2019 - Down the River Unto the Sea, Walter Mosley, 336 pages
Former NYPD cop wrongly accused of a crime investigates a murder ten years later as a private investigator.
2019 - Down the River Unto the Sea, Walter Mosley, 336 pages
Former NYPD cop wrongly accused of a crime investigates a murder ten years later as a private investigator.
2019 - Down the River Unto the Sea, Walter Mosley, 336 pages
Former NYPD cop wrongly accused of a crime investigates a murder ten years later as a private investigator.
Follow me
2020 linz the bookworm
reading challenge - 60 CATEGORIES
Calling complete december 2020
**1 DNF and 2 not completed
First and foremost, I look at challenges as a gateway to new reading paths, a way to nudge me in a new direction with my reading. It's not a competition and if I don't finish, I don't care; but, I'm going to give it a shot! Are you inspired to join me?
As I was perusing the hundreds of challenges flooding book blogs, this one caught my eye: 2020 Reading at Linz the Bookworm. The format is a bit different in that she's organized it into 5 tiers of 12 books each, so you can read just from one tier at a time, read randomly (me), or attack the list however you choose.
Here's where I'll track my efforts to complete the challenge in 2020. I'll be double dipping some of the books that will also fit categories in other challenges. I started by taking the lists and perusing my own bookshelves to see what I already own that will fit the challenge. Then, as I search the forums for ideas, I watch for books I know are already on my TBR list. Finally, I fill in with books totally new-to-me. Completed books will be in bold with a cover image and links to the reviews. (AOC, author of color)
Tier one: book of the month club
1 - title that starts with W:
Wee Free Men (The) by Terry Pratchett
fantasy story about a 9 year old girl who wants to grow up to be a witch and when her little brother is taken, she teams up with the 'wee free men' (who are surprisingly funny) to save him
2 - book you got for under $3:
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
part sci-fi, part historical fiction as a young woman time travels back to medieval England
3 - book with blue cover:
Nightingale (The) by Kristin Hannah
the story of two strong French sisters who fight, each in their own way, during WWII; loosely based on true stories of the French Resistance
4 - by my favorite author:
Close to Home (#5 Crosswhite) by Robert Dugoni
a good addition to the series, in trying to solve a hit and run, Crosswhite gets tangled up with the military police, a drug ring, and crooked cops
5 - with the word 'light' in the title:
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
the ninth in the Inspector Gamache series; a complex, action filled, character driven mystery
6 - book set in future:
Native Tongue #1 by Suzette Hadin Elgin
a very feminist look at a future where women have NO rights and are essentially slaves to men and work to develop a secret language to break away from men
7 - book from Project Gutenberg:
Wonderful Wizard of Oz (The) #1 by L. Frank Baum (the whole series of 14 books can be found in order here)
a quick read of this classic story; I luckily found an edition that had the original artwork which enhanced the experience
8 - short stories or novella:
Different Seasons by Stephen King
a collection of four "short" stories, none of which are horror, but there's a creepy one or two in there
9 - on my TBR for more than a year:
Fifth Season #1 by N.K. Jemison
on my TBR for years, I'm so glad I finally read this fantasy novel - clever and smart and filled with complex characters
11 - re-read recommended to a friend:
Ender's Game #1 by Orson Scott Card
I reread this for other challenges and loved it again so recommended to a friend
Tier two: casual reader club
13 - under 400 pages:
the story follows a dozen Cheyenne who live in and around Oakland as they prepare to attend the first Oakland Powwow
14 - book by Julie Garwood
16 - a retelling of 'classic fairy tale' in #15:
17 - suspense or horror:
Only Good Indians (The) by Stephen Graham Jones
a blending of Native American culture and horror as four young men pay the steep and violent price of slaughtering a herd of elk 10 years after the event (received as ARC)
19 - book with a building on the cover:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
a classic about a little girl growing up and learning about life in Brooklyn
20 - historical fiction from WWII era:
21 - turned into a movie or TV show:
23 - recommended by my library's website:
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Kepnes
listened to this story of a young black woman who is babysitting a white toddler and is challenged by a store manager about whether she kidnapped the child
24 - FREE space - pick any book:
Sleeping Giants #1 by Sylvain Neuval
a sci-fi book about a young girl who falls into a deep hole, to be caught by a giant metal hand; she grows to be a scientist and study the hand, it's composition, and makes discoveries
Tier three: dedicated reader club
27 - a book published in 2020:
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
the story of a small Nigerian village that is being destroyed by pollution from an American oil company and the woman who tries to save her village (received as ARC)
28 - recommended by a friend:
End of Your Life Book Club (The) by Will Schwalbe
Memoir telling the story of a man's mother dying of cancer and the way books gave them a way to talk about more difficult topics. Good bookish notes and insightful, caring thoughts.
29 - debut novel:
30 - from BBC's list of Top 100 Books To Read Before You Die:
Tattooist of Auschwitz (The) by Heather Morris
the based-on-true story of a man who becomes the primary tattooist at Auschwitz and how he and the woman he falls in love with survive the war
31 - over 600 pages long:
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry - our Buddy Read for Feb'20
the epic western classic of Gus and Call and Texas and a cattle drive
32 - by Isaac Asimov:
33 - has the word 'star' in the title:
Calculating Stars (The) #1 by Mary Robinette Kowal
a meteorite strikes the earth, destroying Washington DC and some scientists realize that the after effects of that strike is killing the earth and humans have to leave so the space program becomes accelerated and women "computers" are invaluable
34 - about a historical figure (fiction or non):
Stolen Beauty by Laurie Lico Albanese (Klimt)
some history and information about the life of Gustav Klimt but also a storyline about a young family forced to leave Vienna at the beginning of WWII
35 - book about an assassin:
Assassin's Apprentice #1 by Robin Hobb
Excellent fantasy story about a bastard son raised in the castle; book one focuses on his formative years as he's taught assassin skills and tries to find his place in the royal hierarchy.
Tier FOUR: SPEED reader club
39 - book 3 of a trilogy:
40 - from NPR's fave books of 2019 list:
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E . Harrow
wonderful fantasy about little girl growing up as a ward of a wealthy man but never belonging and wishing she could be with her dad....then she finds a magic door that takes her to another dimension
41 - by an author using a psuedonym:
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling psuedonym)
a continuing installment of the investigator Cormoran Strike and his assistant as they try to solve a couple murders that have direct ties to Strike's history
42 - a graphic novel:
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
a graphic memoir of Takei's time in a Japanese internment camp as a child
43 - book with a season in the title:
a twisted story of sisterly jealousies as a teenage tragedy sends one sister to jail while the other marries and goes on with her life
44 - with exactly 4 words in the title:
45 - book about a writer (real or fictional):
On Writing by Stephen King
an entertaining look at his personal life and writing habits as well as plenty of tips on how he thinks a good story should be told
46 - book with a title that rhymes:
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
middle grade story about a nerdy boy who finds a mysterious orb in a mysterious magic shop; he takes it home to hatch a dragon; fun story with a couple of lessons
47 - author's name of Elizabeth / Beth or variant:
Story of Arthur Truluv (The) by Elizabeth Berg
a heart warming story of an elderly widower, his nosy, interfering neighbor and a lonely teenager and their unlikely friendship
48 - FREE space - pick any book:
She Has a Broken Thing Where Her Heart Should Be by J.D. Barker
horror story of a few young people with unusual abilities - their friendships, loves, and tragedies
Tier Five: over-achiever club
49 - a motivational / inspirational book:
Prophet (The) by Kahlil Gibran (DNF)
the classic inspirational / motivational book of poetry and essays wasn't for me - struggled through about 20 pages
50 - book with 2 or more authors:
Last Mrs. Parrish (The) by Liv Constantine (pseudonym of 2 sisters)
a conniving social climber insinuates herself into a family in order to steal the husband
51 - book by John Creasey:
52 - published in 1980:
a typical King horror story of a group of people trapped in a grocery store as a deadly mist filled with creepy critters swirls around the store, keeping them prisoner
53 - a 'rags to riches' story:
a young girl lives a life of struggle as a slave to the 'Silvers' but is elevated to royalty status when she discovers she has the same powers as Silvers
54 - book with an occupation in the title:
Notes From a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi
an interesting memoir describing Kwame's difficult early life and how he came to his love of cooking and the path the leads him to open his own restaurant at 27 years old
55 - book about travel or that involves travel:
It's What I Do by Lynsey Addario
a memoir by a photojournalist and how she ended up being a war correspondent and the challenges she deals with in blending a "normal" life with her work
56 - takes place in outer space or another planet:
Ender's Game #1 by Orson Scott Card
takes place in space and on an asteroid where Ender goes to Command school as an 11 year old to learn how to be the best spaceship commander to command Earth's fleet against invasion
57 - a title that starts with J:
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
nonfiction by a lawyer who tries to overturn convictions for people on death row who were wrongly convicted
58 - book set in Middle East or is inspired by Middle Eastern culture:
59 - about a video game or virtual reality:
Ghostland by Duncan Ralston
a horror story where an amusement park opens featuring guests getting to 'see' ghosts - but, is it a matter of "guests dying to get in, but ghosts will kill to get out"?
60 - FREE space - pick any book:
Pale Morning Light With Violet Swan by Deborah Reed
a famous, but reclusive, abstract painter reflects on her life and loves in the days before her death; there are deep family secrets and rifts that she tries to repair before it's too late (received as ARC)