2020 Reading: Fangs

This was a cute little book that came through the library and I knew that I had to get it because it was by the same woman who does Sarah Scribbles and I just love her sense of humor and she did not disappoint me with this little book of comics about a vampire and a werewolf that fall in love. Cute little read.

2020 Reading: Overture to Death

 #49 A book from a series with more than 20 books

I continue to make my way through the Detective Alleyne series. I just can't help it! They are so damned entertaining. I think I've even convinced my mother to start reading them now. I am still determined to read all 30-something of the books in the series and it will be the greatest things I will ever do in my life. I know that there is at least going to be one in the works for next year's challenge, and I hope many more to come in the years after that.

2020 Reading: Girling Up

 #16 A book about or by a woman in STEM

I really admire Mayim Bialik. I have to admit that I am a little too young for the Blossum fame phase but I am a fan of Amy Fara-Fowler and Mayim Bialik herself is an amazing woman. While this book might have been geared more toward people that are very much younger than I am, I still found her perspective and opinion on things very interesting and her anecdotes funny. There's another book that goes with this one geared more towards boys which I might read in the future, but for now, I'll just move on to another book in my challenge.

2020 Reading: Library of Souls

 This book was originally on my list last year, but I never got around to it. Since my list this year includes one of the books that comes after it in the series, I figured I was just go ahead and read it in order to further myself along and try to make up for a little bit of the gap from last year's challenge. It was originally "#18 A book about someone with a superpower" in the 2019 POPSUGAR Challenge.

Since it has been a while since I read the first and second books, it took me a while to remember what was happening in the plot, and to tell you the truth, I don't think I quite remember all of it, but still, it was a good book. I still love all the photographs and I am anxious to see where the story will go from here in the next two books.

2020 Reading: My Sweet Audrina

 #10 A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club

I first heard about this book from Karen and Georgia from My Favorite Murder, which is my favorite podcast ever so I knew that I had to read it.

Seriously though, was V.C. Andrews okay? Like, did she need help or something? All of her books (and I'm talking about the only 4 books she actually did write) are a little... disturbing in nature. Not that that's a bad thing. I'm just curious. I really liked this book though and as soon as I started it, I could not put it down until I had finished it. I was supposed to read another book at the same time. NOPE. Had to finished this one first. So good.

2020 Reading: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

 #42 A book with "20" or "twenty" in the title

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about it and I think that was the best thing I could have done. Not suspecting anything made the twists in this book so much better for me. It became a kind of fast-paced mystery that I didn't want to put down. This is definitely a story with many layers... about stories with many layers. I am indeed a fan of this.

2020 Reading: Death in a White Tie

 #48 A book published in the 20th century

No! Poor Bunchy. Ah well. Another one solved for Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn. And one step closer to Agatha Troy. I admit, I am a sucker for that storyline.

Once again, I was hearing Benedict Cumberbatch's voice in my head as I read this and it never disappoints. I don't know why they didn't have him do more of the audiobooks. He has the perfect voice for it. I guess it's just close enough to Sherlock for him to get away with it, but Alleyn has so much more dry wit and charm.

But what was that bit at the end in the epilogue? Hmmm....

I can't wait for the next one.

2020 Reading: Two Boys Kissing

 #39 Read a banned book during Banned Books Week (Sept 27- Oct 3)

I like David Levithan's work and this was no exception. I thought this work was very powerful because it wasn't just from an omnipresent POV, it was from an Omnipresent POV of those who came before. Those who lived the life of the gay culture of the past and knew the struggles and looked into the new generation to live vicariously through them (to suffer with them through the bad and celebrate with them in the good) while keeping in mind their own struggles.

It brings up important topics that should not be forgotten about the LGBTQ+ movement in years past like the rioting, intolerance, AIDS epidemic, gay-bashing... and how that all still exists today, just in different forms (and some even in the same forms).

This is a very good book and I am so glad that I read it.

2020 Reading: Artists in Crime

 #46 A book by an author who has written more than 20 books

Making my way through the Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn series. This was the very first one I had ever heard the audio for, so I could definitely hear Benedict Cumberbatch's voice in my head while I was reading this one. I just love these books. They are relatively short, with quick-paced action, witty banter, plus this particular book is the one where Alleyn meets his lady love Agatha Troy.

Someday, I will read all 33 books. Just watch me.

2020 Reading: Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History

 #15 A book published the month of your birthday

This book was extremely interesting. All these years and all of these species that no one ever considers that cannibalism is a natural occurring thing (under certain circumstances) while the cases that we are so used to, such as the tales from conquerors of the new world coming upon tribes of cannibal savages are GROSSLY exaggerated or made up entirely.

Even if you're not morbidly fascinated by this subject like I am, this is still a very informative book to keep you entertained.

2020 Reading: Lost

#13 A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it

I felt lost at the end of this book.

I have no idea what was going on. The first few chapters were awesome and I was expecting some great murder mystery or psychological mindfuck and all I got was a weird ghost possession that had an uncertain backstory and a meh ending. Not to mention the main character’s background is scattered and incomprehensible.

Love the writing style of the author, but this particular story was not really for me.

How Do Human?

I feel like a human being today. That hasn’t been the case for a while now. For the longest time I was bombarded with migraines and other smaller headaches. Then when this went away, depression hit me hard. Like, really hard. I was sleeping when I wasn’t at work, I wasn’t showering, I wasn’t brushing my hair, I wasn’t brushing my teeth (yay masks, right?), I was neglecting my dog, I had piles of clothes everywhere and trash filling my room... it was not pretty. I could not get out of bed most days. I called in to work so much that I have no time left at all. I was like a unfeeling blob mass. I didn’t want to do anything: read, listen to music, watch TV... nothing.

It’s been tough. It’s taken me years to come to terms with the fact that I have to rely on medication just to get through a day like a normal person. But that’s just the way it is. That’s the way it has to be, otherwise I will literally cease to function. Depression meds, anxiety meds, mood enhancer meds, thyroid meds, migraine preventative meds, and migraine pain meds. These are the things keeping me alive right now.

This morning, I woke up, took the dog out, got dressed, packed my lunch and book bag, ate breakfast and made it to work on time. I’ve got stuff going on, I cleaned, I’m sewing... I want to cry but I can’t. But I feel good. I feel so good. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. What do you do with all this? How do you live?

Fuck, I hope this all doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass later. (See, there’s the good ok’ pessimism you know and love).

2020 Reading: Devil in the White City

#9 A book with a map

Although this book didn't really teach me anything I didn't already know about H.H. Holmes, it did teach me all about the World's Fair. It was so fascinating to learn about all of the things that the people had to go through in order to put on the fair and then all of the things that went wrong. It was also amazing to learn about all of the people and things that were at that fair that I had no idea about before, like the very first Ferris Wheel.

Interesting stuff. I think I might read this author again in the future. He makes the narrative exciting while still getting facts through in a compelling way.

2020 Reading: No One Here Gets Out Alive

#47 A book with more than 20 letters in its title

Jim. Morrison.

Does any more need to be said. This book made me want to seek out his films and find more of his books of poetry. I have three of them, but I know there are more. I need them. I need them in my life. I don't know what it is about him that fascinates me so much. He was so intelligent but so broken on the inside.

I already knew about some of his exploits and happenings from previous readings, but this book had more details and I loved getting more peeks behind the mask of a man whom I admire so much.

2020 Reading: Fahrenheit 451

#30 A book that has a book on the cover

I thought I had read this book before a long time ago. Turns out, I had not. SO, this was my first foray into  this story and I absolutely loved it. This is the exact type of book that would have captured my attention in high school like Lord of the Flies or 1984 did. My little 16-17-year-old self would have been spouting poetic about its themes of mass hypnotic suggestion in the media or some such other non-sense. Love.

Still. I really enjoyed reading it now as an adult and think that it is a very important story, especially now. Even today, we need to keep in mind all these ideas of the past and don't let anything destroy them or silence them.

2020 Reading: Catch-22

#3 A book with a great first line

First line: "The first time Yossarian saw the chaplain he fell madly in love with him."

For some reason, this book made me think of M*A*S*H. Something about the main character's wit and fast, circular thinking reminds me of Hawkeye.

Everyone in this book is insane. Everyone. There is not one single character that has all of their marbles. And the writing reflects that. There were times where I had to listen to an audiobook WHILE I followed along reading because I could not make the words make sense in my head unless I heard them out loud and read them at the same time. Luckily, I found an excellent one on YouTube of a guy who sounded a lot like Alan Arbus and that made me happy.

There was so much repetition and confusing back and forth in this book that I could barely keep up with it, but I believe I know what the author was trying to do with that.

2020 Reading: The Handmaid's Tale

#12 A book that passes the Bechdel test

Well, that was a disappointing ending...

I loved this book, though. I as so into it. I want to know why the world became this way. I want to know what happened to society. I want to know if the whole world is like this or if it was just this area and if it is possible to escape. I want to know what happens next. WHAT IS HER NAME? What happened to her husband and daughter? I need to KNOW!!!!!!!!!

Gah. Now my sister says I need to watch the show, but I still have so much on my plate that I don't know when I'm going to be able to make that happen.

2020 Reading: Jailbird

#23 A book with a bird on the cover

I haven't read Vonnegut in a long time and I forgot how he can just go off-topic for paragraphs at a time about seemingly unrelated things that make you forget about the story you are ACTUALLY trying to read. That being said, this wasn't so much a story as a series of anecdotes from the main character. It was BAD, but I didn't really think it was that good either.

2020 Reading: Desperation

#32 A book with a made-up language

When I picked this book up, it was really daunting because of the size, but much like all of King's work, it isn't as long as you think once you start reading. I ended up really caught up in this one and it makes me want to read even more. He just has a way of story-telling that pulls you in. And he's not afraid to go into the mind of the inhuman "thing" that are the antagonists in his stories.

2020 Reading: Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down

#8 A book with an upside-down image on the cover

It was fun to see all the influences that the creators used when coming up with the ideas and characters for the show. It brings back nostalgia and really shows how much they really loved that genre. I can't wait to see if there is going to be more of the show.

2020 Reading: If I Was Your Girl

#2 A book by a trans or non-binary author

I could not put this book down and finished it in less than 24 hours because it was so good. Normally I don't like books that go back and forth in time a lot, but this seemed to just make sense to gt a feeling of what the main character was going through and how her life got to be where it is. And to think that at least part of this was based on the author's actual life is amazing.

2020 Reading: Persuasion

#50 A book with a main characters in their 20s

While it took me a while to get into the story, I enjoyed this book. I still have trouble with the long descriptions and the style that the sentences take sometimes, but this was a pretty nice story. Some of the usual Austen-type situations and shenanigans. I don't know if I would say this was my favorite, but maybe I'll watch an adaptation of this one now that I have read it.

2020 Reading: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Next

#41 A book written by an author in their 20s

I actually went into this book not knowing anything about it. I have never seen the movie so I figured I would read this before I did so. Now I don't think I want to. This book was fantastic and I don't think I want to ruin it by seeing an adaptation. I actually love the way this was written, with no real chapters and just sort of a brain flow from a quiet observer. It helped give the story a perspective that it wouldn't have had if it was from the main character only or from a omnipotent point of view. You got to take the journey with them, which was nice.

2020 Reading: Colour Me In

#44 A book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics

There's a little blurb on the back of this book that says Lydia Ruffles is like an "artsy, British John Green" and after reading this I am inclined to agree with that assessment. I thought this book was fantastic and had unique and powerful ways to describe heartbreak and depression that really stuck with me. I'm glad that I went out of my way to buy a copy of this book (because it's British and not available in most places around here).

2020 Reading: The Princess Diarist

#14 A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name

I love Carrie Fisher. I've read her other non-fic books and I think she is one of the most hilarious people that ever walked the earth. I honestly thought this book was going to be... something different than what it was. But that doesn't mean that I am disappointed! I just thought it would be more of what her mindset was while filming all those years ago, and it turns out it was just all about Harrison Ford...

So...

There's that.

2020 Reading: Invisible

#7 The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed

Surprisingly, this prompt was not as easy as it looked. Since I work in a library, I am very familiar with the shelves and picking one "at random" wouldn't really be random for me. So I had to find another way of making it random. I had a friend of mine answers some questions that would lead me to an unknown book and no matter what it was, I would read it. The questions and answers went as follows:

Backward or forwards? Backward
Any number 1-16? 13
Any number 1-5? 3
Left or right? Left
Head, shoulders, knees, or toes? Shoulders

So, using the answers, I started at the back row, moved 13 shelves backward, took three steps into the stack, turned to my left and stuck my hand out shoulder height to touch a random book. Easy enough.

I've never read anything by James Patterson before, and from what I hear, I still haven't. I think I'll just give all credit to David Ellis in this instance since that's how things usually work now. The book was a fast read and had an interesting plot with an ending that I honestly did not see coming. So, all-in-all, I would consider this a good read.

2020 Reading: Butter

#21 A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins

Gluttony.

I actually found myself really enjoying this book. It was sad and a little disturbing, but in a realistic way that cuts you down to your soul, especially if you are a bigger person as I am. There were so many parts where I could, maybe not sympathize, but certainly step into the shoes of the main character.

I kind of wish I'd read this book when I was younger. It might have made a bigger impact on me back then. I don't know.

2020 Reading: Night Shift

#11 An anthology

I think I'm just going to start reading all of Stephen King's stuff (pre-accident of course). There's just something about his writing that is captivating. I recently made a list of all the movies and television that have come out of his writing and the sheer number of things on that list is surprising. And that's not including remakes and the like.

There's another Stephen King on the list for this year so we'll see how that goes. Might have to see if I can fit some more in next year.

2020 Reading: Anne of Green Gables

#33 A book set in a country beginning with "C"

Dear God, someone make this child stop talking. Just... Shut... Up. I would have thrown her off the cart at the very beginning and be done with it.

This is one of those books that has no real overarching plot, but it's just a series of tidbits that add up to a bunch of nothing in the end. Those kinds of books are good sometimes, but I much prefer something with a firm story line. I guess I'm just to old for this book now, but something tells me I really wouldn't have liked it as a kid either.

I'm glad that's over with.

2020 Reading: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

#26 A book by a WOC

I enjoy listening to Maya Angelou speak... I just pictured her reading this book to me and I was happy.

2020 Reading: The Silent Patient

#31 A medical thriller

I had no idea what to expect from this book because medical thrillers are not something that I have ever actually read before (at least I don't think) but I could not put this book down. It's exactly the type of book to hold my attention all the way through.

The characters are interesting and the story flowed so nicely even though it went back and forth through time. It reminded me a little of Gone Girl except it was all interwoven into the narrative and at first you weren't sure what was happening when. EXCITING!

2020 Reading: Seeing Red

#43 A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision)

This book was really unique. According to articles that I read about it, it's a semi-bio of what really happened to the author when the veins in her eyes burst and she lost her vision. It's written in a really unique way, as well. Like she was dictating to someone who didn't know when to start new paragraphs or capitalize, like she was talking to fast for them to type.

Most of the reviews I read said they thought it was hard to read and too dark, but I thought it flowed quite well and since it's this narrative of a dark subject (no pun intended) I think it's perfectly written. I especially love the openness and horror of the ending.

This was an amazing book.

2020 Reading: Calling Maggie May

#28 A book you meant to read in 2019

I don't know why I am so fascinated with these Anonymous books. There is something about them that I just love and even if they are way too easy for me, I still love them so much. What is it with me wanting to read about teenagers who are drug addicts or worse? I have no idea what it says about me, but I really love these and that's weird because usually I hate books that are in the diary/journal type format. This was just another to add to my collection and I know that there is another one after this that I might get to sometime soon.

2020 Reading: The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems

#27 A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads

While Billy Collins is not my favorite modern poet, there were a few of these that stood out to me. Plus, I already owned the book and figured now would be good time to get it read and decide if I want to keep it or not. I have been going through things lately and getting rid of things that I no longer want and books have been a hard sell for me. I decided to let this one go only after I read it. The point is that I experienced it and kept my favorites out of it and now it doesn't take up space on my shelves anymore which makes me feel a lot better.

2020 Reading: Cocaine Blues

#45 A book set in the 1920s

My sister and I absolutely adored the show (and can't wait for the movie to come out) and I thought that this would be the perfect book for this category.

I've been getting in to these kind of old-fashioned murder mystery books lately, with Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie... I think it also helps if the author is not American. I don't know if I'll continue with this particular series, but it's something to keep in mind for the future.

2020 Reading: Jumanji

Another one that I should have read last year, but never got around to. This one would have been "#39 A book revolving around a puzzle or game" from 2019, because when you think about a book revolving around a game, the first thing you think about is Jumanji.

2020 Reading: Sharp Objects

#38 A book by or about a journalist

There is just something about Gillian Flynn's writing that I love. Maybe it's because it's so real and gritty without being cliche. Maybe's its the amazing story lines that are so new and unlike anything I've ever read before. Either way, I love her books.

This book was amazing and once I got in it, I could not put it down. I really want to read more from her in the future.

2020 Reading: Vintage Murder

Fifth book in the Detective Inspector Alleyn series. This title was on my reading challenge list last year and I never got to it. It was meant to be #4 A book you think should be turned into a movie. There are at least two books after this that are in this year's list so I knew I wanted to finish this one before I started the others. I like to read things in order.

I like these books very much. They remind me of a more light-hearted Sherlock story, with twists and turns and surprise endings and things. It's also fun to picture the voices in my head as I read. When Benedict Cumberbatch did some of the audiobooks, he did the most wonderful voices and I know that I shall think of them for every book. Especially the next one because that's the first audio he recorded.

2020 Reading: On the Shortness of Life

#19 A book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics

This book was actually very interesting when I really got into it. It's just a series of essay-type ramblings, but the subject matter is fascinating. Seneca speaks of life in terms of what one person is able to do. He stresses the need to not work too hard so that you miss life, but also not to waste it by doing nothing. There was a passage that stuck out to me:

'Where is the 

need,' I ask, 'to compose something to last for ages? Why 

not stop trying to prevent posterity being silent about 

you? You were born to die,  and a silent funeral is less

bothersome. So if you must fill your time, write some-

thing in a simple style for your own use and not for

publication: less toil is needed if you study only for the 

day.' (p 71)

Something about that resonated with me. It made me feel better about writing and just creating in general because it reminded me that I should do it for me and no one else. Sometimes people should be reminded of that. It might make things much happier.

2020 Reading: Raising Dairy Goats

#18 A book on a subject you know nothing about

I asked a fellow librarian friend of mine what I should read for this challenge. It was difficult to come up with an answer because being the information grazer that I am, I know a little bit about a lot of things so finding something that I know nothing about was hard. She chose this and I had to admit I knew nothing about the practice. Now though, I know enough to know that I could never personally run a farm of dairy goats. And that is fine with me. That being said they are still cute and adorable.

(For those interested, when she asked me what she should read for this prompt, I sent her down the road of serial killers, of course.)

2020 Reading: Workin' It!

#36 A book with a pink cover

I still maintain that I want to be RuPaul when I grow up. I just wish I had the confidence and drive to pull myself up like he did. This book was full of gorgeous pictures and a little witty commentary and I was a pleasant read.

2020 Reading: Cartoons of WWII

#24 A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader

Ever since I was in my early years of college, I have been fascinated with the propaganda campaign during WWII. One of the classrooms we used (I think it was the one for public speaking) at my Community College had all of these reproductions on the wall of German Nazi propaganda posters along the wall. I remember looking at them and thinking they were the greatest things ever and some of them were really well illustrated.

This book just gave me more of that to a bigger extent. It's fascinating to look back on that time and see what tactics either side used to sway the opinion of the masses.

2020 Reading: I Hate You, Kelly Donahue

Ever wondered what it would look like if grown men acted like little boys when they liked a girl?

It can get pretty intense and scary.

2020 Reading: Machines Like Me

#22 A book with a robot, cyborg, or AI character

At first, I thought this story was long-winded and just full of random information about robotics until I realized that the facts were the alternate universe facts provided for this society that changed right after WWII and became so much more technologically advanced. It was as if computers developed twice as fast as they did in this reality and this was a story from that point of view. Fascinating.

The character of the AI became a terrifying figure and the main characters seemed to fear that knowledge and ignore it at the same time. It was as if Asimov's Laws of Robotics were cast out which is a horrifying concept.

That having been said, I loved the story, and though this little glimpse into an alternate timeline was like looking into a less exciting Phillip k. Dick story, if that makes sense.

2020 Reading: I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

#25 A book with "gold," "silver," or "bronze" in the title

This book was just amazing. The depth to which this woman delved into the details of this case and the amount of time and energy she put into it just amazes. It is so incredibly sad that she never got to see the end of it. It's horrible that the very thing that she wanted the most was what killed her in the end and then so soon after that, the case was broken and the man was caught and it could not have been done without her and people like her who are determined to keep cases alive and open so that justice can be served.

2020 Reading: Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey

#6 A bildungsroman

Not gonna lie, I totally had to look up what this word meant because I had never seen it before in my life.

Much like the Anonymous book series, I liked reading this because it was  a short read and it also appealed to my somewhat awkward and weird fascinating love of Schadenfreude. I normally don't go for books written in the diary style, however, it fit in with the narrative of the story and ultimately helped with the timeline and with the type of character development that this type of story really called for.

2020 Reading: Stay Awake

#40 Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

I have this chapbook that I bought straight from the source (got it from Billy himself, signed and everything). I had heard that this was a story in which features more of Steve and Ghost, who are arguably my two favorite characters in the PZB universe and I knew I had to have it. I don't know what it is, but I just love them both so much. I think that I relate to Steve so much with his anger and helplessness, but then also with Ghost is his love for Steve and need to care for him despite his own pain...

I loved the story. It was such a small thing, a little glimpse into their lives after the events of Lost Souls but it really speaks to their relationship with each other and the depth of Ghost's love for Steve.

Ugh. I just... I want someone to love me as much as Ghost loves Steve.

2020 Reading: Brokeback Mountain

#37: A western

I actually finished this a few days ago but I didn't get a chance to write up a review until now.

I must say that the people who took this short story and wrote up a script (I learned it was Western writer Larry McMurtry and another person) did a magnificent job taking the little that was on these pages and fleshing it out onto a screenplay. The dialog was word-for-word and they managed to take what few descriptions that Proulx provided and along with Ang Lee, make a magnificent movie out of it.

I knew as soon as I saw the category "western" on the list for this year that I was going to read this book because this genre is just not in my wheelhouse so I was going to get away with reading something that catered to me no matter what, but I think that this story is just beautiful without being overly sentimental and flowery (which I'm not really overly fond of anyway) while maintaining the characteristics of the genre.

First book of the year! Woo!