Today I’m starting the 20 Books of Summer which is hosted at 746 Books. If you want to know more about this challenge or join in the fun, click here. If 20 books seem unmanageable, there are options for 15, 10 or 5 books of summer.
Like I do with most challenges that I participate in, I’m using this to help me to knock some books off my owned TBR pile. So, this year I’m not going to bother putting together a to read list. I’ll just focus on reading books I own.
Happy Summer reading!
Here it is after a bit of a delay. TheFive Lowest Rated Books according to GoodReads that I own: The 2020 Edition. Just a quick reminder. I got this idea from BooksandLala (Thanks, Lala!) on You Tube. Here is the link to her video. For this personal challenge, I used GoodReads to find the five lowest rated books that I owned and were on my TBR. (I also did this for the five highest rated books. Here’s the link to that wrap-up.) Then the pandemic happened and–yeah. All my best laid plans…. At the beginning of the year I decided to push through and not let 2020 defeat me. And so I finished the books. And this is the result.
All of the books ratings and review numbers reflect the status of the books on January 6, 2020. I should also mention that I picked books that had 100 or more ratings on GoodReads for this challenge. In this wrap-up for each book I mention why the book is on my shelf, why I agree or disagree with the GoodReads rating, and whether I recommend reading the book the book.
Okay, with all of that in mind, here’s the list:
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. Average Rating 2.69 Stars. 33,955 Ratings. 5,508 Reviews. I own a paperback copy I bought at Target.
I have had this book since 2009 & I bought it because I loved The Lovely Bones so much. I read the first page of this book and immediately put it aside and decided to try again another day. That first sentence put me off it, I think. Over the years I moved this book more than once (across the country in one instance) and still did not bother to read it. To try and get myself to finally read it I’ve put it on a number of to read lists for different reading challenges.
I’ve not really wanted to read this book, I think it’s clear. In fact, this is the last book I read for this challenge. Truthfully, I dreaded reading it. And I was right. I disliked this book. So much so that I DNF’d on page 92 of my copy (about 38% of the book). And the main reason is that the Mother and daughter are horrible and awful people that I hated so much. And I didn’t care why or what happened to either of them. So, in my opinion, it does deserve a low rating. I wouldn’t recommend this book, but there are a lot of readers who like this book a lot, according to GoodReads. So YMMV.
Whiskey by Bruce Holbert. Average Rating 2.83 Stars. 161 Ratings. 42 Reviews. I own a hard back that I got in a book box subscription.
This book is a surprise for me. It takes a chapter or two to get in to the story, but then BAM!It sucked me in. Like The Almost Moon the main characters–Smoker and Andre–and most of the supporting characters are awful, unlikable people. But unlike The Almost Moon and it’s main characters, I care about the two brothers and their quest to save one of the brother’s daughter. And the story is beautifully told. And it has some quirky elements that are not there to just be quirky. So, to my surprise, I completely disagree with the low rating. I gave it 4 Stars. In fact, I think it would be higher rated book IF it were more widely read and had more ratings. So, yes, if you haven’t read this book, I think that you should.
That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam. Average Rating 3.04 Stars. 5,035 Ratings. 756 Reviews. I own hard back copy that I got in a book box subscription.
I didn’t like this book. And I’m not surprised that the rating isn’t higher. Thereisn’t much of a plot, but that isn’t why I don’t like it. It’s not the main character, Rebecca. And she is unlikable, but for me that isn’t a deal breaker. I kept reading because Rebecca’s motivations are unclear or odd. And I was interested to find out how all of this turned out. Plus, the writing is lovely. But, like the other books on this list, I just don’t care about Rebecca or her reasons, ultimately. If you like books about motherhood you may enjoy this book more than I did.
Now You See Her by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Average Rating 3.11 Stars. 491 Ratings. 80 Reviews. I own paperback copy.
I picked this book up at an education conference more than ten years ago. That’s the fun bit about conferences, publishers give you books. So they put this in my hand & I brought it home. Like The Almost Moon I finally read it in 2020 and I must say I totally agree with the rating. And I agree with it because the book is so preachy. Why do so many young adult authors (and I think this is Jacquelyn Mitchard first YA/middle school novel?) think that they must preach to the kids? And, as with all the other books on this list, the main character Hope is awful. And I just didn’t care what happened to her. And I hated the preachiness of the novel. And I really hated those preachy novels when I was a kid and I think most kids do. I don’t recommend this at all.
Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale. Average Rating 3.12 Stars. 3,380 ratings. 653 Reviews. I own a Kindle copy.
I really disagree with the low rating of this book. At the same time, I do agree with many of the criticisms of this book on GoodReads: this isn’t a novel. It’s nonfiction. When I purchased this I thought it was a novelization of this woman’s story. It is not. Instead it’s an analysis/history of divorce laws and sexual mores of middle class in England in the mid 1800’s. It’s fascinating. The marketing for this book is bad and is the reason IMHO this book has such undeserved low ratings. If you are interested in women’s lives, marriages, and divorces in Victorian England, this book is for you.
I have to admit I was a bit surprised by how much I liked Whiskey and Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace. And very surprised how much I disliked the other three books on the list. As I looked at the reviews on GoodReads I found, for the most part, that for many of the readers who disliked these books, they hated the unlikable main characters and this is why they gave low ratings. But for me, it wasn’t the unlikable characters that made me dislike the book. For instance, I really like Whiskey and most of the characters in the book are truly awful people. For me what made the books unlikable and deserving of the low ratings is that I didn’t care about the characters and how their stories played out. That’s it. It doesn’t matter how well written the book is or how beautifully plotted it is. If I don’t care about the characters, I am done with the book.
Overall, I have found this challenge to be really interesting and helpful when it comes to thinking about why I do or do not like books. And I’ll really think about as I read the Highest/Lowest Rated books on GoodReads: 2021 edition. Yes, I’m doing this challenge again this year to help me get books off of my TBR. I’ll post this years lists soon.
What do you think about this list? Have you read any of the books on it? Do you agree or disagree with me or GoodReads about the books rating? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy reading, y’all!
Well, that is a long title for a blog post.
Anyway, I have finally finished read all five of the books. It took more than a year for me to do it and I blame the year for this. 2020, you sucked and ruined all of my plans! Including my reading plans. In December I looked back and realized I had only read one of the books on this list. And rather than start all over again with these books, I decided to concentrate on on reading and finishing up this self styled challenge (inspired by Books and Lala on You tube) and finish it late. Click on this link to see my original post and plans. And here is a link to my Starred Rating System.
So, here is the list with the ratings and review information and my original comments in Bold followed by my rating and thoughts on average rating on GoodReads.:
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat. Average Rating: 4.53 Stars. 12,193 ratings. 1,084 reviews. I own a hard back copy of the book.
Okay, I really like this cookbook. It’s readable and lovely and full of good information that has improved my cooking. I give it 5 Stars. Samin Nosrat’s voice is so strong and fun to read. It really is like watching the Netflix series based on this cookbook. And the illustrations are just fantastic. So it totally makes sense to me that this book is highly rated on GoodReads. I’m looking forward to re-reading and trying the recipes in the coming months.
Harry Potter & Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts Edited by David Baggett and Shawn E. Klein. Average Rating: 4.48 stars. 11,454 ratings. 92 reviews. I own the paperback.
Like all collections of essays, it’s a mixed bag. Some essays are great and others are….not. For me this was like reading 200 level college level philosophy course textbook. So I gave it only 2 Stars. As of the date in January 2020, this book only has 94 actual reviews, but 11,454 ratings. So, I suspect that true blue Harry Potter fans gave it 5 stars without bothering to read it. So, I think it’s an inflated rating.
Hogwarts Library by J.K. Rowling. Average Ratings: 4.47. 6,330 ratings. 185 Reviews. The three titles included in this collection are Fantastic Beasts, Quidditch Through the Ages, & The Tales of Beedle the Bard. This is a hardback collection.
Another Harry Potter collection of stories. Except this time the books are by J.K. Rowling herself. And this are all books that are mentioned over and over again in the Harry Potter books. So It is not surprising that this collection is so highly rated. And I agree with the rating & give it 4 Stars. In spite of the rating for me, again, the books were a mixed bag. Fantastic Beasts & Beedle the Bard are great fun to read. But Quidditch Through the Ages was a boring and confusing. I really think Rowling had a difficult time figuring out quidditch and how it works in the books and it shows in Quidditch Through the Ages.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. Average Ratings 4.45 stars. 113,295 ratings. 13,568 reviews. I own a hardback. This is one of the books on my original list. Another hardback copy
I have put off reading this book because of the subject matter. It’s all about dealing with end of life issues with a person’s parents. And really, I think we all put that off until its almost too late I’m well into middle age and this topic is relevant to my life right now. So I agree with the rating for this book and give it 4 Stars. It’s full of helpful advice and good information about this topic. Is it a cheerful, happy read? No. But it is well written and accessible and full information we all need to know. It’s a book that i will keep and use as a reference in the future and will enthusiastically recommend.
Broken Angels by Gemma Livero. Average Ratings: 4.44 stars. 9,587 ratings. 729 reviews. I won a Kindle copy a year or two ago? I really need to read and review this one. And it is the other book that was on my original list in 2019.
I received this eBook as a GoodReads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I DNF’d this Kindle book at 38%. And gave it 1 star. This book is Misery Lit. And I just can’t read it right now. So, yes. I disagree with the high rating of this one.
And that’s the highest rated books on my shelf in 2020. In the next week or two I should be finished reading the Five Lowest Rated books on my shelf according to GoodReads and will post about the experience of reading and comparing my rating to the average ratings.
What do you think? Have you read any of the books in my Highest Rated? If you’ve read them, do you agree with my rating? And do you have thoughts about the star ratings on GoodReads? So many people do! Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Reading!
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published:
Length: 302 pages
Genre: Gothic/Horror
Source: My subscription to Book of the Month Club
This cover! I think it’s just gorgeous.
Summary:
After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find – her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
For some reason, my reading journey this year took me to the Gothic novels section of the bookshelf. I started out in January with a newly released Gothic style novel. And, you know, even though it is marketed as a Gothic novel, it just isn’t as Gothic as I would like.
Luckily for me, this book came to my attention in the late winter. And I couldn’t wait to read it. And, as you will see in this review I really liked this book.
Like:
This is a classic Gothic novel. It hits every trope, and I love that. There is a bit of a feminist twist that I love and it leans of the true horror of 19th century colonialism, too. And it is creepy as can be.Things seen from the corner of the eye. Weird dreams that linger at the edge of consciousness. The writing is so evocative, too. I can almost smell the rot and decay of the house and surrounding land. It’s really perfect for a Halloween read.
And I have to say that I kike the heroine, Noemí, a lot. She is a kick ass, save herself and everyone she loves kind of woman. We need more of these types in literature today.
Not so much:
I have to say that there is a section where the pacing slows. And it feels as if the plot is just spinning it’s wheels. But when it gets going again the pace picks up and sends you right on down the road to the final conflict.
What I’ll remember:
What I will remember is how the author pays homage to many 19th and early 20th century Gothic and feminist novels. Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper and Rebecca. And this book really has Rebecca vibes. And that’s a good thing, because I do love Rebecca.
Would I recommend?
Yes! It’s a feminist/own voices twist on an old trope that updates it and pays homage to those stories that have come before. Plus, Fall is upon us and Halloween is creeping near, and this book would be a perfect eerie Fall or October read.
Let me know what you think in the comments. Have you read this book? Do you agree with my thoughts on it? Let me know. I love seeing what people think about the books I read.
Happy Reading, y’all.
Yes, it’s time to announce that I’m doing yet another book challenge this year. This time it’s one I missed out on last year the 20 Books of Summer hosted by Cathy746Books. <<– Click here to see the announcement page for the challenge & to learn more about it. If 20 books are too intimidating, there are also 5, 10, & 15 books of summer levels. Just chose the level that is right for you. The challenge runs from June 1st until September 1st this year.
As always, I plan to use this challenge to tackle both my physical Mt. TBR & all the other reading challenges I’m working on this year. So picking out books for this challenges is simple. I just grabbed books that I’ve been planning to read this summer. Also, I’m only counting books that I started and finished during the run time of this challenge.
So, without further ado, here’s my list*:
*This list will probably change as the summer progresses. I figure as long as I read 20 books on my TBR it’s all good & I accomplish my goal of whittling it down.
I will post about starting or finishing the books on Instagram & Litsy. You can follow me on Instagram buy clicking here. And on Litsy search for Loreen. And of course I’ll be using #20BooksofSummer20 in all my social media posts for this challenge. And at the beginning of September I’ll have a wrap-up post here detailing my reading adventures in this pile & challenge.
Are you planning on joining in on this reading challenge? Let me know in the comments below so I can visit your blog and see what your planning on reading.
Happy Summer Reading, y’all!
Author: Adrienne Celt
Published: August 3, 2015 by Liveright, hardback.
Length: 272 pages
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Source: from a book box I purchased a few of years ago.
Stars: 4 Stars
Summary:
Since the difficult birth of her daughter, which collided tragically with the death of her beloved grandmother, renowned opera sensation Lulu can’t bring herself to sing a note. Haunted by a curse that traces back through the women in her family, she fears that the loss of her remarkable talent and the birth of her daughter are somehow inexplicably connected. As Lulu tentatively embraces motherhood, she sifts through the stories she’s inherited about her elusive, jazz-singer mother and the nearly mythic matriarch, her great-grandmother Greta. Each tale is steeped in the family’s folkloric Polish tradition and haunted by the rusalka-a spirit that inspired Dvorak’s classic opera.
Like:
This is a wonderful story that explores the ambivalence that comes with motherhood for many women. Not many stories or books about motherhood today focus on that ambivalence. The novel questions if a woman give up parts of herself when becoming a mother? Must she give it all up to be a mother? And the main character, Lulu, has examples of all the extremes of that ambivalence in her mother, grandmother, and the stories told to her about her great-grandmother by her grandmother. This novel explores a whether or not there is a different way to experience motherhood than is seen in popular culture depictions of it.
Also, this story is a folklore retelling and I love that sort of story. I’m not as familiar with the folklore of Central Europe, so I’m always happy to come across a new to me folktale in my reading.
Another thing I really liked about this book is that I could use it for a prompt in the Pop Sugar Reading challenge: A book that passes the Bechdel Test (click here for a definition of the Bechdel test).
Not so much:
I can’t think of anything I didn’t like so much while reading it.
What I’ll remember:
The beautifully story that focuses on a different way of exploring what it means to be a mother. I’m sorry that I didn’t read it much sooner. I think I say that about most of the books that I finally pull of the TBR and read.
Would I recommend?
Yes! This is a book I would recommend to everyone. It’s a few years old, so it should be easy to find and add to your TBR.
Click on these links to my other posts featuring this book:
So tell me what you think? Have you read The Daughters? Did you like it? If not, why? Let me know because I would love to chat about it.
Happy Reading, y’all!
It’s time for another readathon. Yes, I just finished one readathon and am getting ready to start another. And it is The O.W.L. Magical Readathon hosted by Book Roast over on You Tube. It runs from April 1st to April 30th. And as with all of my reading challenges and readathons I am focusing on reading books on my TBR pile. It is a Harry Potter themed readathon that is in two parts. The O.W.Ls are in April and the N.E.W.Ts are in August. Basically, like Hogwart’s students, you sit “exams”/prompts that correspond to the career you have chosen in the Wizarding World. Rather than trying to explain it all myself, do click on this link and watch Book Roast’s You Tube video which explains the readathon in detail.
It may seem daunting at first, but when you read through the Wizarding Careers Guidebook it all begins to make sense. The career I’ve chosen is Seer. For my O.W.L exams I must complete three “exams” (prompts). And I have also chosen to add on a certification for Mermaid Linguistics which requires me to sit for one more exam. So all together I have four books to read in the month of April.
So here is my list of exams and the book I’ve chosen for that prompt.
After seeing all the work Book Roast does for this event and how creative it all is, it just makes me more excited about participating. She put together such a fun event. I will include links to the videos and google documents below so that you download and print what you need.
Here are a list of links to most everything you need for this readathon:
Click here for the You Tube Video.
Click here for the Magical Readathon website.
Click here for Owl prompts and Owl Letter
Click here for Wizarding Careers Guidebook PDF
Be sure to look at the video notes for links to Instagram and Twitter for Book Roast and the Magical Readathon. What do you think? Do you like readathons and have you participated in this readathon? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Reading!
What a great idea! A #Sayhome24in48 read-a-thon is such a fun way to bring us all together in this time of social distancing. This past weekend was my first time participating in a 24 in 48 Read-a-thon, and it will not be my last.
For most of the read-a-thons I participate in, I read books that will fit tasks or prompts for the various reading challenges I’m participating in this year. And for this read-a-thon I picked books that are on my physical TBR. With that, here are my stats for the weekend. I managed to read for 25 hours, and I only went over the time so I could finish the last book and be done with it. I’m happy to report that I finished four books and all of them will fill tasks and prompts for the various reading challenges that I’m participating in this year.
Here are the books I read in the order that I read them with mini reviews:
Hogwarts Library by J.K Rowling. 4 Stars.
Yes, this is technically three books, but since I have them in this collection and they are all around 100 pages each, I decided to count them as a whole. I loved both Beedle the Bard and Fantastic Beasts. Both were a fun way to visit the Wizarding World. Quidditch Through the Ages is not my cup of tea. As with most sports I just don’t care.
This book is a part of my Top 5 Highest Rated Books. Click here to see more about this challenge.
The Better Liar by Tanen Jones. 3 Stars.
This is a domestic thriller and it has twists. So if that’s your jam you might enjoy it. For me me, these types of thrillers are hit and miss. But it was fine. This would be a great beach or vacation read if we, you know, ever get to leave our houses this year.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. 4-5 Stars.
This book has been on my TBR for over 15 years and I regret not reading much sooner. It was just a lovely read. I can’t stop thinking about it or talking about to people who haven’t even read it. Do yourself a favor and read it if you haven’t already.
This book works for two different reading challenges. The Pop Sugar reading challenge prompt: A Book You Meant to Read in 2019. And Reading Women Challenge prompt 5: A winner of the Stella Prize or The Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Now You See Her by Jacquelyn Mitchard. 2.5 Stars.
This is not my cup of tea at all. It’s a YA novel with a nasty protagonist. But she is nasty and awful because–reasons. And it all becomes clear why at the end. But for me the first 80% of the book was a slog. And I think that’s all I’ve got to say about it.
This book checks a box for My Top 5 Lowest Rated Books.Click here for more information about it. It also works for Reading Women Challenge prompt 16: read a book featuring a Woman with a disability. Click here for more information. And finally it fits for the prompt read a book featuring a main character or protagonist with a disability for Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.
So that’s it. Do you participate in reading challenges or read-a-thons? If you did this read-a-thon let me know how you did in the comments below. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Happy Reading!
If I plan on reading the top Five on my GoodReads owned TBR stack, it stands to reason that I should read the five lowest rated books, right? So that’s what I’m going to do. But unlike the top five, the low five list has changed a bit from the 2019 version. One reason is that I read one of the books on the lowest rated list. And the other is that one of the books on the list has only 34 ratings on GoodReads. So that means the addition of two books to the original list. Click here to see my original post.
Here are the guidelines I’m using for this challenge:
So, here is the list:
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. Average Rating 2.69 Stars. 33,955 Ratings. 5,508 Reviews. I own a paperback copy.
Whiskey by Bruce Holbert. Average Rating 2.83 Stars. 161 Ratings. 42 Reviews. I own a hard back.
That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam. Average Rating 3.04 Stars. 5,035 Ratings. 756 Reviews. I own hard back copy.
Now You See Her by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Average Rating 3.11 Stars. 491 Ratings. 80 Reviews. I own paperback copy.
Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale. Average Rating 3.12 Stars. 3,380 ratings. 653 Reviews. I own a Kindle copy.
What do you think? Have you read any of the books on my list? What did you think if so? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Reading, y’all!
Here is a link to a book blog and a you tube video that inspired me to attempt this personal challenge last year:
Last year one of my many reading plans was to read the top five highest rated books according to GoodReads on my owned books TBR stack. Click on this link to see the original post & plans. But, not surprisingly, I never got around to reading any of them. It was one of those years, y’all. A couple of days ago I looked over the list from last year and compared it to the highest rated books I own as of January 14, 2020. And the list had changed quite a bit. Only two books from last year actually is on this years top five. So, due to the change of line up, it sort of encouraged me to try this plan again this year. And many of the books will fit the prompts of the various Reading Challenges I’m attempting, too. So it’s another solid reason why to attempt this personal challenge again.
Here are the guidelines I’m using for this challenge:
So, here is the list:
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat. This book is the highest rated book on my TBR. Average Rating: 4.53 Stars. 12,193 ratings. 1,084 reviews. I own a hard back copy of the book.
Harry Potter & Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts Edited by David Baggett and Shawn E. Klein. Average Rating: 4.48 stars. 11,454 ratings. 92 reviews. I own the paperback.
Hogwarts Library by J.K. Rowling. Average Ratings: 4.47. 6,330 ratings. 185 Reviews. The three titles included in this collection are Fantastic Beasts, Quidditch Through the Ages, & The Tales of Beedle the Bard. This is a hardback collection.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. Average Ratings 4.45 stars. 113,295 ratings. 13,568 reviews. I own a hardback. This is one of the books on my original list. Another hardback copy.
Broken Angels by Gemma Livero. Average Ratings: 4.44 stars. 9,587 ratings. 729 reviews. I won a Kindle copy a year or two ago? I really need to read and review this one. And it is the other book that was on my original list.
What do you think? What does your top five look like, if you use GoodReads, of course. Have you read any of the books on my list? If so what do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy Reading!
Here is a link to the original you tube video that inspired my original list in 2019:
Ramblings from an obsessed knitter
Hope is the thing with feathers. - Emily Dickinson
lost in the pages of books
Coffee and Cats 