesitant to do, I’d have to say The Mender, the Quaker tale. Not because it was about Quakers, Americans, or how different their lives and culture can be from the average Regency story. I questioned much about the tale because it broke many norms of Regency social behavior. A woman was allowed to go off with her cousin and sail across the Atlantic in a ship full of men. Hmm. Then she boarded another ship without her cousin as escort/chaperone and helped a medic deal with wounded sailors. I was like, “Nope, her reputation would be ruined beyond repair.” But would it? I don’t know about Quaker culture and if that would be okay or not. I was very confused and might have caused me not to see the love connection. I couldn’t figure out who the hero was.

It was nice to take a break from modern problems and modern relationships with this book. For instance, Dream of a Glorious Season, where the man Elizabeth loves is promised to her sister. In a contemporary, this would not be a problem. But for Regency, where women had so many social obligations and being alone with a man dammed their reputation. It was enjoyable to think, here’s a story where they can’t even talk or write letters because of social norms. The level and problems of relationships were very different, and I loved falling back on a “you cannot touch my hand, sir” kind of story. I’m not a huge historical reader, but give me a Jane Austen any day.

I give A Timeless Romance Anthology by Anna Elliot, Sarah M. Eden, Carla Kelly, Josie S. Kilpack, Annette Lyon, and Heather B. Moore Four Secret Rendezvous with my Heart’s Desire.

 

 

Book 49 99 Percent Mine

 

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne fulfilled the “Book with Flora or Fauna in the Title” for the PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge. This was not my first choice for the prompt. I had about a dozen. Greg Bear (sci-fi), Sherryl Woods (romance), Robin DiAngelo (White Fragility) to name a few. In the end, I read the Sally Thorne as it had been on my To-Be-Read pile for a long time. (And I wasn’t ready to read White Fragility yet. I plan to for next year’s challenge. I’m hoping to change my behavior for the better. But I digress.)

99 Percent Mine is the second book by Sally Thorne. Her first, The Hating Game, is one of the best romances I’ve ever read. I loved it from beginning to end. I’m not sure what to do with her second title.

I had some issues with the book right away. But it was hot. Like smoking hot. Like a cold shower in the afternoon hot. The novel starred a Latino hero. I’ve been crushing on a certain Latino actor from a Netflix show for months now. Guess who I saw as the hero? (Yes, David Castañeda aka Diego from The Umbrella Academy. Don’t judge. He’s in good company with my other crushes—Jensen Ackles, Evan Peters, and Benedict Cumberbatch.) I kept reading as it’s my last book on the PopSugar challenge. I wanted to finish by the end of November to prep for the next year.

Anyway… what a read.

The book is a friends-to-lovers trope about Darcy Barrett finally getting her childhood crush, Tom Valeska, and finding some stability in her own life.

But there were issues…

Race seemed to be a problem. This surprised me as the book was published in January 2019. The Barrett family definitely had some “white savior” issues. The novel discussed how all the principal characters lived in the same neighborhood. But Tom Valeska was a poor Latino boy with a single mother who the Barrett’s took in and “rescued.” Yeah, that felt kind of itchy to listen to. Both of the Barrett twins treated Tom like their personal pet, while claiming at the same time he was their friend. They claimed he was perfect and would and could do anything for them. Just ask him, he’ll do it. The overtone was one of “Tom owes us so he pays us back.” At one point, one twin calls Tom the other’s slave. It was ugly and wrong.

Other people (reviews, colleagues, friends) had issues with the heroine. She was wild, promiscuous, broken, and lost. She was vulgar and demanding. I didn’t have a problem with anything but her treatment of Tom. She wound him around her finger and treated him as less than a person. She claimed how she owned him. He was ninety-nine percent hers. She couldn’t share him with her brother, like Tom was some toy. Throughout the book, she compared Tom to a wolf. She said he wasn’t human, only animal. Tom was never like that. Not even in bed. She saw him as her pet wolf. I didn’t care for that.

So, why did I finish the book and include it on the blog? Because the sexual tension was riveting. Even with her ugly words and her family’s horrific treatment. I’m white and middle class. That may be why I could finish the story and write it up here. I also really liked Tom. He was a genuine hero, despite his treatment. He was the kind of man every woman deserves, even if her family craps on him. Well, maybe not if they treat him so poorly. Honestly, I cannot see any of my friends of color liking the book.

I concluded this novel was another 50 Shades of Grey. (Interesting, they both had a number in the title.) A hot mess, that was very hot.

I give 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne Three Cute Chihuahuas.

Book 48 I Wish You All the Best

 

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver fulfills the prompt “Book by a Trans or Nonbinary Author” for the PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge. I was a little lost for the category and asked for help. One of my writer friends, Tib, recommended this title, and I cannot thank them enough. I loved the book. It made me cry so many times.

The novel depicts the story of a young person, Ben De Backer, revealing to their parents they are nonbinary. The parents promptly kick their child out into the cold on a winter night without shoes. My mama-bear senses bristled right from the start. Luckily, Ben has an older sister they can turn to for help. With a new home, a new school (they are eighteen and finishing high school), and new friends, Ben starts a long journey of healing, acceptance, and possibilities.

I’m not doing this story justice. It’s a coming-out story, it’s a growth story, it’s a redemption story, it’s a “learning to see the world as it is” story, and there’s some romance in there too. There’s so much to talk about I could write a thesis, but I won’t. I know you hate when I do that. But here are some of my big thoughts on this amazing book.

I live in the Northeast and am pretty liberal in my thinking. People are people. I don’t care who they love. Just be nice and treat others nice is my philosophy. When a friend came out to me in college, I said, “So?” He hugged me hard. I have no problem accepting, but other people do.

I’ve told my own children many times the cure for hate, racism, and homophobia is love. When you love someone who is a different race, religion, creed, sexuality, gender (in all its forms), you accept better. You love them. You see the issue as a person, not an abstract. And then the hate doesn’t make sense anymore. They are still the same person you loved before they came out. Love them for the person they are, not who you want them to be. I’d be one of those older women at Pride with an “If your parents don’t accept you, I’m your mom now” t-shirts.

I saw some info that Mx. Deaver wrote a book that they would’ve liked to have around when they were a struggling teen. I’m so glad they put this story into the world. Because they tell the tale in first person, present tense, the reader is in the middle of the action. They feel all the emotions that Ben does. We experience their struggle over so much more than the issues with parents. It’s school, friends, identity, and a big crush too. All the things teens deal with, but Ben must face abandonment and mental health issues too. As I read the book, I thought of the kids who have no support or poor support for their issues. Today, there’s more freedom for everyone to be who they are, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to declare it to a judgmental public. I was glad the book included mental health and seeing someone to talk about depression and anxiety. Those two conditions are rampant in today’s youth. The book showed it was okay to ask for help.

I loved the romantic element too. Ben is such a sweet character, and we feel for them in deep ways. When they crush on Nathan, all we want is for Ben to finally declare their feelings and tell the boy. Just having the crush, brings up issues of sexuality beyond gender. I think that Mx. Deaver did a wonderful job illustrating Ben’s trouble with the situation. Having Ben work through the crush showed the reader the reality that is being young, nonbinary, and in love with your best friend.

I know it would never happen, but this book would be a fantastic choice for a high school English class. Conservatives would probably ban it, but so many teens could learn and enjoy this story.

I give I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver Five Paintings All in Yellow.

Book 47 True Grit

True Grit by Charles Portis fulfills the category “A Western” for the PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge. The novel takes place in 1878 in Western Arkansas and the Indian Territories to the west (eventually, Oklahoma).

Mattie Ross plots to avenge her pa, killed by a farmhand at Fort Smith. How’s that for an elevator pitch (short version of the storyline)? A fourteen-year-old girl goes to collect her father’s body and takes the town in hand—hiring guns to go after the killer. The girl is a force of nature. She is straightforward, hard-lined, and honestly, the title is about her. In the course of events, she secures her father’s things, gets cash for his horses, and hires a marshal for the manhunt. Then, with her daddy’s gun, she marches into Indian Territory to hunt down the guilty party. What fourteen-year-old does that? Mattie Ross.

I both loved and hated this book. I should have adored a story of a young girl fighting her way toward a goal, not letting her gender or other people’s opinions stop her. Mattie was an amazing kid, but never really a child. She was more of an adult than many characters. She knew what she wanted and went and got it. The childish part was her not knowing that most of what she wanted was impossible. But it never stopped her from getting the money and the help she needed to do an impossible task.

But with Mattie as the narrator, we missed most of the emotion of the piece. We had only the fire of her desire to finish the task. There was no love, no hate, a little disgust, but nothing deep. That’s who the character was, and I can embrace that.

I’ve let the book sit for a while because I didn’t want to trash another classic. I can see why this tale is embraced as a true American tale. And if anyone tells you the title is about the man Mattie wanted to help her, kick them in the shins. Mattie is one of the few characters in the story with true grit. Anyway, I listened to it as I do many books. Westerns aren’t my favorite genre. And this one was as dry as the desert. But again, that was our narrator. I digress.

I even listened to the audio reader’s essay at the end, telling how much she loves the story, how generations of women in her family love the book. And I was like, why? It’s okay, but…

I didn’t get it. I still don’t.

The book is good for learning something about the Old West, having a strong female hero, and… I don’t know. It was kind of boring and dry. Plus, the audio reader kept pausing and smacking her lips. Seriously, she smacked her lips! Who lets a recording of a classic novel go out into the word with that kind of sound added to the story? I thought it was from the Arkansas accent, but the essay was sans lip-smacking. Anyway, the problem with the reader doesn’t resolve my bland response to this story. It was okay. If you have to read a western, then it’s a good pick. But will I have generations of my family picking up this book and gifting it to everyone? No. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, though—that’s a yes.

I give True Grit by Charles Portis Three and a half Spunky Ponies, one named Blackie (I have no idea how you get half a pony. Don’t ask.)