So I've just completed my 18th book this year. I set a goal of 15 on the Goodread 2019 Reading Challenge. I never thought I'd hit it, because I always thought I was a slow reader. Eventually, I started alternating between a fiction and non-fiction. Here's what I've read this year, and what I'm reading now. And a couple I'll try to complete before year's end.

Read:
Roxane Gay - Hunger

Bernice McFadden - Praise Song for the Butterflies (based on fetish cults in Ghana)

Akwaeke Emezi - Freshwater (one of the most unique books I've ever read)

Bernice McFadden - The Book of Harlan (novel partly about blacks during WWII)

Toure - I Would Die 4 U

Garrard Conley - Boy Erased

Heather Morris - The Tattooist of Auschwitz (should be considered historical fiction)

James Baldwin - Go Tell It On The Mountain

Ramin Setooder - The Ladies Who Punch

Ingrid Rojas Contreras - Fruit of the Drunken Tree

Tina Turner - My Love Story

Delia Owens - Where the Crawdads Sing (it's popular for a reason)

Roxane Gay - An Untamed State

Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale

Stephen King - The Shining (just never read it before)

Ijeoma Oluo - So You Want To Talk About Race (required for any white person)

Stephen King - Doctor Sleep (sequel to The Shining, and in prep for the November movie)

Stephen King - On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King - The Breathing Method (novella in Different Seasons)

Currently reading:
Margaret Atwood - The Testaments

Crystal Marie Fleming - How To Be Less Stupid About Race

On my short list:
Robin DiAngelo - White Fragility

Edward Snowden - Permanent Record

Stephen King - The Stand (due to be a CBS All-Access mini-series in 2020)

Stephen King - The Institute

What are you reading for the autumn?

[Edited 9/25/19 12:42pm]

I will be reading:

The Beautiful Ones

On Time: A Princely Life in Funk

I am thinking about reading:

Me: Elton John by Elton John

Inside Out by Demi Moore

Look Alive Twenty Five A Stephanie Plum Novel-Janet Evanovich (I've read the 1st 24, might as well read this one)

I love to read especially on a rainy or snowy night.

PennyPurple said:

I am thinking about reading:

Me: Elton John by Elton John

Inside Out by Demi Moore

Look Alive Twenty Five A Stephanie Plum Novel-Janet Evanovich (I've read the 1st 24, might as well read this one)

I've been watching her interviews on GMA, and I'm definitely intriguied by the book.

TrivialPursuit said:

PennyPurple said:

I am thinking about reading:

Me: Elton John by Elton John

Inside Out by Demi Moore

Look Alive Twenty Five A Stephanie Plum Novel-Janet Evanovich (I've read the 1st 24, might as well read this one)

I've been watching her interviews on GMA, and I'm definitely intriguied by the book.

Yeah, it sounds really interesting.

I ordered myself a lot of books for the festive season, this just came today:

https://www.amazon.in/Str...amp;sr=1-1

EmmaMcG said:

I'm just starting my 13th book of the year, The Commitments by Roddy Doyle. I've read it numerous times before but it's been a while. Fantastic Irish book that I would thoroughly recommend to anyone although I suspect that many, particularly Americans, may be offended by some of the language used. Nevertheless, its a great story with some of the most authentic Dublin dialogue you'll ever read.

Hey, I'd read a book called "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha' aaaaages ago - don't remember much of it though - have you heard of it?

domainator2010 said:

EmmaMcG said:

domainator2010 said:

Hey, I'd read a book called "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha' aaaaages ago - don't remember much of it though - have you heard of it?

Yeah, I read that when I was about 12 or 13? Pretty good. If you liked that I'd recommend The Barrytown Trilogy, which is The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van. Or, if you prefer, you could watch the movies instead seeing as they've all been adapted for the big screen. They are easily the 3 best Irish movies ever made.

OK, I Googled it - it appears to be a musical movie - about a band? I think I should SEE that, not READ it, don't you?
Is The Van about a guy who starts a food truck?

domainator2010 said:

onlyforaminute said:

I've read the complete works of Mick Herron, and am re-reading them. They're the kind of spy novels that are best read in order, and enjoyed more the second time through. I swear, there is not a single wasted word in any of them!

The main character is a guy named Jackson Lamb and I do mean "character"! I'm hoping Herron will write a prequel or two, set back in the days when Lamb was in joe country and working against the Commies.

On October 29 the next Jack Reacher novel, "Blue Moon" will be released. Here's the synopsis from Lee Child's site:


This is a random universe," Reacher says. "Once in a blue moon things turn out just right." This isn't one of those times.

The story opens with our big guy sitting in the back of a bus, watching a man planning to mug an elderly man holding a big envelope of cash. Reacher follows as they exit the bus and foils the mugging. The old man is hurt, so Reacher offers to help get him home. But first, the man needs to pay off his loan shark. You will really enjoy what Reacher does next.




.

[Edited 9/30/19 9:01am]

Empress said:

I've read about 25 books so far this year and next on my list is: Margaret Atwood - The Testaments Stephen King - The Institute I average 35-40 books a year, so many more to come before 2019 is over.

That's really fast, about twice my rate right now. I read in shorter spurts at bed, rather than hours on a weekend or whatever. (I wish I was a faster reader, but I like to soak it in, enjoy the sentence or the paragraph.)

I'm enjoying The Testaments right now. I'm at the part where Vidalia (sp) is telling on Elizabeth to Lydia.

I may save The Institute for 2020. Not sure. Once I'm done with these two (the other being How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Dr. Crystal Marie Hall), I may dig into The Goldfinch and White Fragility to round out the year.

TrivialPursuit said:

Empress said:

I've read about 25 books so far this year and next on my list is: Margaret Atwood - The Testaments Stephen King - The Institute I average 35-40 books a year, so many more to come before 2019 is over.

That's really fast, about twice my rate right now. I read in shorter spurts at bed, rather than hours on a weekend or whatever. (I wish I was a faster reader, but I like to soak it in, enjoy the sentence or the paragraph.)

I'm enjoying The Testaments right now. I'm at the part where Vidalia (sp) is telling on Elizabeth to Lydia.

I may save The Institute for 2020. Not sure. Once I'm done with these two (the other being How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Dr. Crystal Marie Hall), I may dig into The Goldfinch and White Fragility to round out the year.

I read to and from work which is an hour each way, so I get close to 2 hours of reading in each day. I don't read fast and I like to soak it in too. I don't often read on weekends or evenings, but I do get a lot read during my commute to work. I just started the Testaments, only about 50 pages in. So far, so good. Very creepy in many ways. I will read The Institute next as I can hardly wait to read new SK. I hope you read the Goldfinch. It's a very long book with a lot going on, but it was terrific and one of my favs. I really enjoyed her other 2 books as well. Both very different from each other, but very good. Let me know if you ever get around to reading the Goldfinch.

Empress said:

I read to and from work which is an hour each way, so I get close to 2 hours of reading in each day. I don't read fast and I like to soak it in too. I don't often read on weekends or evenings, but I do get a lot read during my commute to work. I just started The Testaments, only about 50 pages in. So far, so good. Very creepy in many ways. I will read The Institute next as I can hardly wait to read new SK. I hope you read The Goldfinch. It's a very long book with a lot going on, but it was terrific and one of my favs. I really enjoyed her other 2 books as well. Both very different from each other, but very good. Let me know if you ever get around to reading The Goldfinch.

I hope I didn't give too much of a spoiler, which - so far - I don't think I have. Things really do pick up in The Testaments as it goes on. I'm about 130 pages in (on my Nook which shows 378 pages).

Your commute def gives you great time to read. That's awesome.

Hey - anybody tried Salman Rushdie's "Quichotte"? How is it?

I am very interested in biographies and am currently reading Miles Davis's autobiography with collaborator Quincy Troupe. Another great biography is Joni Mitchell, "Reckless Daughter", Yaffe.

Other books this year have included biographies of Edgar Cayce, Jerry Garcia, JFK, Lyndon Johnson Prince (DMSR) and Thelonius Monk.

Some non-biographies:Your Brain On Music, books on Attachment Theory, handwriting analysis etc.

I read 30-40 per year, on average...fairly eclectic and non-fiction.

PeggyO said:

I am very interested in biographies and am currently reading Miles Davis's autobiography with collaborator Quincy Troupe. Another great biography is Joni Mitchell, "Reckless Daughter", Yaffe.

Other books this year have included biographies of Edgar Cayce, Jerry Garcia, JFK, Lyndon Johnson Prince (DMSR) and Thelonius Monk.

Some non-biographies:Your Brain On Music, books on Attachment Theory, handwriting analysis etc.

I read 30-40 per year, on average...fairly eclectic and non-fiction.

I love biographies, too. Patti LaBelle's Don't Block the Blessings, B.B. King's Blues All Around Me, and C. David Heymann's Liz are old favorites. Andrew Morton's book on Madonna, Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs, and The Dirt by Motley Crue were ones I enjoyed, too.

So, update on my stuff:

Currently reading:

Robin Diangelo - White Fragility

Stephen King - Night Shift

Recently finished:

Margaret Atwood - The Testaments

Crystal Marie Fleming - How To Be Less Stupid About Race

On my short list:

Prince - The Beautiful Ones

Ronan Farrow - Catch and Kill

Morris Day - On Time

Donna Tartt - The Goldfinch

Edward Snowden - Permanent Record

Stephen King - The Institute

[Edited 11/7/19 11:36am]

I just finished reading The Dutch House - Ann Patchett. She is a terrific writer and her latest did not disappoint. It explores two siblings and the huge house they grew up in and what happens to their lives when their mother leaves and their father remarries a younger woman. Very well done!

I'll likely read Me:Elton next.

[Edited 11/7/19 9:55am]

I finished the Jack Reacher novel "Blue Moon" a couple days ago.

Wow.

It's pretty much a non-stop Reacher killing spree. Whatever his kill count was coming into this novel, it's got to be at least twice as high now.

Lee Child wastes absolutely no time whatsoever with analysis, character development, or anything else that isn't directly related to Jack Reacher killing as many mobsters as the pages will allow.

If you like action, this is the novel for you.

RodeoSchro said:

RodeoSchro said: