The 2018 AW Reading Challenge. Now with added breadth and depth.

Chris P · May 13, 2018

I finished The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott. 4/5 stars. It was what I expected it to be, well written and immersive. It follows the narrators' family history starting with the suicide of their (narrator voice is in plural) grandfather while their grandmother was newly pregnant. Mother and child live in a convent and the young child eventually considers becoming a nun until a real-world set of encounters on the train to Chicago convince her the general population doesn't deserve to be served. Several strings come together at the end, and although blatantly revealed earlier on still provide a good read.

I saw McDermott speak at a book fair last year, and the discussion turned to Catholicism since this book and several others of hers have strongly Catholic characters and themes. I wanted to ask her how Vatican II was going to change how people write about Catholicism since I and just about all Catholics under the age of 50, as fully VatII babies, seem to have had a very different experience with the faith than did people ten years or more older. However, Catholicism in literature and pop culture portrays an experience most of us haven't had. By the time I had formulated what I wanted to ask, the time was up.

Only two books left! I might do a second full challenge this year. We'll see how these last two go.

oneblindmouse · May 13, 2018

Chris, I was raised as a Catholic, and spent many horrific years in a convent boarding school, which is probably why I am now an atheist. I think there is now a very interesting Catholic literature describing the damage inflicted on us, which may not be your case, but I am clearly from an earlier decade than you.

oneblindmouse · May 13, 2018

[FONT=&quot]As promised, I read a second book for Vast Critical Acclaim: On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin. Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize (1982), and also the Whitbread First Novel Award (1982) (now called the Costa Book Awards), despite his earlier novel The Viceroy of Ouidah (which I don’t understand).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I really enjoyed this short and deceptively simple book about twin brothers Lewis and Benjamin Jones who never leave their isolated farm on the Anglo-Welsh border. Born in 1900 and living into their eighties, their simple lives cover most of the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century and bring to the fore themes such as family ties, unrequited love, and sexual, social and religious repression. The harshness of rural farming, together with an inability to express himself, turns their formerly loving father Amos into a violent religious fanatic, resentful of his English wife Mary’s learning and refinement. With the exception of the First World War, which has a serious impact on their lives – Lewis is exempted for farm work while Benjamin is drafted but ill treated because of his pacifist beliefs, which earns them mistaken opprobrium as ‘shirkers’ – external world forces barely touch this isolated rural community full of colourful characters, where the hard-working twins are torn between fulfilling their social and family obligations and their desire to escape.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The book was adapted for the stage and also made into a film, which is probably well worth seeing as everything takes place in a beautiful part of Wales.[/FONT]

Cobalt Jade · May 14, 2018

I'm going to start Twilight. Wish me well.

Verboten · May 14, 2018

I've finished 2 so far! On to the next one!

1. Get on with it already: Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
2. My hometown: Creature of the Baradoons by Jeremy Lee Riley--DONE
3. Bits and pieces: Poems by Emily Dickinson
4. Out of this world: Leviathan Wakes by James E. Corey
5. Still time for more chapters: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
6. War is hell: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
7. No Cliff Notes this time: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
8. Keep up with the Joneses: Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
9. Lol random: The Solidary Man by Fergus Hume
10.Just the facts, Ma'am: The Most Human Humanby Brian Christian
11. Doorstoppers: The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
12. Happy days are here again: Fallen Land by Taylor Brown-DONE

Siri Kirpal · May 14, 2018

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Best wishes, CJ!

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

oneblindmouse · May 16, 2018

Ok. This is my second challenge for the year, with twelve new categories.

[FONT=&quot]1. Happy days are here again: Nutshell by Ian McEwan. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2. Coming to a theatre near you: Gone girl by Gillian Flynn.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3. Just the facts, Ma’am: The Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha (One of my closest friends was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, so this is a must for me.)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4. Bits and pieces: Best loved poems by Neil Philip.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5. Locked up: Engleby by Sebastian Faulkes. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6. No hablo: Regards from the dead princess by Kenizé Mourad. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]7. Namesakes: Sand and Slingbacks by Georgina Newbery. (At last, someone with my name!!)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8.You might also like: House of sand and fog by Andre Dubus III. (More sand!)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]9. Flight of fancy: Spitfire: A Very British love story by John Nichol. (Goes into print tomorrow, and I provided the author with photographs and material, so I’m very curious to see what he writes).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]10.Who was that again? Donde nadie te encuentre by Alicia Giménez Bartlett[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]11. Still time for more chapters: A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12. Doorstoppers: To be decided, either Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, OR Court of the Lion by Eleanor Cooney and Daniel Altieri, OR The Forest by Edward Rutherford. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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DanielSTJ · May 17, 2018

A great list oneblindmouse!

You've got this! = D

Chris P · May 17, 2018

Nice list! I thought Gone Girl was fun, although a lot of my friends trashed it. I thought I had read Emperor of All Maladies, but it didn't sound right and turns out I read Interpreter on Maladies. Emperor looks great.

Chris P · May 18, 2018

Cane by Jean Toomer is a beautiful book! 5/5 stars. It's a collection of loosely connected short stories, poems and songs taking place in Georgia and Washington, DC, with a Chicago side trip. It's not really about much other than being black in those areas around 1920. The title, Cane, refers to a running theme of cane fields. I don't quite understand the significance of the cane theme, except perhaps the agrarian roots of black Americans, even those living in cities. A call back to history, perhaps. The book is surprisingly gritty amid its lyrical assets, especially in light of its 1923 publication date. I was reminded of the beat poets of a generation or two later, and I suspect this book caused some controversy when it came out.

Only one more to go! I have my second challenge list ready to go, but I need to finish my last book of the first, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Upstaged: A play.
1. The Book of Mormon by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone Done
2. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Done
3. The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O'Neill Done

I’ve met them!: A book by someone you have seen in person
4. What Unites Us by Dan Rather Done
5. Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie Done
6. The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott Done

You might also like. . . : A book recommended by library or bookstore staff, online or in person.
7. The Collector by John Fowles Done
8. Sapphira and the Slave Girl by Willa Cather Done
9. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

I know exactly where that is!: A book taking place in a location you know well (Washington, DC).
10. It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis Done
11. Cane by Jean Toomer Done
12. The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu Done

Verboten · May 18, 2018

All of you guys finishing your lists is really inspiring me to finish mine!

mrsmig · May 20, 2018

I finished AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE this week - really enjoyed it, and was glad I didn't know when reading it that the author had come to such a sad end.

Started my final book, PAWN OF PROPHECY, and am feeling just a wee bit trepidacious about it - the language is a bit more high-flown than I like, and there's a big ol' infodumpy prologue, but at least Chapter 1 gives me a character doing something interesting. I'm going to keep going in the hopes that I won't get exasperated with it like I did with TIGANA.

[x] 1. Get on with it already: A book that’s been on your TBR (to be read) list for over a year. GRAVEYARD DUST by Barbara Hambly.
[x] 2. Freebies: A book you (legally) obtained without paying for. THE RIVER OF CONSCIOUSNESS by Oliver Sacks. A Christmas gift from my husband.
[x] 3. Bits and pieces: An anthology (poetry, short stories, whatever). THE SIN EATER by Wild Musette Press. Since I just sold a short to these folks, I guess I better read their previous anthology.
[x] 4. Namesakes: A book by an author who shares your first or last name (maiden name counts). PLAYING WAR: WARGAMING AND U.S. NAVY PREPARATIONS FOR WWII by John M. Lillard, who happens to be my younger brother. This was his PhD thesis, published a year ago, and has the potential to be rather dry. Knowing my brother, it won't be.
[x] 5. Support the home team: A book by a fellow AWer. THE COLD BETWEEN by Elizabeth Bonesteel (aka lizmonster).
[x] 6. Keep up with the Joneses: A book by someone everyone else seems to have read but you have not. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE by Lucy Grealy.
[x] 7. Tuesdays with Balaam’s Ass: A book with a non-human (animal or fantastic creature) main character. THE HIDDEN LIVES OF OWLS by Leigh Calvez. It's not a novel, but...OWLS.
[x] 8. Lol random: Go to Gutenberg.org, click “Book Search,” click “Random” and pick any of the books that show up. THE ENCHANTED TYPEWRITER by John Kendrick Bangs.
[x] 9. Just the facts, Ma’am: Nonfiction on any subject. TINDERBOX: THE IROQUOIS THEATRE DISASTER 1903 by Anthony P. Hatch.
[x] 10. Where is that, again?: A book about a place you know little about. A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles. Takes place entirely in the Hotel Metropol in Moscow.
[x] 11. You might also like. . . : A book recommended by library or bookstore staff, online or in person. FIERCE KINGDOM by Gin Phillips
[ ] 12. Pixies and Dryads and Elves, oh my!: A high fantasy. PAWN OF PROPHECY by David Eddings.

Cobalt Jade · May 21, 2018

Started on Stephanie Meyers' Twilight, am about a quarter of the way in. Now, I wasn't expecting fine literature or anything, but what I am reading is... odd. I truly don't get this book's appeal to anyone. The heroine is dull as dishwater and in no way acts like or thinks like a teenager. The setting is dull, or rather, the author makes it dull, because the Olympic peninsula is a wonderful and unique place with lots of local color. The dialogue is dull. The characters are dull. The plot is dull, but might have been mildly interesting if I'd read it back in 2005 without all the cultural tropes even though the author has no sense of pacing or suspense. The writing style is dull. To give the author credit, it's readable, especially compared to other YA authors whose prose is designed to show off their MFAs or snag a movie deal.

A few years ago I tried to read Fifty Shades of Grey and had to quit after 30 pages because it was so dull. Now I can see that author had Meyers' style down pat.

oneblindmouse · May 21, 2018

[FONT=&quot]HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN (published since 1945): Nutshell by Ian McEwan. Brilliant! In a highly original take, the POV is a nine-month old fetus who hears his mother and her lover planning evil deeds. I can’t say any more or it would spoil the story. But tension mounts as the actions unfold rapidly. The fetus, who thanks to the podcasts that his mother listens to, has an amazing knowledge of the world he has yet to experience, is horrified at the scheme his mother and her lover are plotting, but feels frustrated at his impotence to alter events. McEwan is such a brilliant storyteller that, while writing a thriller, he succeeds in commenting on current affairs and world politics without it detracting from the main story. Highly recommended. (Also, it’s very short, and only took me two days to read.

Second Reading Challenge 2018:

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1. Happy days are here again: Nutshell by Ian McEwan. DONE [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2. Coming to a theatre near you: Gone girl by Gillian Flynn.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3. Just the facts, Ma’am: The Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4. Bits and pieces: Best loved poems by Neil Philip. IN PROGRESS[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5. Locked up: Engleby by Sebastian Faulkes. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6. No hablo: Regards from the dead princess by Kenizé Mourad. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]7. Namesakes: Sand and Slingbacks by Georgina Newbery[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8.You might also like: House of sand and fog by Andre Dubus III. (More sand!)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]9. Flight of fancy: Spitfire: A Very British love story by John Nichol. (Goes into print tomorrow, and I provided the author with photographs and material, so I’m very curious to see what he writes).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]10.Who was that again? Donde nadie te encuentre by Alicia Giménez Bartlett[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]11. Still time for more chapters: A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]12. Doorstoppers: To be decided, either Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, OR Court of the Lion by Eleanor Cooney and Daniel Altieri, OR The Forest by Edward Rutherford. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]

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Siri Kirpal · May 21, 2018

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"-a Sikh greeting)

Now, that's an original POV! Thanks for the review.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Chris P · May 21, 2018

Cobalt: I thought Twilight was satire when I first started reading it. All the tropes are there: absent parents who the MC thinks are losers but provide for the MC in such a way she has nearly complete freedom, a high school with all the standards cliques and cliches, a love rivalry between someone bad for her and someone better, and her name is Bella, for crying out loud; what better name for a character in a vampire book? Just my opinion, I think it was so popular because it wasn't challenging. It's like the "Hot Now" sign outside Krispy Kreme, promising a quick-hit no-strings sugar-glazed doughnut commitment that doesn't ask a whole lot of the consumer. Also, Twilight and Harry Potter are literally the only books my daughters read outside of school while they were growing up. I don't mean that anyone who likes Twilight is unread, but for those for whom escape is more important than craft, it suited its audience perfectly.

oneblindmouse: I have heard so much about Ian McEwan it's really a shame I've not read anything of his. This book sounds delightful.

mrsmig · May 26, 2018

I finished PAWN OF PROPHECY this morning, and with that, I've completed my challenge. I'm going to think about whether I want to do a second challenge; if I have a lot of down time in my next show, I will certainly pick another twelve books and begin again. I should know better in the next couple of weeks.

Re: PAWN OF PROPHECY - I can't say I enjoyed it. My takeaway was just how much fantasy writing has changed in the 30+ years since PAWN was published. It's got all the tropes: a ponderous infodump of a prologue, a Chosen One, a prophecy, an important magical object that everyone is pursuing (no elves, pixies or dryads, though - at least, not yet). All that is coupled with the stilted language associated with fantasy of that era, although there were occasional glimmers of a sharper style hiding beneath it. I was driven crazy by the plethora of names (so many beginning with "A," and ending with either "ia" or "k"), and that situation got worse as several characters' true identities were revealed. I felt like I needed a scorecard to sort them out. There was very little character development and in fact, besides a few physical characteristics/tics for each character, very little to set each character apart. The main character, Garion, is so passive that I found it difficult to care about him. PAWN hints that the passivity will change in the next book in the series, but I won't be reading it to find out.

[x] 1. Get on with it already: A book that’s been on your TBR (to be read) list for over a year. GRAVEYARD DUST by Barbara Hambly.
[x] 2. Freebies: A book you (legally) obtained without paying for. THE RIVER OF CONSCIOUSNESS by Oliver Sacks. A Christmas gift from my husband.
[x] 3. Bits and pieces: An anthology (poetry, short stories, whatever). THE SIN EATER by Wild Musette Press. Since I just sold a short to these folks, I guess I better read their previous anthology.
[x] 4. Namesakes: A book by an author who shares your first or last name (maiden name counts). PLAYING WAR: WARGAMING AND U.S. NAVY PREPARATIONS FOR WWII by John M. Lillard, who happens to be my younger brother. This was his PhD thesis, published a year ago, and has the potential to be rather dry. Knowing my brother, it won't be.
[x] 5. Support the home team: A book by a fellow AWer. THE COLD BETWEEN by Elizabeth Bonesteel (aka lizmonster).
[x] 6. Keep up with the Joneses: A book by someone everyone else seems to have read but you have not. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE by Lucy Grealy.
[x] 7. Tuesdays with Balaam’s Ass: A book with a non-human (animal or fantastic creature) main character. THE HIDDEN LIVES OF OWLS by Leigh Calvez. It's not a novel, but...OWLS.
[x] 8. Lol random: Go to Gutenberg.org, click “Book Search,” click “Random” and pick any of the books that show up. THE ENCHANTED TYPEWRITER by John Kendrick Bangs.
[x] 9. Just the facts, Ma’am: Nonfiction on any subject. TINDERBOX: THE IROQUOIS THEATRE DISASTER 1903 by Anthony P. Hatch.
[x] 10. Where is that, again?: A book about a place you know little about. A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles. Takes place entirely in the Hotel Metropol in Moscow.
[x] 11. You might also like. . . : A book recommended by library or bookstore staff, online or in person. FIERCE KINGDOM by Gin Phillips
[x] 12. Pixies and Dryads and Elves, oh my!: A high fantasy. PAWN OF PROPHECY by David Eddings

Cobalt Jade · May 26, 2018

I remember reading the Pawn series when it first came out in the 1980s, and enjoying it (I was in college then) though for the life of me I can't remember how it ended and everything was resolved. That memorable, huh? I suspect if I read it today, I would find it too cutesy and tedious.

Siri Kirpal · May 26, 2018

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Congrats, mrsmig! And may your next show go well.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

DanielSTJ · May 26, 2018

Nicely done Mr. Sig!

Right on!

Mine is going slow. But, I am DEDICATED to getting it done. Knowing that you kind and fair ladies and fellows are at it, or have done it, as well is a GREAT incentive.

Brightdreamer · May 26, 2018

Congrats on progress and finishing, fellow challengees!

Eleven down, one to go... Finished The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World (Andrea Wulf) the other day. Humboldt is considered the first modern environmentalist, the man who popularized the concept of nature as an interconnected network, and who raised alarms about humans disrupting that network without understanding the long-term consequences. He inspired a whole generation of scientists with his holistic views, able to successfully blend poetic imagery with scientific insight to engage the masses as well as the elite, though his name has been all but forgotten in many countries (largely due to anti-German sentiments in the wake of WWI.) Definitely someone worth knowing about, and even if a few stretches felt long, it was nevertheless quite readable.

I have to take a break before starting my final challenge due to Other Things competing for my attention. Hopefully will get to that sooner rather than later...

Updated list:
Get on with it already: A book that’s been on your TBR (to be read) list for over a year. DONE
+ Illuminated Manuscripts, Janice Anderson - STARTED 2/2, FINISHED 2/3 +
+ Scat, Carl Hiaasen - STARTED 1/16, FINISHED 1/19 +
+ Midnight for Charlie Bone, Jenna Nimmo - STARTED 1/23, FINISHED 1/27 +

Freebies: A book you (legally) obtained without paying for. DONE
+ Writing with Power, Peter Elbow - STARTED 2/27, FINISHED 4/10 +
+ The Girl who Drank the Moon, Kelly Barnhill - STARTED 2/15, FINISHED 2/18 +
+ All Systems Red, Martha Wells - STARTED 4/11, FINISHED 4/12 +

Who was that, again?: A book about a person you know little about. DONE
+ The Black Count, by Tom Reiss - STARTED 2/15, FINISHED 4/6 +
+ The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World, Andrea Wulf - STARTED 4/13, FINISHED 5/25 +
+ Ryan Higa's How to Write Good, by Ryan Higa - STARTED 2/18, FINISHED 2/18 +

Doorstoppers: A book more than 600 pages.
+ The Shadow of What Was Lost, James Islington - STARTED 2/19, FINISHED 2/26 +
+ The Grace of Kings, Ken Liu - STARTED 1/8, FINISHED 1/15 +
- Words of Radiance, Brandon Sanderson

Chris P · May 27, 2018

Great job mrsmig!

My final book, The Master and Margarita, starts off really well, but 1/3 in is pretty bogged down with side stories and going slowly.

Siri Kirpal · May 27, 2018

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

I purchased Balancing Heaven and Earth by Robert A. Johnson early in 2013 when I was tracking down comp titles for an as yet unpublished book. I found enough other books that I only got around to reading it, and finishing it, now.
I have history with Robert A. Johnson. Early on in my spiritual path, someone gave me a copy of She by him. I probably wouldn't find it all that uplifting and comforting now, but I did then. Also, I moved to the Oregon from Southern California, and he did the reverse (with time out for a few other places).
I found Balancing Heaven and Earth to be helpful, delightful, cringeworthy and dated, all in one book. While reading this book, I was able to gain some insight into a couple of things I needed to deal with, so that part was good. Some of his personal stories are delightful and some of his dreams mythic. But his understanding of women, his understanding of Indians, his understanding of spirituality are either dated, cringeworthy or dead wrong. Notably, he had the idea that Indians, if they aren't westernized, never have neuroses. Ha! He'd clearly never read the books of Indian women depressives. So, despite the many good things about the book, I'm not prepared to recommend it without reservations.

Here's the Current List:
3 by Alice Hoffman
Faithful Done
The Probable Future Done
The Dovekeepers

3 Get on with it Already!
Lila by Marilynne Robinson Done
The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich or Jazz by Toni Morrison
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton Done

3 Like a Novel, Only Real
Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri Done
Balancing Heaven and Earth by Robert A. Johnson with Jerry M. Ruhl Done
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

3 Categories, 1 Each
God's Mansion Has Many Rooms
Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East by Gerard Russell Done
Upstaged/ /Seasons in the Sun
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare Done
Howdy, Stranger
The Caretaker by A.X.Ahmad

Scheduled Extra Credit:
Bits & Pieces [to be read throughout the year]: The Collect Poems of Theodore Roethke Ongoing
Tag, You're It: The Light Between Oceans (I didn't ask Chris or oneblindmouse, but both recommended it.)

Unscheduled Extra Credit:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Done

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Chris P · May 28, 2018

Siri Kirpal said:
I have history with Robert A. Johnson. Early on in my spiritual path, someone gave me a copy of She by him. I probably wouldn't find it all that uplifting and comforting now, but I did then.

I try to take it as a sign of positive growth when this happens. I first heard about Eckhart Tolle about 15 years ago, and The Power of Now rocked my world. I still think it's good stuff, but the more I tried to live it the more it only seemed to work if EVERYONE else was living it too. I grew by using Tolle's ideas as a component of my inner world while working in the world around me. Today Tolle reads as an idealist at best and off in his own make believe world at worst.

Notably, he had the idea that Indians, if they aren't westernized, never have neuroses. Ha! He'd clearly never read the books of Indian women depressives.

There's a name for this trope, but I can't think of it right now. I run into it a lot, even professionally, with western perceptions of Africa. It's related to the Noble Savage and Merie Africa tropes, but has a more generalized name.

bdwilson · May 28, 2018

I finally have an update!

Coyote Kings got put on hold for book club last month, then again for this month. However, I submitted American Gods as one of our books this month, which meant I still got to knock one off the challenge while reading a book club book

I really enjoyed this one, though oddly, I think I like the series better. I watched the first season when it came out, which meant I watched it before starting the book, but I think all the changes they've made (so far) in the adaptation are for the better. I'll be interested in seeing how the rest of it plays out.

Anyway, I'll be back on Coyote Kings until the month turns over. It has a lot of first-person narrators, which I was starting to find confusing before I had to stop reading it for a month. Coming back to it after took a bit of work. It isn't that they aren't distinctive, they absolutely are, it's just that there's so many of them I'd forgotten what my options were. Anyway, I don't know if I'll finish it this week, but it would nice nice to have it done before I have to pause it again.

~~1. Get on with it already: American Gods by Neil Gaiman (on the list since 2012)~~
2. Freebies: Fire & Ice by Patty Jansen
5. My hometown: The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad by Minister Faust
~~8. Bits and pieces: You Haven't Changed a Bit, and Other Stories by Astrid Blodgett~~
15. Still time for more chapters: A Twisted Fate - My Life with Dystonia by Brenda Currey Lewis
21. Loose ends: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
~~25. I’ve met them!: Few and Far by Alison Kydd~~
~~31. Just the facts, Ma’am: The Insanity Machine by Kenna McKinnon, with Austin Mardon~~
35. Doorstoppers: A Perfect Heritage by Penny Vincenzi
36. A real scream: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
~~43. That old black magic: Dying on Second by E.C. Bell~~
~~48. The butler might have done it: The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny~~

The 2018 AW Reading Challenge. Now with added breadth and depth.

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

The new me

The new me

Swan in Process

The new me

The Wandering Bard

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

The new me

Swan in Process

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Swan in Process

The Wandering Bard

Just Another Lazy Perfectionist

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Swan in Process

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Dedicated Lurker