Mimi

For Read Harder Challenge #1, Read a biography of an author you admire. I admire [b:Wide Sargasso Sea 25622780 Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453021061l/25622780.SY75.jpg 142647], but can't say I admire Jean Rhys after reading this biography. She comes across as a cruel, maybe insane, woman who had a traumatic life. This is more of an interpretive biography, with a lot of speculation throughout about what Rhys might have been thinking or feeling. I think I would like to read a more factual account someday, maybe [b:Jean Rhys : Life and Work 2104261 Jean Rhys Life and Work Carole Angier https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486618694l/2104261.SX50.jpg 2109648].

For Read Harder Challenge #18, Read a “Best _ Writing of the year” book for a topic and year of your choice. 2020 was grim, and so are most of these essays.

3.5, maybe. It is hot and right now I'm not motivated to read much of anything other than British mysteries. Unbelievably, there are 19 of them in this series. Should last me for a while.

Forgot how much I like Barbara Pym.

A fascinating biography, but I think it would have been stronger if the author hadn't interjected her own life story into it quite so often.

The beginning didn't grab me, but I ended up liking this more than I thought I would.

Clever.

For Read Harder Challenge #11, Read a book with an asexual and/or aromantic main character. I liked this short little book–the style reminded me a lot of Becky Chambers.

For the Read Harder Challenge, # 19: Read a horror novel by a BIPOC author. This is a middle-school level horror novel, but plenty creepy enough for me.

For Read Harder Challenge #7, Read a romance where at least one of the protagonists is over 40. What a confusing plot, and everyone seemed to be related by past or present marriages somehow. Still, the main characters were over 40, so it qualifies.

Enjoyed the characters and that it was set in Hawaii during the pandemic, but it was so short that I was still waiting for the real mystery to appear when it ended.

Annoying woman, annoying mother.

For the Read Harder Challenge, #10: Read a political thriller by a marginalized author (BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+). Intense. I hope there's a #2 coming.

It's a heavy book–literally. It weighs a ton. The writing is enjoyable and breezy (lots of exclamation points!), but it mostly cites previous biographies.

Witty, gossipy, and moving. Great reading for a Saturday. Now I kind of wish I had listened to the audiobook, though, with him narrating.

A sympathetic look at ageism in the world of hired contract killers. :-) Loved it. Also loved the fact that the main character has a dog named Deadweight.

Just for fun.

Short and intense. I read it twice, actually.

For the Read Harder Challenge, #21: Read a queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, folklore, or myth. In this book, it's Robyn Hood and her band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest. Nicely done.

This is the second book in the “Best LGBTQIA+ detective series from the 1970's that you've never heard of.” My category, not a Read Harder Challenge, lol. Good writing.

For Read Harder Challenge #16: Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes. (i.e., YA). Loved it.

I read this mainly because I have a soft spot for the original One Day at a Time, but I didn't realize that Valerie Bertinelli has a cooking show now. This is definitely a book about food.

More science-fictiony than I expected, but also very intricate and moving.

One of my favorite movies and TV shows way back when, but I didn't realize it was a book, too! Fits Read Harder Challenge #14: Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you've seen (but haven't read the book).

It's even better than its adaptations. The characters (alive and dead) are relatable and well matched, and maybe I cried a little at the end.

For the Read Harder Challenge #13, Read any book from the Women's Prize shortlist/longlist/winner list. This was maybe a 3.5 star read, but I'll give it 4 for ultimately being optimistic.