JayneCM Finds Magic in 2024

I am Jayne, a book lover for as long as I can remember.

This is my sixth year in the challenge. I am always too ambitious but you can never read too much!

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” – Dr. Seuss

My 'handle' on discord and Youtube is "IReadCerealBoxes" so a few years back I made my own TBR/reading challenge board game based on 1980s cereal boxes. I will be playing this in 2024 to make four of my book choices each month.

And just as my own extra challenge (and to encourage more use of my Kindle Unlimited subscription), I will fill as many challenges as possible with books from KU. I will mark books I read from KU so I can keep track and see if it is worth while, both in terms of numbers read and types of books available.

64/211 = 30.33%

Read Around The World 4/12 = 33.33%
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 16/48 = 33.33%
Reading Through Time = 4/16 = 25%
BingoDOG 9/25 = 36%
CalendarCAT 4/12 = 33.33%
HistoryCAT 3/12 = 25%
PrizeCAT 4/12 = 33.33%
RandomKIT 2/12 = 16.67%
AlphaKIT 8/26 = 30.77%
MysteryKIT 3/12 = 25%
ScaredyKIT 5/12 = 41.67%
SFFKIT 2/12 = 16.67%

'Read Around The World' - read a book from every country

“When I read a good book, it’s like traveling the world without ever leaving my chair.” Richard Peck


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

1. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (China) - finished 18th January 2024
2. Night Train To Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies (Morocco) - finished 20th March 2024
3. The Collaborator's Daughter by Eva Glyn (Croatia) - finished 30th April 2024
4. The Interpretation of Cakes by Allan Tegg (Hungary) - finished 15th May 2024
5. The Lace Weaver by Lauren Chater (Estonia) -
6. Motherland: A Memoir by Paula Ramon (Venezuela) -
7. The Puma Years by Laura Coleman (Bolivia) -
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

4/12 = 33.33%

I Read Cereal Boxes board game

"Pay attention, don't let life go by you. Fall in love with the back of your cereal box." Jerry Seinfeld

January
1. Fantasy square - Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon by Maria Grace - finished 22nd January 2024
2. Card - big book - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - finished 31st January 2024
3. Card - most recent purchase - Lives of the Ancient Egyptians by Toby Wilkinson - finished 19th January 2024
4. Card - short stories - Edgar Allan Cozy by various authors - finished 2nd January 2024

February
5. Classic square - The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette -finished 10th April 2024
6. Card - World War II - The English GI by Jonathon Sandler - finished 4th February 2024
7. Non fiction square - The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton - finished 20th February 2024
8. Card - book in translation - Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov - finished 7th March 2023

March
9. Brown cover - Living On Almost Nothing by Amber Storck - finished 31st March 2024
10. Blue cover - Dead Voices by Katherine Arden - finished 1st March 2024
11. Sci fi - The Man Who Fell To Earth by Walter Tevis - finished 5th March 2024
12. Card - flowers on cover - Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs - finished 8th May 2024

April
13. Card - living creature in title - The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas
14. Card - ugly cover - You'd Look Better As A Ghost by Joanna Wallace
15. Card - published between 1990 and 2020 - Amelia Fang and the Lost Yeti Treasures by Laura Ellen Anderson (2019) - finished 20th May 2024
16. Grey cover - Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone - finished 14th May 2024

May
17. Card - letter M in title - Edge of Madness by Kyla Stone - finished 22nd May 2024
18. Classic -
19. Green cover - The Velvet City by Isobelle Carmody - finished 12th May 2024
20. Card - published between 1950 and 1990 - Independent People by Halldor Laxness

June
21. Yellow cover - The Fifth Horseman by Jon Smith
22. Blue cover - The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
23. Thriller - Edge of Darkness by Kyla Stone
24. Orange cover - My Way To You by Catherine Bybee

July
25.
26.
27.
28.

August
29.
30.
31.
32.

September
33.
34.
35.
36.

October
37.
38.
39.
40.

November
41.
42.
43.
44.

December
45.
46.
47.
48.

16/48 = 33.33%

Reading Through Time

"By reading we discover our world, our history and ourselves." Daniel J. Boorstin

Monthly challenges
January - Janus - House of Odysseus by Claire North - finished 13th January 2024
February - Aquarius and amethyst - Without Precedent by Owen Zupp - finished 27th February 2024
March - Medicine, epidemics and plagues - The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue - finished 30th March 2024
April - Character with disability - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
May - International Labour Day - Under A Cloudless Sky by Chris Fabry
June - Wonders of the World - Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

Quarterly challenges
January-March - Prehistoric - Scenes From Prehistoric Life by Francis Pryor - finished 28th January 2024
April-June - Ancient/Biblical - Eden: Biblical Fiction of the World's First Family by Brennan McPherson
July-September -
October-December -

4/16 = 25%

BingoDOG

"It's not just luck; it's Bingo magic!"



1. A book featuring twins - Sing Fox To Me by Sarah Kanake
2. Epistolary or diary format The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
* 3. A book featuring water - Dark Waters by Katherine Arden - finished 11th March 2024
4. A book written in another cultural tradition - How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
5. Read a current/recent bestseller -
* 6. A book about a topic about which you have specific knowledge or expertise - The No Spend Challenge Guide by Jen Smith - finished 10th May 2024
* 7. Title contains a person's name - The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges - finished 23rd January 2024
* 8. A book with an ugly cover - Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire - finished 3rd April 2024
9. A book with fewer than 100 copies on LT - Edge of Darkness by Kyla Stone
10. The words "Big" or "Little" in the title - The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna by Erin Palmisano
11. Features a paper based item in the plot - No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy by Mark Hodkinson
12. Something themed around food or cooking - The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley
13. Read a CAT - The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (January CalendarCAT - published 1st January 1928) -
14. Written by an author 65 or older - The Road by Cormac McCarthy
15. A short story collection/anthology -
16. Something written by a person of colour -
* 17. A three-word title - The Ice Maze by Isobelle Carmody - finished 2nd February 2024
* 18. A book from one of the libraries listed under the "Similar libraries" featured on your LT profile page - The Fraud by Zadie Smith - finished 3rd February 2024
* 19. Set in the city - The Book Cat by Polly Faber - finished 9th May 2024
20. Involves warriors or mercenaries - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
* 21. Reread a favourite book - Heidi by Johanna Spyri - finished 19th April 2024
22. A book about friendship - The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson
* 23. Something that takes place in multiple countries - Nights At The Circus by Angela Carter - finished 10th February 2024
24. A book with nothing on the cover but the title and author - 10:04 by Ben Lerner
25. First published in a year ending in 24 - The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden

9/25 = 36%

CalendarCAT

"Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of." Charles Richards

January - Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum (published 17th January 2022) - finished 18th February 2024
February - Longbourn: Dragon Entail by Maria Grace (Year of the Dragon) - finished 24th February 2024
March - The Bitter Glass by Eilís Dillon (author born March 7, 1920; St Patrick's Day) - finished 2nd April 2024
April - When The Lights Go Out by Carys Bray (Earth Day) - finished 19th May 2024
May - Sisters Under The Rising Sun by Heather Morris (International Tiara Day 24th May) -
June - Snow: The Biography by Giles Whittell (first month of winter) -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

4/12 = 33.33%

HistoryCAT

"History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future." Robert Penn Warren

January - Wars and Conflicts of the Americas - A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon (American Revolution) - finished 3rd January 2024
February - Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain - When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn - finished 16th February 2024
March - Science and medicine - The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
April - Riots, revolutions, and mayhem - The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson (French Revolution) - finished 7th May 2024
May - Middle Ages - Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie
June - Historians - The Rest Is History by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

3/12 = 25%

PrizeCAT

"Generally, literary prizes are significant not for who the winner is but the discussion they create around books." Richard Flanagan

January - Long running prizes - Portrait of Clare by Francis Brett Young (winner 1927 James Tait Black Memorial Prize) - finished 26th January 2024
February - Prize from your own country - Chai Times at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran (winner 2023 Miles Franklin Award) - finished 5th February 2024
March - Prize that's new to you - Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami (winner 2001 Tanizaki Award) - finished 9th March 2024
April - Women's writing - Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton (winner 2023 Eisner Award for best graphic memoir) - finished 4th April 2024
May - Doubling Up - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (1993 National Book Award for Fiction, 1993 Irish Times International Fiction Prize, 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction) -
June - Book lists - Life of Pi by Yann Martel (on 1001 Book list, won 2002 Booker) -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

4/12 = 33.33%

RandomKIT

"In a world like this one, only the random makes sense." Libba Bray

January - Early birds - The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn - finished 5th January 2023
February - Escape or rescue - A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry - finished 14th February 2024
March - World Wildlife Day - Birds and Us by Tim Birkhead
April - Enchanting garden visitors - The Bird Singers by Eve Wersocki Morris
May - Art and Architecture - Vincent & Sien by Silvia Kwon
June - Initials - Strange Journey by Maud Cairnes
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

2/12 = 16.67%

AlphaKIT

"“There is another alphabet, whispering from every leaf, singing from every river, shimmering from every sky.” Dejan Stojanovic

January
For A - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - finished 8th January 2023
For Y - House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur - finished 12th February 2024

February
For F - The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing - finished 19th February 2024
For E - Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis - finished 6th February 2024

March
For H - Amelia Fang and the Half-Moon Holiday by Laura Ellen Anderson - finished 31st March 2024
For R - The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts - finished 13th March 2024

April
For U - The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragon - finished 16th May 2024
For O - When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler -

May
For N - Neverhome by Laird Hunt
For P - Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

June
For J -
For B -

July
For I -
For S -

August
For M -
For G -

September
For V -
For C -

October
For D -
For T -

November
For L -
For W -

December
For K - Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
For Q -

Year Long
For X - My Notorious Life by Madame X by Kate Manning
For Z - Zorrie by Laird Hunt - finished 15th March 2024

8/26 = 30.77%

MysteryKIT

"“The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.” Anais Nin

January - Short stories - Serpents in Eden: Countryside Crimes edited by Martin Edwards - finished 6th January 2023
February - True unsolved mysteries - The Survival of the Princes in the Tower by Matthew Lewis - finished 25th March 2024
March - Historical mysteries - The Body Under The Piano by Marthe Jocelyn - finished 22nd March 2024
April - Series - Peril at Owl Park by Marthe Jocelyn
May - The Golden Age - A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
June - New to you author -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

3/12 = 25%

ScaredyKIT

"“Don't be afraid of being scared. To be afraid is a sign of common sense. Only complete idiots are not afraid of anything.” Carlos Ruiz Zafón

January - Psychological thriller - The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden - finished 10th January 2024
February - Gothic - The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole - finished 31st March 2024
March - True crime - The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman - finished 24th March 2024
April - Witches, Evil Spirits, Black Magic - Dark Witch by Nora Roberts - finished 11th May 2024
May - Graphic novels and short works - Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1 by James Tynion IV - finished 3rd May 2024
June - Serial killers - The Ash Lake Murders by Helen H. Durrant
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -


5/12 = 41.67%

SFFKIT

"I define science fiction as the art of the possible. Fantasy is the art of the impossible." Ray Bradbury

January - Epic fantasy - Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
February - Critters and creatures - Netherfield: Rogue Dragon by Maria Grace - finished 29th March 2024
March - Space opera - Black Sheep by Rachel Aukes -
April - Time travel - Time Lost: A Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas - finished 7th April 2024
May - Archaeology - Navigating The Stars by Maria V. Snyder
June -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

2/12 = 16.67%

All set up for 2024! How did it get here so quickly?!

As always, I have added all the CATs and KITs, in the hope that I will be able to keep up - we shall see.

Congrats on your setup and happy reading in 2024!

I love your quotes and the ScaredyKIT pic! Looking forward to following along with your 2024 reading.

Great setup. Hope the reading is wonderful.

I love the quotes and graphics! You are a star for me!

Love the format! Is it okay if I fashion mine after yours? It looks very similar to how I did mine on Goodreads.

Just dropping in to wish you happy reading in 2024. Your format is perfect!

Great quotes, Jayne. All the best for this ambitious challenge!

Thank you all!

>19 beccac220: Absolutely! I do love to keep track of the numbers, so mine is pretty structured. Whether I get to tick all the boxes or not is another question!

I love the quotes you've picked for your categories. Hope you have a great reading year.

Love the quotes! Happy reading in 2024!

Like last year, I admire your elaborate setup and enjoyed reading all those wonderful quotes! I'm looking forward to following along!

I've placed my star and I am looking forward to following along!

>24 Tess_W: >25 MissBrangwen: >26 DeltaQueen50: Thank you! It is fun setting up the challenge every year.

Happy new thread, and good luck in 2024! I'm looking forward to seeing what you read in the Mystery and Scaredy KITS.

>4 JayneCM: Those are quite challenging prompts! Good luck with those.

As Birgit says, very challenging! I'm looking forward to another year of following along!

Good luck with your reading this year. I love your use of percentages to keep track of your goals. Looking forward to getting more Bullets from your thread.

>29 MissWatson: >30 NinieB: >31 lowelibrary: Thank you! I do enjoy the 52 Book Club prompts as they are a little more challenging. But 2024 does seem even more so than other years!

I think I need to be ready for the BBs to flow! Your plan looks amazing and I hope you enjoy the year.

Love the illustration for >13 JayneCM: Gorgeous skies!

Have fun with your various challenges!

Slight revamp! I've added in my own board game for 2024 and Reading Through Time, where I have been a lurker and occasional poster for a few years. Taken out Pop Sugar and The 52 Book Club challenge - while I love them, they do contribute nearly 100 books to my 2024 total! Trying to wind it back just a smidge. :)

>35 JayneCM: Very clever! That will keep things interesting.

Great to see you planning on spending some time at the Reading Through Time site. I decided to also drop a couple of the longer challenges that I was originally planning on as I didn't want to burn out on challenges or feel obligated to read something that I wasn't in the mood for.

>36 VivienneR: Hopefully!

>37 DeltaQueen50: Yes, as we are getting to the tail end of the year and I find myself looking for the shortest books possible just to tick off boxes, I can see I need to be less ambitious! Quality not quantity.

My star is placed - you always read such interesting books!

>39 Jackie_K: Thank you! Hopefully you will find something of interest.

January 2024

1. Edgar Allan Cozy by various authors - finished 2nd January 2024 - I Read Cereal Boxes board game - short stories
2. A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon - finished 3rd January 2024 - conflicts in the Americas
3. The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn - finished 5th January 2024 - January RandomKIT - early birds
4. Serpents In Eden edited by Martin Edwards - finished 6th January 2024 - January MysteryKIT - short stories
5. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - finished 8th January 2024 - January AlphaKIT - letter A
6. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden - finished 10th January 2024 - January ScaredyKIT - psychological thriller
7. House of Odysseus by Claire North - finished 13th January 2024 - January Reading Through Time - Janus
8. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See - finished 18th January 2024 - Read Around The World (China)
9. Lives of the Ancient Egyptians by Toby Wilkinson - finished 19th January 2024 - January I Read Cereal Boxes board game - most recent purchase
10. Pemberley: Mr Darcy's Dragon by Maria Grace - finished 22nd January 2024 - January I Read Cereal Boxes board game - fantasy
11. The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges - finished 23rd January 2024 - BingoDOG - title contains a person's name
12. Portrait of Clare by Francis Brett Young - finished 26th January 2024 - January PrizeCAT - long running prize
13. Scenes From Prehistoric Life by Francis Pryor - finished 28th January 2024 - Reading Through Time Jan-Mar quarter - prehistoric
14. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - finished 31st January 2024 - January I Read Cereal Boxes board game - big book

14/211 = 6.64%

Read Around The World 1/12 = 8.33% The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 4/48 = 8.33% Edgar Allan Cozy, Lives of the Ancient Egyptians, Pemberley: Mr Darcy's Dragon, War and Peace
Reading Through Time = 2/16 = 12.5% House of Odysseus, Scenes From Prehistoric Life
BingoDOG 1/25 = 4% The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone
CalendarCAT 0/12 = 0%
HistoryCAT 1/12 = 8.33% A Girl Called Samson
PrizeCAT 1/12 = 8.33% Portrait of Clare
RandomKIT 1/12 = 8.33% The Secrets of the Huon Wren
AlphaKIT 1/26 = 3.85% Anne of Green Gables
MysteryKIT 1/12 = 8.33% Serpents In Eden
ScaredyKIT 1/12 = 8.33% The Housemaid
SFFKIT 0/12 = 0%

My plan for January CATs, KITs and other reads

✅ Read Around The World - The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (China) *
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 1. Fantasy - Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon by Maria Grace **
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 2. Big book - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy *
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 3. Most recent purchase - Lives of the Ancient Egyptians by Toby Wilkinson
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 4. short stories - Edgar Allan Cozy by various authors *
✅ Reading Through Time - Janus - House of Odysseus by Claire North
✅ Reading Through Time - first quarter - prehistoric - Scenes From Prehistoric Life by Francis Pryor *
✅ BingoDOG - 1. - person's name in title - The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges
BingoDOG - 2. - book from LT similar library - The Fraud by Zadie Smith
CalendarCAT - January - Death In Rome by Wolfgang Koeppen ***
✅ HistoryCAT - Conflicts in the Americas - A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon *
✅ PrizeCAT - Long-running prize - Portrait of Clare by Francis Brett Young
✅ RandomKIT - Early birds - The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn
✅ AlphaKIT - A - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery *
AlphaKIT - Y - House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur
✅ MysteryKIT - Short stories - Serpents in Eden: Countryside Crimes edited by Martin Edwards *
✅ ScaredyKIT - Psychological thriller - The Housemaid by Freida McFadden *
SFFKIT - Epic fantasy - Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb *

* available on Kindle Unlimited (in Australia)
** This book, the first in the series, was 99c (in December 2023) on Kindle. The remainder of the series (11 books) is on Kindle Unlimited.
*** available to borrow for free on archive.org

I could definitely fill all these with Kindle Unlimited books, but I also have some library and owned books that I would like to read.

>42 JayneCM: I am looking forward to your reviews of The Echo of Old Books and Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragons. I already see some BBs in my future.

That's a nice variety of titles for January!

Have a great New Year.

Book 1. Edgar Allan Cozy by various authors

January I Read Cereal Boxes board game - short stories

The short stories included in this collection were enjoyable reads. They were just missing the sharp and creepy edge of the originals. My favourite was the first entry in the collection, which was a poem called The Raven.

Book 2. A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon

January HistoryCAT - conflicts in the Americas

"That's what I wanted most in the world, to be responsible for and to no one but myself."

A gripping read, based on the true story of Deborah Sampson who disguised herself as a man in order to join the Patriot forces in the American Revolutionary War.
As a girl/woman, Deborah has never been able to make her own life choices and the war offers her the opportunity to choose her own path, to use her bravery, cleverness and sense of justice for something that matters.
Still undecided on whether the romance element was necessary, particularly as it was not true to the real Deborah. But a compelling story, even more so as it was based on a true story. What an amazing woman.

I really didn't look at the BINGO card this year, but I like the categories better than most years. Hope you have a great year of reading!

Book 3. The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn

January RandomKIT - early birds

A captivating and moving read and beautifully evocative of place; the descriptions of Tasmania are stunning. Although it depicts the devastation wrought by dementia and thus pain and loss, the overall feeling you are left with is uplifting.
A magnificent debut novel.

>49 JayneCM: And what a beautiful cover.

>50 clue: Oh, it is. It is actually a fairywren, my favourite bird. The huon wren refers to the fact that the main character has a fairy wren carved out of huon pine.

Book 4. Serpents In Eden edited by Martin Edwards

January MysteryKIT - short stories

This is my first read from the British Library Crime Classics series and as there are a huge number of them, both story collections and novels, on Kindle Unlimited, it will not be my last.
Thoroughly enjoyed all the stories, but two favourites stood out.
The Inquest by Leonora Wodehouse was sharp and witty and so tongue in cheek. Wonderful dry humour.
The Scarecrow was written by Ethel Lina White, who also wrote the books that the movies The Lady Vanishes and The Spiral Staircase were based on. You can definitely see in this story why her writing translates so well to the screen and this story would be no exception. Scarecrows are always creepy!

>49 JayneCM: What a beautiful cover indeed! Fairy wrens are such pretty birds. I have a small box picturing one that I bought on Kangaroo Island and that I still cherish.

>52 JayneCM: I have several British Library Crime Classics, but no short story collection so far. They all look so tempting and I just love the covers! It's good to hear that you enjoyed all the stories.

Hello Jayne! I love your categories and organisation above. I read a couple of the British Library Crime Classics collections of Christmas short stories last month and there were some excellent ones in those. It was always very snowy, though, which it rarely is in England at Christmas :-) I saw lots on KU so you'll have plenty to keep you going.

>52 JayneCM: I love the cover, but the first title word turns me off!

>55 thornton37814: There are definitely no actual serpents in the stories! :)

>54 susanj67: I am very keen to read more as this collection was very enjoyable.

I prefer the novels but the one collection I read had some pretty good stories in it.

>49 JayneCM: Definitely goes on my WL

>52 JayneCM: Fairy wrens are my favourite bird - I love to watch them flitting around the backyard. I would love to go to Kangaroo Island one day. It seems ridiculous that I have not, as it is only in the next state!

>53 MissBrangwen: I love that era of mystery writing. I think I could just read those for the whole year, there are so many on KU!

>54 susanj67: No serpents in any of the stories luckily!

>57 JayneCM: I need to decide on some of the novels to read - there are just so many to choose from!

>58 hailelib: I hope you enjoy it.

>56 JayneCM: An unfortunate title then!

Book 5. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

January AlphaKIT - letter A

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting."

I agree, Anne, I agree!

Call me sentimental and wallowing in nostalgia, but I will always love rereading the Anne books and it felt like time for another go around of the series.
Nothing much needs to be said except that Anne and her adventures (and misadventures) will forever be delightful. And the nature descriptions of the island are beautiful.

Book 6. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

January ScaredyKIT - psychological thriller

Really liked the format of the book; seeing the current day and then going back to see how this had all come to pass. The epilogue was great, enough so that I want to read the next book.
Most of the book though was a bit formulaic for me, which to some extent is part of the setup of the story and was cleverly woven into the framework. But overall a good read.

>62 JayneCM: A kindred spirit!

>52 JayneCM: I love reading mystery anthologies. I've discovered several new-to-me authors to explore after reading one of their short stories in an anthology like this. It's how I discovered Christiana Brand.

>47 JayneCM: A couple of years ago my book club read They Fought Like Demons about women soldiers in the Civil War. I'd love to read something similar about women who fought in the Revolutionary War if there is such a book.

>64 cbl_tn: Interesting - I have only Christiana Brand's Nurse Matilda books. I did not know she wrote mysteries as well.

I couldn't find many books specifically about women soldiers in the Revolutionary War, just books that had stories of a few women playing different roles, such as Revolutionary Mothers and Women Heroes of the American Revolution. There are a few books just about Deborah Sampson, which would be interesting to read as the author of the historical fiction I read did say she invented certain aspects of the story, such as the romance angle.

Book 7. House of Odysseus by Claire North

January Reading Through Time - Janus

'The only one who can tell you what to feel is you.'
'No one else must be permitted to put words in your mouth.'

But for the women of Ancient Greece, this is easier said than done. This is a reimagining of some of Penelope's time on Ithaca when Odysseus was away.
The men spend their time posturing and swaggering while that 'tricksy Ithacan queen' and the women around her use their cleverness and cunning to twist the men's doings (without them even knowing) to their advantage.
A fascinating look at court intrigue and politics in Ancient Greece. I just was not taken with it being from the viewpoint of Aphrodite. I would have much preferred it to be Penelope's voice.

Book 8. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

Read Around The World - China

A fascinating look into the lives of the Akha, one of China's ethnic minorities who have lived in isolated villages high up in the mountains for generations, and their tea growing heritage. What happens when the modern world intersects with their ancient culture?
Also a heart breaking look at international adoptions and how all concerned are affected.

Book 9. Lives of the Ancient Egyptians by Toby Wilkinson

January I Read Cereal Boxes board game - most recent purchase

Fascinating and enjoyable little snippets of 100 lives from Ancient Egyptians. Not just the pharaohs and high officials; there are also lives of scribes, farmers, workmen and others, covering 3000 years of the Ancient Egyptian culture. I appreciated the author's slightly tongue in cheek outlook on some of the events in these lives.

>67 JayneCM: I love Lisa See, especially Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

>69 Tess_W: This was my first book by this author, despite having them all on my to read list for ages. I am looking forward to more as this one seemed very well researched.

Book 10. Pemberley: Mr Darcy's Dragon by Maria Grace

January I Read Cereal Boxes board game - fantasy

Just loved this! The different varieties of dragons, ranging from the tiny and adorable to the huge and terrifying, are wonderful, each with their own distinct personality.
I loved how the author weaved in events from Pride and Prejudice and stayed true to the book, while making it fit with the 'new' dragon storyline. Elizabeth is just as feisty, yet now she is a Dragon Keeper. I particularly loved Mary's elevation to more than just the receptacle of either pity or derision.
This book ended at the Netherfield ball so am very keen to see what happens next.
A very cosy and charming read.

>71 JayneCM: I am drawn to this somewhat against my will...might have to check it out! Oddly enough, I do own (but haven't yet read) another book that melds P&P with dragons, Heartstone by Elle Katharine White.

I was waiting on your review of this book to see if you got me with a bullet. You did taking a BB for >71 JayneCM:

>71 JayneCM: And I will have to check that one out!

>72 christina_reads: I hope you enjoy it. It is a very cosy, light read, perfect for an afternoon of fun reading.

Book 11. The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges

BingoDOG - title contains a person's name

I was definitely drawn to this book as I love anything miniature. I used to collect miniature reproduction Victorian furniture and furnishings so I was very interested to read about Myra's mansion. A mansion, NOT a dollhouse!
It is certainly a slow build up and the multiple timelines may frustrate some readers. I am a fan of multiple timelines - the more, the merrier. I love the slow reveal as the timelines begin to meld and meet up with each other and you learn more and more about each character.
And the magical elements of the house, making it a character in its own right, were charming and sometimes a little sinister.
Definitely an enchanting read; slow, soothing and delightful.

>68 JayneCM: I've taken a BB on that one. It sounds fascinating. I have a hold on another Toby Wilkinson book but this one sounds more appealing.

>75 JayneCM: This would be a BB if it wasn't on my list already! I'm glad the book is good though, I added it to my TBR for the alliteration. :)

>76 VivienneR: It is a good book for dipping in and out of, as each life is only a few pages long. I have just picked up the author's book A World Beneath The Sands as well.

>77 casvelyn: Perfect for an alliteration prompt! Hope you enjoy it.

>71 JayneCM: I listened to a nonfiction book by Maria Grace about Regency Christmas traditions in 2022, but I wasn't aware that she also writes fiction, and such fiction as that!

>78 JayneCM: Oh, I have that book as well, or rather my husband has because I gifted it to him last year. He hasn't read it yet, though. I hope to read it one day, too, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts when you get to it!

Book 12. Portrait of Clare by Francis Brett Young

January PrizeCAT - long running prize

Winner of the 1927 James Tait Black Memorial Prize

An eloquent, meandering tale following Clare's life. In a note from the author, he mentions that he had difficulty in publishing this book, eventually changing publishers, as his original publisher declared the book to be too lengthy and not 'modern'. Certainly if you require a fast paced read with plenty of action, this is not for you. Yet, I adored it, for its beautiful writing, particularly of the landscape and nature of Herefordshire; for its clear sighted look at relationships and their success or failure; and a peek into times past.
It is often more engaging and illuminating to read contemporary books of the past than historical fiction, as the authors actually lived in those times. Francis Brett Young did not write about World War I from research - he used his own memories of his time serving.
Overall, a lovely book - about, in the author's words, "a normal and (possibly) a rather silly woman moving quite unimportantly across the West Midland landscape."

>80 JayneCM: Glad to see your lucky find was a good read.

Book 13. Scenes From Prehistoric Life by Francis Pryor

Reading Through Time Jan-Mar quarter - prehistoric

"There is a tendency to view the prehistoric past as somehow inferior to the modern world - to believe that we have 'progressed' beyond such superstitious beliefs. I disagree profoundly with this rather patronizing view of our ancestors."

The author has written this more as a chatty stroll through the various ancient sites of Britain, focusing on the landscape and the people who lived there rather than bogging the reader down with minutely detailed facts. It is clear that he has a deep respect for the inhabitants of the past and their achievements. Fascinating to read of sites lesser known to me - Stonehenge yes, but Seahenge? I'd never heard of it before.

>82 JayneCM: Sounds informative but enjoyable. Off to find.......

Book 14. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

January I Read Cereal Boxes board game - big book

When I drew the 'big book' card in my board game, I figured why not go all in and read a REALLY big one!

This epic novel is a triumph of life, love, sorrow, suffering, joy, grief, happiness, the entire spectrum of human emotion. Yet it is also a historical masterpiece, with Tolstoy often digressing to discuss his philosophy of history and other topics. This is particularly so of the Second Epilogue, which as an ending to the book, is a real let down. You know when you have spent so long with characters and you just want to close the book at the end, give it a hug and think about Pierre, Natasha, Mary and Nicholas for a while? By the time you work your way through the Second Epilogue, you have forgotten all about them!
A minor issue though for this absorbing and magnificent novel.

Tolstoy's insight into human nature, both individual and collective, is remarkable. And shows that we as humans don't change through time - although we think now we are all so intelligent and modern and technologically advanced, we are still the same.

The futility and chaos of war is movingly depicted, with heart rending depictions of death and injury, torture and hardship throughout the war scenes.

Tolstoy's humour and tongue in cheek attitude shows through in lines such as:

""Everything had been admirably thought out as is usual in dispositions, and as is always the case, not a single column reached its place at the appointed time."

"Though the doctors treated him, let his blood, and gave him medications to drink, he nevertheless recovered.

Truly a fabulous book.

Not too bad for the first month of 2024.

5973 pages read.

14 books read in the following formats:

6 Kindle Unlimited
3 library
4 owned (reducing that owned TBR!)
1 Kindle owned

I do need to carry over three books, but that is my fault for choosing a 1200+ page book and an 800+ page book in the same month. But let's be honest, I will probably do it again throughout the year!

My plan for February CATs, KITs and other reads

Read Around The World - The Life of Insects by Viktor Pelevin (Russia) -
I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 1. Classic square - The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 2. World War II - The English GI by Jonathon Sandler
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 3. Non fiction - The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton
I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 4. Book in translation - Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov
✅ Reading Through Time - Aquarius and amethyst - Without Precedent by Owen Zupp
✅ BingoDOG - 1. - Something that takes place in multiple countries - Nights At The Circus by Angela Carter
✅ BingoDOG - 2. - three-word title - The Ice Maze by Isobelle Carmody
✅ CalendarCAT - Year of the Dragon - Longbourn: Dragon Entail
✅ HistoryCAT - Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain - When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
✅ PrizeCAT - Prize from your own country - Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran (winner 2023 Miles Franklin Award)
✅ RandomKIT - Escape or rescue - A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry
✅ AlphaKIT - F - The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
✅ AlphaKIT - E - Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis
MysteryKIT - True unsolved mysteries - The Survival of the Princes in the Tower by Matthew Lewis
ScaredyKIT - Gothic - The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
SFFKIT - Critters and creatures - Netherfield: Rogue Dragon by Maria Grace

Carry forward from January

✅ BingoDOG - book from LT similar library - The Fraud by Zadie Smith
✅ CalendarCAT - January - Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum
✅ AlphaKIT - Y - House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur
SFFKIT - Epic fantasy - Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

>85 JayneCM: - 14 books with a couple of chunksters is a great month. I almost always carry over 3 books - 1 physical, 1 audio, and 1 e-book that I don't quite manage to finish.

>84 JayneCM: I also really liked War and Peace, but I agree with you about the second epilogue! Tolstoy certainly was cranky about How To Do History (and How Everyone Else Was Doing It Wrong).

>84 JayneCM: I'm sure I'm a terrible person, but I just skimmed the bits where he was pontificating about battle strategy, and barely bothered with the Second Epilogue at all! I found his "I know best and I'm going to tell you in excruciating detail whether you want to hear it or not" manner really annoying!

>82 JayneCM: Looks good and my library actually has. I may read it eventually.

>86 JayneCM: I've put Chai Times at Cinnamon Gardens on hold for the February PrizeCAT.

>85 JayneCM: Great stats! I also liked W&P.

February 2024

15. The Ice Maze by Isobelle Carmody - finished 2nd February 2024 - BingoDOG - three word title
16. The Fraud by Zadie Smith - finished 3rd February 2024 - BingoDOG - book from similar LT library
17. The English GI by Jonathon Sandler - finished 4th February 2024 - February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - World War II
18. Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran - finished 5th February 2024 - February PrizeCAT - prize from your own country (2023 winner Miles Franklin Award)
19. Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis - finished 6th February 2024 - February AlphaKIT - letter E
20. Nights At The Circus by Angela Carter - finished 10th February 2024 - BingoDOG - set in multiple countries
21. House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur - finished 12th February 2024 - January AlphaKIT - letter Y
22. A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry - finished 14th February 2024 - February RandomKIT - escape or rescue
23. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn - finished 16th February 2024 - February HistoryCAT - Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain
24. Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum - finished 18th February 2024 - January CalendarCAT - published 17th January
25. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing - finished 19th February 2024 - February AlphaKIT - letter F
26. The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton - finished 20th February 2024 - February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - non fiction
27. Longbourn: Dragon Entail by Maria Grace - finished 24th February 2024 - February CalendarCAT - Year of the Dragon
28. Without Precedent by Owen Zupp - finished 27th February 2024 - February Reading Through Time - Aquarius and amethyst

28/211 = 13.27%

Read Around The World 1/12 = 8.33%
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 6/48 = 12.5% The English GI, The Greek Way
Reading Through Time = 3/16 = 18.75% Without Precedent
BingoDOG 4/25 = 16% The Ice Maze, The Fraud, Nights At The Circus
CalendarCAT 2/12 = 16.67% Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop,Longbourn: Dragon Entail
HistoryCAT 2/12 = 16.67% When He Was Wicked
PrizeCAT 2/12 = 16.67% Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens
RandomKIT 1/12 = 8.33%
AlphaKIT 4/26 = 15.38% Extraordinary Birds, House of Yesterday, The Fifth Child
MysteryKIT 1/12 = 8.33%
ScaredyKIT 1/12 = 8.33%
SFFKIT 0/12 = 0%

Book 15. The Ice Maze by Isobelle Carmody

BingoDOG - three word title

While slower paced than the previous two books in this series, your attention is still held by the wonderful descriptions and the relationships between Zluty, Bily, the diggers and the monster. The diggers in particular are just delightful. Their speech reminds me of Mr Miyagi or Yoda - "Never stupidness to think before acting."
The reasons for the journey being undertaken are intriguing - the whole world is intriguing. There are so many weird and wonderful concepts and I am fascinated to read the final book to see how all the pieces slot together.

Book 16. The Fraud by Zadie Smith

BingoDOG - book from similar LT library

I am so sad to be disappointed as this should have been an automatic win for me. It was just too disjointed, with too many topics mixed in. The short chapters that jumped between people/location/time meant that you were unable to immerse yourself before you were yanked to somewhere or someone else. The section on Mr. Bogle's past was the strongest in the book and I definitely became invested in his story.
There is more than one potential book in here. The schism between Ainsworth and Dickens would have been fascinating in itself as would the Tichborne case and the sugar or cotton industries.

Book 17. The English GI by Jonathon Sandler

February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - World War II

In 1939, sixteen year old Bernard Sandler went on a schoolboy trip from Leeds UK to the US and Canada. The beginning of World War II meant that he was not to return until 1946.
Bernard Sandler had written a memoir of his time serving in the US army which forms the basis of this graphic novel by his grandson.
The artwork depicts the 1940s perfectly and the use of newspaper articles, photos and other family memorabilia enhance the reading experience.
This would be perfect for younger students to learn more about serving in the army, particularly from a Jewish perspective, in a more immersive and engaging fashion than reading a written account. There are also extensive notes providing more details on each of the episodes and people in the book.

Book 18. Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

February PrizeCAT - prize from your own country (winner 2023 Miles Franklin Award)

As the author says in the notes, cultural erasure, the appropriation of history and the rewriting of narratives happens all over the world and continues to happen.
There is so much to 'unpack' in this novel. At first it seems to be focusing on the plight of the elderly and the need to provide them with respect and dignity in their care. Cinnamon Gardens is owned by Sri Lankan immigrants and most of the residents are also South Asian. Gradually we learn more of their stories and their experiences and the atrocities committed during the civil war in Sri Lanka. After a certain incident, the novel shifts to the casual racism that exists throughout Australia and the ridiculousness that is so-called 'reverse racism' and the illogical arguments presented by its advocates.
The parts of the book relating to the 'incident' may be less accessible to some readers as it is quite Australian in its references. As an Australian, so much was instantly recognisable yet I am unsure it will translate to a wider audience as well.
Important issues aside, this was also an engaging read about love, grief, family, friendship, dignity, forgiveness, courage and sacrifice and you will fall in love with the characters, particularly sassy Maya.

Book 19. Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark McGinnis

February AlphaKIT - letter E

December knows a lot about birds. In fact, she knows she was born to fly and is just waiting for her wings to grow in so she can transform into a bird herself and fly away.
A book about hope and searching for a safe and happy space where you can be who you were meant to be.

Book 20. Nights At The Circus by Angela Carter

BingoDOG - set in multiple countries

A winged woman hatched from an egg telling her life story to a journalist for joins the circus to follow her around the world - this story should have captivated me from the beginning. But to me, it seemed to be a delirious, disjointed spiral into madness. Which again, would totally be for me. I am not discounting the possibility that I was just not 'feeling' this book now and a reread may have me singing its praises.

>99 JayneCM: I read Nights At the Circus last year and I also had some difficulty with the read, ultimately deciding that it wasn't the book for me.

Hello and finally getting around to dropping by your 2024 thread! What a great set of challenges and categories you have set for yourself and I especially love the cereal box challenge. What a great idea!

I will be interested to read your review of "Princess of Cleves." It's been a while since I read it and can remember the details that have slipped my mind.

>100 DeltaQueen50: My review was somewhat ambiguous as I still cannot seem to articulate just what I feel about it. I am not normally put off by 'strange' books but this one just didn't grab me.

>101 threadnsong: Thanks for stopping by!

>99 JayneCM: It's many years since I read Nights at the Circus, but I remember the confusion and the chaos. I think I tried at least one other of Angela Carter's books, but didn't seek out any more. An author I read more of from that era is Fay Weldon.

>104 JayneCM: I quite enjoyed Angela Carter's short stories - maybe her style is better in small doses.
I have been meaning to read The Life and Loves of a She-Devil as I have never read any Fay Weldon.

Book 21. House of Yesterday by Deeba Zargarpur

January AlphaKIT - letter Y

Firstly, the cover, absolutely stunning.
The book itself I would call a beautiful mess. The difficulties of immigrant families, the grief and trauma associated with divorcing parents, an aging grandmother suffering from dementia, coping with adolescence and friendships gone awry, all these topics were presented in a beautiful and compelling style. The paranormal aspect however seemed quite incoherent at times and cut into the flow of the present time narrative.
Overall, a good read and the ending was quite emotional.

I tried Nights at the Circus a while back but couldn’t get into it and I DNFed. I recently unhauled it and left it at a street library. Someone took it so I hope they enjoy it more than I did.

Book 22. A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry

February RandomKIT - escape or rescue

I always enjoy middle grade told from the viewpoint of an animal. And I love wolves. This is based on the true story of a journey taken by a lone wolf and how he found a new pack. Also includes interesting facts and photos at the end, both about the particular wolf and the animals and landscape in general.

>107 JayneCM: Oh, my 10 year old daughter loves wolves! (and has been writing a book about rival wolf packs). I'm going to see if I can get hold of this book for her.

>108 Jackie_K: Writing a book! That's wonderful. I always feel that wolves get a bad rap so really enjoyed this one. Hope she enjoys it too.

>109 JayneCM: To be fair, she has started hundreds and most don't get beyond the first few paragraphs (I wonder how many authors can relate to that?!). But the wolf one has made it to at least chapter 2, so we'll see how it goes. As far as I can tell it's fanfic inspired by Erin Hunter.

>110 Jackie_K: Oooh, I have never seen Erin Hunter's books - they look great. Off to see if my library has them!
Hope the writing goes well.

>111 JayneCM: my daughter is a big fan!

>95 JayneCM: Sorry to hear of your disappointment. I have her White Teeth on my TBR and it does have mixed reviews.

Book 23. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

February HistoryCAT - Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain

Predictable but still fun. I enjoyed the earlier books more - Lady Whistledown is definitely the highlight of the series for me. This one was too descriptive in the steamy scenes for me, but still an entertaining enough read.

>114 JayneCM: I've definitely had mixed results with the Bridgerton series -- I really enjoyed The Viscount Who Loved Me and To Sir Phillip, with Love, but the others were all varying degrees of meh.

>115 christina_reads: Definitely! But I will still finish the series as I am so close to the end now!

Book 24. Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

January CalendarCAT - published 17th January

Such a gentle and comforting read about making changes to your life and living a life that may not be 'successful' per society's terms but makes you happy. And set in a bookshop - what more could a book lover ask for?!

>117 JayneCM: Thanks for the review. This is on my TBR for NetGalley.

>117 JayneCM: The only thing I would say is some of the writing, particularly conversations, seems a bit stilted.
But the other day, totally unrelated to my reading of this book, my son and I were talking about language and Fifty Words For Snow that I borrowed from the library and he wondered which language has the most words. It is Korean (that is all Google called it, although I'm sure there are many dialects) with over a million words. With English only having about 170,000, it now makes sense why Korean books in translation always seem a bit stiff and clunky. We don't have enough words to convey what the author is writing in Korean.

Book 25. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

February AlphaKIT - letter F

Ben, the fifth child, is certainly creepy in this story about a family and their pursuit of happiness and having a 'successful' family life. Is the arrival of Ben a punishment for being too happy, too self-satisfied, too complacent about the gorgeous children and idyllic family life they already had?
You will certainly question whether having children is worth it after reading about Ben!

Book 26. The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton

February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - non fiction

An easily accessible work on Ancient Greece and the various elements that made it unique.
Ancient Greece culture/society comprised a balance that has rarely been seen again - between mind and spirit, the rights of the individual and the needs of the community, things seen and things not seen, fact and beauty.
This is not a scholarly work but that is what makes it so approachable for the everyday reader who simply wants to learn a little more about Ancient Greek culture.

>117 JayneCM: Not much!

Book 27. Longbourn: Dragon Entail by Maria Grace

February CalendarCAT - Year of the Dragon

So entertaining! Again, love the way the author weaves the happenings from Pride and Prejudice into the dragon world. This book ends with Lydia's elopement with Wickham, but for potentially dragon related reasons. Again, the variety of dragons is magnificent - the scene in which Elizabeth takes on a female cockatrice is simply superb. The incomparable Lizzy becomes even more imposing in this series - a force to be reckoned with indeed.

Book 28. Without Precedent by Owen Zupp

February Reading Through Time - Aquarius and amethyst

Written by Phillip Zupp's son, this is Phillip's life story, through growing up poor on a Queensland farm to his perseverance in becoming a fighter pilot in the Korean War. It is the story of the unknown (to the recipient) awarding of the US Purple Heart to an Australian pilot which led to his son attempting to follow the paper trail in hopes of seeing his father's medal finally awarded and officially recognised.
This would be of particular interest to an aviation enthusiast as there are numerous detailed descriptions of the missions flown by Zupp during the Korean War. But still an interesting read overall.

February reading:

4739 pages read

14 books read in the following formats:

3 Kindle Unlimited
10 library
1 Faded Page free ebook

My plan for March CATs, KITs and other reads

✅ Read Around The World - Night Train To Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies (Morocco)
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game 1. Brown cover - Living On Almost Nothing by Amber Storck
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game 2. Blue cover - Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game 3. Sci fi - The Man Who Fell To Earth by Walter Tevis
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 4. Flowers on cover - After The Forest by Kell Woods
✅ Reading Through Time - Medicine, epidemics and plagues - The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
BingoDOG - 1. - Read a CAT - The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (January CalendarCAT - published 1st January 1928)
✅ BingoDOG - 2. - a book featuring water - Dark Waters by Katherine Arden
CalendarCAT - The Bitter Glass by Eilís Dillon (author born March 7, 1920)
HistoryCAT - Science and medicine - The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
✅ PrizeCAT - Prize that's new to you - Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami (winner 2001 Tanizaki Award)
RandomKIT - World Wildlife Day - Birds and Us by Tim Birkhead
✅ AlphaKIT - For H - Amelia Fang and the Half Moon Holiday by Laura Ellen Anderson
✅ AlphaKIT - For R - The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts
✅ MysteryKIT - Historical mysteries - The Body Under The Piano by Marthe Jocelyn
✅ ScaredyKIT - True crime - The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman
SFFKIT - Space opera - Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

Carry forward from January

SFFKIT - Epic fantasy - Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Carry forward from February

I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 1. Classic square - The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 4. Book in translation - Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov
✅ MysteryKIT - True unsolved mysteries - The Survival of the Princes in the Tower by Matthew Lewis
✅ ScaredyKIT - Gothic - The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
✅ SFFKIT - Critters and creatures - Netherfield: Rogue Dragon by Maria Grace

I am halfway through both Oblomov and The Survival of the Princes in the Tower - the shorter month caught me out!

March 2024

29. Dead Voices by Katherine Arden - finished 1st March 2024 - March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - blue cover
30. The Man Who Fell To Earth by Walter Tevis - finished 5th March 2024 - March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - sci fi
31. Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov - finished 7th March 2023 - February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - book in translation
32. Strange Weather In Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami - finished 10th March 2024 - March PrizeCAT - prize new to you
33. Dark Waters by Katherine Arden - finished 11th March 2024 - BingoDOG - features water
34. The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts - finished 13th March 2024 - March AlphaKIT - letter R
35. Zorrie by Laird Hunt - finished 15th March 2024 - Year long AlphaKIT - letter Z
36. Night Train To Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies - finished 20th March 2024 - Read Around The World (Morocco)
37. The Body Under The Piano by Marthe Jocelyn - finished 22nd March 2024 - March MysteryKIT - historical mystery
38. The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman - finished 24th March 2024 - March ScaredyKIT - true crime
39. The Survival of the Princes in the Tower by Matthew Lewis - finished 25th March 2024 - February MysteryKIT - true unsolved mysteries
40. Netherfield: Rogue Dragon by Maria Grace - finished 29th March 2024 - February SFFKIT - creatures and critters
41. The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue - finished 30th March 2024 - March Reading Through Time - medicine, epidemics and plagues
42. Living On Almost Nothing by Amber Storck - finished 31st March 2024 - March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - brown cover
43. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole - finished 31st March 2024 - February ScaredyKIT - gothic
44. Amelia Fang and the Half-Moon Holiday by Laura Ellen Anderson - finished 31st March 2024 - March AlphaKIT - letter H

44/211 = 20.85%

Read Around The World 2/12 = 16.67% Night Train To Marrakech
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 10/48 = 20.83% Dead Voices, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Oblomov, Living On Almost Nothing
Reading Through Time = 4/16 = 25% The Pull of the Stars
BingoDOG 5/25 = 20% Dark Waters
CalendarCAT 2/12 = 16.67%
HistoryCAT 2/12 = 16.67%
PrizeCAT 3/12 = 25% Strange Weather In Tokyo
RandomKIT 1/12 = 8.33%
AlphaKIT 7/26 = 26.92% The Ride of Her Life, Zorrie, Amelia Fang and the Half-Moon Holiday
MysteryKIT 3/12 = 25% The Body Under The Piano, The Survival of the Princes in the Tower
ScaredyKIT 3/12 = 25% The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer, The Castle of Otranto
SFFKIT 1/12 = 8.33% Netherfield: Rogue Dragon

Book 29. Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - blue cover

"Ghosts like it when you're afraid. It means you acknowledge them."

Creepy and chilling, just like the first book in the series. The friendship between the three main characters is inspiring and would be very encouraging for middle grade readers, especially as Coco was able to be the hero of this story.

Book 30. The Man Who Fell To Earth by Walter Tevis

March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - sci fi

What an unbelievably sad and gentle science fiction read. An alien has come to Earth, not to invade but to save us from ourselves. Like so many of us humans who begin with lofty intentions, intending to sacrifice all for their cause, Newton's mission is doomed to failure and he is ultimately left a broken 'man'.
I don't think I have ever called a sci fi book beautiful, but this truly was a beautiful, melancholy, thought-provoking read.

>129 JayneCM: Not a sci-fi fan but put this on my WL.

>129 JayneCM: I think you may enjoy it - it is not very sci fi at all.

Book 31. Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov

February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - book in translation

A melancholy read about a man who doesn't really live life. Oblomov represents the dying Russian aristocracy of the time, in his indolence and apathetic behaviour. The beginning of the book is amusing, as Oblomov's laziness and extreme aversion to doing anything at all means that he spends the majority of the first half of the book in bed.

"After breakfast, he sat up and nearly got out of bed."
"Only two hours left before dinner, and what can one do in two hours? Nothing. "

His justifications for why he cannot possibly do anything are so ludicrous and entertaining.

The second half of the book did drag on a little, as we follow his courtship of Olga.

An interesting look at the Russian upper class during this time period.

>129 JayneCM: There is a DVD based on this book. I’m putting the book on my wishlist.

>132 JayneCM: Haha, you've piqued my interested with those quotations! I'm sometimes guilty of similar thinking at work..."Only half an hour before it's time to go home, so obviously I can't get anything else done today!"

Book 32. Strange Weather In Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

March PrizeCAT - prize new to you (winner 2001 Tanizaki Award)

The descriptions of nature were enchanting, and if you love Japanese food, you will salivate at the food descriptions.
But somehow I couldn't warm to this story. Maybe Tsukiko always calling him Sensei, thus emphasising the fact that he was her former teacher and never seeming to get past that relationship. Maybe it was his slightly patronising tone towards her.
I did enjoy the gentle and slightly awkward way they interacted.
The companion story, Parade, was much more interesting, with its various figures from Japanese folklore. I would have liked this to be elaborated further.

Book 33. Dark Waters by Katherine Arden

BingoDOG - features water

Not my favourite book in the series, but that ending! Ooh, gives me shivers leading into the final book of the series.
Still an enjoyable read, just not as creepy as the previous books.

Book 34. The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts

March AlphaKIT - letter R

"Should she accept the fact that she was just an old woman whose time had passed, from whom nothing surprising or new or vivid was expected?

From the title and the mere fact of the existence of this book, we can see that Annie Wilkins did not accept this as fact - she pulled together her courage and embarked on an epic journey across America on horseback. This is the story of her amazing perseverance against all odds and all the kind and helpful people she met along the way. It is also the story of the special friendship between Annie and her three animal companions. Truly heartwarming.

Carrie, Meg, and I read that for our book club. It was a remarkable story.

>137 JayneCM: That must be where I got the BB from! I knew it was from someone in this group. She was an amazing lady.

Book 35. Zorrie by Laird Hunt

Year long AlphaKIT - letter Z

Every word of this beautiful and thoughtfully crafted novel resonates as we follow Zorrie through her life. Although only 161 pages long, it encapsulates an entire lifetime and the path we will all follow, whether we chose to accept or fight against "time's ruthless determination."
A calm and gentle read, sparkling with Zorrie's own calm, gentle, accepting yet determined personality.

I picked this up entirely for the fact that the title started with Z, and I am always on the hunt for Z and X books for year long AlphaKIT. So glad I did! I had no idea of the content and was interested to find that it dovetails nicely with The Radium Girls, which I also have on my list to read in March. The author cites it as a reference, as Zorrie worked painting clock faces with radium, a 'ghost girl' as they call themselves in the book. It was chilling to read what they did with the radium, knowing what we now know about the its effects, even taking it internally as a health tonic.

>149 JayneCM: - My book club read this last year and I liked it a lot too. I'm interested to read some of his other books too.

Book 36. Night Train To Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies

Read Around The World (Morocco)

Being the final book in a trilogy, I had been waiting for its release. It was an interesting story, but ultimately not as enjoyable as the first two books.
Perhaps as the 1960s is not my era - I much prefer the 1920s, 30s and 40s (the settings of the previous books).
Vicky was not a character that I warmed to or cared about much.

>140 JayneCM: I loved this book and have since picked up a copy of Indiana, Indiana, which is about her husband.

>143 RidgewayGirl: Ooh, I didn't know about that one. I will definitely have to look for it.

Book 37. The Body Under The Piano by Marthe Jocelyn

March MysteryKIT - historical mystery

A charming middle grade mystery, featuring an imagined Agatha Christie as a twelve year old. Particularly amusing was her friend, Hector Perot, a Belgian refugee, and his discussion of the most elegant moustaches he would sport when he was a man.
It took a while for this book to grow on me but I quite enjoyed it and catching the little nods to Agatha Christie's works.

>145 JayneCM: sound like a fun read. I just bought a copy. I have read each Agatha Christie book at least three times.

>145 JayneCM: I think I enjoyed the ones after the first one better than the first. I think it is because I was used to the characters then.

>145 JayneCM: You really are a fan! Hope you enjoy it.

>146 Zozette: That is good to hear. I have put the second book on library hold.

Book 38. The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman

March ScaredyKIT - true crime

I must confess that true crime is my least favourite genre, especially gruesome serial killers. This was a very readable account (I just cannot say enjoyable) as it was more than just the story of a serial killer and his crimes. The book alternated between chapters on Tony Costa and Liza, the little girl who idolised Tony. Thus it was also a memoir of Liza and her childhood. In some ways it was also an account of a town, Provincetown, Massachusetts, and how it changed over time, especially in the volatile and fast moving 1960s.
Although the murders were described, it was not overly macabre and was not dwelled upon for pages and pages of detail.

Book 39. The Survival of the Princes in the Tower by Matthew Lewis

February MysteryKIT - true unsolved mysteries

The majority of the discussion about the 'princes in the tower' has always been about their murder by their uncle Richard III. This book however approaches their story from a different angle - what if the princes, either or both of them, survived? Certainly enough information was provided to show that the princes may not have been murdered by their uncle, Richard III; in fact, it seems to be more plausible that they were not.
This is an interesting read, definitely for enthusiasts of the subject, as it is quite convoluted and can become confusing in discussing the various plots to retake the thrown for Edward IV's sons.

Book 40. Netherfield: Rogue Dragon by Maria Grace

February SFFKIT - creatures and critters

So much enjoyment reading this series! While the earlier books stayed within the parameters of Pride and Prejudice, we have now ventured past the timeline of the original book and are following more of Elizabeth and Darcy's lives (and the dragons, of course!)
The minor dragons, particularly the adorable hatchlings, stole the show again. The variety of dragons depicted is very entertaining.
On to book four!

Book 41. The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

March Reading Through Time - medicine, epidemics and plagues

Set in Dublin during the 1918 flu epidemic, the story is told over three days in the quarantined maternity ward by Nurse Power who is unexpectedly left in charge of the ward. With cases skyrocketing and staff and resources dwindling, Nurse Power must do what she can to care for her patients.
If you do not care for detailed medical descriptions of all kinds - births, autopsies, flu, deaths - it would be best to avoid this book as the author conceals nothing. The workings of the ward are laid bare for the reader to absorb in all its horror but also all its compassion.
A riveting, heart breaking story, told in a no nonsense manner which makes it all the more heartrending.

Hi Jayne, I am heading off to Budj Bim soon. Have you been there?

>153 pamelad: Very close to where I live, very interesting place. This is a good book about it, The People of Budj Bim - have you seen it?

Book 42. Living On Almost Nothing by Amber Storck

March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - brown cover

All relevant information but very basic. This is a very short book, summarising simple ways to save money and manage your finances to make the most of your money. Only for the beginner though as it is all first level information.

>154 JayneCM: Perhaps there will be copies at the Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre. I've booked the full-day tour.

>156 pamelad: I would say there would be. I haven't been to the new centre yet but have heard great things about it. Why do we never visit the places that are in our own backyard?!

Book 43. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

February ScaredyKIT - gothic

Gothic melodrama, which I definitely enjoy, but there was too much dialogue and not enough description. It needs more detailed descriptions of the ghosts, giant armour and general atmosphere to set the mood.

Book 44. Amelia Fang and the Half-Moon Holiday by Laura Ellen Anderson

March AlphaKIT - letter H

The next book about Amelia Fang and her friends is just as delightful as the previous ones. The illustrations are such fun and so charming. Just adorable.

My plan for April CATs, KITs and other reads

✅ Read Around The World - The Collaborator's Daughter by Eva Glyn (Croatia)
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 1. - living creature in title - The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 2. - ugly cover - Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 3. - published between 1990 and 2020 - The Ventriloquists by E.R. Ramzipoor
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 4. - grey cover - In the Light of Morning by Tim Pears
Reading Through Time - character with disability - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
BingoDOG - 1. - big or little in title - The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna by Erin Palmisano
BingoDOG - 2. - written by person of colour - Stolen by Ann-Helen Laestadius
✅ BingoDOG - 3. - ugly cover - Lost In The Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire
CalendarCAT - Armenia, Australia and the Great War by Vicken Babkenian (ANZAC Day) -
HistoryCAT - Riots, revolutions, and mayhem - The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson (French Revolution)
✅ PrizeCAT - Women's writing - Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton (winner 2023 Eisner Award for best graphic memoir)
RandomKIT - Enchanting garden visitors - The Bird Singers by Eve Wersocki Morris
AlphaKIT - For U - Growing Up In Communist Albania by Nosh Mernacaj
AlphaKIT - For O - When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler
MysteryKIT - Series - Dark September by Inger Wolf
ScaredyKIT - Witches, Evil Spirits, Black Magic - Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
✅ SFFKIT - Time travel - Time Lost: A Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

Carry forward from January
SFFKIT - Epic fantasy - Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Carry forward from February
Read Around The World - The Lace Weaver by Lauren Chater (Estonia)
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 1. Classic square - The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette

Carry forward from March
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 4. Flowers on cover - Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
✅ CalendarCAT - The Bitter Glass by Eilís Dillon (author born March 7, 1920)
HistoryCAT - Science and medicine - The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
RandomKIT - World Wildlife Day - Birds and Us by Tim Birkhead
SFFKIT - Space opera - Black Sheep by Rachel Aukes

My favourite readathon takes place from 13th April to 11th May - Eurovisionathon!

37 countries will be competing this year. If you can read a book for each of the 37 countries, then you will definitely rack up lots of points! If you read a book for a country that is knocked out in a semi final however, the points for that book will be lost from your tally. So although I try to choose a book for each country, I know I will not read them all. Thus I read based on the odds. At the moment, Croatia is the favourite to win, with Switzerland a close second.

The books I have chosen so far are:

Albania - Growing Up In Communist Albania by Nosh Mernacaj
Armenia - Armenia, Australia and the Great War by Vicken Babkenian
Australia - The Strays by Emily Bitto
Austria - When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler
Azerbaijan - Ali and Nino by Kurban Said
Belgium - The Ventriloquists by E.R. Ramzipoor
Croatia - The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna
Cyprus - The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop
Czechia - The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes
Denmark - Dark September by Inger Wolf
Estonia - The Lace Weaver by Lauren Chater
Finland - The Winter Place by Alexander Yates
France - The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson
Georgia - Hard By a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili
Germany - Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie
Greece - The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna by Erin Palmisano
Iceland - Independent People by Halldor Laxness
Ireland - Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
Israel - The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi
Italy - The Madonna of the Mountains by Elise Valmorbida
Latvia - The Story of the Forest by Linda Grant
Lithuania - Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Luxembourg - The Expats by Chris Pavone
Malta - The Jukebox Queen of Malta by Nicholas Rinaldi
Moldova - A Wartime Marriage by Mary Jane Staples
Netherlands - Vincent & Sien by Silvia Kwon
Norway - The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas
Poland - The Bird Singers by Eve Wersocki Morris
Portugal - Summer Lightning by Pamela Oldfield
San Marino -
Serbia - The Snows of Serbia by Stevan Idjidovic Stevens
Slovenia - In the Light of Morning by Tim Pears
Spain - Hidden Valley by Paul Richardson
Sweden - Stolen by Ann-Helen Laestadius
Switzerland - Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Ukraine - The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
UK - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Any suggestions for San Marino gratefully accepted (although they are sitting at the bottom of the odds). There is a wonderful series called Around The World in 80 Men and San Marino is one of the books. Definite last resort!

March reading:

3929 pages read

16 books read in the following formats:

4 Kindle Unlimited
12 library

April 2024

45. The Bitter Glass by Eilís Dillon - finished 2nd April 2024 - March CalendarCAT (author born March 7, 1920; St Patrick's Day)
46. Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire - finished 3rd April 2024 - BingoDOG - ugly cover
47. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton - finished 4th April 2024 - April PrizeCAT - womens writing
48. Time Lost: A Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas - finished 7th April 2024 - April SFFKIT - time travel
49. The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette - finished 10th April 2024 - February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - classic
50. Heidi by Johanna Spyri - finished 19th April 2024 - BingoDOG - reread a favourite book
51. The Collaborator's Daughter by Eva Glyn - finished 30th April 2024 - Read Around The World (Croatia)

51/211 = 24.17%

Read Around The World 3/12 = 25% The Collaborator's Daughter
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 11/48 = 22.92% The Princess of Cleves
Reading Through Time = 4/16 = 25%
BingoDOG 7/25 = 28% Lost in the Moment and Found, Heidi
CalendarCAT 3/12 = 25% The Bitter Glass
HistoryCAT 2/12 = 16.67%
PrizeCAT 4/12 = 33.33% Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
RandomKIT 1/12 = 8.33%
AlphaKIT 7/26 = 26.92%
MysteryKIT 3/12 = 25%
ScaredyKIT 3/12 = 25%
SFFKIT 2/12 = 16.67% Time Lost: A Time Travel Novel

Book 45. The Bitter Glass by Eilis Dillon

March CalendarCAT - author born March 7, 1920; St. Patrick's Day

Subtle, understated writing leading to such sorrow. We see the events from so many different viewpoints, yet the narrative does not seem jumpy or disjointed at all. Perfectly captures the tension and tragedy of these few days against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War in 1922.

Book 46. Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire

BingoDOG - ugly cover

On the surface, this series can be seen as a delightful fantasy series about magical worlds and the doors between them. In reality, the author's understanding and compassion for the lost children makes this so much more. This book in particular dealt with grooming and gaslighting and was very disturbing. I very much appreciate that the author has no fear of bringing these topics into the light, showing how difficult it is for children to recognise the danger signs when they have no experience or knowledge to draw from.
These 'wayward' children are not "difficult to control or predict because of wilful or perverse behaviour"(dictionary meaning) - they just need to be seen and understood.

Book 47. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

April PrizeCAT - womens writing - winner 2023 Eisner Award for best graphic memoir

I have never read a graphic memoir and what a stunning introduction to the medium this was. The author displays brutal honesty in relating her experiences, where most of the time such experiences are swept under the carpet and treated as 'just the way things are in the camps.' A harrowing, but oftentimes humorous read, this is an important and necessary book to shed light on the harassment, bullying and other toxic behaviour that occurs in these fishbowl environments.

"They don't think that the loneliness and homesickness and boredom and lack of women around would affect their brother or dad or husband the same way-"

The author takes pains to point out that it is not simply a case of 'bad people' behaving badly, but the insular workplace and the wilful ignoring of the problems from top management down that create such terrible working and living conditions.

>149 JayneCM: True crime is also ne of my favorite genres, also. Putting this one on my ever burgeoning WL!

Book 48. Time Lost: A Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

April SFFKIT - time travel

I'll admit, time travel is my favourite and it would be difficult to find a time travel book I would not enjoy. That being said, this was a gripping read and different from others I have read. The time travel being instigated by aliens added an extra dimension to this story as did the choice Sally had to make. Sally really grabbed your heart and made you care about her past/future. All the characters were well written and well rounded, making you interested in them all.
A wonderful story. I am looking forward to reading more of this author's time travel novels.

Book 49. The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette

February I Read Cereal Boxes board game - classic

"Ambition and gallantry were the soul of the Court, and employed both sexes equally."

"Truth and appearances seldom go together."

The French Court with all its secrecy, affairs, deception, ambition and intrigue, but Madame de Cleves wants no part of it. A woman with a conscience does not belong.
Unfortunately not terribly interesting and much too drawn out.

Book 50. Heidi by Johanna Spyri

BingoDOG - reread a favourite book

Heidi is just as charming and delightful as I remember her to be. A sweet read, although maybe a little preachy for some readers. I remember as a young reader being somewhat obsessed with these late Victorian era children's books about invalids and Heidi is a lovely example.

>170 JayneCM: This was also one of my fave books when I was a child. I am not sure how many times my sisters and I saw the movie starring Shirley Temple.

Book 51. The Collaborator's Daughter by Eva Glyn

Read Around The World - Croatia

An interesting story told through dual timelines. Fran's struggle with finding meaning in her life as she grows older and is no longer needed by her family was very relatable, but it could have been condensed somewhat. Too many pages of Fran's questioning herself and debating what she should do. The World War II timeline was more compelling, but made up much less of the book.

My plan for May CATs, KITs and other reads - main plan is to try and catch up! :(

Carry forward from January
SFFKIT - Epic fantasy - Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Carry forward from March
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game 4. Flowers on cover - Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
✅ BingoDOG - set in the city - The Book Cat by Polly Faber
HistoryCAT - Science and medicine - The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
RandomKIT - World Wildlife Day - Birds and Us by Tim Birkhead
SFFKIT - Space opera - Black Sheep by Rachel Aukes

Carry forward from April
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 1. - living creature in title - The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 2. - ugly cover - You'd Look Better As A Ghost by Joanna Wallace
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game 3. - published between 1990 and 2020 - Amelia Fang and the Lost Yeti Treasures by Laura Ellen Anderson (2019)
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game 4. - grey cover - Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone
Reading Through Time - character with disability - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
✅ CalendarCAT - When The Lights Go Out by Carys Bray (Earth Day)
✅ HistoryCAT - Riots, revolutions, and mayhem - The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson (French Revolution)
RandomKIT - Enchanting garden visitors - The Bird Singers by Eve Wersocki Morris
✅ AlphaKIT - For U - The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragon
AlphaKIT - For O - Peril At Owl Park by Marthe Jocelyn
MysteryKIT - Series - Lace and Lies by Nancy Warren
✅ ScaredyKIT - Witches, Evil Spirits, Black Magic - Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

May
✅ Read Around The World - The Interpretation of Cakes by Allan Tegg (Hungary)
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 1. - letter M in title - Edge of Madness by Kyla Stone
I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 2. - Classic -
✅ I Read Cereal Boxes board game - 3. - Green cover - The Velvet City by Isobelle Carmody
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 4. - Published between 1950 and 1990 - Independent People by Halldor Laxness
Reading Through Time - International Labour Day - Under A Cloudless Sky by Chris Fabry
Reading Through Time (second quarter - ancient/biblical) - Eden: Biblical Fiction of the World's First Family by Brennan McPherson
BingoDOG - fewer than 100 copies on LT - Edge of Darkness by Kyla Stone
✅ BingoDOG - a topic about which you have specific knowledge or expertise - The No Spend Challenge Guide by Jen Smith
CalendarCAT - Sisters Under The Rising Sun by Heather Morris (May 24th, International Tiara Day) -
HistoryCAT - Middle Ages - Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie
PrizeCAT - Doubling up - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (1993 National Book Award for Fiction, 1993 Irish Times International Fiction Prize, 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
RandomKIT - Art and architecture - Vincent & Sien by Silvia Kwon
AlphaKIT - For N - Neverhome by Laird Hunt
AlphaKIT - For P - Poor Things by Alasdair Gray
MysteryKIT - The Golden Age - A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
✅ ScaredyKIT - Graphic novels and short works - Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1 by James Tynion IV
SFFKIT - Archaeology - Navigating The Stars by Maria V. Snyder

May 2024

52. Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1 by James Tynion IV - finished 3rd May 2024 - May ScaredyKIT -graphic novels and short works
53. The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson - finished 7th May 2024 - April HistoryCAT - riots, revolutions and mayhem
54. Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs - finished 8th May 2024 - March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - flowers on cover
55. The Book Cat by Polly Faber - finished 9th May 2024 - BingoDOG - set in a city
56. The No Spend Challenge Guide by Jen Smith - finished 10th May 2024 - BingoDOG - a topic about which you have specific knowledge or expertise
57. Dark Witch by Nora Roberts - finished 11th May 2024 - April ScaredyKIT - witches, evil spirits, black magic
58. The Velvet City by Isobelle Carmody - finished 12th May 2024 - May I Read Cereal Boxes board game - green cover
59. Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone - finished 14th May 2024 - April I Read Cereal Boxes board game - grey cover
60. The Interpretation of Cakes by Allan Tegg - finished 15th May 2024 - Read Around The World - Hungary
61. The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon Mondragon - finished 16th May 2024 - April AlphaKIT - letter U
62. When The Lights Go Out by Carys Bray - finished 19th May 2024 - April CalendarCAT (Earth Day April 22nd)
63. Amelia Fang and the Lost Yeti Treasures by Laura Ellen Anderson - finished 20th May 2024 - April I Read Cereal Boxes board game - published between 1990 and 2020
64. Edge of Madness by Kyla Stone - finished 22nd May 2024 - May I Read Cereal Boxes board game - letter M in title

64/211 = 30.33%

Read Around The World 4/12 = 33.33% The Interpretation of Cakes
I Read Cereal Boxes board game 16/48 = 33.33% Small Fry, The Velvet City, Edge of Collapse, Amelia Fang and the Lost Yeti Treasures, Edge of Madness
Reading Through Time = 4/16 = 25%
BingoDOG 9/25 = 36% The Book Cat, The No Spend Challenge Guide
CalendarCAT 4/12 = 33.33% When The Lights Go Out
HistoryCAT 3/12 = 25% The Wardrobe Mistress
PrizeCAT 4/12 = 33.33%
RandomKIT 1/12 = 8.33%
AlphaKIT 8/26 = 30.77% The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady
MysteryKIT 3/12 = 25%
ScaredyKIT 5/12 = 41.67% Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1, Dark Witch
SFFKIT 2/12 = 16.67%

Book 52. Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1 by James Tynion IV

May ScaredyKIT - graphic novels and short works

"We're going to need weapons. LOTS of weapons."

Chillingly crafted with dark and horrifying artwork, this gives you the creeps in all the right ways. Erica is an awesome badass with a heart which I hope won't get her into trouble in future volumes. Ending on a cliff hanger - definitely need to get to Volume 2!

Book 53. The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson

April HistoryCAT - riots, revolutions and mayhem

Following the story of Giselle, a fictional tirewoman serving Marie Antoinette, we see the ill-fated queen's last years. Rather than the flighty, rather silly woman often described, Marie Antoinette is timid and unsure of herself, yet retains her dignity and poise until the end. Through Giselle, we see the contrast between the revolutionary fervour stirring up extreme hatred for the royal family and the royal family, particularly the queen, as actual people.
A melancholy read about a turbulent period of French history.

Book 54. Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

March I Read Cereal Boxes board game - flowers on cover

". . . he just withholds his affection in a pattern I can't predict or control."

What a confusing childhood. Steve Jobs was certainly a strange man - manipulative, unpredictable and often cruel - leading to an inconsistent and bewildering childhood for his oldest daughter.
An honest and beautifully written memoir.

Book 55. The Book Cat by Polly Faber

BingoDOG - set in a city

Books and cats - what's not to love?!
Polly Faber's grandfather ran Faber and Faber during World War II, the time period of this book. The author has invented a story based on Morgan, the real book cat who turned up at Faber and Faber one day during the war and never left.
The story of Morgan training the kittens of the Blitz to be book cats so they can be evacuated is just charming, while still bringing home to readers the terror of that time.
The illustrations are lovely.
I particularly love how the book has been formatted to look like older books, with the font and the illustrations being in those traditional colours of black, white and red/pink.

Book 56. The No Spend Challenge Guide by Jen Smith

BingoDOG - a topic about which you have specific knowledge or expertise

A great guide for those starting out with a no spend challenge, but nothing ground breaking here. You could easily find this information, and much more, on the author's podcast. There is not much detail, more a general guide to use as a jump off point.
But it is always useful to read anything about the road to financial freedom as a motivator.

>178 JayneCM: Taking a BB for this one. I agree nothing compares to books or cats.

Book 57. Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

April ScaredyKIT - witches, evil spirits, black magic

The perfect setting for this story of evil and the three who must defeat it. The beginning of the book was strong, with the story of the original Dark Witch in the 1200s. Fast forward to modern day Ireland and we meet the three descendants who, on finally having been brought together, will have the power to defeat the evil Cabhan.
Such atmosphere in the setting, with ruined castles and graveyards aplenty. The animal guides of the three also added much to the ancient magic feel. However, it was quite slow and meandering in the lead up to the battle. And the battle itself was over incredibly quickly and not very well described.
But still a very enjoyable read and I am certainly intrigued and love the premise enough to continue with the series.

Book 58. The Velvet City by Isobelle Carmody

May I Read Cereal Boxes board game - green cover

The final book in the Kingdom of the Lost and it was just as intriguing as the previous books. A totally unique fantasy experience as the world building is so unusual. As always though, I adore the relationships, the love and friendship, between the two brothers and the Monster. A very satisfying conclusion to their quest.

Book 59. Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone

April I Read Cereal Boxes board game - grey cover

Wow, this started from the first page and didn't let up! An adrenaline ride for the whole book. I may have stayed up way too late to read it all in one sitting!
I am a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, so went into this expecting the usual fare - this is more a thriller.
The EMP gave Hannah the chance to escape the sadistic man who has kept her captive for five years. But he is determined to hunt her down.

Book 60. The Interpretation of Cakes by Allan Tegg

Read Around The World - Hungary

What a bizarre, fascinating and rewarding novella. The choice of a customer's cake determines their mental state. But as the cake seller helps the customer, he is also being helped, reflecting the nature of the relationship between a psychotherapist and their client.
Heart warming, charming and delightful, this book also has such a beautiful sense of place in its descriptions of Budapest in the early twentieth century.
And of course, the cakes! I felt like I needed to make an immediate trip to Monarch Cakes in Acland Street and pick up some Chocolate Kooglhoupf!

Book 61. The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon Mondragon

April AlphaKIT - letter U

A cosy, heart warming book about the power of knitting and the power of prayer, particularly prayer that may not be answered as we wish it to be.

>150 JayneCM: I read a book about the Princes in the Tower - the one by Alison Weir I believe - and how great that there is a book that sets out to show how one or both of them survived.

>176 JayneCM: It seems that more books written about Marie Antoinette these days talk about her growing common sense and not just her flightiness. Or at least, looking at her with a modern vision, how many 15 year olds from the upper echelons of society could handle all that life threw at her just in her first few years of marriage?

>177 JayneCM: Oh wow. So now the children of the tech giants have grown into adults and are willing to shed light on their dads. Good for her - I will definitely put this on my Wishlist! I love my Apple laptop, but the more I hear about Steve Jobs the less I like and respect him.

Can't wait to see what else you read this spring and summer!

Book 62. When The Lights Go Out by Carys Bray

April CalendarCAT - Earth Day (April 22nd)

This is not the post-apocalyptic book you may expect from the title, but more a portrait of marriage and other family relationships. How do we weather change when the viewpoints, values, goals and dreams of each person are heading off on different tangents? How far is too far? How different can each person become to make the relationship untenable?
The author explores marriage and parent/child relationships in a story that builds slowly with, to be honest, not much happening. But in this way it is completely reminiscent of real life. How much actually happens in our daily lives that is worth reporting or exciting? I feel this made the book instantly accessible and recognisable, whether you are concerned about climate change or not. This was simply the catalyst for the developments in Chris and Emma's marriage.

Book 63. Amelia Fang and the Lost Yeti Treasures by Laura Ellen Anderson

April I Read Cereal Boxes board game - published between 1990 and 2020

Another adorable adventure with Amelia and the gang. I love the little touches of perhaps more adult humour, such as a chapter titled "Draw Me Like One Of Your Yetis."
Perfect illustrations as always. The page colours alternating between white on black and black on white make it much more interesting and add to the spooky feel.

Book 64. Edge of Madness by Kyla Stone

May I Read Cereal Boxes board game - letter M in title

The build up in this second book was slower, more of your typical post-apocalyptic story than the first book. How long does it take for the veneer of civilisation to wear thin when the normal world breaks down?
In the case of some people, not very long, which leads to a thrilling end to the book.
A highly addictive series. I cannot wait to head to the next book.