And, once again, here are my lists! (I've been doing this on various blogs since 2007.)
In 2019, I read 136 books. Cozy mystery: 27 Other mystery/crime: 44 Historical A/A: 4 Alternate History: 1 Realistic: 6 Shakespeare plays: 8 Other drama: 1 Fantasy: 7 NF travel: 4 NF History: 3 NF cookbooks: 11 NF Food/Cooking: 7 NF Crafts: 3 Other Non-Fiction: 7
Totally unsurprising: I read more mysteries than anything else. Again.
Totally surprising: I read no biographies, no sci-fi, and no steampunk. Wow. I hadn't realized that.
My list of books I began and then rejected follows the list of what I read.
2019
X Marks The Scot by Kaitlyn Dunnett *** cozy mystery 1/1/19
Mary Poppins by PL Travers **** MG fantasy 1/3/19
Mary Poppins Comes Back by PL Travers **** MG fantasy 1/5/19
Mary Poppins Opens The Door by PL Travers **** MG fantasy 1/6/19
Latino Cuisine & Its Influence On American Foods by Jean Ford non-fiction *** 1/10/19
Scrapbook of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan cozy mystery **** 1/13/19
Hungry Planet: What The World Eats by Menzel & D’Aluisio ***** non-fiction 1/19/19
Button Holed by Kylie Logan **** cozy 1/20/19
In A House of Lies by Ian Rankin ***** crime 1/22/19
Images of America: Salt Lake City Cemetery by Mark E. Smith non-fiction **** 1/26/19
Hot Button by Kylie Logan *** cozy 1/26/19
The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley ***** historical mystery 2/1/19
The Woman in the Camphor Trunk by Jennifer Kincheloe *** historical mystery 2/7/19
The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by **** cookbook, non-fiction 2/8/19
Easy Chinese Cooking by Betty Crocker **** cookbook, non-fiction 2/9/19
Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay *** cozy 2/14/19
52 Weeks of Trivia by Sharon Lindsay *** non-fiction 2/15/19
12 Months of Trivia by Sharon Lindsay *** non-fiction 2/16/19
Smash & Stash by Cindy Shepherd ** non-fiction, crafts 2/18/19
I Can Make It With Chex **** cookbook 2/20/19
Saints 1815-1846: The Standard of Truth. by various authors of the LDS Church *** non-fiction, history 3/3/2019
Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman YA fantasy ***** 3/5/19
Food That Harm; Foods That Heal by Readers’ Digest *** non-fiction 3/10/19
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson YA mystery ***** 3/12/19
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson YA mystery ***** 3/13/19
The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hanna mystery **** 3/18/10
Underground by Will Hunt *** non-fiction, urban exploring/spelunking 3/22/19
Eggs on Ice by Laura Childs *** cozy mystery 3/24/19
A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn YA/NA historical mystery ***** 3/27/19
Cultured by Katherine Harmon Courage non-fiction, food **** 3/20/19
The Wizard’s Cookbook by Aurelia Beaupommier non-fiction, cookbook *** 3/31/19
Iced Under by Barbara Ross cozy *** 4/4/19
Hunting Prince Dracula by Karri Maniscalco *** YA historical A/A 4/14/19
Escaping Houdini by Karri Maniscalco *** YA historical A/A 4/19/19
100 Things to Do in SLC Before You Die by Jeremy Pugh ** non-fiction, travel 4/20/19
The American Agent by Jaqueline Winspear ***** historical mystery 4/23/19
Language Visible by David Sacks **** non-fiction, linguistics 4/23/19
MacBeth by Shakespeare (4A) ***** tragedy 4/25/19
12th Night by Shakespeare (4B) ***** comedy 4/26/19
MacBeth by Shakespeare (2A) ***** tragedy 4/29/19
MacBeth by Shakespeare (4A) ***** tragedy 4/29/19
12th Night by Shakespeare (1B) ***** comedy 4/30/19
12th Night by Shakespeare (3A) ***** comedy 5/1/19
Becoming Brigid by Lisa Shafer ***** YA paranormal 5/3/19
Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (again) YA historical fantasy 5/8/19
Assault and Beret by Jenn McKinley *** cozy 5/19/19
The Sherlock Holmes Handbook by Ransom Riggs *** non-fiction about fiction 5/27/19
The Melted Coins by Franklin W. Dixon (original) **** MG mystery A/A 6/1/19
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez ***** non-fiction, women’s issues 6/3/19
The Short Wave Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon (Original) MG mystery A/A **** 6/4/19
The Twisted Claw by Franklin W. Dixon (original) MG mystery A/A *** 6/6/19
The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie MG fantasy *** 6/7/19
The House on the Cliff by Franklin W. Dixon (original) MG mystery A/A***** 6/7/19
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor A/A time travel *** 6/9/19
The Short Wave Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon MG A/A **** 6/11/10
The Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes *** YA spy/thriller 6/12/19
The Yard by Alex Grecian historical crime **** 6/13/19
Greenhaven Press Literary Companion to British Literature: Readings on Twelfth Night **** essays 6/14/19
The Black Country by Alex Grecian historical crime **** 6/14/19
A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas ***** historical mystery 6/19/19
The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates *** cozy 6/20/19
Murder Once Removed by SC Perkins **** cozy 6/24/19
Thin Ice by Paige Shelton mystery **** 6/27/19
By Book Or By Crook by Eva Gates **** cozy 6/28/19
Reading Up A Storm by Eva Gates **** cozy 6/30/19
The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas ***** historical mystery 7/1/19
Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Diana Buxton non-fiction **** 7/3/19
Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg YA realistic **** 7/8/19
Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer YA realistic **** 7/9/19
Panic Button by Kylie Logan **** cozy 7/13/19
Wicked Stitch by Amanda Lee **** cozy 7/14/19
Marriage, Monsters-in-Law, and Murder by Sara Rosett **** cozy 7/14/19
Murder Knocks Twice by Susana Calkins **** historical mystery 7/18/19
The Stitching Hour by Amanda Lee *** cozy 7/19/19
Better Off Thread by Amanda Lee *** 7/20/19
Buttoned Up by Kylie Logan **** cozy 7/22/19
Murder At Rosamund Gate by Susana Calkins historical mystery *** 7/23/19
From The Charred Remains by Susana Calkins historical mystery *** 7/24/19
The Masque of Murder by Susana Calkins historical mystery **** 7/24/19
The Rosemary Spell by Virginia Zimmerman *** YA fantasy **** 7/26/19
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (3rd or 4th time) mystery ***** 7/28/19
The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2nd time) mystery **** 7/30/19
Death by the River Fleet by Susan Calkins historical mystery **** 7/31/19
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) crime ***** 8/2/19
The Beholder by Anna Bright YA A/A alternate history *** 8/5/19
Murder At Archly Manor by Sara Rosett historical mystery **** 8/11/19
And Then There Were Crumbs by Eve Calder cozy **** 8/17/19
Murder At Blackburn Hall by Sara Rosett historical mystery **** 8/18/19
The Egyptian Antiquities Murder by Sara Rosett **** historical mystery 8/19/19
Milk: A 10,000-year Food Fracas by Mark Kurlansky non-fiction ***** 8/21/19
Haunted Salt Lake City by Laurie Allen et al urban legends * 8/21/19
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxcman realistic fiction ***** 8/25/19
How The Beatles Changed The World by Martin W. Standler *** non-fiction 8/27/19
The Readaholics and The Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio *** cozy 9/6/19
Twelve Angry Men (again) drama ***** 9/6/19
Sense and Sensibility (rewrite)( 2nd time) by Joanna Trollope ***** updated classic 9/7/19
Eligible by Curtis Littenfeld (2nd time) ***** updated classic (P&P by Austen) 9/8/19
Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid (2nd time) ***** updated classic 9/12/19
Capturing The Devil by Kerri Maniscalco YA historical A/A **** 9/20/19
The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey YA historical mystery ***** 9/30/19
Handmade Halloween by Country Living non-fiction, crafts * 10/2/19
The Shadow of Death by Jane Willan cozy mystery **** 10/6/19
The Hour of Death by Jane Willan cozy mystery **** 10/8/19
A Different Kind of Evil by Andrew Wilson historical mystery ** 10/13/19
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by W. Shakespeare (again) ***** drama (2A) 10/15/19
Better Off Read by Nora Page cozy mystery **** 10/16/19
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger *** realistic fiction 10/17/19
Molten Mud Murder by Sara Johnson *** mystery/crime 10/26/19
Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power by D. Michael Quinn ***** non-fiction 10/31/19
Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith (2nd time) ***** western historical mystery 11/2/19
On The Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith (2nd time) ***** western historical mystery 11/4/19
The Conspiring Woman by Kate Parker *** historical mystery 11//8/19
The Detecting Duchess by Kate Parker *** historical mystery 11/10/19
Monument Park 4th Ward Cookbook (c. 1960) *** non-fiction 11/14/19
Cooking Class Global Feast by DeAnna F. Cook *** MG non-fiction 11/16/10
Oakhills Neighborhood Cookbook (c.1980) **** non-fiction 11/17/19
Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare (again) ***** drama (2A) 11/20/19
The Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith ***** (2nd time) western mystery 11/23/19
Dear Mr. Holmes by Steve Hockensmith ***** (2nd time) western mystery 11/24/19
A Crack in the Lens by Steve Hockensmith ***** (2nd time) western mystery 11/24/19
World’s Greatest Sleuth by Steve Hockensmith *****(2nd time) western mystery 11/26/19
Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook by Camilla Saulsbury **** 11/27/19
The Double-A Western Detective Agency by Steve Hockensmith ***** western mystery 11/29/19
Food Of A Younger Land by David Kurlensky ***** non-fiction 12/4/19
Oak Hills Neighborhood Cookbook II **** non-fiction 12/7/19
The Food Explorer by David Stone **** non-fiction, biography 12/12/19
In The Hall With The Knife by Diana Peterfreund YA mystery ** 12/16/19
Farm Chicks Christmas by Serena Thompson (again) **** non-fiction, crafts 12/19/19
Merry Market Murder by Paige Shelton (again) ***** cozy 12/21/19
Julie Stories by Megan McDonald MG realistic **** 12/22/19
A Killer Maize (again) by Paige Shelton cozy **** 12/22/19
A Bushel Full of Murder by Paige Shelton (again) **** cozy 12/23/19
Crops and Robbers by Paige Shelton (again) **** cozy 12/25/19
Maisie Dobbs by Jaqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 12/28/19
Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 12/30/19
American Girl Character Encyclopedia *** MG non-fiction 12/31/19
Books I Rejected in 2019
2019
The Gilded Wolves by Chokshi When reading a fantasy book, I like the author to ease the reader into the new world, not drop them in suddenly, with completely different systems left incomprehensible. In other words, when an author introduces 3 plots in 10 pages, uses French in every paragraph, and does not explain or even hint as to the meaning of key ideas (“Forging”) used repeatedly, I cannot engage with the book. And when I cannot engage, I toss it aside. Life is too short to read poorly-written material. I wonder how many people buy this merely because the cover is pretty. 2/3/19
Ecological Imperialism by Alfred W. Crosby 17 pages ZZZZZZZ mid-Feb, 2019
Dark, Witch, and Creamy by HY Hanna. About three chapters. I was writing better stuff at age 11. 2/16/19
From Bad To Wurst by Maddy Hunter. 7 chapters in and still no mystery. Not much of a cozy. 3/2/19
A Christmas Peril by JA Hennrikus 5 chapter, so much telling, so little showing. All backstory, not mystery. bleah. 7/22/19
Those Who Go By Night by Andrew Gaddes historical crime. 90 pages. Poor research on food of the time period, likely poor research on everything else. Also, the author clearly enjoys writing about men controlling, gaslighting, and punishing women. He’s misogynistic and rather sadistic. 8/10/19
Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder by Meg Macy. Cozies aren’t supposed to be great literature, but this was soooo bad.. In 30 pages, I found numerous punctuation errors and just plain bad writing: the introduction of at least 20 characters! Ugh. One chapter. 12/26/19
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