What I Read In 2021

 155 books total, but 82 of them were historical mysteries.  Hmmmm...... I really think I need to try to broaden my focus for 2022.

Below are the lists, as divided by genre.  The total will be more than 155 because some books are really in more than one genre and thus appear on more than one list.

 

Cozy Mystery (24 total)
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman **** (good mystery, sad book) mystery, almost a cozy 1/18/21
Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams **** cozy 1/23/21
Suddenly Psychic by by Elizabeth Hunter **** cozy 2/28/21
Death By Chocolate by Sally Bearnathy ***** (excellent cozy) cozy 3/22/21
The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan *** (stock characters, too easy solutions, preachy, but funny) cozy/historical 3/28/21
The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James ** cozy (mousy, wimpy protag, lying love interest, obvious villain, predictable use of cat) 4/6/21
His Right Hand by Mette Ivie Harrison (2nd time) **** edgy cozy 5/29/21
For Tine And All Eternities by Mette Ivie Harrison (2ndtime) **** edgy cozy 5/30/21
Not of This Fold by Mette Ivie Harrison (2ndtime) **** edgy cozy 6/2/21
 A Study in Stone by Michael Campling ** (very juvenile writing) cozy w/male protag 6/10/21
 The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths ***** sort of cozy mystery 6/11/21
 The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson **** (too pro-pot, has teens as overnight camp counselors in ’78) YA mystery 7/9/21
 Murder, She Edited by Kaitlyn Dunnett **** (much better than ave cozy) Cozy Mystery 8/14/21
  Penned In by Linda Cahoon ** Cozy Mystery 9/1/21
 Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs **** cozy 9/17/21
 Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton *** (obvious killer) 9/21/21
 The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis **** cozy mystery 10/4/21
 Murder Ink by Betty Hechtman **** cozy mystery 10/11/21
 Writing a Wrong by Betty Hechtman *** (writer hates commas & question marks, uses UK punctuation for direct quotes but US spelling, is cliche about cliches) cozy 10/13/21
  The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman *** cozy 10/27/21
 Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance **** cozy mystery 11/5/21
 Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance **** cozy mystery 11/6/21
  Death At High Tide by Hannah Dennison *** cozy mystery 11/15/21
 Death In Castle Dark by Veronica Bond *** cozy 12/29/21


Historical Mystery (82 total)
A Presumption of Death by Jill Paton Walsh **** historical mystery 1/27/21
Callendar Square by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 1/28/21
The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 1/29/21
The Late Scholar by Jill Paton Walsh *** historical mystery 2/3/21
Thrones and Dominions by Sayers and Walsh *** (143 pages/7 chapters of exposition before the murder. Ugh.) historical mystery 2/6/21
Resurrection Row by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 2/8/21
Rutland Place by Anne Perry *** (has a denouement, but justice is not served) historical mystery 2/9/21
Bethlehem Road by Anne Perry (finally! a denouement and a satisfying end!) historical mystery 2/10/21
Highgate Rise by Anne Perry *** (no denouement) historical mystery 2/13/21
 Belgrave Square by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/15/21
 Farriers’ Lane by Anne Perry *** (obvious villain) historical mystery 2/19/21
 The Hyde Park Headsman  by Anne Perry ***** historical mystery 2/21/21
 Bluegate Fields by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/22/21
 Death in the Devil’s Acre by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/22/21
Traitors’ Gate by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/25/21
 Pentecost Alley by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/26/21
 Paragon Walk by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 2/27/21
 Ashworth Hall by Anne Perry *** (really good until the end; murderer not revealed/caught) historical mystery 3/1/21
 Brunswick Gardens by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 3/3/21
 Bedford Square by Anne Perry **** historical mystery 3/5/21
 Half Moon Street by Anne Perry *** (unrealistic motive for crime) historical mystery 3/8/21
 The Whitechapel Conspiracy by Anne Perry **** (she finally made a denouement!) historical mystery 3/10/21
 The Dark Heart of Florence by Tasha Alexander **** (villain was evident from 1st murder, treasure spot less evident, timely side plot designed to show terror of religious right & destruction of art & critical thinking) historical mystery 3/27 21
 The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan *** (stock characters, too easy solutions, preachy, but funny) cozy/historical 3/28/21
 Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/10/21
 Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** historical mystery 4/11/21
 Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** historical mystery 4/12/21
 Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/14/21
  An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** (superb!) historical mystery 4/16/21
 Among The Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/18/21
 The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/19/21
 A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/21/21
 Elegy For Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/22/21
 Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/23/21
 A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/24/21
 Journey To Munich by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) *** (based on assumption that every woman wants to be a mother) historical mystery 4/25/21
 In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/26/21
 To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) ***** historical mystery 4/27/21
 The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear (2nd time) **** historical mystery 4/28/21
 The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 4/29/21
 An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn *** historical, A/A 5/3/21
 The Huntress by Kate Quinn ***** WWII/Cold War historical, crime 7/12/21
 Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1881) 7/25/21
 Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1881) 7/26/21
 Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1881) 7/27/21
 Murder in the East End by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1882) 7/28/21
 A Soupcon of Poison by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery (London, 1880) 8/1/21
 The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex *** (lame ending) historical mystery 8/20/21
 Death At The Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley **** historical mystery 8/23/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 9/23/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 9/25/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 9/26/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell *** historical mystery 9/28/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Takes The Stage by Emily Brightwell *** historical mystery 10/1/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Takes The Stage by Emily Brightwell *** historical mystery 10/1/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Forges Ahead by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/2/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Delivers The Goods by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/7/21
 The Secrets Of Wishtide by Kate Saunders **** historical mystery 10/8/21
 Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders **** historical mystery 10/15/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Demands Justice by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/16/21
 The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair ***** historical mystery 10/19/21
 A Royal Affair by Allison Montclair ***** historical mystery 10/20/21
 Portrait of Peril by Laura Joh Rowland *** historical mystery 10/22/21
 Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix Up by Emily Brightwell 10/23/21
 Mrs. Jeffries Defends Her Own by Emily Brightwelll *** historical mystery 10/25/21
 Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball by Emily Brightwell **** historical mystery 10/29/21
 An Old, Cold Grave by Iona Whishaw ***** historical mystery 11/7/21
 A Sorrowful Sanctuary by Iona Whishaw ***** historical mystery 11/9/21
 A Deceptive Devotion by Iona Whishaw **** historical mystery 11/11/21
 The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden by Kate Saunders **** historical mystery 11/13/21
 Death In A Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw **** historical mystery 11/19/21
  A Bitter Draught by Sabrina Flynn **** historical mystery 12/6/21
 Death Comes To The Nursery by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/8/21
 Death Comes To The Village by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/10/21
 Death Comes To London by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/ 11/12
 Death Comes To Kurland Hall by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/12/21
 Death Comes To The Fair by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/15/21
 Death Comes To The School by Catherine Lloyd **** (historical mystery, best in series so far) 12/17/21
 Death Comes To Bath by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/20/21
 A Lethal Lesson by Iona Whishaw ***** historical mystery 12/21/21
 The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths *** historical mystery (anachronisms, poor research) 12/23/21
 Death Comes To The Rectory by Catherine Lloyd **** historical mystery 12/26/21



Crime (9 total)
A Song For The Dark Times by Ian Rankin ***** crime, Tartan Noir 1/16/21
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths ***** crime 6/12/21
The Zig-Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths ***  crime 6/13/21
The Blood Card by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/16/21
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/17/21
 Smoke And Mirrors by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/18/21
The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths **** crime 6/20/21
The Huntress by Kate Quinn ***** WWII/Cold War historical, crime 7/12/21
 The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths  **** crime 10/10/21


Historical (12 total)
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce **** historical, WWII, chicklit 3/30/21
The Last Bookshop In London by Madeline Martin *** historical, WWII, chicklit 4/30/21
The Lost Apothecary by  Sarah Penner **** historical, chicklit 5/4/21
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn ***** (predictable “surprises” but still really good) historical 5/13/21
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan *** (cute, but characters not in depth, problems solved too easily, too didactic) historical, WWII, chicklit 5/14/21
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn *** (very dark WWI & II) historical, A/A 5/26/21
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (again) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/24/21
To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis (3rd time) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/28/21
The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen ***** WWII, Historical 7/5/21
 The Huntress by Kate Quinn ***** WWII/Cold War historical, crime 7/12/21
 The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict *** Historical Fiction 9/4/21
 The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict ***** historical 12/30/21

Chicklit (4 total)
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce **** historical, WWII, chicklit 3/30/21
The Last Bookshop In London by Madeline Martin *** historical, WWII, chicklit 4/30/21
The Lost Apothecary by  Sarah Penner **** historical, chicklit 5/4/21
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan *** (cute, but characters not in depth, problems solved too easily, too didactic) historical, WWII, chicklit 5/14/21

Sci-Fi (2 total)
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (again) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/24/21
To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis (3rd time) ***** sci-fi/historical time travel 6/28/21

Fantasy (3 total)
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland *** (no research on setting, dialect) YA Fantasy 6/7/21
The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson ***** YA fantasy 7/15/21
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith *** (predictable) YA historical fantasy 9/11/21

Realistic (4 total)
Sourdough: or, Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market by Robin Sloan *** (disappointingly dull climax, end) realistic 3/13/21
Prodigal Daughter by Mette Ivie Harrison * (NOT a mystery, just a #MeToo rant with stock characters and no real plot) 6/25/21
Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson **** (unnecessary hate for teacher, clueless parents) YA realistic, A/A 7/8/21
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb ** (caricatures, not characterization, bad teachers) YA, “realistic” 7/29/21


Steampunk (3 total)
Romancing The Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** steampunk/paranormal 1/19/21
Meat Cute by Gail Carriger **** steampunk, paranormal 2/11/21
How To Marry A Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** paranormal, steampunk 2/28/21

Paranormal (5 total)
Romancing The Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** steampunk/paranormal 1/19/21
Meet Cute by Gail Carriger **** steampunk, paranormal 2/11/21
How To Marry A Werewolf by Gail Carriger ***** paranormal, steampunk 2/28/21
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith *** (predictable) YA historical fantasy 9/11/21
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson **** YA paranormal 11/4/21

Action/Adventure (3 total)
An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn *** historical, A/A 5/3/21
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn *** (very dark WWI & II) historical, A/A 5/26/21
Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson **** (unnecessary hate for teacher, clueless parents) YA realistic, A/A 7/8/21

Non-Fiction History (14 total)
The Pinks: The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency by Chris Enss **** non-fiction, US, 1800s, history 1/2/21
How To Behave Badly In Elizabethan England by Ruth Goodman *** (has some glaring errors) non-fiction, history, English Renaissance 1/5/21
Interior Desecrations by James Lileks ***** non-fiction, 70s, decorating, history, humor 1/29/21
Tudor Monastery Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, and Tom Pinfold **** (poor editing) non-fiction, historical, Tudor, agriculture 2/5/21
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P Nimura **** non-fiction, history, biography, women’s issues 2/7/21
American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen Abbott *** non-fiction, biography 3/12/21
Wartime Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands **** (missing whole topics covered in BBC series) non-fiction, history 3/21/21
A Season With The Witch by JW Ocker (2nd time) ***** non-fiction, travel, history 4/7/21
Fifty Foods That Changed The Course Of History by Bill Price *** non-fiction, food, history 5/7/21
 Victorian Pharmacy by Jane Eastoe **** (does not explain why some recipes are poisonous)  non-fiction, history 5/9/21
Elements of a Home by Amy Azzarito **** non-fiction, history 6/7/21
 America’s Women by Gail Collins ***** non-fiction, history, women’s issues 7/22/21
 Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann *** (kind of dull) NF history, Tudors 8/7/21
 The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair ***** NF art, history 12/31/21

Non-Fiction Travel (2 total)
A Season With The Witch by JW Ocker (2nd time) ***** non-fiction, travel, history 4/7/21
Gastro Obscura; A Food Adventurer’s Guide by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras ***** Non-Fiction, Food. 12/22/21


Non-Fiction Food/Cooking (4 total)
Beating the Lunchbox Blues by JM Hirsch ***** non-fiction, cookbook 1/10/21
 Fifty Foods That Changed The Course Of History by Bill Price *** non-fiction, food, history 5/7/21
Truly Madly Pizza by Suzanne Lenzer. * non-fiction, cookbook (but it’s really a rambling memoir) 7/19/21
Gastro Obscura; A Food Adventurer’s Guide by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras ***** Non-Fiction, Food. 12/22/21


Non-Fiction Biography/Autobiography (4 total)
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P Nimura **** non-fiction, history, biography, women’s issues 2/7/21
A Woman’s Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot by Mary Walton **** non-fiction, biography 2/23/21
American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen Abbott *** non-fiction, biography 3/12/21
Truly Madly Pizza by Suzanne Lenzer. * non-fiction, cookbook (but it’s really a rambling memoir) 7/19/21

Non-Fiction Women’s Issues (4 total)
The Pinks: The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency by Chris Enss **** non-fiction, US, 1800s, history 1/2/21
The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P Nimura **** non-fiction, history, biography, women’s issues 2/7/21
A Woman’s Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot by Mary Walton **** non-fiction, biography 2/23/21
America’s Women by Gail Collins ***** non-fiction, history, women’s issues 7/22/21

Non-Fiction Art, Crafts (3 total)
Interior Desecrations by James Lileks ***** non-fiction, decorating, history, humor 1/29/21
Wire-O-Mania by Klutz *** non-fiction, crafts 6/14/21
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair ***** NF art, history 12/31/21

Non-Fiction Writing (1 total)
1. Monster, She Wrote by Lisa Kroger *** non-fiction, writing 3/22/21

Humor (1 total)
1. Interior Desecrations by James Lileks ***** non-fiction, decorating, history, humor 1/29/21

YA (8 total)
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland *** (no research on setting, dialect) YA Fantasy 6/7/21
Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson **** (unnecessary hate for teacher, clueless parents) YA realistic, A/A 7/8/21
 The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson **** (too pro-pot, has teens as overnight camp counselors in ’78) YA mystery 7/9/21
The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson ***** YA fantasy 7/15/21
Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres **** MG realistic 7/23/21
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb ** (caricatures, not characterization, bad teachers) YA, “realistic” 7/29/21
The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith *** (predictable) YA historical fantasy 9/11/21
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson **** YA paranormal 11/4/21

 

What I Rejected in 2021

Here's the list of books I just couldn't stand to finish in 2021.

1. Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer.   I’d read Under the Banner of Heaven years ago, so I thought this would be interesting. But, from the first chapter, I could tell that the author intended to excuse and glorify a whiny, immature 25-year-old man who refused to listen to anyone about the dangers of living rough in the Alaska wilderness, claiming he “knew” how to handle any eventuality. As we are now in the middle of a pandemic fueled by the willful ignorance of many, and as sane Americans are currently battling against MAGAts who refuse to listen to any sort of reason, I have less than zero sympathy for anyone who behaves like an overgrown 13-year-old.  I cannot tolerate a book which excuses someone like that.  1/5/21
2. Silence in Hanover Close by Anne Perry . Most of this series is readable because, even though the author has very little concept of a denouement and ends nearly every book at the climax, leaving many problems unsolved, her characterization is excellent and her plots are fairly clever.  However, in this particular novel, Charlotte (the protagonist) begins to behave in a stupid manner, which I cannot tolerate. 22% 2/10/21.
3.The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh.  SO MUCH BACKSTORY!  Ugh.  And, finally, when jewels are stolen, it’s so boring.  There’s no urgency in solving the crime at all. 44%  I’m too bored to finish. 2/21/21
 4. The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan.  So much hype, so little action.  I waited weeks for this ebook to be available, but it’s incredibly dull.  So, there’s a manuscript.  OK. But the characters are dated and dull beyond words.  There’s no driving reason why they should care about the ms, and the plot is drifting.  12% is all I could stand. 2/24/21
 5. Agatha Christie: The Murders at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah. I’ve read the others in this series, but this one was sooo slow! 25% of the way through and nothing has happened except Poirot and friend take a bus ride to some fancy estate and two women act up to get attention. Dull. 3/12/21
6. Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Sutanto.  I wanted to like this.  In fact, I did like the beginning in which the 20-something gal is set up on a date because her mother has been pretending to be her on a dating app.  But, when the protagonist accidentally kills the date, she turns into an idiot, tampering with the body instead of reporting it to the cops, even though she clearly was not to blame, as he’d basically kidnapped her.  I cannot abide stupid, silly, helpless women in real life, and I refuse to waste my time reading about fictional ones.  17% 6/10/21
 7. The Historian by Celia Ekback. So many names!  Maybe if I’d been reading a physical book where I could continually flip back to the “cast list” at the front of the book, I could have tolerated it, but this was a library ebook, and I was confused and bored by 3%. 8/24/21
 8. Lobizona by Romina Garber. I picked up this YA paranormal in order to check out more diversity in protagonists for my students. And since it has an undocumented Argentine girl as its protagonist, that checks out.  It’s not bad; the writing’s ok.  It’s mostly that the plot is such a tired one: teen discovers special powers and must use them to save the world.  But what really got me is that the author is one of those women on a quest to “normalize” menstruation by talking about it incessantly.  I happen to be another sort of woman, the sort who feels that it’s a miserable time of the month for most women and really nothing to be glorified, but rather something to be discussed academically in hopes of better treatments and/or more control.  Thus, the fact that Garber ties the protagonist’s werewolf condition and powers to her (really awful) periods, I found myself rolling my eyes. 80 pages. 6/30/21
9. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. I waited weeks and weeks for this ebook to be available -- and then was bored.  Also, I realized I didn’t want a book which dwells so much on the domestic abuse bur rather one about a woman who escapes/beats/rises above it/gets revenge.  3% 7/7/21
 10. Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee.  One would think a tale about the world’s most famous doomed ship would be interesting, but this is not so in this case.  At 14% into the book, I am bored and confused.  Lee never mentions what job Valora’s brother Jamie has that brings him with other Chinese men onto the ship, and she never explains why Valora has a ticket (which she can’t use) through the presumably wealthy Mrs. Sloanes.  Does Valora work for her?  If so, why is she dressed as though she’s wealthy?  None of this is clear, yet the author proceeds as if it is.  Then she spends pages and pages of Valora hunting through third-class to find her brother, a poor method of introducing the reader to that area of the ship.  The characters feel like types: the poor, half-breed kid experiencing racism; the suspicious man in charge who will cause trouble later; the mysterious, glamorous, helpful woman; the older men stuck in their ways who distrust all Westerners; the brother who thinks his sister is incapable.  Add to that the fact that the reader knows the boat will sink, and the plot is already predictable at 14%.  7/12/21.
  11. First: The Life of Emma Smith by Jennifer Reeder I was expecting a biography as good as Mormon Enigma, but I was severely disappointed.
First of all, the book is very slim; there's just not much there for a biography written for adults.  And then it reads like a Relief Society manual, skimming over anything controversial.  Clearly, this book seeks NOT TO OFFEND.
It's disappointing.  Emma was not a bland woman; this book washes out all the color.
I became suspicious upon finding both a horrendously garbled sentence (a misplaced modifier made it laughable) and a misused word ("genres" where "roles" was needed) in the first paragraph of the introduction, as it was obvious there was no careful editing in the book. By ten pages in, I was bored.
So, if you want a bland, inoffensive, short read about Emma Smith, go ahead and grab this one.  Otherwise, read Mormon Enigma; it's much better.  7/15/21
12. The King’s Guard by Rae Carson.  I’d just finished Empire of Dreams by Carson, and this was just too similar a tale.  7/20/21  35%
13. Scorched Eggs by Laura Child.  The building next door blows up, showering glass everywhere, and the protagonist is unhurt, although only a few feet away when it happens.  And no one else in the building notices the explosion.  Riiiiiiiight.   So stupid.  Yes, cozies are supposed to be light and fluffy, but sometimes they’re just plain ridiculous and cartoonish.  30 pages. 7/24/21
14. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen.  The characterization is good, but the crime (murder) does not occur until the very end of chapter 11.  A murder mystery should not take half the book to get to the crime.  There is so much unnecessary detail for a murder mystery! Does Bowen think she’s Victor Hugo or something?  I’m surprised this even got published; it’s so rambling.  7/25/21
 15. A Fiancee’s Guide To First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman.  In real life, I cannot stand lying, scheming women who get away with things because they’re pretty, and I don’t waste my time reading about them.  Roughly three chapters. 8/2/21 historical mystery
16. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams.  This book sounded so very good, but the description failed to mention that the protagonist is a self-styled victim who never, ever stands up for herself.  I loathe women like this in real life, and after 145 pages of a simpering Fanny Price-type wimp, I could stand no more.  She is ghastly.  Ugh.  9/18/21
 17. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher memoir. It was interesting until she actually started reprinting the diaries; then it was all starry-eyed drooling over Harrison Ford and not much about the filming. 155 pages.  11/2/21
18. A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier. YA The setting (a hotel is Switzerland) was interesting, but the protagonist was so dumb and the other characters were so very cardboard.  Ugh.  Mediocre YA drivel.  107 pages. 11/3/21
19. A Conspiracy of Silence by Sabrina Flynn. So much gratuitous violence and so many characters with no backstory!  95 pages. historical mystery. 12/20/21
20. The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes.   I don’t do books which portray rape as “sexy.” Ugh. Internalized misogyny, anyone? 59 pages. 12/27/21

What I Read And What I Rejected In 2020

 I've been keeping these lists since 2007.  Usually, I read right around 120 books a year, an average of 10 books a month.  But this year, because of the pandemic, I read 200 books.  As usual, they are mostly mysteries: historical, crime, and cozy.  These are my "entertainment" books, and I do read a LOT of them, but there is plenty of non-fiction and a little steampunk mixed in.

Following my very thorough list of what I read is a list of books I rejected, but I'm not as thorough here, and there are probably at least another 2 dozen books I began and then tossed aside because they were awful.  Sometimes I forget to update that list.

Unfortunately, the numbers won't copy over.  Please trust me that there are 200 books on the list of what I read and 19 on the list of what I rejected.

What I Read:

2020
Behind the Shattered Glass by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/1/20
 A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/3/20
Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/5/20
Amid The Winter’s Snow by Tasha Alexander * historical “mystery” 1/5/20
Maryellen, the One and Only by Valerie Tripp **** MG historical 1/6/20
Maryellen Taking Off by Valerie Tripp **** MG Historical **** 1/6/20
Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle **** cozy 1/11/20
An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage **** non-fiction, food 1/12/20
 Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton (again) **** cozy 1/13/20
 Fruit of All Evil by Paige Shelton (again) ***** cozy 1/14/20
 A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/19/20
 A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/20/20
 Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/21/20
 Dangerous To Know by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/23/20
 Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk paranormal 1/26/20
12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose (again) (2A) **** drama 1/27/20
 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose (again) (1B) **** drama 1/28/20
 Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (2nd time) ****YA steampunk/paranormal 1/28/20
 Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk/paranormal 1/29/20
 Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk/paranormal 1/31/20
 Death In The Floating City by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/3/20
 Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson **** YA mystery 2/4/20
 The Counterfeit Heiress by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/9/20
 The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/10/20
 How To Be A Tudor by Ruth Goodman **** non-fiction, history 2/13/20
 That Silent Night by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/14/20
 Black Tie Murder by Sara Rosett **** historical mystery 2/16/20
 A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander *** historical mystery 2/16/20
 Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. Wirt **** MG mystery 2/17/20
 Star of the East by Tasha Alexander *** historical mystery 2/17/20
 Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 2/19/20
 Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal **** historical A/A 2/22/20
Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin **** non-fiction, crafts 2/23/20
 Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn ***** non-fiction, religion, history 2/29/20
 The Green Door by Mildred Wirt **** MG mystery 3/3/20
 Tiny Treasures  by AG Library *** non-fiction, crafts 3/7/20
 Salt Dough by AG Library **** non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Fairies by Rachel Haab **** non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Making Mini Books by Sherri Haab non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Homicide For The Holidays by Cheryl Honingfor ** historical mystery 3/18/20
 Same-Sex Dynamics Among 19th-Century Americans: A Mormon Example by D Michael Quinn  (2nd time) ***** non-fiction, history 3/20/20
 Broken Bone China by Laura Childs cozy mystery *** 3/22/20
 In The Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 3/26/20
 Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit by Patricia Marcantonio ****historical mystery 3/29/20
 Prudence by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** steampunk 3/31/20
 Imprudence by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** steampunk 4/4/20
 Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal **** historical mystery 4/8/20
 Competence by Gail Carriger **** steampunk 4/11/20
 Reticence by Gail Carriger **** stampunk 4/12/20
 The Decent Inn of Death by Rennie Airth *** historical mystery 4/15/20
 Murder in the Manor by Fiona Grace *** cozy mystery 4/16/20
 Tale of the Witch Doll by Mildred A Wirt *** YA/MG mystery 4/17/20
 Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen **** 4/19/20
Digging Up History by Sheila Connolly ** cozy mystery 4/20/20
 Good Mail Day by Hinchcliff and Wheeler *** non-fiction, crafts 4/21/20
 The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel *** MG mystery 4/22/20
 A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/23/20
 The September Society by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/24/20
 Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson non-fiction, cookbook **** 4/26/20
  The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/26/20
 The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/30/20
 A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/3/20
 Burial at Sea by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/3/20
 American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson  **** non-fiction biography 5/4/20
 A Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/4/20
 An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/7/20
 The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/9/20
 Home By Nightfall by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/10/20
 A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn ***** historical mystery 5/19/20
 Dead Man’s Bones by Susan Wittig Albert **** cozy mystery 5/21/20
 London: A Travel Guide Through Time by Dr. Matthew Green ***** non-fiction, history 5/24/20
 Revenge of the Barbary Ghost by Virginia Hamilton *** historical mystery 5/25/20
 The Vanishing Houseboat by Mildred A Wirt. *** MG mystery 5/27/20
 Foods That Will Win The War And How To Cook Them 1918 by Charles Houston **** vintage cookbook 5/20/20
 At Wit’s End by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 5/31/20
 Pressed To Death by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 5/31/20
 Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/1/20
 Chocolate a la murder by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/2/20
 The Quiche and the Dead by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/3/20
 Bleeding Tarts by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/4/20
 Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen *** non-fiction, writing 6/7/20
 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland **** YA paranormal alt-history dystopia 6/8/20
 A Murder For The Books by Victoria Gilbert **** cozy mystery 6/10/20
 The Inheritance by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/11/20
 The Vanishing Man by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/13/20
 Gone Before Christmas by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/14/20
 Murder At The Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell **** historical mystery 6/15/20
 An East End Murder by Charles Finch ** historical mystery 6/16/20
 The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/17/20
 A Lady In The Smoke by Karen Odden **** historical A/A 6/18/20
 Requiem For A Mezzo by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/19/20
 Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/19/20
 Damsel In Distress by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/20/20
 Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/21/20
 Styx and Stones by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/21/20
 Rattle His Bones by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/22/20
 Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson *** historical mystery 6/23/20
 To Davy Jones Below by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/24/20
 The Case of the Murdered Muckraker by Carola Dunn ***** historical mystery 6/24/20
 Mistletoe and Murder by Carola Dunn ***** historical mystery 6/25/20
 Die Laughing by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/26/20
 Mourning Wedding by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/27/20
 Fall of a Philanderer by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/27/20
 Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/28/20
 The Bloody Tower by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/30/20
 Black Ship by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/1/20
 Sheer Folly by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/4/20
 Anthem For A Doomed Youth *** historical mystery 7/6/20
 The Last Passenger by Charles Finch *** historical mystery 7/8/20
 Gone West by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/10/20
 Heirs of the Body by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/11/20
 Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/13/20
 The Longest Yard Sale by Sherry Harris *** cozy 7/16/20
 The Secret Library by Oliver Teale *** non-fiction 7/18/20
 All Murders Final by Sherry Harris *** cozy 7/19/20
 A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George **** crime 7/20/20
 Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George **** crime 7/22/20
 The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion *** historical fiction 7/23/20
 Butch Cassidy by Robert Patterson *** non-fiction, biography 7/24/20
 A View To A Kilt by Kaitlyn Dunnett *** cozy mystery 7/31/20
 Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson *** cozy 8/1/20
Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George **** mystery 8/2/20
  Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson ** cozy 8/5/20
 Silent in the Sanctuary by DeAnna Raybourn **** historical mystery 8/15/20
 The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, and Flavorings by Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz ***** non-fiction (again) 8/15/20
 A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George *** mystery 8/16/20
 The Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison **** (3rd time) mystery  8/18/20
 The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne historical mystery by Elsa Hart *** 8/19/20
 The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie mystery **** 8/21/20
 Peril at End House by Agatha Christie **** (again) mystery 8/21/20
 The Last Seance by Agatha Christie **** 8/24/20
 Silent in the Grave by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/25/20
 Silent on the Moor by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/25/20
 Midsummer Night by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/27/20
 Dark Road to Darjeeling by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/28/20
 The Dark Enquiry by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery ** 8/28/20
 Silent Night by DeAnna Raybourn *** historical mystery 8/30/20
 Feral Attraction by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 8/30/20
 12th Night by Deanna Raybourn **** historical mystery 8/31/20
 The Persian Always Meows Twice by Eileen Watkins cozy 9/1/20
 Bonfire Night by Deanna Raybourn **** historical mystery 9/1/20
 The Bengal Identity by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 9/3/20
 Gone, Kitty, Gone by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 9/4/20
 Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennet **** YA A/A 9/8/20
 The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay by Lisa Shafer (again) ***** YA paranormal 9/8/20
 Nerissa MacKay and the Secrets of the Seventeen Scrolls (again) by Lisa Shafer ***** YA paranormal 9/9/20
 For The Sake Of Elena by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/10/20
 Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/11/20
 Deadly Curious by Cindy Anstey ** YA historical mystery 9/13/20
 Playing For The Ashes by Elizabeth George ** mystery 9/17/20
 In The Presence of the Enemy by Elizabeth George ***** mystery 9/19/20
 Deception On His Mind by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/20/20
 In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner by Elizabeth George *** mystery 9/22/20
 A Traitor To Memory by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/24/20
 With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/26/20
 Murder on Amsterdam Avenue by Victoria Thompson **** historical mystery 9/30/20
 Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chen *** cozy 10/3/20
 The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths *** mystery 10/4/20
  The House At Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths *** mystery 10/5/20
 Careless in Red by Elizabeth George *** mystery 10/7/20
 This Body of Death by Elizabeth George **** 10/9/20
 Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George **** mystery 10/13/20
 Wicked Autumn by GM Malliet **** cozy mystery 10/19/20
 Fatal Winter by GM Malliet **** cozy 10/23/20
 800 Award-Winning Scrapbook Pages ed by Lisa Bearnson *** non-fiction, crafts 10/24/20
 Pagan Spring by GM Malliet **** cozy 10/25/20
 The Decorated Page by Gwen Diehn (again) **** non-fiction, crafts 10/26/20
 A Roomful of Bones by Elly Griffiths **** crime 10/27/20
 A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/3/20
 The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/4/20
 The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/7/20
 Case Histories by Kate Atkinson *** crime/mystery 11/8/20
 The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/9/20
 The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/10/20
 The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/11/20
 Kahlo by Andrea Kettenmann *** non-fiction, biography 11/13/20
 Getting the Most From Your Rice Cooker by Colleen & Bob Simmons **** non-fiction, cookbook 11/14/20
 Captain Dave’s Boathouse by Andrew Culver ** mystery 11/14/20
 Ruth’s First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths * mystery  11/16/20
 No Ordinary Sound by Denise Lewis Patrick **** MG historical 11/22/20
 Never Stop Singing by Denisse Lewis Patrick **** MG historical 11/22/20
 The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/27/20
 A Demon Summer by GM Malliet **** mystery 11/30/20
 The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths **** crime 12/2/20
 The Haunted Season by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/3/20
 Devil’s Breath by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/5/20
 In Priory Wood by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/6/20
 Monarch: The Life And Reign Of Elizabeth II by Robert Lacey **** non-fiction, biography 12/8/20
 How To Make Christmas Wreaths And Garlands by Maddy Shaw *** non-fiction, crafts 12/9/20
 Thin Ice by Paige Shelton (2nd time) **** mystery 12/10/20
 Cold Wind by Paige Shelton **** mystery 12/12/20
 Real Food, Fake Food by  Larry Olmstead ** non-fiction 12/15/20
 Arsenic in the Azaleas by Dale Mayer *** cozy 12/17/20
 Victorian Farm by Peter Giin, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands ***** non-fiction, history 12/20/20
 The Wickenham Murders by Amy Mayers *** cozy 12/21/20
 The Hound of the Baskervilles (again) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ***** mystery 12/22/20
 Pepper: A History of the World’s Most Influential Spice by Marjorie Shaffer *** non-fiction, food history 12/28/20
 Salsas and Moles by Deborah Schneider **** cookbook 12/28/20
 The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (3rd time) *** mystery 12/30/20
 Edwardian Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, and Alex Langlands ***** non-fiction, history 12/30/20

What I Rejected:

2020
The Shadow of Death by James Runcie. THE most invertebrate “detective” ever!  No personality, does everything everyone asks of him.  Also, the writing style is almost entirely all short, simple declarative sentences, subject/verb/complement.  It’s like reading one of those Hi-Lo books for adults who never learned to read higher than a 3rd grade level.  Absolutely exasperating.  198 pages historical mystery 2/13/20
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis. I read about half of it and kept thinking it would start moving faster.  It never did. 3/5/20
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer. So much running around with nothing happening. No tension. Lots of racism.  Not at all in the style of Conan-Doyle, although the author seems to think he’s doing a pastiche, he’s not even close. About 40% of the book read 3/21/20
 The Chess Queen Enigma by Colleen Gleason. I know steampunk isn’t supposed to be historically accurate, but when the author has England growing cotton and importing wool in the 1880s without any explanation (like a huge climate change), I’m left to assume that the author is just plain stupid. Four chapters. 3/23/20
His Majesty’s Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal. I liked the first two books in the series, but in this episode, the protagonist is sent into Berlin in the middle of WWII, and it was just far too stupid.  I cannot abide stupidity in a protagonist.  Five chapters.  4/5/20
Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Victoria Hamilton.  About two chapters was all I could take.  It was so hilariously bad!  The author has tried to write a Gothic thriller, but it just does not work in the 21st century!  It’s simply too stupid.  I’ve seen 9th graders write better plot beginnings than this. 4/20/20.
Murder in Millionaires Row... stupid protagonist.  April, 202
How To Be  A Heroine.  I grew bored after chapter one. May, 2020
The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas  I’ve liked others in this series, but she’s made the characters into caricatures of themselves now, and I’m irritated 33%. May 15, 2020
 The Year 1000 by Valerie Hansen.  OK, but it drags a bit, and I ran out of time on ebook loan.  May 15, 2020
 The Anatomist’s Wife by Anna Lee Huber.  I waited SIX WEEKS for this ebook to become available, and then I found out it’s Outlander fanfic.  Sooooooooo bad!  Huber clearly knows NOTHING about Scots or Gaelic or Scottish English.  Then the protagonist is weak and  timid and the love interest is a pretty boy jerk.  Spare me.  I made it through two chapters before I gave up. 5/2020
 The Plot Is Murder by VM Burns. Trying to find more diverse authors for my classroom library and needing mystery genre books, I decided to read this cozy.  But the protagonist is a wannabe cozy author, so the reader is given pages and pages of the cozy the protag is writing before the plot even starts!  Ugh. 38 pages 6/6/20
 Shelved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert. 4 chapters.  The author knows nothing about either artists or dancers, yet she blissfully writes about artists and dancers.  She confuses linseed oil with turpentine and has the victim stabbed with a palette knife.  A palette knife might work for slicing an artery, but they’re too flimsy to use to stab someone in the chest. 6/14/20
Ranger Confidential by Andrea Lankford  about five chapters.  It was actually pretty decent, but it was a bit gruesome, and I just wasn’t in the mood for it.  Maybe later. 6/20/20
 A Snapshot of Murder by Frances Brody.  The author is in love with telling instead of showing; the whole murder scene (with the murder happening right next to the protagonist) is TOLD.  Everything is passive.  Also, the author switches between first person POV and 3rd person omniscient POV, a combination which really does not work.  The writing style is choppy.  I made it through 48% and gave up when a murder was described in a passive manner.  8/1/20
 woven In Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez  dull
 The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee 16%. I waited weeks for this to be available and it’s dull.  8/14/20
 Mexican Gothic. I really liked this at first, as it seemed to be that the heroine was going to be the rescuer instead of the victim (like in traditional gothic fiction), but then she began doing stupid things that made no sense with her personality and the circumstances.  As I cannot abide a stupid, weak protagonist, I stopped reading at 57%. 9/7/20
 Last Chance For Murder by Estelle Richards.  Cozy mysteries can be really good or really awful.  This one seemed promising....until the protagonist began making dumber and dumber decisions.  I cannot abide a stupid protagonist, particularly a female one. I stopped reading at 52% and deleted the whole (thankfully FREE) series from my kindle app. 12/26/20

What I Read And What I Rejected in 2019

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

What I Read And Rejected in 2018

What I read = 137 books total, which includes:
Shakespeare = 6,  Other Drama = 4, Cozy Mysteries = 24, Other Mysteries = 32
Fantasy = 6, MG = 4, Paranormal = 9, Steampunk =2, Other Sci-Fi = 1
Poetry = 1, Historical Fiction (not mystery) = 5, YA Realistic = 1
Non-Fiction History = 5, Non-Fiction Biography = 6, Non-Fiction Travel = 7,
Non-Fiction Cookbooks = 4, Other Non-Fiction = 12

I believe we can safely say that I read mostly mysteries.

2018
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien (again) ***** fantasy  1/13/18
 Mountain States Foraging by Breanna Wiles **** non-fiction 1/15/18
Betty Crocker Lost Recipes **** non-fiction, cookbook 1/17/18
The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien (again) ***** fantasy 1/19/18
The Great and Only Barnum by Candace Fleming ***** YA non-fiction, biography 1/20/18
The Cat Owner’s Manual by Dr. David Brunner  **** non-fiction 1/24/18
The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien (again) ***** fantasy 1/16/18
 Dangerous Days in Elizabethan England by Terry Deary ***** non-fiction, history 2/2/18
Gruesome Guide: Edinburgh by Terry Deary **** MG non-fiction, travel 2/4/18
 The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (3rd time) ***** 2/6/18
The Weed That Strings The Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley (3rd time) ***** 2/7/18
 A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (3rd time) ***** mystery 2/9/18
 I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (3rd time) ***** mystery 2/11/18
 Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (3rd time) ***** mystery 2/12/18
 The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley (3rd time) ***** mystery 2/15/18
 As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust by Alan Bradley (2nd time) ***** mystery 2/17/18
 American Circus Posters in Full Color edited by Charles Philip Fox **** non-fiction 2/17/18
 Thrice The Brindled Cat Hath Mewed  by Alan Bradley (2nd time) ***** mystery 2/17/18
 The Grave’s a Fine And Private Place by Alan Bradley (1st time) ***** mystery 2/18/18
 The Art of the Affair by Catherine Lacey and Forsyth Harmon *** non-fiction 2/19/18
 The Life of PT Barnum Written by Himself. **** autobiography 3/3/18
 The Radium Girls by Kate Moore *** non-fiction, history 3/9/18
 The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill (again) *** MG animals 3/11/18
 These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas (2nd time) *****  3/16/18
 These Ruthless Deeds by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas (2nd time) ***** 3/18/18
 Food Fights and Culture Wars by Tom Nealon *** non-fiction 3/27/18
 The Devil in White City by Erik Larson (2nd time)**** history, non-fiction 4/4/18
 The Case of the Counterfeit Coin by George Wyatt *** MG mystery 4/8/18
 The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene *** MG mystery 4/9/18
 Annie Pat and Eddie by Carolyn Haywood (again) ***** MG realistic 4/10/18
 A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn **** new adult or older YA mystery 4/13/18
 Victoria: Portrait of a Queen by Catherine Reef **** YA biography 4/16/18
 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (2B) ***** 4/24/18
 Venturess by  Betsy Cornwell *** YA steampunk 4/24/18
 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (1A) ***** 4/27/18
 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (3A) ***** 4/27/18
 Stop The Press by James W. Ure *** non-fiction, history 4/29/18
 The Wicked Deep by Shea Ermshaw *** YA paranormal witchcraft 5/3/18
 MacBeth (4B) by Shakespeare ***** drama 5/4/18
 MacBeth (1B) by Shakespeare ***** drama 5/7/18
 Twelfth Night by Shakespeare (4A) drama 5/7/18
 Patently Absurd by Bradley Schenck *** sci-fi, humor 5/19/18
 Duels and Deception by Cindy Anstey ***** historical (regency period) YA 5/23/18
 These Vengeful Souls by Shanker and Zekas ** YA paranormal 5/25/18
 Eat Move Sleep by Tom Rath ** “non-fiction” health 5/25/18
 Dewey by Vicki Myron **** memoir 5/26/18
 Fiction Can Be Murder by Becky Clark **** cozy 5/31/18
 Jane and the 12 Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron historical cozy *** 6/6/18
 Three Square: The Invention of the American Meal by Abigail Carroll non-fiction  **** 6/8/18
 Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey ***** historical cozy romance YA 6/8/18
 Bloody Jack by LA Meyer **** YA historical A/A 6/9/18
 London by Terry Deary **** MG non-fiction, history 6/11/18
 Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan *****YA realistic 6/12/18
 York by English Heritage Society **** non-fiction 6/12/18
 Ginger Snapped by Gail Oust **** cozy 6/14/18
 Murder in the Dog Days by PM Carlson ***** crime 6/15/18
 Murder Misread by PM Carlson **** crime 6/16/18
 Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie ***** mystery 6/17/18
 And A Puzzle To Die On by Parenell Hall *** cozy 6/18/18
 Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) *** crime 6/21/18
 The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos YA mystery *** 6/23/18
 Plum Tea Crazy by Laura Childs cozy *** 6/28/18
 Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack *** cozy 6/29/18
 The Beatles’ Liverpool by Ron Jones ***** non-fiction 7/3/18
 Mendips by the National Trust ***** non-fiction 7/4/18
 20 Forthlin Road by the National Trust ***** non-fiction 7/4/18
 Whitby Abbey by the National Trust **** non-fiction 7/8/18
 Old World Murder by Kathleen Ernst *** cozy 7/16/18
 Rebels Magisters by Shanna Swendon **** YA steampunk 7/19/18
 Ask The Cat Keeper by Marc Marrone **** non-fiction 7/21/18
 Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire by Lisa Shafer ***** YA paranormal 7/24/18
 All in the Half-Vampire Family by Lisa Shafer ***** YA paranormal 7/25/18
 Daisies For Innocence by Bailey Cattrell **** cozy 7/26/18
 Nightshade for Warning by Bailey Cattrell **** cozy 7/26/18
 Fit Cat by Arden Moore **** non-fiction 7/27/18
 The Beatles in 100 Objects by Brian Southall ***** non-fiction 7/29/18
 The Legend of Sleepy Harlow by Kylie Logan *** cozy 7/31/18
 My Plain Jane by Hand, Ashton, & Meadow *** YA Jane Eyre paranormal 8/5/18
 Blame Montezuma: An Assortment Of Chocolate Poems **** poetry 8/9/18
 Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie  (2nd time)***** short stories, mystery 8/12/18
 Visualizing the Beatles by John Pring and Rob Thomas **** non-fiction, history 8/14/18
 Christopher Robin: the Novelization *** MG fantasy 8/14/18
 Chocolate: the British Chocolate Industry by Paul Chrystal *** non-fiction 8/15/18
 Inseparable by Yunte Huang *** non-fiction, biography 8/16/18
 Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winsper **** historical cozy 8/19/18
 PreFab! by Colin Hanton and Colin Hall **** memoir 8/25/18
 Deadly Proof by M. Louisa Locke **** historical cozy 9/1/18
 Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear •••• historical cozy 9/7/18
 Violet Vanquishes a Villain by M. Louisa Locke **** historical cozy 9/7/18
 Pilfered Promises by M. Louisa Locke *** historical cozy 9/8/18
 Deadly Threads by Jane Cleland **** cozy mystery 9/10/18
 Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 9/14/18
 Death of a Poison Pen by MC Beaton *** cozy 9/15/18
 Murder of a Lady by Anthony Wynne  *** cozy 9/16/18
 12 Angry Men by Rose and Mamet ***** 1B 9/16/18
 12 Angry Men by Rose and Mamet ***** 4B 9/16/18
 Wychwood: Hallowdene by George Mann **** paranormal mystery 9/20/18
 An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear ***** historical cozy 9/22/18
 The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss cozy **** 9/23/18
 Among The Mad by Jacqueline Winspear historical mystery **** 9/30/18
 The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear **** 10/1/18
 12 Angry Men by Rose and Mamet ***** 3A 10/3/18
 A Lesson In Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 10/3/18
 Elegy For Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 10/5/18
 Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 10/6/18
 A Dangerous Place  by Jacqueline Winspear *** historical mystery 10/7/18
 A Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by MacKenzie Lee ***** YA A/A/fantasy 10/12/18
 Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear *** historical mystery 10/13/18
 In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 10/20/18
 To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear **** historical mystery 10/21/18
 Carols and Chaos by Cindy Anstey **** YA historical mystery/romance 10/25/18
 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (15th time) ***** YA fantasy 10/28/18
 The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell **** YA fantasy 10/28/18
 Fantastic Beasts: Screenplay by JK Rowling (2nd time) ***** YA fantasy/drama 11/2/18
 1491 by Charles C Mann **** non-fiction, history 11/8/18
 Damsel by Elana K. Arnold *** YA fantasy 11/11/18
 Marmalade Murders by Elizabeth Duncan 11/17/18
 Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker cozy mystery **** 11/20/18
 Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chen cozy mystery *** 11/21/18
 A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon cozy mystery **** 11/24/18
 Fatality by Firelight  by Lynn Cahoon cozy mystery **** 11/25/18
 The Crimes of Grindelwald by JK Rowling screenplay ***** 11/25/18
 Air Fry Genius by Meredith Laurence **** cookbook 11/26/18
 Bayou Cuisine: Its Tradition and Transition by St. Stephen’s Church (1970) *** cookbook 11/29/18
 Live Alone and Like It by Marjorie Hillis *** non-fiction, self-help 12/1/18
 The Healthy Air Fry Cookbook by Linda Larsen **** cookbook 12/10/18
 Not of This Fold by Mette Ivie Harrison ***** mystery 12/12/18
  The Art of Secrets by James Klise **** YA contemporary mystery 12/16/18
 Santa Claus by Rod Green ***** picture book 12/22/18
 Vampires in the Temple by Mette Ivie Harrison paranormal mystery *** 12/23/18
 Women in the Material World by Peter Menzel (again) ***** non-fiction 12/26/18
 What the Dead Leave Behind by Rosemary Simpson **** historical mystery 12/26/18
  Lies That Comfort and Betray by Rosemary Simpson **** historical mystery 12/28/18
 Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets by Rosemary Simpson **** historical mystery 12/29/18
 Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones by Kaitlyn Dunnett *** cozy mystery 12/29/18
 Ho, Ho, Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett **** cozy mystery 12/30/18
 Kilt At The Highland Games by Kaitlyn Dunnett *** cozy mystery 12/31/18


What I Rejected = 14 total

2018
Murder At Westminster Abbey by Amanda Carmack. The setting was good and the plot was not bad, but I cannot abide stupid protagonists. 143 pages. Gave up sometime in January of 2018.
London Rain by Nicola Upson.  This was described as a mystery, but in the first 50 pages, there was no mystery to solve.  Instead, there was a lesbian love triangle.  I don’t like lesbian romance, and the book was boring.  4/12/18. 
Bunk by Kevin Young.  This is supposed to be a history of hoaxes.  What it actually is is a history of hoaxes which hurt Black people, punctuated by long digressions about Black history which have nothing to do with the topic, written by a man who hates PT Barnum because of his early career involving a “rented” slave.  There is nothing wrong with writing Black history, but the book is mis-titled and mis-represented.  I stopped after 53 pages because I had wanted to read the book this claimed to be, not the book it actually is. 4/20/18.
Eat, Move, Sleep by Tom Rath.  Rath is a self-proclaimed “expert” who cannot organize by topic nor cite his sources.  While much of the advice in the book is standard, Rath uses anecdotal evidence and mentions “scientific studies” without names or dates to back up his claims.  Also, some of his claims -- such as that coffee is good for you and that the body needs no carbohydrates whatsoever -- sound rather fishy.  I forced myself through 155 pages before tossing it aside in disgust. 5/25/18
The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman   In five pages, we had time travel, the Fae, a secret society, and vampires.  Whoa.  Clearly Cogman thinks she’s “crossing genre boundaries,” when what she’s really doing is making a mess. 6/12/18
Dark Dawn Over Steep House by MRC Kasasian. Every chapter appeared to have a different plot. The characters are unlikeable, and the book pretends not to be a Holmes wannabe, all the while throwing in Holmes reference after Holmes reference.  Also, it treats rape very lightly. About five chapters. 7/25/18
The Witches’ Tree by MC Beaton. The writing was so bad!  So many missing commas!  Such choppy sentences!  And so much of it is TOLD instead of SHOWN!  I made it through 1 1/2 chapters.  ugh. 8/26/18
Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams.  Clearly this author believes she is writing MG.  The dialogue was like reading Dick and Jane, and the cheesy puns and literary references were beyond the pale, even for a cozy.  An entire town with book-themed names is .... well, Disneyfied.   I stopped on page 60. 9/1318
An Act of Villainy by Ashley Weaver.  I’ve been reading the Maisie Dobbs mysteries, and this is likewise set in 1930s London, but Maisie Dobbs is an independent woman, and Amory Ames is a rich housewife who accepts the fact that her husband cheats on her.  It is likely true to the time period, but I cannot stand reading a whole book wherein the wives just accept that the men will cheat.  24 pages was all I could stand.  9/15/18
 The Cats Came Back by Sofie Kelly.  I read one page and discovered that it was a cozy mystery with invisible, magical cats.  Nope. Nopety-nope, nope. 9/25/18
 Th eLost Queen by Signe Pike.   So much hype for this book!  And it’s set in Scotland!  But, 65 pages in, it’s bleak and a sad attempt to re-do The Crystal Cave.... only, without anything all that interesting.  It has so many, many names!  Ugh.  It was work to read it.  I stopped at chapter 7 and picked up something else. 9/27/18
 The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White. I read about two chapters before deciding I really didn’t want to waste my time by reading about a girl who manipulates people in order to survive and then falls victim to domestic abuse. 10/24/18
  The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris    This is about medical practices in the Victorian era.  While it was fascinating, it just wasn’t the right book to read at Christmastime....or while eating.  It’s a bit too detailed for that.  Maybe later.....   about 50 pages. 12/12/18
 1776  by David MucCullough sometime in October I gave up, about halfway through the book.  I love history, but this was so boring I simply could not finish it.

What I Read And What I Rejected in 2017

In 2016, I read 137 books, which is above my average of 120 books per year.  A death in the family, a new curriculum at school, and some major life changes kept me way below average in 2017, and I read only 81 books, which is rather embarrassing.  Nevertheless, here is my list:

2017

Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah **** historical mystery a la Christie 1/2/17
Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham ***** YA multicultural mystery a/a 1/5/17
MacBeth by Shakespeare (again) ***** tragedy 1/17/17
Inside the Magic: the Making of Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them by Ian Nathan **** 1/18/17
Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices by Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz (again) ***** non-fiction, food 1/25/17
A Study In Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas **** NA mystery 1/27/17
The Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison (2nd time)***** LDS cozy mystery 1/28/17
 His Right Hand by Mette Ivie Harrison (2nd time) ***** LDS cozy mystery 1/29/17
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (again) ***** drama 1/30/17
 For Time And All Eternities by Mette Ivie Harrison **** LDS cozy mystery 1/30/17
 To Helvetica and Back by Paige Shelton (2nd time) ***** cozy 2/4/17
 Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton ***** cozy 2/6/17
 Blood by Blood by Ryan Graudin  **** YA alt history WWII 2/12/17
 Caraval by Stephanie Garber *** YA postmodernist fantasy 2/18/17
 Unmentionable by Therese Oneill ***** non-fiction, feminist, humor, Victorian 2/23/17
 Globe: Life in Shakespeare’s London by Catharine Arnold non-fiction, history    **** 2/28/17
 Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones YA fantasy *****(*!) 3/3/17
 All The Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister ***** non-fiction, feminism 3/18/17.
 Daughter of the Pirate King by by Tricia Levenseller ***** YA a/a, fantasy (sirens) 3/19/17
 A Taste of History: 10,000 Years of Cooking in Britain by Peter Briers et al (again) ***** non-fiction, history, cooking. 3/25/17
 These Vicious Masks by Shanker and Zekas ***** (2nd time) YA a/a fantasy, alt history 3/26/17
 These Ruthless Deeds by Shanker and Zekas **** YA a/a fantasy, alt history 3/26/17
 The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (2nd time) *****YA alt-historical fantasy 3/28/17
 The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman *****YA alt-historical fantasy 4/2/17
 Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly *** non-fiction, history, biography, space-race 4/10/17
 The Illusionist’s Apprentice by Kristy Cambron *** romance posing as historical mystery 4/12/17
 Acadia: The Complete Guide by James Kaiser **** non-fiction, travel 4/24/17
 MacBeth by William Shakespeare (2A) ***** drama 4/26/17
 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (1A) ***** 4/26/17
 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes for Two by Pam Ellgen **** non-fiction, cooking 4/28/17
 MacBeth by William Shakespeare (4B) ***** drama 5/1/17
 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (3B) ***** 5/2/17
 Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (3A) ***** 5/3/17
 Celine by Peter Heller *** sort of a mystery 5/2/17
 MacBeth by William Shakespeare (4A) ***** drama 5/4/17
 MacBeth by William Shakespeare (1B) ***** drama 5/5/17
 Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman ** crime, 5/26/17
 Bound: Over 20 Artful Handmade Books by Erica Ekrem *** non-fiction, crafts *** 6/2/17
 The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova **** realistic/historical adult fiction 6/4/17
 The Wailing Wind by Tony Hillerman **** mystery 6/7/17
 The Sinister Pig by Tony Hillerman **** mystery 6/9/17
 A House Full of Females by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich ***** non-fiction, history, feminism 6/21/17
 Rogue One by Alexander Freed **** sci-fi/StarWars 6/28/17
 A Gentleman’s Guide To Vice And Virtue by MacKenzi Lee ***** NA historical adventure 6/30/17
 Murder at Mistletoe Manner by Holly Tierney-Bedford *** cozy 7/9/17
 Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas **** YA fantasy sans magic 7/11/17
 Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young *** typical YA light horror 7/13/17
 Signs & Symbols by DK publishing ** non-fiction (tiny print, bad illustrations) 7/14/17
 The Lost City of Z by David Grann **** non-fiction 7/23/17
 York by Laura Ruby **** MG/YA historical fantasy 7/25/17
 Twelve Angry Men ***** drama, realistic 7/30/17
 Beauty Sick by Renee Engeln **** non-fiction, women’s issues 7/30/17
 The Crime Book (DK) (no author listed) ***** non-fiction 7/31/17
 Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom by Bradley Schenck ***** retro sci-fi 8/6/17
 The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss **** holmes/monster mash-up YA w/older characters 8/8/17
  Diabetic Cookbook by Diana Watson * non-fiction, cookbook 8/9/17
 The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell **** YA Fantasy 8/15/17
 Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving ***** short stories 8/20/17
 Twelve Angry Men ***** drama, realistic 1A 8/31/17
 Twelve Angry Men ***** drama, realistic 4A 8/31/17
 Twelve Angry Men ***** drama, realistic 2B 0/1/17
 The Develin Diary by Christi Phillips **** historical mystery 9/8/17
 Southern Fried by Cathy Pickens **** cozy mystery 10/1/17
 Eat Fresh: Awesome Recipes for Teens by Rozanne Gold & Phil Mansfield **** cookbook 10/9/17
 A Spoonful of Murder by Connie Archer *** cozy 10/10/17
 Teeth: Oral Health in America by Mary Otto *** non-fiction, history, health 10/13/17
 Blood Sugar: The Family by Michael Moore *** non-fiction, cookbook 10/16/17
 That Inevitable Victorian Thing by EK Johnston *** YA alternate history 10/20/17
 The Doubleday Cookbook by Jean Hansen & Elaine Hanna ***** non-fiction, cookbook 10/20/17
 Rather Be The Devil by Ian Rankin ***** mystery/crime 11/17/17
 Larceny and Old Lace by Tamar Myers *** cozy 11/19/17
 The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen   Beckett ***** Austen/Bronte pastiche fantasy 11/22/17
 The Secret, Book, And Scone Society by Ellery Adams **** cozy 12/5/17
 Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones ***** YA alt history, A/A fantasy 12/7/17
 Sherlock Holmes: Tangled Skeins by David Marcum **** mystery/pastiche 12/23/17
 Comic Sans Murder by Paige Shelton ***** cozy mystery 12/24/17
 The Power by Naomi Alderman ***** dystopia (adult) 12/28/17
 Steampunk Lego by Guy Himber *** non-fiction, art/crafts 12/28/17
 The Cozy Cookbook by various authors *** non-fiction, cookbook 12/29/17
 From Farm to Fork by Emerill Lagasse ** non-fiction, cookbook 12/30/17
 Snow Way Out by Christine Husom *** cozy mystery 12/31/17



And, as always, there were books I rejected.  Here's that list:

2017
Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The main characters were distant, robotic, and unappealing.  about 36 pages. 2/8/17
Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H Wilson all violence and weak females 80 pages 8/11/17
The Sacred Stone by the Medieval Murderers 15 pages, the story had a childish tone and did not catch my interest. 9/17/17
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford. It’s supposed to be a historical mystery, but in 25 pages all I’ve seen is an obnoxious protagonist who is merely secretive about where his money comes from.. It’s arguing and no action, and I don’t have the patience for it. 9/29/17
The Breath of God by Jeffery Small. This is Dan Brown pastiche, which would be OK except for a couple of things: 1) instead of having a physical reason (i.e. a clue hidden in a historical building) to travel, Small has his characters run around the world to meet up with people who might have just made a phone call or set a letter by registered mail, and 2) his characters are stupid, making the dumbest mistakes and assumptions.  I cannot abide stupid protagonists.  When I reached 220 pages, I tossed it aside near the end of September.
Love: The Psychology of Attraction by DK publishing. This was actually good, but my father’s illness and death prevented me from finishing it before I had to return it to the library. 16 pages. mid-October.
What Happened by Hillary Clinton.  This was very interesting but my father’s illness and death prevented me from finishing it before I had to return it to the library. I will either purchase it or else request it from the library again in a few months. 47 pages. mid-October.
Cross My Heart And Hope To Spy by Ally Carter. So dull.  So cliche -- even for a fluffy YA mystery.  It’s like a bad sit com. 52 pages.  mid-October.
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake. I liked the first one, but it’s been too long since I read it, and I don’t recall the details.  This one lost my interest three chapters in. 12/15/17

What I Read And What I Rejected In 2016

I've done this every year since 2007.  It seems that "normal" for me is 10 books a month or 120 per year.  I know lots of people do more than that, but I have lots and lots of papers to grade, which definitely cuts into my reading time.
I still read mostly mysteries for fun and plenty of YA -- but then again, my job sort of pushes me that way.

Here's the list of what I read: (It looks like the numbers didn't copy over. Bummer.  There are 137 in total here.)
2016

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom *** YA realistic/romance (blind protag) 1/1/16
Rebel Mechanics: All Is Fair In Love And Revolution  by Shanna Swendson  YA steampunk adventure ***** 1/4/16
Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith ***** romance 1/6/16
Murder In Grosse Pointe Park by Steve Miller ** true crime  1/9/16
Death By Darjeeling by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/11/16
Gunpowder Green by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/13/16
Shades of Earl Grey by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/15/16
English Breakfast Murder by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/20/16
The Jasmine Moon Murder by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/25/16
 Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/29/16
 Blood Orange Brewing by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/30/16
 Dragonwell Dead by Laura Childs **** cozy 2/2/16
 Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley YA historical fantasy 2/4/16
 Pirate Hunters by Robert Kudson ***non-fiction 2/5/16
 Strings of Murder by Oscar De Muriel ***** crime/mystery 2/6/16
 Paper Play Crafts by Shannon E. Miller **** non-fiction, crafts 2/7/16
 Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Barton *** non-fiction, cooking 2/8/16
 Washi Tape by Courtney Cerruti ** non-fiction, crafts 2/11/16
 The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester *** historical crime/mystery 2/12/16
 The Mangle Street Murders by MRC Kasasian **** historical crime/mystery 2/13/16
 Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs **** cozy 2/14/16
 Oolong Dead by Laura Childs **** cozy 2/15/16
  The Lanvin Murders by Angela M. Sanders cozy **** 2/17/16
 The Obituary Society by Jessica l. Randall cozy **** 2/20/16
 The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs cozy **** 2/21/16
 These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas ***** YA paranormal 2/23/16
 Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman ***** YA paranormal historical fiction 2/26/16
 Even Dogs In The Wild by Ian Rankin ***** tartan noir crime 2/28/16
 The Curse of the House of Foskett by MRC Kasasian **** historical crime/mystery 3/2/16
 Scones and Bones by Laura Child * cozy 3/4/16
 Fat Girl Walking by Brittany Gibbons *** non-fiction 3/5/16
 Front Lines by Michael Grant **** alternate history (WWII) 3/7/16
 Zero Day by Jan Gangset **** a/a YA 3/10/16
 Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto *** Old West/Paranormal steampunk, 3/12/16
 The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig **** time travel/fantasy/action- adventure 3/13/16
 Flunked by Jen Calonita MG reworked fairy tale. *** 3/15/16
 The Mormon Cookbook by Julie Jensen **** non-fiction, cookbook 3/17/16
 The Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs **** cozy 3/18/16
 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary. non-fiction about fiction **** 3/24/16
  The Sherlock Holmes Book by DK publishing non-fiction about fiction ***** 3/28/16
 How Did It Really Happen? by Readers’ Digest non-fiction **** 4/1/16
 Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan **** YA high fantasy 4/8/16
 Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan ***** realistic (YA-like, quest) 4/9/16
 Steep And Thorny Way by Cat Winters *** YA historical/racial Hamlet re-telling 4/15/16
 Top Secret Cover-Ups by Jon E. Lewis ** non-fiction 4/15/16
 Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs **** cozy 4/19/16
 Ceremonies of the Seasons by Jennifer Cole **** beautifully illustrated non-fiction 4/22/16
 Steeped in Evil by Laura Childs **** cozy 4/23/16
At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie ***** (really good!) cozy 4/26/16
 The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories by Agatha Christie *** cozy, short stories 4/28/16
 A Tyranny of Petticoats ed. by Jessica Spotswood **** short story collection/historical/paranormal 5/1/16
 Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (period 3B) ***** tragedy 5/2/16
 The Hollow by Agatha Christie ***** cozy, mystery 5/4/16
 Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (Period 4B) ***** 5/4/16
 Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (Period 4A) ***** 5/5/16
 The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie ***** cozy mystery 5/8/16
 After The Funeral by Agatha Christie ***** cozy mystery 5/10/16
  Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie **** thriller 5/12/16
 Romeo and/or Juliet by Ryan North *** choose your own adv. YA 5/14/16
 Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke **** cozy 5/18/16
 Candy Christmas by Joanne Fluke ** Christmas novella 5/19/16
 Everland by Wendy Spinale **** Peter Pan retelling/steampunk 5/24/16
 Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher **** non-fiction/psychology 5/27/16
 Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor **** YA sci-fi time travel romance 5/30/16
 The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman **** mystery/thriller 6/1/16
 I’m Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjork **** crime 6/2/16
 The Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/3/16
 The Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/4/16
 The People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/8/16
 The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/9/16
 The Ghost Way by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/10/16
 The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead **** alternate history YA romance 6/13/16
 Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/15/16
 A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman ***** crime 6/17/16
 Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld ***** romance/P&P re-write 6/18/16
 Talking Gods by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/21/16
 Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/23/16
 Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/24/16
 Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman ***** crime 6/27/16
 The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman ***** crime 6/29/16
 Salt To The Sea by Ruta Sepetys **** YA historical WWII 7/1/16
 Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone (14th time) YA fantasy 7/6/16
 Evergreen Falls by Kimberley Freeman (semi-historical 20s mystery) **** 7/7/16
 Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (13th time) YA fantasy ***** 7/8/16
 The Watchmaker’s Daughter by CJ Archer **** YA historical urban fantasy 7/9/16
 The Transatlantic Conspiracy by GD Falksen ***young YA, older MG 7/12/16
 Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (15th time) YA fantasy ***** 7/13/16
 Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (15th time) YA fantasy ***** 7/17/16
 A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn YA historical mystery***** 7/18/16
 And I Darken by Kiersten White ***** YA alt hist (Vlad Tepes is female) 7/22/16
 Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Antsey **** YA pseudo-Austen silly romance 7/26/16
 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ***** YA fantasy (11th time reading) 7/29/16
 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ***** YA fantasy (11th time) 8/5/16
 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ***** YA fantasy (7th time reading) 8/7/16
 Superfoods for Children by M. van Straten & B. Griggs ** non-fiction cookbook 8/10/16
 Extraordinary Tales of Victorian Futurism: Steampunk ed. Mike Ashley **** 8/11/16
 A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro YA mystery **** (too many drugs) 8/14/16
 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling et al *** YA fantasy, drama 8/14/16
 Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers **** mystery 8/25/16
 Clouded Witness by Dorothy Sayers **** myster 8/30/16
 Fifty Plants That Changed The Course Of History by Bill Laws **** non-fiction: history, botany 8/31/16
 The Perilous Journey of a Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham **** YA steampunk 9/3/16
The Perilous Journey of a Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl by Leigh Statham **** YA steampunk 9/5/16
 A Shakespearean Botanical by Margaret Willes **** non-fiction, historical botany 9/9/16
World of Shakespeare:Plants by Alan Dent *** non-fiction, historical botany 9/10/16
 Short Stories From Hogwarts: Power, Politics, and Pesky Poltergeists by JK Rowling et al *** YA fantasy 9/11/16
 Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by JK Rowling et al. *** YA fantasy 9/13/16
 Hogwarts: Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies by JK Rowling et al *** YA fantasy 9/15/16
 The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins ***** Gothic mystery 9/22/16
 Imprudence by Gail Carriger ***** Steampunk/paranormal 9/28/16
 Thrice The Brinded Cat Hath Mewed by Alan Bradley ***** 9/30/16
 A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression by Ziegleman and Coe **** Historical non-fiction 10/9/16
 Becoming Brigid by Lisa Shafer YA paranormal ***** 10/12/16
 Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova YA paranormal *** 10/14/16
A Season of the Witch: Magic & Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachussets by JW Ocker **** non-fiction, travel 10/20/15
 Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Beverly Clearly ***** (read many times as a child) MG historical 10/29/16
 Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake YA fantasy *** (non-ending) 11/3/16
 Cross Talk by Connie Willis ****** (fabulous!) sci-fi romance 11/6/16
 Inking by Carol Hepner *** non-fiction, crafting 11/7/16
 Scrapbooking Techniques for Beginners by Rebekkah Meier **** non-fiction, crafting 11/7/16
 Handmade Scrapbooks by Country Living **** non-fiction, crafting 11/12/18
 A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes by Gale Eaton **** non-fiction 11/25/16
 A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley **** cozy mystery 11/26/16
 Us Collector’s Edition: Fantastic Beasts **** non-fiction, film 11/26/16
 Cheddar Off Dead by Julia Buckley **** cozy mystery 11/27/16
 The Diva Paints the Town by Krista Davis **** cozy mystery 11/30/16
 Murder on the House by Juliet Blackwell **** cozy mystery 12/2/16
 Herald of Death by Kate Kingsbury **** cozy 12/15/16
 Newt Scamander: A Movie Scrapbook by Rick Barba **** MG non-fiction, film 12/6/16
 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander (JK Rowling) **** MG/YA fantasy. 12/17/16
 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Original Screenplay by JK Rowling ***** YA fantasy, drama 12/8/16
 Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin (2nd time) **** YA alt history WWII 12/19/16
 Iron To Iron by Ryan Graudin **** YA alt history WWII 12/21/16
 Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco *** YA historical slightly steampunk 12/2716
 Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo ***** non-fiction, film 12/28/16
 Readers’ Digest Extraordinary Uses For Everyday Things (92nd time) ***** non-fiction 12/30/16
 Desolation Flats by Andrew Hunt ***** historical mystery 12/31/16



Here's the list of manuscripts: (not a big list this year. Too many job changes affected my writing.)
2016
Nerissa MacKay and the Secrets of the Seventeen Scrolls 7/3/16
Nerissa MacKay and the Secrets of the Seventeen Scrolls 10/2/16

Here's a partial list of books I tossed aside.  Often I didn't bother to write them down.  I'll try to do better at that in 2017.  (There are 9 books listed.)

2016

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.  All the action happens in the chapter headings.  Seriously.  Chapter one is in present tense, a few teenagers lying on grass discussing the homework they’re not doing, and way too few dialogue tags -- so it’s confusing who’s saying what.  They disinterestedly watch some super-hero type kids run past, but they’re too bored to care much.  And I’m too bored with this book to continue reading it.  1/4/16
Serafina’s Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. It’s condescending and childish, more MG than YA.  The book trailer was way better than the book. 29 pgs. Jan, 2016
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. Confusing. Unlikeable characters.  I can’t bring myself to care what happens to them.105 pages and the main conflict has as yet to be presented. Jan., 2016 YA fantasy.
The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher. non-fiction about Houdini’s exposing spiritualism.  ZZZZZZZ. 50 pages. 2/14/16
 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle. Pyle glorifies a life of crime, not adventure. Robin is a total rich, entitled, immature douchebag and the merry men are basically frat boys drunk in the forest, fighting each other and every other man who comes near in one huge testosteronefest. 38 pages. 2/16/16
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I’d read multiple reviews raving about this book. But the first 30 pages are about an alcoholic girl who calls her ex-boyfriend and can’t remember it.  She’s stupid, the book is dismal.  Nothing happens in 30 pages.  Why should I keep reading?
3/25/16
Exit, Pursued By A Bear by EK Johnson.  A Winter’s Tale is a depressing enough story, but this one adds rape, so it’s really depressing.  I read a few chapters, then skimmed a few.  Ugh. 6/8/16
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart. I’ve loved her non-fiction, but I found I couldn’t get into her characters at all.  Too annoying. 6/16/16
Before the Awakening  (Star Wars) by Greg Rucka. Sometimes a movie should not be made into a book.  about half the book. 7/10/16