Mimi

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.

For the Read Harder Challenge, #17: Read a memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary. A little hard to rate this. It's one of the earliest memoirs about transsexuality, I believe, written in the 1970s, so there's value in that. But the author comes across as classist and sexist, even for the times.

For the Read Harder Challenge item #20: Read an award-winning book from the year you were born. Not too many to choose from, but found this odd 1957 Edgar Award winner. Odd because it's not really a mystery, more of fun romp. Well, there was a dram of poison, but not in any real threatening sense. Guess mysteries have improved since then.

For the Read Harder Challenge item #4: Read a book in any genre by a POC that's about joy and not trauma. There was some trauma referenced here, but overall it was just fun. Great banter. I liked it enough to want to go on to read about the other two Brown sisters.

Mel Brooks writes about his life, movie by movie, project by project. Fun times. I did not know (maybe another case of my being the last) that Max L. Brooks, who wrote [b:World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War 8908 World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War Max Brooks https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528312647l/8908.SX50.jpg 817], is Mel's son.

One of those books that I wished was twice as long.

For the Read Harder Challenge, #6: Read a nonfiction YA comic. I tend not to appreciate comics all that much, but there are things I really liked about this one: the simple line drawings, the fittingly complex details, and the fact that she loved Willow from Buffy.

Elegant patterns and the best essays I've read about the craft and experience of knitting.

First completed book for the 2022 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge:

4. Read a book set in a bookstore.

Read again in preparation for the new series. The one without Tom Cruise.

Excellent. 5+ stars.

Paul wasn't my favorite Beatle back in the day, lol, but this is still an engaging review.

DNF. The story has a unique and potentially scary premise, so I listened and listened. But William James wouldn't stop talking at the beginning. And then there was so much discussion about electricity that I just didn't care anymore.

Satisfyingly lengthy.

Pleasant. I enjoyed reading about the Disney/Parent Trap years, and the overall weirdness of growing up in a showbiz family. The book ends abruptly in the 1970s, though. Where'd she go after that?

There is a lot of darkness here, to the point where I had to pause sometimes, but then I had to keep reading to see what happened next. Such strong writing.

Maybe my favorite of the four in the series.

Surprisingly comfy sci-fi. I enjoyed the self-sufficiency elements, kind of like the Boxcar Children in Space.

Worth five stars just for the ending. [a:Val McDermid 5672 Val McDermid https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1241725522p2/5672.jpg] discusses Miss Pym on Backlisted.

Just read 5 Karen Pirie mysteries in a row; will be starting #6 tonight. Gotta see what happens with Hamish...

Love a good collection of essays. These reminded me to start listening to the Backlisted podcast again, and resume my Knausgaard.

Thin. Seems like the story was just kicking in when it was over. I've only stumbled on two Donna Leon mysteries, and both happen to involve the opera singer. I mostly enjoy the atmospheric descriptions of the trials of living in a crumbling, corrupt Venice.

A perfect essay.

These are all basically the same, but I enjoy Amelia a lot.

A life reviewed through exercise trends. Ha—I recognized those Iyengar yoga poses immediately.