2022

Here's my rating system, which is totally subjective.

10 ~ Loved it!!  Couldn't put it down!!
9 ~ Excellent!
8 ~ Very Good
7 ~ Good
6 ~ Above Average
5 ~ Average
4 ~ Struggled to finish, but not worth it
3 ~ Annoying ~ a waste of time
2 ~ Poor
1 ~ Pitiful!
0 ~ Awful!!  Don't bother
* DNF ~ Did Not Finish ~ one I abandoned
* Nah ~ I don't recommend it

January

1.  From the Dark We Rise ~ by Marion Kummerow, 2021, historical fiction (Germany), 281 pages, 7/10
2.  A Light in the Window ~ by Marion Kummerow, 2021, historical fiction (Germany), 280 pages, 6/10
3.  War Girl Lotte ~ by Marion Kummerow, 2017, historical fiction (Germany), 180 pages, 7/10
4.  Croissants and Corruption (Margot Durand Cozy Mystery, Book 1 of 12) ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (Virginia), 164 pages, 8/10
5.  Desserts and Deception (Margot Durand Cozy Mystery, Book 2 of 12) ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (Virginia), 128 pages, 7/10
6.  Mrs. Peachtree and the Eighth Avenue Cat ~ by Erica Silverman, illustrations by Ellen Beier, 1994, children's picture book, 32 pages, 8/10
7.  Caterpillar Kisses: Lessons My Kindergarten Class Taught Me About Life ~ by Christine Pisera Naman, 2005, anecdotes, 100 pages, 9/10
8.  West with Giraffes ~ by Linda Rutledge, 2021, historical fiction, 381 pages, 7/10
9.  Wish You Were Here ~ by Jodi Picoult, 2021, fiction, (New York and Galápagos), 325 pages, 9.5/10
  • "There is a profound difference between knowing your situation is temporary and not knowing what's coming next" (p. 74).
  • "Isolation, I think, is the worst thing in the world" (p. 78).
  • "In the grand scheme of things, losing dollars is nothing compared to losing time" (p. 104).
  • "There aren't clocks in hospital rooms, and your sleep keeps getting disturbed, and the lights never really go out fully, so it's hard to get a sense of time passing.  Sometimes I'm not sure if hours have gone by, or days" (p. 203).
  • "Okay . . . what if death wasn't the ending you've been told it is?  What if time is like fabric, a bolt that's so long you can't see where it starts or it ends? . . . Maybe at the moment a person dies, that life gets compressed so small and dense it's like a pinprick in the cloth.  It may be that at that point, you enter a new reality.  A new stitch in time, basically" (p. 270).
10.  Chester's Way ~ by Kevin Henkes, 1988, children's picture book, 32 pages, 10/10
11.  The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread ~ by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering, 2003, children's fantasy, 272 pages, 8/10
12.  A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story ~ by Linda Sue Park, 2010, children's historical fiction (Sudan), 122 pages, 10/10
13.  The Titanic Sisters ~ by Patricia Falvk,ey, 2021, historical fiction, 320 pages, 8/10
14.  Squeeze Me ~ by Carl Hiaasen, 2020, mystery (Florida), 352 pages, 4/10

February

15.  The Midnight Library ~ by Matt Haig, 2020, fiction, 288 pages, 8/10
16.  Still Alice ~ by Lisa Genova, 2007, literary fiction (Massachusetts), 320 pages, 9/10
17.  Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre ~ by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper, 2021, children's history (Oklahoma), 32 pages, 10/10
18.  Tom's Midnight Garden ~ by Philippa Pearce Classic, illustrated by Edith, 2015 (original 1958), graphic novel fantasy, 100 pages, 5/10
19.  The Stranger in the Lifeboat ~ by Mitch Albom, 2021, fiction, 288 pages, 7/10
20.  The Last Flight ~ by Julie Clark, 2020, suspense, 312 pages, 8/10
21.  Finding Samuel Lowe: China, Jamaica, Harlem ~ by Paula Williams Madison, 2015, memoir, 301 pages, 4/10
22.  Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" ~ by Zora Neale Hurston, foreword by Alice Walker, 2018 (87 years after she wrote it in 1931), cultural anthropology, 208 pages, 8/10

March

23.  The Humans ~ by Matt Haig, 2013, fiction, 230 pages, 8/10
24.  Miss Rumphius ~ written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney, 1982, children's picture book, 32 pages, 10/10
25.  Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites ~ by Jamie Michalak and Debbi Michiko Florence, illustrated by Yuko Jones, 2021, children's picture book, 40 pages, 9/10
26.  Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by Her Granddaughters ~ by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Léna Roy, 2018, YA biography, 176 pages, 9/10
27.  Happenstances ~ by Mary Ellen Bell, 2016, fiction (Colorado), 338 pages, 8/10
28.  If My Heart Had Wings: A World War II Love Story ~ by Nadine Taylor, 2018, memoir/biography, 255 pages, 8/10
29.  Maus I: My Father Bleeds History ~ by Art Spiegelman, 1986, history (Poland/New York), 160 pages, 7/10
30.  A Spindle Splintered ~ by Alix Harrow, 2021, speculative fiction, 128 pages, 4/10
31.  The Lighthouse Sisters ~ by Gill Thompson, 2022, historical fiction, 439 pages, 10/
32.  Eyes That Kiss in the Corners ~ by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Dung Ho, 2021, children's picture book, 40 pages, 10/10
33.  Blob ~ written and illustrated by Anne Appert, 2021, children's picture book, 40 pages,10/10
34.  Ralph's Secret Weapon ~ written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg, 1983, children's picture book, 24 pages, 7/10
35.  I Am Jackie Robinson ~ by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos, 2015, children's picture book, pages, 8/10
36.  I Am Rosa Parks ~ by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos, 2014, children's picture book, pages, 8/10
37.  I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. ~ by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos, 2016, children's picture book, pages, 8/10
38.  I Am George Washington ~ by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos, 2016, children's picture book, pages, 8/10
39.  I Am Abraham Lincoln ~ by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos, 2014, children's picture book, pages, 8/10
40.  Measuring Up ~ by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Ann Xu, 2020, children's comic, 208 pages, 9/10
  • "Good grades, good college, good job, good life" (p. 31).
  • "My dad always says hope is a dull blade."  "I think her family motto just took mine to the mat" (p. 65).
  • "Julia [Child] says you can make anything.  You just need Courage of Conviction" (p. 155).
41.  Mine to Do Journal ~ by Tracy Brown, 2015, journal, 134 pages, 8/10
42.  A Tuscan Memory ~ by Angela Petch, 2020, fiction (Italy), 272 pages, 3/10 (actually, DNF after 73%) ~ worst book I've ever struggled to read.
43.  Pastries and Pilfering (Margot Durand Cozy Mystery, Book 3 of 12) ~ by Danielle Collins, 2017, cozy mystery (California and Mexico), 180 pages, 7/10
44.  Clean Speech St. Louis Workbook ~ introduction by Rabbi Yosef David, 2022, sociology, 71 pages, 10/10

April

45.  The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury ~ by Marc Levy, translated from French by Chris Murray, 2011, fiction, 283 pages, 8/10
46.  Brigid of Kildare ~ by Heather Terrell, 2009, fiction (Ireland), 257 pages, 8/10
47.  The Ardent Swarm ~ by Yamen Manai, translation by Lara Vergnaud, 2021 (in English), literary fiction (Tunisia), 204 pages, 8/10
48.  Remembering a Great American Hero Marian Anderson: "The Lady from Philadelphia" ~ by Emile Henwood, 2020, biography, 8/10
49.  Character Education Journal Topics (Grades 4-8) ~ by Terri Simpson and Jodie Priess, 2021, student writing ideas, 200 pages, 9/10
50.  The Easy Life in Kamusari ~ by Shion Miura, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter, 2021 (in English),  contemporary fiction (Japan), 205 pages, 6/10
51.  Love Is... ~ adapted from the Bible by Wendy Anderson Halperin, 2001, children's picture book, 32 pages, 8/10

May

52.  Antiracist Baby ~ by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashavsky, 2020, children's picture book, 32 pages, 8/10
53.  The Orphanage (Shilling Grange Children’s Home Book 1) ~ by Lizzie Page, 2021, historical fiction (England), 402 pages, 9/10
54.  We Turn to Face the Sun ~ by Stephanianna Lozito, 2022, fiction, 290 pages, 9/10
55.  1001 Dumbest Things Ever Said ~ edited by Steven D. Price, 2004, humor, 272 pages, 9/10
56.  Oy Vey, Maria! : A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery ~ by Mark Reutlinger, 2021, cozy mystery, 186 pages, 8/10
57.  How Reading Changed My Life ~ by Anna Quindlen, 1998, memoir, 96 pages, 8/10
58.  Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting ~ by Anna Quindlen, 2019, memoir, 175 pages, 9/10
59.  A Span of Moments ~ by Robert Beech, 2020, fiction (Florida), 302 pages, 9/10
60.  North to Paradise ~ by Ousman Umar, translated by Kevin Gerry Dunn, 2022 (in English), memoir (Ghana), 159 pages, 8/10
61.  Where the Desert Meets the Sea ~ by Werner Sonne, translated by Steve Anderson, 2019, historical fiction (Israel), 258 pages, 8/10

June

62.  The Butterfly Effect ~ by Rachel Mans McKenny, 2020, fiction (Iowa and Costa Rica), 328 pages 6/10
63.  All You Need ~ by Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Jasu Hu, 2002, children's picture book, 32 pages, 10/10
64.  Dovetail ~ by Karen McQuestion, 2020, fiction (Wisconsin), 353 pages, 8/10
65.  A Second Chance ~ by Rick Herrick, 2022, fiction (New York), 93 pages, 8/10
66.  Grandaddy's Short Stories ~ by Everette Summers, 2007, short stories, 47 pages, 1/10
67.  Grandaddy's Short Stories: Book II ~ by Everette Summers, 2007, short stories, 90 pages, 4/10
68.  The Report Card ~ by Andrew Clements, 2004, children's fiction, 173 pages, 10/10
69.  Next Year in Jerusalem: 3000 Years of Jewish Stories ~ by Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Neil Waldman, 1996, short stories, 64 pages, 8/10

July

70.  Write for Your Life ~ by Anna Quindlen, 2022, writing, 240 pages, 10/10
71.  Happy Now: Let Playfulness Lift Your Load and Renew Your Spirit ~ by Courtney Ellis, 2021, psychology, 213 pages, 9/10
72.  The Virtues of Aging ~ by Jimmy Carter, 1998, memoir, 160 pages, 10/10
73.  Fresh Scars ~ by Donna Mumma, 2021, fiction (Florida), 305 pages, 8/10
74.  Growing Up ~ by Russell Baker, 1982, memoir, 278 pages, 9/10
75.  Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (Isabel Dalhousie Mystery, Book 2) ~ by Alexander McCall Smith, 2005, mystery (Scotland), 272 pages, 9/10
76.  Mother Dear ~ by Nova Lee Maier, 2015, thriller, 434 pages, 8/10
77.  Regarding Anna ~ by Florence Osmund, 2015, fiction, 272 pages, 10/10
78.  Aunt Bessie Decides ~ by Diana Xarissa, 2014, cozy mystery, 238 pages, 4/10
79.  Liar and Spy ~ by Rebecca Stead, 2012, children's mystery (New York), 208 pages, 8/10

August

80.  One Crazy Summer ~ by Rita Williams-Garcia, 2010, YA historical fiction (California), 240 pages, 9/10
81.  Four Fantastic Surprise Endings for Children 3-5 ~ by Scott Gordon, 2015, children's stories, 176 pages, 3/10
82.  Random Acts of Kindness by Animals ~ by Stephanie LaLand, 1997 and 2008, stories, 226 pages, 7/10
83.  Class Reunions Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has A Story (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 4) ~ by Susan Santangelo, 2013, cozy mystery, 240 pages, 9/10
84.  Retirement Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has A Story (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 1) ~ by Susan Santangelo, 2009, cozy mystery, 214 pages, 8/10
85.  The Unorthodox Arrival of Pumpkin Allan ~ by Suzie Twine, 2014, fiction (UK), 246 pages, 8/10
86.  Let Us Prey ~ by Jamie Lee Scott, 2011, mystery (California), 281 pages, 8/10
87.  A Pain in the Tuchis: A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery ~ by Mark Reutlinger, 2015, cozy mystery, 217 pages, 10/10
88.  Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death ~ by Mark Reutlinger, 2014, cozy mystery, 244 pages, 6/10
89.  The Dance of Time: The Origins of the Calendar ~ by Michael Judge, 2004 and 2011, history, 206 pages, 4/10
90.  Meditations: A New Translation ~ by Marcus Aurelius, translated by Gregory Hays, philosophy, 90 pages, 4/10
91.  The Obituary Society ~ by Jessica L. Randall, 2014, cozy mystery, 196 pages, 3/10
92.  The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man ~ by James Weldon Johnson, 1912 (my edition, 2011), fiction with biographical introduction, 118 pages, 8/10
93.  Homesick: A Memoir ~ by Sela Ward, 2002, memoir, 272 pages, 8/10
**  The Story of Awkward ~ by R.K. Ryals, illustrated by Regina Wamba and Melissa Wright, edited by Melissa Ringsted, 2014, fantasy, 268 pages, DNR (after reading 24%)
94.  My Favorites: A Collection of Short Stories ~ by Ben Bova, 2020, science fiction, 247 pages, 7/10
95.  And Then She Was Gone ~ by Rosalind Noonan, 2014, legal thriller (Oregon), 384 pages, 9/10
96.  Last Train to Istanbul ~ by Ayse Kulin, 2002, historical fiction (France and Turkey), 417 pages, 4/10
September

97.  Rain School ~ written and illustrated by James Rumford, 2010, children's picture book, 32 pages, 9/10
98.  Out of the Shoebox ~ by Yaron Reshef, 2014, memoir (Ukraine), 266 pages, 5/10
99.  Gratitude ~ by Oliver Sacks, 2015, memoir essays, 64 pages, 8/10
100.  Gone The Next ~ by Ben Rehder, 2012, mystery, 286 pages, 9/10
101.  Trivia for Seniors ~ by Nancy MacQuilken, 2004, trivia, 92 pages, 1/10
102.  Rick the Rock of Room 214 ~ by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Ruth Chan, 2022, children's picture book, 40 pages, 10/10
103.  Tomás and the Library Lady ~ by Pat Mora, illustrated by Raul Colón, 1997, children's picture book (Texas and Iowa), 40 pages, 9/10
104.  My Name Is Maria Isabel ~ by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by K. Dyble Thompson, translated by Ana M. Cerro, 1993, children's fiction, 64 pages, 10/10
105.  An Irish Country Doctor ~ by Patrick Taylor, 2004 (2007 under this title), fiction (Ireland), 356 pages, 6/10
106.  Mine to Do: Journal ~ by Tracy Brown, 2015, diary, 134 pages, 8/10

October

107.  48 States ~ by Evette Davis, 2022, dystopian thriller, 259 pages. 9/10
108.  The Consequences of Fear: A Maisie Dobbs Novel (Book 16 of 17) ~ by Jacqueline Winspear, 2021, mystery (England), 352 pages, 9/10
109.  The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America ~ by Sarah Kendzior, 2018, essays, 256 pages, 7/10
110.  Knight Owl ~ by Christopher Denise, 2022, children's picture book, 48 pages., 8/10
111.  Perfectly Pegasus ~ by Jessie Sima, 2022, children's picture book, 48 pages, 7/10
112.  A Garden of Creatures ~ by Sheila Heti, illustrated by Esmé Shapiro, 2022, children's picture book, 5/10
113.  Breathe and Count Back from Ten ~ by Natalia Sylvester, 2022, fiction (Florida), 346 pages, 8/10
114.  InvestiGators (InvestiGators, 1) ~ by John Patrick Green, 2020, graphic novel, 208 pages, 7/10
115.  InvestiGators: Take the Plunge (InvestiGators, 2) ~ by John Patrick Green, 2020, graphic novel, 208 pages, 7/10
116.  InvestiGators: Off the Hook (InvestiGators, 3) by John Patrick Green, 2021, graphic novel, 208 pages, 7/10
117.  Waiting for Paint to Dry ~ by Lia Mack, 2015, fiction (California, Italy, Maryland), 328 pages, 6/10
118.  Iced Under (A Maine Clambake Mystery, Book 5) ~ by Barbara Ross, 2017, mystery (Maine), 305 pages, 9/10
119.  Murder to Go (Food Truck Mysteries #1) ~ by Chloe Kendrick, 2015, cozy mystery, 149 pages, 6/10
120.  Educated ~ by Tara Westover, 2018, memoir (Idaho, Utah, England), 336 pages, 10/10
121.  Way of Life: Participant Guide ~ guide by Maria Mayo (for the 2016 book The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian D. McLaren), 2017, study guide, 80 pages, 9/10
122.  The Value of Honesty: The Story of Confucius ~ by Spencer Johnson, illustrated by Steve Pileggi, 1979, children's picture book, 64 pages, 10/10

November

123.  Waiting for the Biblioburro ~ by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra, 2011, children's picture book (Columbia), 32 pages, 10/10
124.  The Indigo Girl ~ by Natasha Boyd, 2017, historical fiction (South Carolina), 329 pages, 10/10
125.  The Bookstore Sisters: A Short Story ~ by Alice Hoffman, 2022, fiction (Maine), 36 pages, 10/10
126.  StrengthsFinder 2.0 ~ by Tom Rath, 2007, self-help, 183 pages, 10/10

December

127.  Forgotten Bookmarks: A Bookseller's Collection of Odd Things Lost Between the Pages ~ by Michael Popek, 2011, scrapbook, 192 pages, 4/10
128.  Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah ~ by Richard Bach, 2001, philosophy, 144 pages, 10/10
129.  Messiah's Handbook: Reminders for the Advanced Soul ~ by Richard Bach, 2004, philosophy, 216 pages, 10/10
130.  Tao Te Ching: A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way ~ by Lao Tzu, translated by Ursula K. Le Guin with J. P. Seaton, 1997, religion, 126 pages, 9/10
131.  A Charlie Brown Christmas ~ by Charles M. Schulz, 2007, children's book, 128 pages, 10/10
132.  Kiss My Asterisk: A Feisty Guide to Punctuation and Grammar ~ by Jenny Baranick, 2014, English language, 178 pages, 4/10
133.  Meg's Story: Portraits of Little Women ~ by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 1997, children's, 112 pages, 9/10
134.  Jo's Story: Portraits of Little Women ~ by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 1997, children's, 112 pages, 9/10
135.  Beth's Story: Portraits of Little Women ~ by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 1997, children's, 112 pages, 9/10
136.  Amy's Story: Portraits of Little Women ~ by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 1997, children's, 112 pages, 9/10

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