Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50 Book Challenge 2023/What I've Read in 2023

#1 Verity by Colleen Hoover


Pretty good thriller. After all the hype, I was expecting a little more. Still, it was very entertaining.

#2 The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick


Mother of two college age boys who is a house cleaner for her favorite author has been asked to helped write her next book. Lighter books can be equally fun and entertaining but credibility was stretched well beyond reasonable limits for me. I can't believe this was a book club book - I have no idea what we'll talk about.

#3 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid



While this was an engaging story, I wish the writer had gone into more depth with the characters.

#4 The Lies I tell by Julie Clark


Pretty good thriller. I'd read more from the author.

#5 Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink by Katrina Alcorn

A working mom discusses the challenges of managing a career, a home and family.

#1 Kingdom Keepers 6 - Dark Passage by Ridley Pearson

The Keepers continue their efforts to battle the Overtakers aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship, including a desperate attempt to stop the OTs from waking Chernabog, the most evil villain Walt Disney ever created.

Still enjoying the series, but I'll admit I'm very over the cruise storyline. I miss seeing the Keepers running around the parks that I so dearly love.

#2 The Trials of Apollo - The Lost Oracle by Rick Riordan

The god Apollo is banished to Earth in the form of a gawky teenager. He meets a young street urchin named Meg and makes his way to Camp Half-Blood, where he is tasked with a quest to save the Oracles that have fallen into enemy hands since the war with the Titans.

I'll admit it - I love Rick Riordan books. I don't care that they are young adult books, the blending of mythology with the modern world is intoxicating and even Apollo's less than enjoyable nature is made palatable by the wonderful humor injected into his viewpoint. I can't wait to read more.

#3 Almost There by Farrah Rochon

What if Tiana had made a deal with Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog? And what if it was now time to pay the price for that deal?

I enjoyed this one, I think mostly because of how true all of the characters rang. I also liked how it wasn't a random coincidence alternate dimension kind of thing, but that everything that happened was a direct result of a decision Tiana made in the original story.

#6 More than You'll ever Know by Katie's Gutierrez

Cassie, a young journalist with a dark past, sees an opportunity when she reads about Lore Rivera, a woman who had two husbands. One husband killed the one. People on Goodreads complained this wasn't really a thriller but it held my attention.

#7 Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown

In order to maintain a bond between biological siblings, three couples create an unusual family.

#8 The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

Anna, a makeup chemist, conspires with the company CEO, to attract the man of her dreams.

Very silly but a good distraction.

#9 If You Tell by Gregg Olsen

Disturbing true crime story about Shelly Knotek who grossly abused her children and killed several others. Gets you thinking more about what's going on in people's heads in those situations. The fear of being caught by their mother preventing them from speaking for so long. Heartbreaking story.

#10 Why Birds Sing by Nina Berkhout

After an opera singer has a very public lousy performance and she learns her husband is cheating on her, she must reinvent herself.

#11 Ask Yes Again by Mary Beth Keane


Story follows the lives of two Irish cops and their families through the years. Many tragedies occur. Likeable characters.

#12 Flight Risk by Joy Castro



This book was different that what I expected. I got annoyed with this character but I suppose the author provided sufficient foundation to account for her behavior.

#13 The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray



Not a bad read. Got a little bogged down with too many details about old books.

#14 The Perfect Marriage by Geneva Rose

The fact that the subtitle of this book was: A Completely Gripping Psychological Suspense had me suspecting this wouldn't be a high quality read. When her husband is accused of murdering his mistress, only the wife can defend him. Lots of lousy people. I don't think this author understands how an unreliable narrator works.

#15 After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

After six years of marriage, Lauren and Ryan can't stand each other. In an attempt to save their marriage, they decide to separate for a year. While I enjoyed the story, some of it didn't ring true to me.

#16 The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa Sloane

Cassidy Holmes, first runner up in an American Idol type contest, is asked to join a promising girl band that hits it big. Fifteen years later, she committed suicide. The book alternates between the past and current day, from the pov of the four girls in the group. Lots of emphasis on the darker side of fame. Some plot points could've been better fleshed out.

#17 It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Girl meets guy. Guy is abusive. What should she do?

After seeing huge displays of this writer's work in airports and reading Verity, I was curious about this author's other work. While abusive relationships are a serious topuc, this story seemed aimed for more drama than reality. I wasn't overly impressed.

#18 Sparks like Stars by Nadia Hashimi

Fictional account of a young Afghan girl who witnessed the death of her family during a military coop.

#4 The Trials of Apollo - The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan

#5 The Trials of Apollo - The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan

#6 Kingdom Keepers #7 - The Insider by Ridley Pearson

#7 Medusa by Jessie Burton

Hated this one. It's A YA book I happened to see in the library and thought it might be cool to see the who Medusa had once been and how she was changed into a gorgon. This kinda told her story but in an AU kind of way - she has no idea she can turn people into stone and falls in love with Perseus when he washes ashore on her island. (They chat behind a screen of rocks.) Medusa winds up accidentally turning Perseus into stone instead of the real myth where he cuts off her head. Medusa gets 100% painted as a pathetic lovestruck fool.

#8 The Evil Dead 40th Anniversary Edition by Mark Verheiden and John Bolton

A graphic novel version of the beloved cult classic. I wanted to love it, but it was simply just "okay." I don't mind the retelling, but basic facts were overlooked/changed for no reason. Cheryl is Ash's sister in the movies (a VERY important fact), but here, she's simply a friend of Linda, Ash's girlfriend. And here Ash basrely tolerates Scotty, who is his best friend in the films. Overall, the changes annoyed the heck out of me. (I've been a "Deadite" for roughly 26 years now.) The art style was weird - a mix of comic booky and almost realistic. And the few moments where we see Ash and Linda in flashbacks were too few to really matter much.

#19 Unspeakable by Jessica Willis Fisher

Jessica, A member of a family band that traveled the country and had their own TLC reality show, shares her horrifying story of sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of her father. Very disturbing story. Gave me more insight into how people process such trauma and how it affects them.

#20 The First Husband by Laura Dave

Annie has been with Nick for five years when he tells her he wants to take a break. Almost immediately, she meets Griffin, who she married within four months. She is torn between what to do with her job and which man to stay with.

Annie's indecision was annoying. Her thought process was all over the place.

#21 This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub


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I love this trope! I'm a sucker for 'what if you could change the past'. I liked that this focused on the relationship between the main character and her dad but I would've liked to see more growth on her part.

#22 Recursion by Blake Crouch

While studying how to isolate memories for Alzheimer's patients, Helena discovers a way to time travel to different points of her life. The use and consequences of this technology get crazy! Very cool.

#9 Durotan by Christie Golden


I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a huge WoW fan and proud member of the Horde myself, it was fun to witness the first, tense meetings with Gul'dan, as well as the rejections he is given by both Durotan's father and Durotan himself. I really felt like the characters were perfectly captured and the reasoning behind Durotan's ultimate decision to follow Gul'dan into Azeroth was well thought out.



#10 Citizen Alex: Let Freedom Ring by Bruce Campbell



I usually very much enjoy Bruce's writing, but this one (more of a short story than a true novel) just felt "off" for me. The pacing was awkward and far too fast - like it was written under a tight deadline with no time to flesh out characters, plot, or anything else, really. The sentence structure was often far too simplistic and bland, compared to the way he normally writes. Overall, I walked away feeling very "meh" about this one.

#23 Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence” by Anna Lembke, M.D.



Interesting read.

#24 Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrel


I'm not a big Shakespeare fan, nor am I a huge historical fiction fan. Yet I can enjoy both. This book...was a struggle to complete. I never would've picked it on my own but I didn't show up at the book club meeting where we were being assigned books to host. I hated this book. It bounced all over the place in time (and frankly, I read a lot and can handle this technique when it's done well). Lots of cryptic, "Had he only known..." with no follow up. Three people's viewpoints on the exact same trivial moments. Tons and tons of excessive description. An entire chapter devoted to describing the journey of a flea that carried a disease. And the plot could be summed up in one paragraph.

Should be an interesting book club meeting.

#11 Far From Agrabah by Aisha Saeed


Aladdin and Jasmine spend a few days in the imaginary kingdom of Ababawa.

An okay, kinda dumb and predictable read, but it could nicely fit in with either the real movie (that is the 1992 animated masterpiece) or that live action imposter.

I gave myself a goal of reading 12 books in 2023. I have already beat that and updated my goal to 20. Now it's May and I am already up to 19 books. One great one I read is Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I am going to update my goal once again to 35 books.

Great job CarrieRene! Taylor Jenins Reid has written some good books. Have you read "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?"

#25 Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins


Not bad for a thriller. More character development than I was expecting.


#26 All That is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay


I've read other books by this author so I was disappointed by this one. It just didn't come together for me.

#12 The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan

Apollo and friends must confront an undead zombie king from Ancient Rome in order to defend Camp Jupiter.

#13 A Summer To Die by Lois Lowry

Two sisters are forced to move for a summer. There, the health of one declines while the other comes to make friends with the old man who rented their family the house.

The book was nothing special and focused more on the healthy sister and her photography hobby than anything else. It could have used a bit more focus on the dying sister.

#14 Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Ever wonder how we wind up dreaming about the things we dream about?

Cute book with a short but rich story and mythos.

#27 Now is not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson



This book didn't do much for me. The author captured the feelings of teenagers well - their fears and feelings of not fitting in. Otherwise, the plot tended to drag and the tie-in to present day was a complete letdown.

#28 Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid



This book had an unusal format. It reminded me of the VHS Behind the Music shows where you just hear people talking about the events, giving their versions. It was a quick engaging read. The characters were interesting but their actions didn't quite ring true to me. They behaved more idealized than real people would under similar circumstances. Great beach read!

#29 The Second Husband by Kate White


Average thriller with a so-so ending.

#15 The Hobbit - An Illustrated Edition by Charles Dixon and Sean Deming, Illustrated by David Wenzel

A fun graphic novel version of the book with text lifted directly from the source material. Some of the illustrations were a little weird, but I'm biased after having watched and rewatched the Peter Jackson movies (which were flawed but amazing).

30 The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson

Blue Kentucky woman experiences prejudice while bringing books via her pack mule to people in rural Kentucky.

I've read other books about the pack mule library women. Better books. I'm not a fan of authentic dialogue used throughout the entire book.

#31 The Lost Slayer by Christopher Golden


Generally, I prefer to read fanfiction rather than mass marketed media tie-ins. Usually, the writers are very restricted on plot and character development. But this compilation of four books was a pleasant surprise. It did a great job with the characters and managed to create an intense situation yet believably bring the characters back within canon.

#32 Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman


Silly but good for an airplane read.

#33 Love Marriage by Monica Ali

Yasmin, a young Indian doctor, is engaged to white, Joe. While this book gives some interesting cultural insights upon mixing these two families, it was too broad in focus. Some tragedy. Some comedy? Dysfunctional family relationships. A bit uneven. I wasn't thrilled with the resolution either.

#34 Dawn by Octavia Butler


One of my favorite scifi series.

#16 The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan

The last of the Apollo trials. Apollo must take down the last remaining emperor, Nero, and confront his old enemy, Python, in order to restore the Oracle of Delphi.

Overall, the Apollo series was fun. I certainly liked it more than the second series, which focused on new, but Roman, heroes. While some old friends popped in and out of the Apollo series, it was nice to see the books mainly focused on the unfortunate god-turned-mortal. I look forward to reading more of his work.

#17 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Two girls (friends, one Jewish, one not) living in Denmark, must live with the reality of the Nazis who have invaded their homeland. And when they start rounding up the Jewish people in the area, the girls must work together to help smuggle the Jewish girl's face out of the country to save their lives.

Honestly, I was disappointed with the book. While, yes, it's for kids, I felt it was too "neat" and "soft" for what was actually going on during that period of time. I wanted something a little heavier, a little more profound, something that would stick with me in my mind for longer. I can't even remember the kids' names because it just didn't make a huge impact.

#18 Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry

Hilldegarde is a church mouse. She and roughly 200 others live in a church and must stay out of sight at all times, in order to avoid the Big X (extermination). But one day, it is noticed by people that there are multiple mice around, and the Big X is scheduled to happen. As their leader, Hildegarde must devise a plan to save them all, while also knowing that the blessing of the animals (feast day of St, Francis of Assisi, Oct 4) is coming, and with that...cats.

A cute little read that took me all of 2 or 3 nights.

#35. The Grace Year by Kim Leggett

In a fantasy realm or alt reality where women's rights are severely limited, women are sent away at age 17 to burn off their magic. Maybe I've read too many of these or I've been too distracted, this one didn't do much for me. On the other hand, my daughter enjoyed it.

#36 The Twilight Wife by A. J. Banner


Maybe I've read too many of these books, but I felt like I've already read this plot multiple times in the past. And seen it done much better. Even the Lifetime movie version was better than this.



#37 When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jullian Medoff


This book was highly engaging. You knew something was off with the family and there were little hints provided all along the way to the reveal.

#38 The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz



I could say a lot about this one, both good and bad. The idea of a plot that's totally unique doesn't really make sense. Give ten people a vague plot outline and they'll write ten different books. There was an interesting turn of events that I did see coming.

,#39 The Damage by Caityn Wahrer

When a small town family is pushed to the brink, how far will they go to protect their own?

Interesting crime drama. Not overly compelling reading.

#40 All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore


While I've done some of her Bible studies, I didn't know much about Beth Moore. This book provided insights into some very real struggles she's dealt with.

#41 The Second Shift by Arlie Russell Hochschild


The writer presents several chapters focusing on individual dual-income couples and their coping strategies regarding jobs, family life and child care. The lack of change of so many years is a little sad.

#42 The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth


Average thriller.

#43 Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler


Just as good on the second read.

#44 Swear on this life by Renee Carling

Aspiring writer Emi is shocked when she reads a book that describes her abusive childhood. She tracks down the writer whom she hasn't seen for years. I thought this story had more potential. The characters were immature and the plot was predictable.

#45 I liked my life by Abby fabiaschi

Maddy has died but is somehow able to observe and influence her grieving family who are floored by her apparent suicide. Thought this had potential for more depth.

#46 The Latecomer: a novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz



The people in this family were highly dysfunctional. I wasn't highly invested in any of the characters.

#47 Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose




Okay thriller. Not likeable characters.

#48 If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook

A shocking revelation is made at a grandfather's funeral and the gathered family has to process the news. This book had potential but never got there. Too many characters. Too many abrupt transitions between them. Too little character development and the characters weren't likeble either. Goodreads claimed this book has southern charm. Other than being set in Georgia and talking about the heat, that was the only glimpse I had of southern charm.

#49 Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major



Classic Groundhog day plot but fun.

#50 These Precious Days by Ann Patchett


The book wasn't bad, it just never picked up momentum for me.

#51 Everyone in my Family has killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson


More light-hearted murder mystery. Fun read.

#52 Things I wish I told my Mother by Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo


Light and fairly predictable. There's a twist that some on Goodreads hated. I thought it detracted from the story as well.

#53 We all want impossible things by Catherine Newman


This book didn't do much for me. The friendship between the women was authentic but the main character had definite issues (sleeping around with multiple partners, breaking up with her husband for no apparent reason) that needed to be addressed and just weren't. Several of the characters had similar names which made it difficult to keep track of who was who. And frankly, her ex-husband's behavior didn't come off the least bit believable.

#54 Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal


Very unique book. The story is told in different chapters by various characters in the main character's life. A unique perspective.

#55 Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger


I enjoy this author. He does such a wonderful job with coming of age stories during simpler times. This was another good one.

#56 Imago by Octavia Butler


I've just finished a re-read of this series and enjoyed it, though I feel this is the weakest story of the three.



#57 Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin


Being a Shirley Jackson and Margert Atwood (at least some of her works) fan, I enjoyed this. It also reminded by of Never Let Her Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. A very unique type of story that creates a foreign world.


#58 Prom Mom by Laura Lippman


With a title like this, I wasn't expecting much. And Amber seemed doomed to make the same mistakes all over again! But things took an interesting turn. I'll have to check out more books from the writer.

You can tell I've been on vacation!

#59 Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo


It was interesting to read about the culture of the women. But with so many main characters, it was hard to keep track of who was who. And the ending wasn't as impactful as I thought it might be.

#60 The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton



This book gave some interesting background about vets from WWI and the circumstances of women back then. However the plotline wrapped up a little too neatly.

#61 The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde





This was very unique in concept. I like meta things but this didn't completely work for me.

#62 The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy and the wild life of an American Commune by Alexander Stille


I'd never heard of this group, even though I grew up near this area. I'll agree that this was a shocking read, although it could've used some editing.

#63 Life Sentences by Laura Lippman


After reading one book by this author, I had high hopes for this one. When I reached the end, I thought, "Really?". The pacing was slow and it never went anywhere.

#64 Never Give Up: A Prairie Family's Story by Tom Brokaw


I'm all for appreciating what earlier generations went through but this book was just dull. With only 134 pages, it still felt way too long. There was no heart to it.

#65 She Deserves Better: Raising Girls to Resist Toxic Teachings on Sex, Self, and Speaking Up by Shelia Wary Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach and Janna Sawatsy


While I am a Christian, I'm not an conservative evangelical. I am aware of some of their teachings and I was glad to see some of the more extreme notions addressed.

#67 Boundaries in Marriage by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.

Sound principles.

#68 The Last Caretaker by Jessica Strawser


I kept reading this book, thinking it had to get better. It didn't. Slow and plodding. Predictable and preachy. Unlikeable characters. I do not recommend this book.