Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50 Book Challenge 2020/What I've Read in 2020

And we start over with another new year! I love seeing what everyone is reading. Those suggestions lead me to try books I might not have have noticed otherwise.

#1 The Flickering Mind: Saving Education from the False Promise of Technology by Todd Oppenheimer


This book didn't have many reviews on Good Reads but I thought it was well done. It was a slow read - lots of information! The book is dated, published in 2003, but the ideas still hold.

Same here! In fact, this first title you put up here I find incredibly intriguing (I'm a teacher)!

1: Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster: I found this one in the library while trying to find something else by an author last name also Webster (which they didn't have, turns out it was at another branch of the library). I grabbed it because I recalled my sister reading it when we were young. It is an epistolary (written in letters). I really liked how authentic the letters felt. When I finished, I was pleased to find out its also a Fred Astaire movie, which I then watched. I'd recommend both.

2: Courting Trouble by Deanne Gist. I'm not sure about this one. It lacked the traditional happy ending I'm used to, but I was kind of glad about that? Can't decide if I'll read the next one in the series or not.

1) Pam Whidden: Life As A Muse. Pam was an artists model. After she passed away, a book of work done with her as the model was put together. Nice art book.

2) Night Agent by Matthew Quirk. Thriller. an FBI agent is trying to stop a Russian mole who is in the White House. First Time I've read this author. I'll be looking for more by him.

#2 An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green



An unusual mix of sci-fi and the impact of social media.

Just finished Darkness At The Edge of Town, by Adam Christopher. It's a Stranger Things novel centered around Detective Jim Hopper in NYC in 1977, so a few years before he returns to Hawkins, Indiana and the events of Stranger Things Seasons 1 and 2. The story itself wasn't bad and was, at times, compelling, but, being part of the Stranger Things universe (officially or not, depending on your take of off-shoot stories), I was really let down that the villain was JUST a man, with nothing more to him. I'm used to telekinesis and demogorgons and parallel universes from the franchise, so I was underwhelmed, to say the least.

Witch's Oath by Terry Goodkind

The latest adventures of Richard and Kahlan Rahl are, for some reason, broken up into 5 smaller books this time around, instead of a longer, more comprehensive story. This is book 4 of the Children of D'Hara series. I've been enjoying it thus far, but I've enjoyed the Sword of Truth series overall (some more than others). I'm just really bummed that I have to wait until May for the conclusion. And I do hope we get further adventures of Richard and Kahlan. It's been a fun ride.

3) Just as you are by Pepper Basham

Technically, I didn't finish it. A few chapters into it, I was sick of hearing about how the FMC is Appalachian (do Appalachians really refer to themselves as such in nearly every conversation they ever have, even if its with someone they've previously explained it to? It is apparently why she is a klutz and can't think before she speaks, among other things. I'm not Appalachian and I can't say if I know any, but it seemed so demeaning.). But I stuck it out because I was intrigued by the description of the plot - country girl happens to run into movie star and they solve a mystery. But things were happening so s l o w l y ... I started skimming about a third of the way into the book, and didn't feel like I missed anything. I continued skimming until I realized how cheesy everything was becoming and I stopped reading at about the two thirds mark. I bet I can tell you whats going to happen in the end. It was disappointing, especially since I've read some other Basham books that were amazing.

(This on the heels of starting and not finishing two other books that lost me before the end of chapter two... I'm beginning to question my ability to choose books to read...)

EDIT: I got stuck in a place with no wifi or physical book for hours and this was the only book downloaded on my phone. So I finished it. It continued to be cheesy, I wasn't surprised by the events that took place, but it did a fine job of keeping me busy. Also, in the author's notes, I read that she is Appalachian and am even more baffled by the way it was handled in the book...

#3 The Friends We Keep by Jane Green


Talk about chick-lit - light and fluffy. Lots of drama but everything works out. Totally forgettable characters but sometimes you need a light read.

4) A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano

I chose this book because I know Jen Turano to be a light-hearted story-teller that would undoubtedly make me laugh. Her stories are generally quickly paced and filled with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. This book was exactly that and just what I needed.

5) Havencross by Julie Daines

I chose this book solely by the cover. Historical romance, set in Cornwall 1800s. The cover shows a woman standing on the edge of the sea facing away, her dress billowing in the wind. I read it without reading the description and was drawn in by the end of the second page. Elaine is running from her past and is forced to face it when circumstances beyond her control require her to return home. Very good. Danger, romance, plot twists. I kept trying to guess what would happen and I was wrong sometimes and right sometimes which is just how I like it.

Groucho Marx, King of the Jungle by Ron Goulart.

Groucho and Frank Denby solve a murder on a set of a movie that Frank is doing some script doctoring for. The movie is a Tarzan knockoff and has all the expected characters.

The sixth in a series that starts with Groucho Marx, Master Detective where Groucho and Frank Denby a scriptwriter who was a crime reporter for the newspapers are pitching a radio series with Groucho as a comedic detective and end up having to solve a real murder. I often find Goulart annoying because he gets too odd but he writes a great Groucho. Lots of 1940s Hollywood cameos and locations.

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton - I've read this one before and it's definitely not one of my favorites. While I can appreciate the need to give background on certain scientists and their theories on how a bacterium might spread and evolve, it does make for some dry chunks in the book. However, I enjoyed the story overall. The reason WHY I went back to this one is to prep for reading the new sequel, The Andromeda Evolution.

Admittedly, I’m not a person who likes to read fiction in general so most of the these books are probably not choices people would generally make:

1) A General’s Life: An Autobiography by Omar Bradley I’m a military history buff so I enjoy reading about people involved in the wars and also it is my belief that in order to understand the present I need to read about the past. This is the autobiography of America’s last five star general from his early life to the end of his official career in the army though officers who attain the five star rank never actually formally ‘retire.’ I admit that this is not everyone’s cup of tea in terms of a good read, but for me this is the kind of book I enjoy reading because sometimes even the best fiction writers can’t come up with the kind of things that happen in a person’s life

2) Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari I won’t get into a debate over the theory of human evolution as that isn’t really what this book is about. It’s more about how we as Homo sapiens overran the planet. Not a bad book, but I’ll admit that I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the ideas that he put forward

3) Becoming Japanese: Colonial Taiwan and the Politics of Identity Formation by Leo T.S. Ching Colonialism and Imperialism are ugly terms when we consider a national identity. I was born in Taiwan and although I thoroughly identify as an Australian, my ancestral roots are tied to this period of time through my mother. Identity is a tough thing to consider when you have ties ethnically to one place and yet at the same time have differing ideals (not the least of which is that mainland China is communist and Taiwan or more officially The Republic of China is democratic), but also trying to meld that with the influence of a former colonial ruler

4) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Have had this novel on my to read list for years, but never got around to reading it. Don’t think this book needs much rehashing, but I will add that I thoroughly enjoyed it

5) Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee The sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout is now all grown up and is forced to confront the same issues addressed in To Kill a Mockingbird, but also the realisation that everything she thought she knew about the father she idolised wasn’t exactly the truth. Though less enjoyable and confronting as it’s predecessor I still would recommend reading it

6) How to Hide an Empire: A Short History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr Given that this book is of my usual taste I admit I had high expectations for it especially after reading the blurb (I admit to never judging a book by its cover. If the title is interesting then I read the blurb. If the blurb seems interesting enough I may decide to read it) in the end I was disappointed as it was not anywhere near my expectations and didn’t tell me anything beyond what I knew about empire and the collapse of British and French colonialism in Asia

7) Cannery Row by John Steinbeck I’m not sure whether this was intentional or not, but for the last few years I’ve read at least one book written by a Nobel Prize winning author. This novel I found out about from watching British chef Rick Stein in his series Road to Mexico when he visits Cannery Row in Monterey California. Set in the Depression era, it tells the story of life through the eyes of a group of people. Initially I thought that it was about the sardine canneries which dotted the landscape along the Monterey coast, but I was mistaken. While enjoyable it took a while to really get into it as it doesn’t really ‘flow’ like I normally would think a story would.

8) Mindhunter Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas & Mark Olshaker John Douglas is considered to be one of the pioneers in the science of criminal profiling. Delving into the mind of some of America’s most notorious criminals he would help establish the FBI’s elite Behavioural Science Unit into what it is today. If you like true crime this is a great read. Though I will warn that you will need a strong stomach as the description of some of these crimes is very descriptive and you can easily let your imagination run wild.

#4 Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel


I love post apocalyptic stories and this was a good one.

#5 The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion


A fun conclusion to the trilogy of books. The other two books had more laugh out loud moments. But they also had more cringe worthy moments too .

9) A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the Struggle that Shaped the Middle East by James Barr it’s very easy to say that the problems plaguing the Middle East are driven by turf wars from rival tribes and of course differing ideologies. The reasons behind it are much more complicated, post WWI policy and lingering desire to hold on to the ideas of colonialism post WWII have all contributed to the issues today further reinforcing the notion that a line in the sand does not make a nation. Not something that most people read, but if you like history and are interested in geopolitics this is a good read.

10) In Xanadu: A Quest by William Dalrymple at age 22 while still a student at Cambridge the author embarked on a journey across the Middle East into Central Asia to end up at Kublai Khan’s summer palace of Xanadu in Mongolia (or rather Inner Mongolia which is technically part of China) following in the footsteps of Venetian Marco Polo. Quirky and interesting

Two oddly similar books set in different time periods and with entirely different subplots. Also, I did some more choosing books by covers here and intentionally NOT reading the description.

6) Wager for a Wife by Karen Tuft
Regency era, maybe late regency. Turns out Louisa's grandfather lost her in a wager long before she was even born and William, who just inherited a failing estate - and Louisa, comes to claim his prize. Louisa agrees out of duty. This was very ... predictable? No, that's not it. I have no idea how to describe this book without giving too much away.


7) Eleanor and the Iron King by Julie Daines
Medieval era, based on descriptions of clothing. Eleanor's dad has just bartered her as part of a peace treaty to a Welsh guy whose name - and just about everything related to him - is difficult to pronounce. She agrees out of duty (and also because she has no choice in the matter). This was very ... unpredictable! And in an awesomely good way. Just when I think I had things figured out, I didn't. It was also very gothic feeling, which I love.