2020 Goals
3,000 pages per month : Met in Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
Ebooks - TBR Reduced by 10; Current: +179
Audiobooks - TBR Reduced by 10; Current: -1
Magazines - TBR Reduced by 10; Current: -2
Magazines Read So Far: 6
Spoiler:
2020 Purchases Read: 32
Spoiler:
Short Stories & Novellas - 101
Spoiler:
Books
January - Pages read: 5122
01. 5/5 Reckoning - Scott Bartlett (audio)
This author went where most don't go. Great battles!
02. 4/5 Automatic Detective - A Lee Martinez (audio)
Wonderful noir with a robot cab driver as detective.
03. 5/5 Nashville Noir - Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain (audio)
Music city murder involving teenager from Cabot Cove
04. 3/5 Ranger Confidential - Andria Lankford (ebook+audio)
Good and bad of a practicing ranger in national park.
05. 2/5 Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble - H P Mallory (audio)
Disappointment after excellent first series.
06. 4/5 Jack of Spades - Carol Joyce Oates (audio)
I had my doubts, but this turned to be a good psychological mystery.
07. 2/5 Toil and Trouble - H P Mallory (audio)
Didn't like it. Author switched to mommie p*rn after 1st successful series.
08. 5/5 The Concrete Blonde - Michael Connelly (audio+ebook)
This was excellent. A trial and serial killer keep you guessing.
09. 5/5 Magic Kingdom For Sale: Sold - Terry Brooks (audio+ebook)
Kept my attention right through. Reread.
10. 3/5 Viva Durant & the Secret of the Silver Buttons - Ashli St Armant (audio)
This was a good read - kids would enjoy this mystery, Free Audible Original
11. 5/5 Scions of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)
1st of 4 books. Great, slow build up to several quests.
12. 5/5 Druid of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)
2nd book of 4. More intense now, really enjoyed!
13. 4/5 Wizards of Once - Cressida Cowell (audio)
Wizards, warriors and witches in a kids story. Enjoyed!
14. 3/5 Book of Baby Names - Norman Prentiss
Series of horror short stories. Some good, some a miss.
15. 5/5 Elf Queen of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)
3rd book of 4. Another great story. Focus on Wren and search for elves.
February - Pages read: 5112
16. 5/5 Talismans of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)
Too much coincidence, but otherwise satisfying ending.
17. 3/5 Caffeine - Michael Pollan (audio)
Current science on caffeine. Author is good narrator!
18. 5/5 Murder in an English Village - Jessica Elliot (audio)
This was a delightful cozy set in 1920s England.
19. 5/5 Dead Beat - Jim Butcher (audio)
Chicago under threat from necromancers. Excellent!
20. 4/5 Stalking the Zombie - Mike Resnick
Short stories from Fable of tonight. Good for a fan of the series.
21. 4/5 Dead or Alive - Tom Clancy & Grant Blackwood (audio)
Not as good as his early novels, with some slog, but kept me interested.
22. 5/5 The Pusher - Ed McBain (audio+ebook)
Addict dies, his sister is attacked, addict in cop's family.
23. 5/5 Nameless - Dean Koontz (audio) *
6 short stories revolving around nameless vigilante seeking justice for others.
24. 5/5 Running With The Demon - Terry Brooks (audio)
Excellent lead into the 3 book story.
25. 5/5 Call of the Wild - Jack London (audio) *
Adventure story from the viewpoint of a dog. Still great!
26. 4/5 Knight Of The Word- Terry Brooks (audio)
Excellent story but a bit slow and short on action.
27. 5/5 Angel Fire East - Terry Brooks (audio)
Excellent end to this trilogy.
28. 4/5 Borders of Infinity - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)
Three great stories with Miles.
29. 1/5 Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection - Alexander C. Kane (audio)
I gave it 2 hours and can't take any more. Has some good lines. Returned.
30. 2/5 A Hunger For The Infinite - Gregory Benford (audio)
Just doesn't keep my attention
March - Pages read: 4422
31. 5/5 Plum Island - Nelson DeMille (audio)
This was good although sometimes a bit rambly.
32. 3/5 Patrimony - Alan Dean Foster (audio)
Good, but rambles in the center.
33. 4/5 Keeper of Lost Causes - Jussi Adler-Olsen (audio)
Danish detective works cold case with Muslim assistant.
35. 5/5 Ilse Witch - Terry Brooks *
Story really draws you in. Looking forward to next book.
36. 3/5 The Queen's Jewels - Jessica Fletcher/Donald Bain (audio)
Good story but not compelling.
37. 5/5 Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher (audio)
Still a great story!
38. 3/5 Beezer - Brandon Snider (audio)
Kid's story. Not bad but kids would enjoy more.
39. 2/5 Breach of Security - Susan Hill (audio)
Lack of plot cohesion
40. 5/5 Antrax - Terry Brooks (audio) *
They get to their destination. Bad things happen.
41. 5/5 White Night - Jim Butcher (audio)
Another great story. Witches are being killed.
42. 4/5 V-Wars - Jonathan Maberry ed. (audio)
This was pretty good. Stories by different authors.
43. 5/5 Killer's Choice - Ed McBain (audio+ebook)
Reread and just as good as the first time!
April - Pages read: 5490
44. 5/5 Just One Damned Thing After Another - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
This is great! 3rd read of it.
45. 5/5 Symphony of Echoes - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
These people are so crazy yet so dedicated.
46. 5/5 A Second Chance - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
The Trojan War... and other incidents.
47. 5/5 A Trail Through Time - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
Another great story. Time police out of control.
48. 5/5 No Time Like The Past - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
Multiple calamities. What do you expect? They are historians.
49. 5/5 What Could Possibly Go Wrong - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
Suspicions of traitor. Middle ages mostly.
50. 5/5 Lies, Damned Lies and History - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
All the things go wrong with inaccurate history. Fun!
51. 5/5 And The Rest Is History - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
This one will make you cry.
52. 2/5 Death of Yesterday - M C Beaton (audio)
Thankfully short; Didn't really hold my attention.
53. 5/5 Argumentation of Historians - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
1399 England. Still witty, but this one was more serious.
54. 5/5 The Morgawr - Terry Brooks
Lots of things were drawn out over the whole book, but satisfying at end.
55. 4/5 Hope For The Best - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)
Enjoyed the story but Clive Ronan is getting overdone.
56. 5/5 Small Favor - Jim Butcher (audio)
Denarius and goat people!
May - Pages read: 3385
57. 5/5 Turn Coat - Jim Butcher (audio)
Focus on the island out in Lake Michigan. Morgan is in trouble.
58. 3/5 Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins - Erin Johnson (audio)
Mermaid palace with pirates. Choppy plot cozy/paranormal but fun.
59. 2/5 Camp Red Moon - R L Stine (audio)
Kid's horror - not for me.
60. 1/5 Race of Thieves - S M Reine (audio)
Didn't like it. Abandoned half way through.
61. 5/5 Ranger's Oath - Blake Arthur Peel (audio)
This was great!
62. 3/5 Asimov's Scifi Magazine - Oct/Nov 2010
Good stories, nothing outstanding to me.
63. 4/5 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (ebook +audio)
Wonderful! So many threads, all nicely wrapped by end.
64. 2/5 Carnival Row - Stephanie K Smith (audio)
So so.
65. 4/5 Hail To The Chief - Ed McBain (audio)
Includes extensive 1st person for gang member. Enjoyed this.
66. 4/5 Nice Dragons Finish Last - Rachel Aaron (audio)
Fun with lots of villians. Leans YA
67. 5/5 Changes - Jim Butcher (audio)
Red Court is focus in this one.
June - Pages read: 4461
68. 4/5 Ghost Story- Jim Butcher (audio)
Dresden has to work through his ghost.
69. 5/5 Cold Days - Jim Butcher (audio)
Dead guy becomes winter knight
70. 5/5 Doin' Time - Jodi Taylor (audio)
1st book of new series. This was just as great as the first!
71. 5/5 Skin Game - Jim Butcher (audio)
This one was really good. Lots of action.
72. 5/5 Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett (audio)
Death is told he will die. He becomes a hired hand on a small farm.
73. 3/5 Brief Cases - Jim Butcher (audio)
Short stories and novellas in Dresden Files. Ok stories.
74. 4/5 A Dying Shame - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Silly cozy with octogenarian sleuth.
75. 5/5 A Progressive Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Multiple murders in a family.
76. 5/5 A Body In The Backyard - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Love the characters and plot. Don't really like the narrator.
77. 5/5 Death at Drop In - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Multiple unrelated murders.
July - Pages read: 5478
78. 5/5 Death at Book Club - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
I love these stories. Book clubs can be dangerous!
79. 3/5 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep - Philip K Dick (audio) *
This was a good story but not outstanding for me.
80. 4/5 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Good book. The end was almost a letdown from the chase.
81. 2/5 The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury (audio)
Stories were just ok for me. Too much philosophy.
82. 5/5 The Vor Game - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)
Miles has graduated from cadet school. Gregor has an adventure.
83. 3/5 How To Defeat the Demon King in 10 Easy Steps - Andrew Rowe
Kid's book. Gave it a 3 for the excellent narration.
84. 4/5 The Hugo Stories Volume 1 - Mike Resnick
Good stories; three out of 5 were outstanding for me.
85. 3/5 The Black Unicorn - Terry Brooks (audio)
Good book, but not outstanding as the first one. Meeks is back
86. 4/5 Spellsinger - Dean Alan Foster (audio+ebook)
Pretty good. Pre-law student whisked to world of animals.
87. 5/5 The Relic - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (audio)
Great story but much like a disaster movie.
88. 2/5 Captain's Door - Ciara Houghton (audio)
Dull and narrator was monotone.
89. 5/5 The Hugos Volume 2 - Mike Resnick (audio)
Outstanding! Every story is at least very good, but most outstanding!
90. 1/5 Red Rising - Pierce Brown (audio)
Abandoned 1/2 through. Excellent narration.
91. 3/5 Science of Diskworld - Terry Pratchett
Earth science documentary using Diskworld wizards to explain. more or less.
92. 3/5 Whiskey Sour - J A Konrath (audio)
Detective searches for serial killer. Somewhat humerous.
93. 3/5 Raised Bed Gardening - James Paris
Bought for my late sister (she never got to read it). Interesting, but I knew most of this stuff already.
94. 4/5 Seniors Sleuth - J J Chow
Winston Wong's first case investigates death of man at assisted living.
95. 3/5 I Am Legend - Richard Matheson
Vampires. Good book. Had to read during pandemic.
August - Pages read: 5760
96. 3/5 One Minute organizer Plain & Simple - Donna Smallin
Took me 7 years to finally read this. Says something about me. 
97. 3/5 Buchanan's War - Jonas Ward
Buchanan becomes a Ranger. Story is stilted.
98. 4/5 Ambush on the Mesa - Gordon Shirreffs
Suspense - survivors are trapped in a canyon.
99. 5/5 Side Jobs - Jim Butcher (audio)
Relisten. All great stories!
100. 4/5 Hugh Monn - Lee Houston (audio)
Pulp detective novel with aliens. I enjoyed most of it.
101. 3/5 Horseman of the Shadows - Bradford Scott
Texas ranger Slade - rescues people; solves some sneaky rustling
102. 3/5 The Blue Mustang - Will Henry
16 year old suddenly faces fight for life.
103. 5/5 Jarka Ruus - Terry Brooks (audio)
Good intro - Grianne is center in story (again), this time as head of Druids. Enjoyed!
104. 4/5 Wanted Dead or Alive - Ray Hogan (audio)
2 stories - 2nd one very good of man trying to return money to dead man's wife.
105. 3/5 Gun Runners - Jackson Cole
Texas Ranger left to die in ant hill. Vows revenge.
106. 5/5 Tanequil - Terry Brooks (audio)
Very much enjoyed. Book 2 of trilogy.
107. 4/5 Apache Lawman - Phil Dunlap
Marshall and new Apache partner investigate a prison escape.
108. 3/5 Trap For Buchanan - Jonas Ward
Buchanan helps 2 kids. Grandpa of one is a gold miner in trouble.
109. 5/5 The Straken - Terry Brooks (audio)
Great end to this trilogy.
110. 5/5 Eighty Million Eyes - Ed McBain (audio)
Comedian murdered during live television.McBain really enjoyed writing this.
111. 3/5 Epic Tomatoes - Craig LeHoullier
Great history of tomato varieties.
September - Pages read: 5306
112. 5/5 Theft of Swords - Michael J Sullivan (audio)
Excellent sword and sorcery!
113. 3/5 Probable Paws - Leann Dobbs (audio)
I almost gave it up but it got better. Ghosts, missing books, interfering sheriff.
114. 4/5 Death Pays A Visit - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Slueths are advised of murder before it happens.
115. 5/5 Bearers of the Black Staff - Terry Brooks (audio)
If you ignore modern idioms used 500 years after destruction, great story.
116. 3/5 Ghosts - Ed McBain (audio)
2 different murders but are they related?
117. 4/5 Gateways - Elizabeth Hull ED. (audio)
Stories written in style of Frederick Pohl. About half are outstanding.
118. 5/5 Tidy the F*ck Up - Messie Condo (audio)
This was a funny poke at Marie Kondo, but includes valid dejunking tips.
119. 5/5 The Measure of Magic - Terry Brooks (audio)
The new Bearer of the Black staff has to battle trolls and demon. Conclusion.
120. 3/5 Winnie the Pooh (dramatized) - A. A. Milne (audio)
Cast presentation was great. Story, well, I'm not a kid anymore.
121. 2/5 The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff (audio)
Loved the poem near the end. Simon Vance made this book tolerable.
122. 5/5 Peace Talks - Jim Butcher (audio)
1st of 2 parts. Excellent, kept my attention.
123. 5/5 Body at Bunco - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Murder amongst the gnomes;
October - Pages read: 4014
124. 5/5 Wizard at Large - Terry Brooks (audio)
Way better than book 2. Story is cohesive.
125. 3/5 Buchanan's Gamble - Jonas Ward
Card game was boring, but rest of story was great.
126. 5/5 Battle Ground - Jim Butcher (audio)
This was great! 80% of book is battle!!
127. 5/5 Murder on Opening Night - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Still love this series. Actress dies on stage while Myrtle and Miles watch.
128. 5/5 The Institute - Stephen King (audio)
This was incredibly suspenseful but difficult in the beginning.
129. 3/5 Cruising for Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Murder on a cruise. Plot didn't work well for me.
130. 5/5 Cetaganda - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)
Miles and his cousin are being framed on Cetaganda.
131. 5/5 Wards of Faerie - Terry Brooks (audio)
The Druid's Keep is a dark character in this book.
132. 3/5 Ethan of Athos - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio) *
Good story but lacks the humor in the Miles' stories.
133. 4/5 Bloodfire Quest - Terry Brooks (audio)
I had some issues with the plot in this 2nd book of trilogy.
134. 5/5 Witch Wraith - Terry Brooks (audio)
Thrilling end to trilogy.
135. 4/5 Cooking is Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Good story but getting a bit formulaic.
November - Pages read: 3844
136. 5/5 Tangle Box - Terry Brooks (audio)
Enjoyed but the plot confusion in center. Apparently on purpose.
137. 5/5 Brothers In Arms - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)
Miles is on Earth. Makes up clone to hide his dual role.
138. 5/5 Mischief - Ed McBain
The Deaf Man. Again!
139. 4/5 Body in the Trunk - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
This time Myrtle and Miles find a body in the trunk.
140. 4/5 Cleaning is Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)
Myrtle and Miles are called to investigate a body found by someone else.
141. 5/5 Plan For The Worst - Jodi Taylor (audio)
Micean, the princes, and other historical stops.
142. 5/5 The Big Bad City - Ed McBain *
Carella is being tailed by his Dad's killer.
143. 4/5 Pretty Is As Pretty Dies - Elizabeth Spann Craig
This first book isn't nearly as good as the rest of the series. Intro to series.
144. 5/5 High Druid's Blade - Terry Brooks (audio)
Excellent start to new trilogy.
145. 4/5 Darkling Child - Terry Brooks (audio)
Some kind of disconnect on this plot. Progress though.
146. 4/5 The Sorcerer's Daughter - Terry Brooks (audio)
Good ending, but not my favorite trilogy in Shannara world.
December - Pages read: 3056
147. 5/5 Mirror Dance - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)
Mark attempts to rescue the clones left behind.
148. 5/5 Black Elfstone - Terry Brooks (audio)
Good beginning. Multiple plots.
149. 5/5 The Skaar Invasion - Terry Brooks (audio)
Lots of betrayal and a cliffhanger!
150. 3/5 Le Guide Officiel To Becoming British: How to Fit In When You're French - Muriel Demarcus
Pretty funny.
151. 5/5 The Stiehl Assassin - Terry Brooks (audio)
Oh no! The bad guys are winning!
152. 5/5 The Last Druid - Terry Brooks (audio)
Great ending to series! I feel bad for Drisker, but he did good.
153. 3/5 Zero G - Dan Wells (audio)
Good kid's science fiction
154. 2/5 Moon Trilogy - C L Belvill
1st & 3rd books are paranormal mommie p*rn. 2nd book was 3 star
155. 4/5 Princess of Landover - Jim Butcher (audio)
Final book in series. Confusing/boring in spots, but overall good.
* - unowned
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TBR = owned books
TBR (audio) Jan 1: 1013 (includes freebees)
TBR (ebooks) Jan 1: 1356 (includes magazines, no freebees)
Audiobooks listened: 131 (including 07 freebies, 4 abandoned, 15 re-reads)
Books Read: 050 (including 03 freebies, 0 abandoned, 1 re-read)
Books otherwise removed from TBR: 2
Book Rating/Comments:
1: Awful, or did not finish
2: So, so, or not to my taste
3: Good book
4: Very good book; possible reread.
5: Wonderful book! A keeper.
