Tess Arrives Fashionably Late--but brings books

My goal is 100+ books this and every year. The large majority will be historical fiction, but I'm trying to branch out!

The first 90 books will just be a list. After that, I will try to create a 2-3 sentence review.

I retired in August of 2020 and now have more time to read (and cook and garden and clean!;))

1. Bobbsey Twins on a Airplane Trip
2. Sapphire and Shadow
3. Midwives
4. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
5. The Courage to Care
6. The Physical Death and Resurrection: A Surgeon's View
7. Imperial Rescript
8. Thin Rich Bitches
9. Drowning Ruth
10 This is my Lemonade
11. Longbourne
12. Restoration
13. The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen: A Dix Dodd Mystery (Dix Dodd Mysteries Book 1)
14. A Dead Red Heart: humorous mystery, amateur sleuth woman protagonist
15. The Gaugin Connection
16. The Privateer Clause: Marsha & Danny Jones Thriller
17. The Narrow Road to the Deep North
18. Life in a Medieval Village
19. The Diary of Samuel Pepys
20. People of the Fire (North America's Forgotten Past Book 2)
21. The Shape of Mercy
22. The Covenant
23. The Miller's Dance
24. The Loving Cup
25. The Twisted Sword
26. Bella Poldark
27. The Rape Of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II
28. Mrs. Dalloway
29. Keep the Aspidistra Flying
30. Educated: A Memoir
31. 1984
32. Wickett's Remedy: A Novel
33. The Personal History of Rachel DuPree: A Novel
34. Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream
35. A Gentleman's Murder
36. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side: A Miss Marple Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries)
37. The Convenient Marriage (Regency Romances)
38. Anthony Adverse
39. The Rim of the Prairie
40. Jamaica Inn
41. Hamnet
42. War with the Newts
42. Florence Nightingale (Penguin 60s) by Lytton Strachey (1996-03-28)
43. A Lovely Way to Burn: Plague Times Trilogy 1
44. Into the Abyss: An Extraordinary True Story
45. Devil's Brood: The Henry II Trilogy, Book 3
46. 365 Penguins (Reissue)
47. Shackelton's Journey
48. Nightwood
49. Patience & Sarah (Little Sister's Classics) by Isabel Miller (2005-09-01)
50. Of Mortal Love
51. The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Paul Galdone Classics)
52. The Legend of Mickey Tussler: A Novel (Mickey Tussler Series)
53. The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer: 1791-1839
54. Rani Laxmibai: Warrior-Queen of Jhansi
55. One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale
56. Swallows and Amazons
57. I Am an Executioner: Love Stories
58. McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm: Three Tall Tales
59. The A. B. C. Murders: A Hercule Poirot Mystery
60. The Tale of Peter Rabbit Story Board Book
61. How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans
62. Cotillion (Regency Romances Book 12)
63. Living Our Best Lives: Cannon Hill Farm
64. Master and Man
65. Pig Surprise
66. Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project
67. Nora and the Great Bear
68. IT'S NOT OVER (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 6)
69. The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories
70. Ninety Two in the Shade
71. No Exit
72. Orpheus and Eurydice
73. Orlando: A Biography
74. The Pilgrim Hawk: A Love Story (New York Review Books
75. Thriving in Babylon: Why Hope, Humility, and Wisdom Matter in a Godless Culture
76. When Google Met Wikileaks
77. Aida: Giuseppe Verdi (Black Dog Opera Library) by David Foil (2002-05-30)
78. The Nun
79. The Palm-Wine Drinkard and his Dead Palm-Wine Tapster in the Dead's Town
80. Ordinary People
81. The Woods of Red Hill
82. Skeleton Lake
83. Tulip Fever
84. The Six Swans
85. Duplicate--need to find out which one I omitted!
86. Death by Water
87. Philoctetes
88. When Christ and His Saints Slept
89. Time and Chance
90. The King Without a Kingdom

Better late than never, Tess. Welcome.

TY Pam!

91. Eli by Bill Myers was an alternative history in which Jesus is not born on the earth until the 1970's. 396 pages 3 stars

Hi Tess.
Welcome to the challenge.
Looks like a great selection of reading already this year.

>5 Eyejaybee: TY!

92. Orestia by Aeschylus , translated by Ted Hughes. This tragedy takes place after the fall of Troy. The main characters are Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, queen and king of Argos, respectively. Orestes is their son. Agamemnon is killed by Clytemnestra and Clytemnestra by her son, Orestes. This play examines the difference between justice and revenge. Quite frankly, there were just more characters in this play than I wanted to process. Also at 208 pages, it is longer than most of this type of work. The chorus played a very major role in the advancement of this story. 3 stars

93. The Pilot: A Tale of the Sea by James Fenimore Cooper takes place during the American Revolutionary War off the coast of England, where a whaleboat is put ashore from the schooner Ariel. The goal of the boat is pick up a pilot known only as Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray is not the real identity of this pilot. There are many plot twists and turns before the pilot is deposited on the shores of Holland. There was a bit too much of naval life and strategies for me and as all of Fenimore's works that I have read, he is even more wordier than Charles Dickens. Reason for reading: to clear my shelf! No idea why I would have purchased this book. Oh yeah, probably because it was 99 cents on Amazon! 281 pages, 3 stars

94. Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li is the memoir of Li's early life from his small village in China to his defection to the west to become a permanent member of the Houston ballet. The prose is not great, but the story is stellar. I can't find a coauthor or a translator! 480 pages 5 stars

95. Curses! is your typical archaeological dig story--who did it--humans or ghosts of the past. Took place at a Mayan dig on the Yucatan peninsula. 3 stars

96. Flesh and Blood. This is book 2/11 in the Inspector Clemons mystery series. An average read about a New York City who dunnit with its basis in the 1930's. 3 stars

97. Yours Sincerely, Giraffe by Megumi Iwasa was a very cute and humorous book about a lonely giraffe and penguin who become pen pals. I would guess that a child of 5 could understand it and that maybe a good reader of age 7-8 could read it. 102 pages 5 stars

98. Peder Victorious by O.E. Rolvaag was the story of a family of Norwegian immigrants to South Dakota. The story is primarily about Peder coming of age and his mother pressuring him to keep the old ways and Peder wanting to assimilate. Good read! 4 stars

99. Lionheart by Sharon Penman--about Richard I's crusade to The Holy Land.

100. Mauprat by George Sand, probably a romance!

>11 Tess_W: Congratulations on reaching you century. I am still languishing in the mid 50s.

>12 Eyejaybee: did it early this year. I retired last August, so I'm just now finding my stride as to reading. Thanks!

101. The Last Puritan George Santayana. A work of philosophy disguised (not very well) as a novel! Themes: guilt/shame/morality 794 pages 2.5*

102. Her Final Words Brianna Labuskes Billed as a psychological thriller--falls terribly short. Poor execution of multiple timelines and a plethora of characters not necessary to advance the plot. 347 pages 2*

103. Miss Julia to the Rescue by Ann Ross. A delightful tale of an older woman in North Carolina who tries to be a good neighbor, sometimes with hilarious consequences and sometimes with not so stellar results. 304 pages 4.5*

104. Far Away Across the Sea Toon Tellegen. A Dutch storybook for children. Plotless, but nice illustrations! 153 pages 2.5*

105. Sing Down the Moon Scott O'Dell. Billed as a YA, but a good read for any age. The story of the forced migration of the Navajos from their tribal grounds to Ft. Sumner, Arizona. 124 pages 4.5*

106. Fields of Gold Andy Stanley Theme: generosity. 134 pages 4*

107. The Theban Plays Great trilogy. Antigone is my all time fav ancient play. 147 pages 5*

108. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Kim Richardson--Highly Recommended! 320 pages 5 stars Cussy Mary must survive in Appalachia during the Great Depression as a "Blue."

109. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon --billed as a horror novel set in New England's Cornwall Coombe. The town is obsessed with the Harvest Home Festival, held every 7 years. 400 pages 3 stars

110. Memoirs of a Sleepwalker by Charles Brockden Brown was billed as America's first gothic novel. Meh

111. Washington Irving a biography by Catherine Peare was a very good YA read. I'm inspired to now his sketchbooks.

112. Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimota. A great read about a small Japanese fishing village during the plague (but not the major part of the story).

113. Frost, Freezes, and Fairs by Ian Curry. What a great book of information, told in a very readable style about the frosts and resultant fairs on the Thames rivers since 1634. The first 48 pages was nothing more than a chronological listing of great freezes. However, the remainder of the book detailed major frosts and resultant fairs in 1683, 1739, and 1814. Very interesting with info about food booths, "rides", and entertainment right upon the Thames river. Sketches were included as well as little ditties and poems that were sung by old and young alike. The last few pages explained why there haven't been any in modern times. One odd thing: The publisher is British, the author is British, but all the temps are given in Fahrenheit (which was ok for me), but just odd! My only guess is that they used the Imperial temperature scale because at the time of the frosts and fairs, the metric system has not yet been adopted/invented! I think someone from London would really enjoy this as they would be more familiar with the locations than I. Recommended 85 pages

114. The Kingdom of Sicily, 1100-1250: A Literary History a super book of collections of literature in translation. 246 pages

115. The Story of an African Farm by Olive Shreiner. This really wasn't the story of a farm, but of 3 orphaned children coming of age and having a difficult time of it. Too much time was spent on atheism and feminism, for my taste. Can't really recommend, although I was looking for something different from the book. 336 pages

116. Tom Cringle's Log by Michael Scott--a very like Bernard Cornwall novel. Tedious! 576 pages

117. A King's Ransom by Sharon K. Penman Book 5/5 of the Angevin (Plantagenet) series. Top notch--all books! 720 pages

118. I read Waverley by Sir Walter Scott. This is my first Scott, and while I did not particularly care for the book/writing, I did like the story. I think my reading was somewhat enhanced by knowing the history of the Jacobite Rebellion and the Battle of Culloden. Had I not known something about the Highlanders and their rebellion(s), I would have been lost. I was not a fan of the romance part of the novel, it seemed obligatory or contrived. I started to read the introduction, but after 9 pages of self-absorbed drivel, I skipped it. 484 pages, just barely 3 stars. 3 stars for me is your average read--can be mediocre or enjoyable, this was not necessarily enjoyable and yet not mediocre.

119. Toward the Midnight Sun by Eoin Dempsey. A woman travels to the Klondike to find love. Less than stellar Audio also less than stellar. 7 hours 15 min. 2.5 stars

120. Charlotte Sometimes (read 2 weeks ago) A YA book about a girl that time travels between 2 boarding schools.

121. The Peppermint Pig by Nina Bawden a coming of age story about a girl and her pig.

122. When I Was You by Minka Kent a psychological thriller.

123. The History of Rome: The Republic Volume 1 by Mike Duncan a good overview of the history of Rome from its settlement through the crumbling Republic. A compilation of the author's podcasts on the same subject. 371 pages 4.5 stars

124. Guy Mannering by Sir Walter Scott--average, meh

125. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran great read about the French Revolution 4.5 stars

>31 Tess_W: I've added Madame Tussaud to the wish list.

>32 pamelad: I think you will enjoy it!

126. The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Jay, Madison 379 pages 5 stars

127. Mother Mason 269 pages 5 stars Life in small town Nebraska.

128. The Pioneers by David McCullough settlement of the Ohio River Valley 379 pages 4 stars

129. The Mark of the Loon by Molly Greene a mystery set in northern California. 249 pages 5 stars

130. The Leopard Rider by James Duprie. Fantastical take on Marco Polo. 288 pages 2.5 stars

131. The Twelve Disciples by Rose Publishing. 3 pages, bullet point form, on each disciple with Scripture reference when needed. 39 pages 4 stars

132. The Life of Apostle Paul by Rose Publishing. About Paul's 3 missionary journeys.

133. Freedom's Landing by Anne McCaffrey. Meh space fiction

134. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The only Wilde I could read in its entirety. 180 pages 4 stars

135. The Village School by Miss Read a superb read! 237 pages 5 stars

136. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen. 327 pages 4*

137 Medicus a mystery of the Roman Legion that took place in Britannia. 427 pages 3.5*

138. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The story of 2 men, one mentally impaired, in California during the Great Depression. 111 pages 4*

139. The Texan Santa Fe Expedition by George Kendall. Non-fiction. 878 pages 4.5*

140. To Sleep with Angels by David Cowman. About the fire at Our Lady of Angels school in Chicago in 1958. Non-fiction

141. Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini. A good time period piece. 384 pages 4 stars

142. The Lioness of Morocco by Julia Drosten. The story of Sibyella, who moves with her husband to Morocco to manage the family's shipping concern. 450 pages 4 stars

143. The Day of the Locust by Nathaneal West 160 pages 2.5 stars The degradation of the soul(s) in Hollywood, 1930's.

144. Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico by Susan Shelby Magoffin. 260 pages 4.5 stars Non-fiction/history

145. The Life of Paul by Rose Publishing

146. Rosemary The Hidden Kennedy

147. Baby Tramp by Ambrose Bierce

148. Wuthering Heights (re-read_
149. The Abduction of Seraglio

150. The Bridges of Toko-Ri by James Michener (re-read)

151. American Pastoral Just awful! 423 pages 2 stars Make Dickens and Melville look like amateurs in minutiae.

152. The Country Where No One Dies Stream of consciousness set in Albania. Meh-

153. The Two Baronesses by Hans Christian Anderson

154. Peter Ibbetson by George Du Maurier. A mid 19th century novel reality vs. dreaming.

155. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoffer 5*
156. Shadow of a Century by Jean Grainger 4*
157. The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen

158. Half of a Yellow Sun Biafra/Nigeria

159. Ward Allen: Savannah River Market Hunter 95 pages 3 stars

160. The Girls, Alone: Six Days in Estonia by Bonnie Rough

161. What is Life Worth? by Kenneth Feinberg This was a non-fiction read that explained the difficult process that was derived at for compensating the victims of 911. Feinberg was asked by President Bush to head a committee to disburse the millions of dollars in relief money to the families of victims. Oh my, he ran into some unsolvable problems and was hailed as both a hero and a demon. There was no right or wrong side to this process; it was all just very personal and I understand that each person thought they had suffered more than the next. 241 pages 4 stars

162. The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier was a different, non-religious telling of purgatory. In Brockmeier's death sequence, when people died they went to a big city to live (in another dimension?). They lived until there was nobody else to remember them, then they passed into the next dimension, which was where Brockmeier's book ended. This was one of the oddest books I've read, neither odd good or odd bad! I had this both on Audible and Kindle. 272 pages 3.5 stars

163. Life with Father by Clarence Day
164. Move Over, Darling by Marvin Albert
165. Who Gets the Drumstick by Helen Beardsley
166. Hunting Trips of a Ranchman: Sketches of Sport on the Northern Cattle Plains by Theodore Roosevelt

167. In the Heart of the Sea About the whaleship Essex
168. The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon non fiction, elephant hunting

169. The Mayflower Compact (primary source)
170. The Battle with the Slum by Jacob Riis

Both non-fiction reads

171. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti. Billed as a psychological thriller--not at all! 2.5 stars 200 pages