Thursday, April 30, 2020
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Roaring 20's Reading Challenge and Progress
Each year we have a Staff Reading Challenge at my workplace. This year's challenge is based on a 20's theme, and contains 20 separate categories (sometimes I am tempted to use one book for two categories, but that would be cheating).
I haven't finished the list completely at this point (3/31/2020), but I'm getting fairly close and have either read or requested nearly every category at this point, so I thought I would share! You can check out my Goodreads to see ratings and reviews for individual titles (not always a complete review, but I always rate them).
I will have to wait awhile before I finish anything that I don't have in hand, because my holds are not going to be available for a bit.
I have completed 18 categories in the challenge, with 2 to go. I'm still working on: A book with an upside down image on the cover and a book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title. I do have books that will fill these on my shelf and will get to them as soon as I finish the two I'm reading right now.
I will update the post as I finish the categories! If you'd like to be my friend on Goodreads, that's right here!
1. A book that is published in 2020
I just finished this one not long ago, it's Long Range by CJ Box. I left a
review and a blog post on this one. You can't go wrong with Joe Pickett!
2. A book that takes place or was written in the 1920's
I placed on hold Agatha Christie's first Hercule Poirot mystery, first published in 1920. I haven't read it yet, but I have enjoyed several others, so I don't expect it will be a disappointment.
Update: It was not a disappointment :). I do enjoy Hercule Poirot! Can you solve the mystery?
3. The first book you touched on a shelf with your eyes closed
4. A book with an upside down image on the cover
5. A book with a map
6. A book recommended by a blog, online source, or podcast
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
I read this one with a notebook, one chapter a day, so I could take notes and highlight things that were important to me.
7. A book that takes place in a city that has hosted the Olympics
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam JenoffI have a word for this book. It's poignant.
8. A book by or about women in STEM
9. A book that won an award in 2019
I put a hold on Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall, which won the Caldecott Medal in 2019. The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children (via the Association for Library Service to Children).
Update: This was a neat story and I enjoyed the illustrations.
When I was looking for award winners I also found one that was a Newberry Honor book a few years earlier (2016), and it was fantastic. The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley was just an absolutely powerful story, and I intend to read the second book.
10. A book on a subject you know nothing about
Well there are plenty of those! I chose Hero & Friend: My Days with Pistol Pete Maravich by Darrel Campbell. I do know some things about basketball, and Pistol Pete was amazing and still holds many of the records he set in college (with one less season and no three pointers)...and that point I did not know until after I read the book. I didn't really know anything about Pete as a person, and I got to read really neat stories about him and his dad, and both of their personal testimonies, which was pretty amazing. I definitely recommend this book to any basketball fans, anyone who just loves a good story, and fans of biographies, memoirs, or human interest stories.
11. A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
12. A book with a bird on the cover
13. A fiction or non fiction book about a world leader
14. A book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title
15. A book with at least a 4 star rating on Goodreads
16. A book you meant to read in 2019
Well I put it on my hold list at the library in 2019 and I may have even checked it out in 2019, so I think it qualifies. The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen
17. A book that has a book on the cover
18. A book you picked because the title caught your attention
19. A banned book
The Giver by Lois Lowry was listed on one of my searches of banned books. Since I hadn't ever read it I thought I should. And I'm glad I did. Very good read.
20. A book with a three word title
I haven't finished the list completely at this point (3/31/2020), but I'm getting fairly close and have either read or requested nearly every category at this point, so I thought I would share! You can check out my Goodreads to see ratings and reviews for individual titles (not always a complete review, but I always rate them).
I will have to wait awhile before I finish anything that I don't have in hand, because my holds are not going to be available for a bit.
I have completed 18 categories in the challenge, with 2 to go. I'm still working on: A book with an upside down image on the cover and a book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title. I do have books that will fill these on my shelf and will get to them as soon as I finish the two I'm reading right now.
I will update the post as I finish the categories! If you'd like to be my friend on Goodreads, that's right here!
(Graphic from the free ClipArt Library with no royalties)
Roaring 20's Reading Challenge
1. A book that is published in 2020
2. A book that takes place or was written in the 1920's
3. The first book you touched on a shelf with your eyes closed
4. A book with an upside down image on the cover
5. A book with a map
6. A book recommended by a blog, online source, or podcast
7. A book that takes place in a city that has hosted the Olympics
8. A book by or about women in STEM
9. A book that won an award in 2019
10. A book on a subject you know nothing about
11. A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
12. A book with a bird on the cover
13. A fiction or non fiction book about a world leader
14. A book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title
15. A book with at least a 4 star rating on Goodreads
16. A book you meant to read in 2019
17. A book that has a book on the cover
18. A book you picked because the title caught your attention
19. A banned book
20. A book with a three word title
Progress:
I just finished this one not long ago, it's Long Range by CJ Box. I left a
review and a blog post on this one. You can't go wrong with Joe Pickett!
2. A book that takes place or was written in the 1920's
I placed on hold Agatha Christie's first Hercule Poirot mystery, first published in 1920. I haven't read it yet, but I have enjoyed several others, so I don't expect it will be a disappointment.
Update: It was not a disappointment :). I do enjoy Hercule Poirot! Can you solve the mystery?
3. The first book you touched on a shelf with your eyes closed
Merry Christmas Cowboy by Janet Dailey - It's a sweet story.
4. A book with an upside down image on the cover
5. A book with a map
Peoples of the Old Testament World by Alfred J. Hoerth. I read this one as a follow up because I was reading The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, and this is one of the experts he interviewed.
6. A book recommended by a blog, online source, or podcast
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
I read this one with a notebook, one chapter a day, so I could take notes and highlight things that were important to me.
I have a whole list of quotes from this one, but I think you'd better read it for yourself :).
One of my friends left this review: "This book was a life-changer for me. One of the best, most meaningful things I've read all year."
One of my friends left this review: "This book was a life-changer for me. One of the best, most meaningful things I've read all year."
7. A book that takes place in a city that has hosted the Olympics
8. A book by or about women in STEM
9. A book that won an award in 2019
I put a hold on Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall, which won the Caldecott Medal in 2019. The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children (via the Association for Library Service to Children).
Update: This was a neat story and I enjoyed the illustrations.
When I was looking for award winners I also found one that was a Newberry Honor book a few years earlier (2016), and it was fantastic. The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley was just an absolutely powerful story, and I intend to read the second book.
10. A book on a subject you know nothing about
Well there are plenty of those! I chose Hero & Friend: My Days with Pistol Pete Maravich by Darrel Campbell. I do know some things about basketball, and Pistol Pete was amazing and still holds many of the records he set in college (with one less season and no three pointers)...and that point I did not know until after I read the book. I didn't really know anything about Pete as a person, and I got to read really neat stories about him and his dad, and both of their personal testimonies, which was pretty amazing. I definitely recommend this book to any basketball fans, anyone who just loves a good story, and fans of biographies, memoirs, or human interest stories.
11. A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
Bloody January by Alan Parks was full of deadly sins. There was more than one deadly sin in this book. I saw pride, envy, wrath, lust, sloth, and greed. Pretty much everything but gluttony, though if you actually look at the dictionary definition which says food or drink, then there was gluttony too, because there was plenty of drinking and drunkenness in this one.
12. A book with a bird on the cover
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke This one is on my shelf and I will read it when I finish The Magicians. Update...this was a weird one. At more than 700 pages, I just wasn't that excited by the story and it was a challenge to slog through it.
13. A fiction or non fiction book about a world leader
Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next.
14. A book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title
The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston is on my bookshelf.
Update: Very good book. I struggle with stories that shift from present to past or future and from character to character, but it helps when they are in separate chapters and clearly labeled. The story was fantastic and I enjoyed reading it very much.
Update: Very good book. I struggle with stories that shift from present to past or future and from character to character, but it helps when they are in separate chapters and clearly labeled. The story was fantastic and I enjoyed reading it very much.
15. A book with at least a 4 star rating on Goodreads
A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott. I liked it.
16. A book you meant to read in 2019
Well I put it on my hold list at the library in 2019 and I may have even checked it out in 2019, so I think it qualifies. The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen
17. A book that has a book on the cover
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
I saw this book a long time ago and thought "how cute", but I never read it until this year. I knew from the opening page I was going to cry, and I did. I ugly cried with great gasping sobs and huge tears. My youngest came in to see if I was okay, then saw the book in my hands, nodded and left.
I don't usually double up in a category, but I just happened to have this one on my bookshelf because it looked cool and I put it on my Goodreads "Want to Read" list, then on hold at the library.
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
This one took some serious reading to get into, but once I got hooked I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know. I did figure it out, but I had a couple of wrong guesses along the way.
18. A book you picked because the title caught your attention
Cartier's Hope by M.J. Rose
I did rate this one a five, because it has an intriguing storyline and it is well written. I would probably not have chosen this book if I had known some of the content, because it really doesn't fit into my usual comfort zone. I did really like her in depth look at female journalists in that era and what challenges they faced.
19. A banned book
The Giver by Lois Lowry was listed on one of my searches of banned books. Since I hadn't ever read it I thought I should. And I'm glad I did. Very good read.
20. A book with a three word title
The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman was my first one by her, and I really enjoyed it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Long Range by CJ Box (Joe Pickett #20)
Let's just start out with the well known fact that I am a huge fan of Joe Pickett. Yes, I like CJ Box's other novels, and I will read everything he ever writes, but Joe Pickett is one of my favorite characters of all time. I think it's because his personality and the way he lives his life remind me very much of people who I greatly admire for the way they live their lives. Right is right, wrong is wrong, and you do the right thing every time. You try to protect those who can't protect themselves, you look out for others, and fight against the evils of the world.
Loved it! I was definitely on the edge of my seat for a good portion of this book. I was wholly involved and had no idea when people were talking to me, which is definitely the mark of a good book ;). Joe and Marybeth make such an amazing team and I love watching them in action. I always have a hard time deciding how much to say in a review, because I certainly don't want there to be spoilers, but the story was fantastic! It drew me in and I read it cover to cover, only stopping when I absolutely couldn't get people to leave me alone! Definitely some twists and turns, and needing to look deeper into some things.
The one I didn't like with this one is the cover art. The background is perfect and looks like a CJ Box book. But the figure on the cover, the coat, the stance, that's not the Joe Pickett in my imagination. That looks a whole like another mythical Wyoming law enforcement figure (whom I also love, but don't get them confused). I have my very own picture of Joe Pickett in my head, and whether he matches up with everyone else's or not, that is who I see when I read. Mine is a mix somewhere between Chris LeDoux and my dad, and that guy on the cover was really messing with my brain. Plus I think Joe Pickett has better taste in hats. That one's brim is too small (that is where there isn't a comparison with the other lawman who has a pretty nice looking hat).
The cover for Vicious Circle is much closer to the Joe Pickett of my imagination.
Loved it! I was definitely on the edge of my seat for a good portion of this book. I was wholly involved and had no idea when people were talking to me, which is definitely the mark of a good book ;). Joe and Marybeth make such an amazing team and I love watching them in action. I always have a hard time deciding how much to say in a review, because I certainly don't want there to be spoilers, but the story was fantastic! It drew me in and I read it cover to cover, only stopping when I absolutely couldn't get people to leave me alone! Definitely some twists and turns, and needing to look deeper into some things.
The one I didn't like with this one is the cover art. The background is perfect and looks like a CJ Box book. But the figure on the cover, the coat, the stance, that's not the Joe Pickett in my imagination. That looks a whole like another mythical Wyoming law enforcement figure (whom I also love, but don't get them confused). I have my very own picture of Joe Pickett in my head, and whether he matches up with everyone else's or not, that is who I see when I read. Mine is a mix somewhere between Chris LeDoux and my dad, and that guy on the cover was really messing with my brain. Plus I think Joe Pickett has better taste in hats. That one's brim is too small (that is where there isn't a comparison with the other lawman who has a pretty nice looking hat).
The cover for Vicious Circle is much closer to the Joe Pickett of my imagination.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Nespresso is Awesome!
My youngest daughter, Laramie, bought me this amazing machine for Christmas. I absolutely love it! It's such a fun machine, and it even came with a milk frother!
We have had so much fun making different beverages and experimenting with flavors and froth. Paul and I have coffee dates every Saturday morning without paying $6 for a cup of coffee :).
I did choose to use purified water with this system because my last coffee machine died far to quickly (different brand). It seems to be working really well and I don't have any build up or issues.
There are so many different flavors from Nespresso and it's fun to play with them and mix flavored syrups and frothy milk as well.
We have had so much fun making different beverages and experimenting with flavors and froth. Paul and I have coffee dates every Saturday morning without paying $6 for a cup of coffee :).
I did choose to use purified water with this system because my last coffee machine died far to quickly (different brand). It seems to be working really well and I don't have any build up or issues.
There are so many different flavors from Nespresso and it's fun to play with them and mix flavored syrups and frothy milk as well.
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