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Saturday, December 31, 2022

The 52 Book Club's 2023 Reading Challenge

I decided not to join as many challenges this year - I feel like I stress out a little, lol! But, I did choose this one just to see how I could do.

Here are the details:

The 52 Book Club’s 2023 Reading Challenge

Want to take your reading to the next level? The 52 Book Club is back for its sixth annual challenge, and we’ve got fifty-two new prompts for 2023. This is the perfect place to expand your reading, connect with fellow book lovers, and have a lot of fun! We’re so glad you’re here and can’t wait to see what you come up with for this new year!

What is the challenge?

The 52 Book Club’s annual reading challenge is made up of 52 unique prompts. (You may have heard it described as 52 books in 52 weeks.) The goal is to match one book to each prompt. This means that participants will read a total of fifty-two books throughout the year. We encourage participants to try new authors or genres, push themselves to read more, read differently, and get creative with it!

How does it work?

Follow The 52 Book Club on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Goodreads or Storygraph, and Instagram.

Using the list below, match one book to each of the 52 prompts. (52 books total.) Get as creative as you like with interpreting the prompts!

When January 1, 2023 rolls around, start reading!

Once you’ve finished one of the prompts, check it off the list and share your read! The Facebook group is our most popular spot for posting your recent 52 Book Club reads. When sharing on other social media sites like Instagram or Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag #the52bookclub2023 and #the52bookclub. This helps us find everyone!

How often you share is up to you! You can share after every read, share all of your reads at the end of the month, or even just at the end of the year! Some participants chose to track their reads privately and simply follow along in the groups to find amazing recommendations. How you decide to participate is up to you. We’re just glad you’re here!

Other helpful reminders:

You can complete the list in any order. You can also interpret the prompts as creatively as you like, using any format of reading, and any author or genre that you feel fits the prompt. Want to make your challenge more difficult? Check out these suggestions for increasing your 2023 challenge difficulty.

Remember that the challenge doesn’t officially begin until January 1, 2023! (We just release it early so you have time to plan and invite friends!) Have more questions? Check out our FAQs.

I'm really looking forward to this one! If you are like me your TBR pile just keeps growing and growing. I hope to see some of you there!

The Backlist Reader Challenge 2023 runs from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. It ends at midnight in whatever timezone you’re in. You can still post reviews, and link them, up until January 5, 2024, but only for books that you finished reading in 2023.

The Rules

Rule #1: To count for the challenge, books have to be published before 2022 AND already be on your TBR list or pile.

You don’t have to own the book. If it was on your want-to-read list when you signed up for the challenge, and it came out in 2021 or earlier, it counts. You can count a book in any format, from any source — as long as it was on your TBR list before you signed up for the challenge.

What does”TBR list” or “to-read” list” mean, exactly? It means wherever you keep track of the books you want to read: Goodreads, a spreadsheet, a handwritten list in a notebook, a Word document, or any other digital or written list, as long as it’s actually recorded somewhere. A mental list doesn’t count.

If you have multiple TBR lists, that’s OK. I have both a “to-read” shelf and a “someday” shelf on Goodreads. I count both of them as TBR lists.

Do I have to list every unread book in a series on my TBR list, or can I just list the series?

Technically, you should list each book by title. So if there’s a series you want to start or continue in 2023, make sure you add all the books to your TBR list before you sign up for the challenge. (I’m not going to quibble if you miss one when you’re adding them. If most of the books in a series are on your list, it’s pretty clear that you plan to read the series.)

Do rereads count?

I love rereading familiar books. But... the goal of this challenge is to encourage yourself to read books you have never gotten around to, even if you wanted to. So here’s the compromise: you can only count a book you have read before IF (a) you haven’t read the book in the past 10 years, AND (b) you can’t remember much about it. In other words, it’s like reading a book you haven’t read before.

Rule #2: Create a goals or sign-up post on your blog

…or wherever you usually post your reviews or your thoughts about a book (Goodreads, LibraryThing, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) Please link back to this post! Then link your sign-up post below, where you see the “Add your link” button. (Please link your actual goals/sign-up post, not your home page or account.)

Set your own goal — as many or as few books as you want. You can list the specific books you want to read this year, or leave it completely up to your mood.

You can sign up any time, right up through December 1, 2023; after that, the sign-up link will be closed.

Rule #3 (optional): Review the books you read for the challenge*, and post your links on the review linky

You can find the 2023 review linky here. You can also get to it through the top menu bar. The linky will go live on January 1, 2023.

*You don’t have to write reviews to do the challenge, but your review links are your entries for the year-end giveaway. Reviews don’t have to be long; a few sentences is fine. If you don’t have a blog, you can post your reviews on Goodreads or LibraryThing or even on your Facebook or Instagram. Please link reviews to your review itself (not to your blog’s main page, your profile, or the book’s main Goodreads or LibraryThing page.) If you’re not sure how to find that link, email me and I’ll walk you through it.

Note: The review linky will not go live until January 5, 2023, because InLinkz restricts the linky to one year, and I need to give you time in January 2024 to post your last-minute reviews.

Rule #4: Before January 5, 2023, create and link a wrap-up post

Let us know how you did! I’ll create a link-up post like this one for the wrap-up posts, so you can share your achievement with others who are participating!

Show your support for other participants

Please support other members of The Backlist Reader Challenge by reading and commenting on their reviews, found in the review linky. This isn’t a rule, and you don’t have to check out every review on the list, but please try to visit a few every time you post a review of your own. Your fellow readers will appreciate it!

What else you need to know

There will be at least one giveaway: a $15 Amazon gift certificate (US), or up to that amount in books from Book Depository (as long as they deliver to your country.) The winner will be chosen from the review links at the end of the year, using a random number generator.

Social media: Please use #BacklistReader on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else hashtags are useful!

Go find those older titles you still haven’t gotten around to, and make 2023 the year you finally read them!

Book Review: Graveyard of Lost Children by Katrina Monroe

Title: Graveyard of Lost Children

Author: Katrina Monroe

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pages: 384

Release Date: May 9, 2023

Genre: Ghost Thriller/Gothic Fiction

Once she has her grip on you, she'll never let you go.

At four months old, Olivia Dahl was almost murdered. Driven by haunting visions, her mother became obsessed with the idea that Olivia was a changeling, and that the only way to get her real baby back was to make a trade with the "dead women" living at the bottom of the well. Now Olivia is ready to give birth to a daughter of her own...and for the first time, she hears the women whispering.

Everyone tells Olivia she should be happy. She should be glowing, but the birth of her daughter only fills Olivia with dread. As Olivia's body starts giving out, slowly deteriorating as the baby eats and eats and eats, she begins to fear that the baby isn't her daughter at all and, despite her best efforts, history is repeating itself.

Soon images of a black-haired woman plague Olivia's nightmares, drawing her back to the well that almost claimed her life―tying mother and daughter together in a desperate cycle of fear and violence that must be broken if Olivia has any hope of saving her child...or herself.

Baby Teeth meets The Invited in a haunting story of the sometimes-fragile connection between a woman's sense of self and what it means to be a "good" mother.

A disturbing story to say the least but one that kept me turning the pages quickly to find out what was going to happen.

This story is told from two different perspectives - that of Shannon and that of Shannon's daughter, Olivia. Shannon has Olivia as a teenager and there is something that isn't right...she believes that Olivia is a changeling. After seeing the dark haired woman and seemingly losing her mind, she is sent to stay in a psychiatric facility leaving Olivia to be raised by her grandparents.

Olivia seems to be leading a normal life, married to her wife and pregnant. When she has Flora it is one of the happiest days of her life. But soon she realizes that something is wrong with her baby. Something only she sees. And the only person that might be able to understand is her mother who she has never spoken to. Why is the black haired woman around all the time? What is her significance? And where is her true baby, not the infant that everyone else thinks is normal but Olivia knows is not.

An interesting take on motherhood and what pregnancy can do to you, I really enjoyed the story and what the black haired woman truly represented. A lot of suspense which is one of my favorite things. Were these infants human or not? Were the mothers crazy or was something more sinister going on? You'll have to read to find out!

Katrina Monroe is the author of They Drown Our Daughters, and Graveyard of Lost Children (coming May 2023). A private investigator by day, she lives in Minnesota with her wife, two children, and Eddie, the ghost who haunts their bedroom closets.

Book Review: The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

Title: The Housemaid's Secret

Author: Freida McFadden

Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 318

Release Date: February 20, 2023

Genre: Psychological Fiction

“Don’t go in the guest bedroom.” A shadow falls on Douglas Garrick’s face as he touches the door with his fingertips. “My wife… she’s very ill.” As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can’t risk losing this job—not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe…

It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.

It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…

That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.

Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…

This absolutely explosive and shockingly twisty sequel to international bestseller The Housemaid will keep you racing through the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl will be totally hooked! This book can also be enjoyed as a standalone.

I became a huge fan of Freida McFadden after reading The Housemaid so was excited to read this one. And, while it was good I felt it was a little flat compared to the first in the series.

Millie has taken another job cleaning houses. Douglas Garrick seems decent, and their penthouse is beyond gorgeous. He tells Millie that his wife is ill and that she isn't to be disturbed. But, as the plot develops Millie can't help but wonder why she never sees Mrs. Garrick. And what are the noises she hears? And why does she hear crying? When Millie finally sees Mrs. Garrick she realizes that Douglas is a monster. What is she willing to do to help?

The first half of the book I found a little slow but then it picked up. I still enjoyed the first book more but this was a solid read and will keep me a fan ready to read more.

#1 Amazon and USA TODAY bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk more about herself in the third person, visit her website: https://www.freidamcfadden.com/

Where David Threw Stones by Elyse Hoffman Book Feature

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WHERE DAVID THREW STONES by Elyse Hoffman Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book

Title: WHERE DAVID THREW STONES

Author: Elyse Hoffman

Pub. Date: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Project 613 Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 453

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle

"Welcome to the Brennenbach of Midnight! The Curse Hours have begun."

West Germany, 1968

When ten-year-old David Saidel's parents are murdered, he is sent to live with his grandfather in the anti-Semitic village of Brennenbach. Miserable and lonely, David finds solace in his kindly Grandpa Ernst, who has one strict rule: never go out after midnight.

When David breaks curfew to search for his missing dog, he discovers why Ernst is so serious about his curfew: Brennenbach is cursed. When midnight strikes, the town is thrown back to 1943, the height of Hitler's reign.

The Nazi ghosts that infest Brennenbach are just as dangerous as they were in life. They're hunting for David, thinking he is the last member of a family they've been ordered to destroy.

Through the help of a little girl named Maria Rahm, David sets out to end the Curse before it claims more victims.

Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman has crafted an expertly woven tale of World War II's horrors - perfect for readers of Marcus Zusak's "The Book Thief," or Michael Reit's "Beyond the Tracks."

Praise for WHERE DAVID THREW STONES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ " Where David Threw Stones by Elyse Hoffman is a well-written historical novel with content that intrigued me from outset. I have read plenty of World War II historical fiction, but this is the first one that involved a curse and time travel. I loved the way the author mixed the past and present with the curse. The author did an amazing job with not only David Saidel but also Maria Rahm. The two characters made the book something special with how they each had pasts that shaped them into the characters they became. I simply loved this book and I hope the author decides to write more historical fiction in the future.--Readers' Favorite

About Elyse:

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel. If you love history and want to read some completely unique stories, follow Elyse at elysehoffman.com.

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.

Ends October 11^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review - Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Carrie Soto is Back

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Release Date: April 26, 2022

Publisher: Graydon House

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Format: Ebook/Paperback/Hardcover/Audio
Source: Netgalley

Purchasing:

“I’m going to kill her. You’d better come if you want to save her.”

Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget.

If she’s allowed to.

When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room.

And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why.

What follows is a twisted, shocking journey on the knife-edge of life and death. If she wants to save Braithe—and herself—the only way is to step back into the past.

This seething, gut-punch of a thriller can only have sprung from the fiendish brain of Tarryn Fisher, one of the most cunning writers of our time.

I wasn't sure if this was going to be the book for me. While I did enjoy The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, tennis is not my favorite thing. But, I was willing to put that aside and see what this book was all about.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. While Carrie's character wasn't really likeable, I did appreciate reading her plight as I feel that it may be true to how some athletes lives work, especially when they are athletes of that caliber. And when her record is at stake she decides that she isn't too old to come back out of retirement to try and keep her crown. And that is when her world is turned upside down.

Even though she was a hard character to associate with and like, you did see a little softness when it pertained to her Dad, Bowe (an ex-flame and great tennis player in his own right) and even Nicki, the one after her crown.

An interesting book, not a wow book but solid.

Meet the Author:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as four other novels. Her newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid..

The Sunday Post (4)

It's been a somewhat stressful time lately and I don't see that changing any time soon. Work is not what I want it to be and am hoping that it improves. But, the biggest thing happening is my oldest is graduating from high school in a few days. I am not sure where the time has gone and while I am so proud of her, I am sad knowing that my little girl is really not so little anymore. Add that to the fact that my Mom s not here for it, it just makes it that much harder.

I also feel like I am in a reading slump lately - also not normal for me. I am currently reading Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. It is good and I am interested in the plot. It's not them, it's me for sure.

Currently reading (Netgalley)

The Dinner by Herman Koch (paperback)

I haven't started this one and have read mixed reviews but think it sounds good.

Can't wait to see what you are reading or are going to be reading!

Mailbox Monday (1)

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Well, I don't just count books that came in the mail but also books that were purchased. And this week we had quite of few of each.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg

Children of a Vanished World by Roman Vishniac

Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

After You by Jojo Moyes

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances by Ruth Emmie Long

The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia

You'll Thank Me for This by Nina Siegal

Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson

It is hard to decide what book to read next when there are so many good ones, not just in this list but on my ever growing shelves. What are you reading now?

The Sunday Post (3)

Not much sleep happening lately. I am starting a new job next Monday after only being at the one I am at now for a few months. This is not how I roll, but with vacation and insurance I feel like this is something I have to do.

I'm REALLY missing my Mom lately. She was the only parent I ever had and my rock at all times. I feel alone, even though I am surrounded by friends and family who love me. It just is an empty spot that I am not sure will ever be filled.

Recently finished The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I knew as soon as I picked it up I would enjoy it. Just a great author, one I need to read as much as I can by. I am still behind in reviews, hopefully will get to them soon.

Currently reading

The It Girl by Ruth Ware (NetGalley) and

I am looking forward to starting The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. It is part of a buddy read so that always helps

Can't wait to see what you are reading or are going to be reading!

Top 5 Books I Want to Reread in 2022

This week’s topic at Meeghan Reads Top 5 Tuesday is top 5 books I want to reread in 2022.

I alwasy, always have a list of books that I want to reread. And, I am sure all of you have an ever growing TBR pile so then I almost feel guilty. But, there are a few that I will certainly be reading again this year for a variety of reasons.

If you missed the January-March 2022 topics please see this link. Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, and is now being hosted here @ Meeghan reads.

top 5 books I want to reread in 2022

Verity— Colleen Hoover

Unless you have been living under a rock, I am sure you have heard of Verity by Colleen Hoover. Having read this book years ago, a lot of it has stuck with me but I feel like I want to reread it to get all the details back in my mind, fresher than ever. Then I can jump into the conversations surrounding it again and know that I am not remembering things wrong.

The Thirteenth Tale — Diane Setterfield

It is rare that I give a book 5 stars, but this one gets 5. It has been YEARS since I have read it, and to be honest I don't remember it completely. But, my aunt and I were talking about great books not that long ago and this book came up. I decided it was time to read it again.

The Mayfair Witches — Anne Rice

I have been a fan of Anne Rice for a LONG time. Read this series many years ago and remember liking it even more than Interview with a Vampire et al, so thought I would give it another shot.

IT — Stephen King

My Mom passed away in November and I am still struggling pretty bad with it. These last two picks were her two favorites. IT was her favorite book of all time. I am also a HUGE Stephen King fan, and even though this one is mammoth I want to read it again, if for no other reason than to feel a little closer to her.

Helter Skelter — Vincent Bugliosi

Another favorite of my Mom's...and mine too. We both were always fascinated by the Mason family and the murders that took place so I am actually looking forward to reading this one again. It's been a long time as well.

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