Rainbow Reading Challenge - Completed

I finished the Rainbow Reading Challenge a few months ago. I did a mixture of Fiction and Non-Fiction. 

Rainbow Reading Challenge 

Red -- Radiant Rebellion - Karen Walrond 

Orange -- The Diary of a Young Girl (75th Anniversary - The Definitive Edition) - Anne Franke * ‡

Yellow -- Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Green -- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) - Suzanne Collins

Dark Blue -- Somebody's Daughter - Ashley C. Ford

Light Blue -- Summer Sisters - Judy Blume

Purple -- Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5) - Suzanne Collins 

Pink -- Let's Call Her Barbie - Renee Olson

White -- The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas ‡

Black -- Newtown: An American Tragedy - Matthew Lysiak 

Brown -- Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey

Grey -- Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty

Template can be found on Pinterest via @emilyreads15

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned

Goodreads Review - "Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5"

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5: The Magic of Oz; Glinda of Oz; The Royal Book of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Magic of Oz (4 stars)

This story follows Kiki Art and the Nome King traveling around Oz. Kiki wants to get away from his home and takes some magic from his father which just happens to be a word that needs to be said in order to transform anyone into anything. It also follows the adventure of Captain Bill and Trot out on a search for a birthday present for Ozma and then Dorothy and the Wizard have to come and rescue them. At some point the two groups meet up. It wasn’t my favorite of this volume but it was still fill with creativity. The Lonesome Duck is my favorite character from this story. Here’s a quote from him about his home when it was questioned as to why it was the best in all the world, “a home of any sort should be beautiful to those who live in it, and should not be intended to please strangers. The Diamond Palace is my home, and I like it. So I don’t care a quack whether you like it or not.”

*Side note: It's important to remember that this book was published in 1919 which means that some words are used in a different context like the word ‘f*ggot which was used as “bundle of f*ggots”. I looked up the definition and the older use for the word was: “a bundle of sticks”.

Glinda of Oz (4 stars)

Another adventure in Oz where Dorothy and Ozma have to help prevent a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. This book was my favorite of this volume because the but creativity was really good even with it being the 14th book in the series. There was a part where both of them were in the tent and Dorothy was thinking “how she wished that all men and women could be fairies with silver wands, and satisfy all their needs without so much work and worry, for then, she imagined, they would have all their working hours to be happy in.” and Ozma—reading her mind—responded with, "No, no, Dorothy, that wouldn't do at all. Instead of happiness your plan would bring weariness to the world. If every one could wave a wand and have his wants fulfilled there would be little to wish for. There would be no eager striving to obtain the difficult, for nothing would then be difficult, and the pleasure of earning something longed for, and only to be secured by hard work and careful thought, would be utterly lost. There would be nothing to do you see, and no interest in life and in our fellow creatures. That is all that makes life worth our while-to do good deeds and to help those less fortunate than ourselves."


The Royal Book of Oz (3 stars)

This book was okay but it was the first of the series to be written after L. Frank Baum’s death by Ruth Plumly Thompson. The adventure wasn't too exciting but the creativity was good. This story follows the origin of the Scarecrow where he goes looking for his family. After a while, Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion get worried and go looking for him and bring him back to Oz.

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Goodreads Review - "Atmosphere"

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Atmosphere is a beautifully emotional and deeply engaging read that I absolutely loved. As a NASA and space enthusiast, I was instantly drawn in by how thoughtfully the author blends real history with fiction. The book stays impressively true to NASA’s historical facts, especially in its acknowledgment of Group 8 as the first class to include women, Black, and Asian astronauts. From there, it follows a fictional group of astronauts in the summer of 1980, alongside imagined missions set in December 1984. The dual timeline is handled exceptionally well, flowing smoothly and adding depth to the story.

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Joan’s story and Sally Ride’s, which added an extra layer of meaning for me. While I’m not usually drawn to love stories, this one felt different. It wasn’t overly romantic or heavy-handed; instead, it focused more on the powerful human connections that form under extraordinary circumstances, and that made it feel authentic and moving.

I was captivated from beginning to end, and the final section truly is an emotional roller coaster. One quote that perfectly captured the heart of the story was:
“Just the act of falling in love was to agree to a broken heart.”
There were so many other beautiful lines as well, and I found myself saving several to revisit later.

This was an easy five-star read for me—emotional, thoughtful, and unforgettable.

----------------

"But as Joan watched the Earth through the window now, it struck her as monumentally absurd that any of this had been a race with any opponent. Whatever the stated or unstated goals of the Apollo program, the achievements of everyone in space were shared, she thought, among us all. Humans had figured out how to put a satellite up there. Humans had gone to the moon. And sure, they were all Americans in that shuttle at that very moment. But for the space shuttle program to be an American victory felt so small compared to the victory that it could be, should be. Look what we humans had done.

“Because the world had decided that to be soft was to be weak, even though in Joan's experience being soft and flexible was always more durable than being hard and brittle. Admitting you were afraid always took more guts than pretending you weren't. Being willing to make a mistake got you further than never trying. The world had decided that to be fallible was weak. But we are all fallible. The strong ones are the ones who accept it.”

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2025 Reading Wrap Up - Ratings

★★★★★

A Map of Days (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #4) - Ransom Riggs

All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, #2) - John Boyne

And How Does That Make You Feel? - Joshua Fletcher

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon - Jeffrey Kruger

Atmosphere - Taylor Reid Jenkins

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space - Adam Higginbotham

Emotional Intelligence: Good Habits - Harvard Business Review

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert - Bob the Drag Queen

Harry Styles is Life - Kathleen Perricone

In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur - Karen Walrond

Lady Gaga is Life - Kathleen Perricone 

Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Poems & Prayers - Matthew McConaughey

Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell - Karen Walrond 

Rihanna is Life - Kathleen Perricone

Room - Emma Donoghue

Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2) - T.J. Klune

Summer Sisters - Judy Blume 

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) - Suzanne Collins

The Astronaut Wives Club - Lily Koppel

The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit - Karen Walrond 

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath ‡

The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding - Sarah Burns

The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty - Valerie Bauerlein

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom - Shari Franke

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton * ‡

Wolly Olly Olly the Terrible Cow - Lindsey L. Brooks

Women Don't Owe You Pretty - Florence Given

★★★★☆ 

A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr ‡

Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty

Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door - Roy Wenzl

Brave Enough - Cheryl Strayed

Cold Hearted (Villains, #8) - Serena Valentino

Drag Queen of Scots - Lawrence Chaney

Emotional Intelligence: Inclusion - Harvard Business Review

Evil Things (Villains, #7) - Serena Valentino

Falling Bodies (The Far Reaches, #3) - Rebecca Roanhorse

Glinda of Oz (Oz, #14) - L. Frank Baum

How Poetry Can Change Your Heart - Megan Falley & Andrea Gibson

How to Be More Paddington: A Book of Kindness - Michael Bond

How We Sleep at Night - Sara Cunningham

I Don't Need Therapy: and other lies I've told myself - Toni Lodge

I See You Seeing Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #4) - Issa Rae

Let's Call Her Barbie - Renée Rosen

Mother Knows Best (Villains, #5) - Serena Valentino

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 4 - L. Frank Baum

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 - L. Frank Baum

Parkland: A Birth of a Movement - Dave Cullen

Playing Well with Others (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #2) - Issa Rae

Rinkitink in Oz (Oz, #10) - L. Frank Baum

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - Stephen King

The Big Cheese (The Food Group, #7) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

The Dogs of Venice - Steven Rowley

The Fall Risk - Abby Jimenez

The Geography of Creativity (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #3) - Issa Rae

The Lost Princess of Oz (Oz, #11) - L. Frank Baum 

The Magic of Oz, (Oz, #13) - L. Frank Baum

The Odd Sisters (Villains, #6) - Serena Valentino

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky ‡

The Tin Woodman of Oz (Oz, #12) - L. Frank Baum

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Temple

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, #1) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Escapes (The Wild Robot, #2) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot, #3) - Peter Brown

Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne ‡

★★★☆☆ 

Abscond - Abraham Verghese

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel - Amy Price

Death Row (Alibis Collection, #1) - Freida McFadden

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #4) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #1) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #3) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #2) - Pottermore Publishing

How to Be Loved Like Paddington - Michael Bond

I Almost Know What I'm Doing (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #6) - Issa Rae

Just Out of Jupiter's Reach (The Far Reaches, #5) - Nnedi Okorafor 

Mistress of All Evil (Villains, #4) - Serena Valentino

Oh. What. Fun. - Chandler Baker

Oklahoma City: What the Investigation Missed--and Why It Still Matters - Andrew Gumbel

The Art of Letting Go - Rain Naim

The Art of Strategic Procrastination (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #5) - Issa Rae

The Business of Being Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #1) - Issa Rae

The Last Father-Daughter Dance - Lisa Wingate

The Royal Book of Oz (Oz, #15) - Ruth Plumly Thompson

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Sublet - Greer Hendricks

Void (The Far Reaches, #2) - Veronica Roth

★★☆☆☆

How It Unfolds (The Far Reaches, #1) - James S.A. Corey

The Great Eggscape! (The Food Group, #2.1) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald ‡

★☆☆☆☆ 

Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box, #1) - Guillermo del Toro

Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare 

Slow Time Between Stars (The Far Reaches, #6) - John Scalzi 

The Long Game (The Far Reaches, #4) - Ann Leckie 

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned

2025 Reading Wrap Up

My 2025 Reading Wrap Up. This year I read 94 books and exceeded my goal of 85 books.

“The House of My Mother” by Shari Franke was the overall winner and the non-fiction winner with “Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space” by Adam Higginbotham coming in second. On the fiction side I had “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid as the winner with “All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, #2)” by John Boyne coming in second.

2025 Books Read 

Non-Fiction - Memoirs:

How We Sleep at Night - Sara Cunningham

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom - Shari Franke

Non-Fiction - Audiobooks: 

Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel - Amy Price

Drag Queen of Scots - Lawrence Chaney

I Don't Need Therapy: and other lies I've told myself - Toni Lodge

Non-Fiction - Mental Health | Personal Growth:

And How Does That Make You Feel? - Joshua Fletcher

In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur - Karen Walrond

Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell - Karen Walrond 

Women Don't Owe You Pretty - Florence Given

Non-Fiction - Leadership | Business:

Emotional Intelligence: Good Habits - Harvard Business Review

Emotional Intelligence: Inclusion - Harvard Business Review

Non-Fiction - History: 

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon - Jeffrey Kruger

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space - Adam Higginbotham

The Astronaut Wives Club - Lily Koppel

Non-Fiction - True Crime: 

Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door - Roy Wenzl

Oklahoma City: What the Investigation Missed--and Why It Still Matters - Andrew Gumbel

Parkland: A Birth of a Movement - Dave Cullen

The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding - Sarah Burns

The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty - Valerie Bauerlein

Non-Fiction: 

Brave Enough - Cheryl Strayed

Harry Styles is Life - Kathleen Perricone

Lady Gaga is Life - Kathleen Perricone 

Rihanna is Life - Kathleen Perricone

The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit - Karen Walrond 

Fiction: 

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr ‡

Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarty

Atmosphere - Taylor Reid Jenkins

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert - Bob the Drag Queen

Let's Call Her Barbie - Renée Rosen

Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Room - Emma Donoghue

Summer Sisters - Judy Blume 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Temple

Fiction - Audiobooks:

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - Stephen King

Fiction - Classics:

Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare 

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath ‡

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald ‡

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton * ‡

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky ‡

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

Fiction - Series: 

Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2) - T.J. Klune

A Map of Days (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #4) - Ransom Riggs

Rinkitink in Oz (Oz, #10) - L. Frank Baum

The Lost Princess of Oz (Oz, #11) - L. Frank Baum 

The Tin Woodman of Oz (Oz, #12) - L. Frank Baum

The Magic of Oz, (Oz, #13) - L. Frank Baum

Glinda of Oz (Oz, #14) - L. Frank Baum

The Royal Book of Oz (Oz, #15) - Ruth Plumly Thompson

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 4 - L. Frank Baum

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5 - L. Frank Baum

All the Broken Places (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, #2) - John Boyne

Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) - Suzanne Collins

Mistress of All Evil (Villains, #4) - Serena Valentino

Mother Knows Best (Villains, #5) - Serena Valentino

The Odd Sisters (Villains, #6) - Serena Valentino

Evil Things (Villains, #7) - Serena Valentino

Cold Hearted (Villains, #8) - Serena Valentino

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, #1) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Escapes (The Wild Robot, #2) - Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot, #3) - Peter Brown

Poetry: 

How Poetry Can Change Your Heart - Megan Falley & Andrea Gibson

Poems & Prayers - Matthew McConaughey

Short Stories - Fiction:

Abscond - Abraham Verghese

Oh. What. Fun. - Chandler Baker

The Dogs of Venice - Steven Rowley

The Last Father-Daughter Dance - Lisa Wingate

The Fall Risk - Abby Jimenez

The Sublet - Greer Hendricks

Short Stories - Fiction - Series: 

Death Row (Alibis Collection, #1) - Freida McFadden

How It Unfolds (The Far Reaches, #1) - James S.A. Corey

Void (The Far Reaches, #2) - Veronica Roth

Falling Bodies (The Far Reaches, #3) - Rebecca Roanhorse

The Long Game (The Far Reaches, #4) - Ann Leckie 

Just Out of Jupiter's Reach (The Far Reaches, #5) - Nnedi Okorafor 

Slow Time Between Stars (The Far Reaches, #6) - John Scalzi 

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #1) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #2) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #3) - Pottermore Publishing

Harry Potter: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures (Harry Potter: A Journey Through, #4) - Pottermore Publishing

Falling Down (The Boy in the Iron Box, #1) - Guillermo del Toro

Short Stories - Non Fiction:

The Art of Letting Go - Rain Naim

The Business of Being Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #1) - Issa Rae

Playing Well with Others (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #2) - Issa Rae

The Geography of Creativity (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #3) - Issa Rae

I See You Seeing Me (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #4) - Issa Rae

The Art of Strategic Procrastination (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #5) - Issa Rae

I Almost Know What I'm Doing (I Should Be Smarter By Now, #6) - Issa Rae

Children's Books:

A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond

How to Be Loved Like Paddington - Michael Bond

How to Be More Paddington: A Book of Kindness - Michael Bond

The Big Cheese (The Food Group, #7) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

The Great Eggscape! (The Food Group, #2.1) - Jory John & Pete Oswald

Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne ‡

Wolly Olly Olly the Terrible Cow - Lindsey L. Brooks

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned

Goodreads Review - "Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space"

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The history behind NASA and space exploration is one of my favorite subjects to read about or watch a documentary of. I’ve seen the “Challenger: The Final Flight” documentary on Netflix at least four times. This book was released after that documentary and includes most of the info from it; however, it also provides even more details. Adam Higginbotham has delivered us with an extensively researched and well written story of what really happened.

This disaster should have never happened. It wasn’t an accident and I refuse to ever call it that. This was prideful negligence on the part of NASA leaders who strong-armed others to agree with them to continue the launch despite the recommendations not to. You would think that NASA would have learned their lesson after the Apollo 1 fatal fire. They didn’t. They allowed their hubris to take front and center stage.

We owe a lot to Al McDonald and his bravery for standing up & speaking the truth at the Rogers Commission of what really happened the night before in a meeting between NASA and Thiokol. It’s even more disturbing that NASA officials didn’t inform the astronauts of the risk of launching that morning. General Donald Kutyna said to Larry Mallory during the hearings, “Larry, if this were an airplane, an airliner, and I just had a two-hour argument with Boeing on whether the wing was going to fall off or not, I think I would tell the pilot.”

Dr. Judy Resnik’s last words were hauntingly beautiful. Before she entered the front cabin, she looked at Christa McAuliffe and said, “The next time I see you, we’ll be in space.”

The last part of President Reagan’s address to the nation (which includes a couple lines from the poem “High Flight”): “The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”

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Goodreads Review - "Poems & Prayers"

Poems & Prayers by Matthew McConaughey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book of poems & prayers and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves poetry. I saved a few poems and quotes and this one was my favorite:

"The American dream is a promise for the opportunity to at least fail, and possibly succeed. Seems like the path to this dream is more undefined now than it's ever been. To those among us who don't believe in it and say, "It's not real," I say to you: "At least America's still trying." That's simply not true in so many other countries. So, whether you think it's a dream or an illusion, if nothing else, it's the best nightmare available.

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Goodreads Review - "In Defense of Dabbling"

In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur by Karen Walrond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve said it before and I say it again, there are less than 5 authors that I will preorder a book from and Karen is one of them. I haven’t been dissappointed yet. This book was the one that I was most excited for because in the last couple of years, I’ve been pretty bored and wanting to try new hobbies. I love how she writes her books which includes not just her talking about her experience or knowledge on any subject matter, she includes conversations she has with other people on the same subject. She talks about the 7 attributes of intentional amateurism and dives even further with each one: curiosity, mindfulness, self-compassion, play, stretch zone, connection, and wonder & awe. I love that she talks about dabbling in past hobbies as well as discovering new ones. I’ve been cross stitching for almost 3 decades now and I don’t plan to stop but I’m eager to branch out into other crafts involving needle & thread.

“Given that leisure is our birthright and that the practice of leisure activities in a ritualistic way can be a spiritual practice, intentional amateurism has the potential to be a powerful form of self-care.  And the beauty of this is that any activity we choose as a potential avocation—whether it involves returning to a past passion or dabbling in something new—could be a perfect candidate for this restful, restorative practice. Dusting off those roller skates, or grabbing the violin from the attic, or reaching for those oil paints after a long hiatus, especially when your moves don’t come as easily as they used to: These things are hard.”

I used a lot of sticky tabs for this book but here’s a couple of quotes from the book I loved:

“As for me, I’ll never have the virtuosity of say, Billy Joel.  But I’ve learned that it takes grit to return to something I used to do well.  It requires showing myself compassion by releasing the idea of perfection I’d held in my youth and embracing the evolution of my current capabilities.”

“When we talk about ‘perfectionism’ or constantly attempting to be right, we’re concerned about what other people think of our performance….. Your goal isn’t about the end result so much as it is an inquiry into your activity and your reaction to it.  It’s about disconnecting yourself from the quality of your results as defined by other people.  And to an extent, it’s also about disconnecting yourself from your own expectations of yourself.” – Jeff Harry

I’ve decided to compile a list of new, current, and old hobbies that I want to dabble in a little more.

New Hobbies: Book Binding | Thread Painting | Macre-Weaving (Macrame Weaving) | Diorama/Book Nook building | Ukulele | Kalimba | Oboe | Mandala Rock Paintings | Gypsum Art
Current Hobbies: Cross stitching | Reading | Embroidery | LEGO | Macrame | Running/Walking | Music | Diamond Painting | Epoxy/Resin Art | Beading | Candle Making
Old Hobbies: Bowling | Archery | Flute | Piccolo | Alto Saxophone | Yoga | Tennis | Pickleball | Roller Skating | Kite Flying | Poetry/Writing | Sewing | Traveling | Baking

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Goodreads Review - "The Dogs of Venice"

The Dogs of Venice by Steven Rowley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I marked this book as finished, I noticed my “Read” Goodreads bookshelf now said 555. That’s how many books I’ve read in my life. I looked up the meaning behind 555 and it symbolizes major life changes, transformation, and personal growth which is very fitting for this book.

Here’s my favorite quote from the book:
“Perhaps how to be alone wasn’t even the lesson Paul was seeking; how to be present was. There was music and wonder in life to be had, and yes, sometimes it was nice to experience it with another, but it didn’t come from being with someone else. The world could be appreciated alone, even when it felt scary.”

The reference to Diane Keaton made me a little sad.

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Goodreads Review - "Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 4"

Oz, The Complete Collection, Volume 4: Rinkitink in Oz / The Lost Princess of Oz / The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This volume was one of my favorites so far.

Rinkitink in Oz (4 stars)

I really liked this book in the series after that last few that I have read that I rated 3 stars. There's always an adventure and something to overcome. I'm a bit confused at why the title was about Rinkitink when he wasn't even the main character but the story was still good. The ending for King Gos and Queen Cor was not something I expected. And last, the story line for Bilbil, the goat, was a great twist at the end.

I really did love this quote about Zella who is Nikobob's daughter: "She was a brave little girl and poor people are often obliged to take chances that rich ones are spared."

Side note: It's extremely important to remember that this book was published in 1916 which means that some words are used in a different context like the word 'molest' which was used quite few times in the book. The older definition and the use for the word was: "to bother, interfere with, or annoy." It has since been updated in the dictionary to reflect the current definition.

The Lost Princess of Oz (4 stars)

This story was actually really good. There's always an adventure and something to overcome. Princess Ozma goes missing (along with other magical items) and the characters have to go on a journey to rescue her. I love that a lot of the main characters from the beginning were more present in this story. The Mysterious City was one of my favorites and how they (well it was Scraps) figured out how to get in was quite fun to read.

There was a section in the book where they were comparing beauty and who was the most beautiful and the Lion responded with the following and I loved this: "Were we all like the Sawhorse, we would all be Sawhorses, which would be too many of the kind; were we all like Hank, we would be a herd of mules; if like Toto, we would be a pack of dogs; should we all become the shape of the Woozy, he would no longer be remarkable for his unusual appearance. Finally, were you all like me, I would consider you so common that I would not care to associate with you. To be individual, my friends, to be different from others, is the only way to become distinguished from the common herd. Let us be glad, therefore, that we differ from one another in form and in disposition. Variety is the spice of life and we are various enough to enjoy one another's society; so let us be content."

Another favorite part was when Toto lost his growl and said "But how about my lost growl?" and the Lion responded with, "The growl is of importance only to you. So it is your business to worry over the loss, not ours. If you love us, do not afflict your burdens on us; be unhappy all by yourself."

And lastly this quote from Ugu the Shoemaker said: "For many days of quiet thought have shown me that only those things one acquires honestly are able to render one content."


The Tin Woodman of Oz (4 stars)
This one was another favorite in this series. You would think that as many books as there are in this series, the creativity would run dry but it hasn't yet. This story follows the Tin Woodman's story about a munchkin he was suppose to marry before he got stuck in the woods until Dorothy came to his rescue in the first book. After encouragement from Woot the Wanderer, they go on a journey to find his first love and marry her.

I was not expecting how much would happen and how they linked a lot of it to the books before like the nine tiny piglets and where they came from originally before they now live with the Wizard of Oz. We get to find out what became of his body parts after the Wicked Witch had cursed his axe. And last, the ending to the story was not predictable as I thought it would be and I loved it. I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything.

There were a few quotes that I loved in the book so I'll share them here: "When one travels, it is foolish to miss any interesting sight." - the Scarecrow

"I'm glad they didn't invite us in. I hope I'm not too particular about my associates, but I draw the line at pigs." - Captain Fyter

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A Note on Empathy by Jeff Guenther, LPC

It makes sense if you don't feel a deep well of empathy for someone who made a career out of refusing to show it for others. 

I want to normalize that because sometimes when a public figure dies especially in a tragic way, people rush to say, you have to be compassionate right now. Don't speak ill of the dead but if that person spent their life dismissing other people's pain, mocking it, minimizing it, even actively contributing to it, it makes sense that your empathy tank might run dry. 

That doesn't mean you're celebrating. It doesn't mean you're cold hearted. It just means your compassion has limits and those limits are often shaped by how much compassion someone showed in their lifetime. 

There’s actually something psychologically healthy about noticing that boundary. You're not obligated to manufacture sorrow for someone who never extended any to you, your community, or people you care about. 

You can hold both I don't wish this on anyone and I don't feel sad about it either. That's not cruelty. That's honesty and it feels really weird and uncomfortable to hold both of those in your body at the same time. 

This isn't about telling you not to be compassionate. It's about giving you permission to notice whatever you honestly feel or don't feel and trust that it's valid. 

- Jeff Guenther, LPC

Goodreads Review - "The Devil at His Elbow"

The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty by Valerie Bauerlein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I highly recommend this book even if you've already seen documentaries about the Murdaugh family. This is the best book out there on this story. There's so much information on this family and the tragedies surrounding them. The writing was so good and it flowed very well.


There were a few quotes that stuck out to me:

"Alex had his secrets.  So did his forefathers.  Alex’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather could make secrets disappear, and they had taught Alex to embrace the family ethos: To live above the law, you must become the law."

"For more than a century, the Murdaughs had practiced the art of putting a polished sheen over the mess of reality.

"Waters pressed Alex on the magnitude of his success and influence. There was an absurdity to Alex's disputing something so plainly true, as if he were so accustomed to swimming in the water of privilege, he forgot it was water at all."

"A dominant impression, shared by many, was that Moselle felt like a place where the barrier between the living and the dead was very thin."

View all my reviews

my bookshelf....(updated)

 

2024 Reading Wrap Up - Ratings

                            

★★★★★

A Nearly Normal Family - M.T. Edvardsson

Ain't Burned All the Bright - Jason Reynolds

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle & Dante, #1) - Benjamin Alire Saenz

Barbie: The Screenplay - Greta Gerwig

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones - Dolly Parton

Beyond the Gender Binary - Alok Vaid-Menon

Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0) - Angie Thomas

Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters - Andrew Morton

Emotional Intelligence: Managing Your Anxiety - Harvard Business Review

Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them (Fantastic Beasts, #1) - J.K. Rowling

Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts, #2) - J.K. Rowling

Fantastic Beasts The Secrets of Dumbledore (Fantastic Beasts, #3) - J.K. Rowling

From Here to the Great Unknown - Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough

Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey

How Ya'll Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived - Leslie Jordan * 

It Ends with Us (It Ends With Us, #1) - Colleen Hoover

Karma - Boy George

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #3) - Ransom Riggs

Lily and the Octopus - Steven Rowley

Lucille Bell Treasures - Cindy De La Hoz

Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay - Cyndie Spiegel

Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit - John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker

Newtown: An American Tragedy- Matthew Lysiak

Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter

Sociopath - Patric Gagne

Taylor Swift is Life - Kathleen Perricone

The Blood of Emmett Till - Timothy B. Tyson

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, #1) - John Boyne *

The House of Hidden Meanings - RuPaul

The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1) - Freida McFadden

The Forgotten Chapter (Blaze Collection, #3) - Pam Jenoff

The Guncle Abroad (The Guncle, #2) - Steven Rowley

The Official Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book - Taylor Swift

The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary - Chloe O. Davis

The Queens' English: The Young Readers' LGBTQIA+ Dictionary - Chloe O. Davis

The Woman In Me - Britney Spears

The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn

The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be - Joanna Gaines *

Where Was God? - Jennifer Dawn Turpin

We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie

★★★★☆ 

A Brilliant Life: My Mother's Inspiring True Story of Surviving the Holocaust - Rachelle Unreich

All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda

Amelia's Shadow (Blaze Collection, #1) - Marie Benedict

Animal Farm - George Orwell

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume

August: Osage County - Tracy Letts

Barriers to Entry (Blaze Collection, #7) - Ariel Lawhon 

Candace (The Fairer Sex Collection, #1) - Michelle Miller

Disney: Winnie the Pooh (Tiny Book) - Brooke Vitale

Eat Drink Nap: Bringing the House Home - Soho House

Fallen Grace (Blaze Collection, #6) - Sadeqa Johnson

for colored girls who have considered suicide - Ntozake Shange

Gray Malin: Coastal - Gray Malin

Great LGBTQ+ Speeches - Tea Uglow

GuRu - RuPaul *

If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer - O.J. Simpson

In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Kline

It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2) - Colleen Hoover

Kill Joy (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #0.5) - Holly Jackson

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

Name Drop - Ross Mathews

Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders - John Glatt

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

The Answer is No - Fredrik Backman

The Art of Drag - Jake Hall

The Beast Within (Villains, #2) - Serena Valentino

The Best Girls (Disorder Collection, #1) - Min Jin Lee

The June Paintings (Blaze Collection, #2) - Maggie Shipstead

The Last Mrs. Parrish (Mrs. Parrish, #1) - Liv Constantine

The One and Only Family (The One and Only Ivan, #4) - Katherine Applegate

the princess saves herself in this one - Amanda Lovelace

The Red Bandanna: A Life. A Choice. A Legacy. - Tom Rinaldi

Two Women Walk Into a Bar - Cheryl Strayed

★★★☆☆ 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

Alicia (The Fairer Sex Collection, #3) - Michelle Miller

All in Good Taste - Kate Spade

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1) - Roald Dahl

Clara (The Fairer Sex Collection, #5) - Michelle Miller

Eleanor (The Fairer Sex Collection, #7) - Michelle Miller

Enemy of the People: The Untold Story of the Journalists Who Opposed Hitler - Terrence Petty

Fires to Come (Blaze Collection, #4) - Asha Lemmie

Fairest of All (Villains, #1) - Serena Valentino

Heartstopper: Volume 5 - Alice Oseman

Natural Selection - Elon Hilderbrand

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 3 - L. Frank Baum

Poor Unfortunate Soul (Villains, #3) - Serena Valentino

The Deal of a Lifetime - Fredrik Backman

The Life of Christine Jorgensen - Jennifer Hopkins

The Patchwork Girl of Oz (Oz, #7) - L. Frank Baum

The Raven - Edgar Allen Poe

The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler - William L. Shirer

The Scarecrow of Oz (Oz, #9) - L. Frank Baum

The Summer We Believed (Denim Days, #1) - Shel Delisle

The Texas Tower Sniper: The Terrifying True Story of Charles Whitman - Ryan Green

The World According to Mister Rogers - Fred Rogers

Tik-Tok of Oz (Oz, #8) - L. Frank Baum

Tune in Tomorrow (Blaze Collection, #5) - Melanie Benjamin

When We Were Friends - Jane Green

★★☆☆☆

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

Heidi (The Fairer Sex Collection, #4) - Michelle Miller

Loam (Disorder Collection, #2) - Scott Heim

Lovers at the Museum - Isabel Allende

Meredith (The Fairer Sex Collection, #2) - Michelle Miller

On Enemy Ground (The Spy Who Vanished, #2) - Alma Katsu

Shaken, Not Stirred (The Spy Who Vanished, #3) - Alma Katsu

The Vanishing Man (The Spy Who Vanished, #1) - Alma Katsu

★☆☆☆☆ 

Anonymous (Disorder Collection, #4) - Uzodinma Iweala 

Cut & Thirst - Margaret Atwood

Hamlet - William Shakespeare

Harry Potter Spells - Prince Vincent

Keridee (The Fairer Sex Collection, #8) - Michelle Miller

Lauren (The Fairer Sex Collection, #6) - Michelle Miller

Mermaid - Jodi Picoult

The Absent-Minded Gentleman - Frank Heller

The Beckoning Fair One (Disorder Collection, #5) - Dan Chaon

Ungirls (Disorder Collection, #3) - Lauren Beaks

Will Williams (Disorder Collection, #6) - Namwali Serpell

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

2024 Reading Wrap Up

Here’s my 2024 Reading Wrap Up. This year I managed to read 117 books and exceeded my goal of 60 books. This is my first year to ever read over a hundred books. 

“The House of Hidden Meanings” by RuPaul was the overall winner and the non-fiction winner with “Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey coming in second. On the fiction side I had “The Guncle Abroad” by Steven Rowley as the winner with “A Nearly Normal Family” by M.T. Edvardsson coming in second.

2024 Books Read:

Non-Fiction - Memoirs:

Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey

How Ya'll Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived - Leslie Jordan * 

From Here to the Great Unknown - Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough

Karma - Boy George

Sociopath - Patric Gagne

The House of Hidden Meanings - RuPaul

The Woman In Me - Britney Spears

Where Was God? - Jennifer Dawn Turpin

Non-Fiction - Audiobooks: 

GuRu - RuPaul *

Non-Fiction - Personal Growth:

Emotional Intelligence: Managing Your Anxiety - Harvard Business Review

Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay - Cyndie Spiegel

Non-Fiction - True Crime: 

If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer - O.J. Simpson

Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit - John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker

Newtown: An American Tragedy- Matthew Lysiak

Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders - John Glatt

Non-Fiction - History: 

A Brilliant Life: My Mother's Inspiring True Story of Surviving the Holocaust - Rachelle Unreich

Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters - Andrew Morton

Great LGBTQ+ Speeches - Tea Uglow

The Art of Drag - Jake Hall

The Blood of Emmett Till - Timothy B. Tyson

The Red Bandanna: A Life. A Choice. A Legacy. - Tom Rinaldi

The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler - William L. Shirer

Non-Fiction: 

Ain't Burned All the Bright - Jason Reynolds

All in Good Taste - Kate Spade

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones - Dolly Parton

Beyond the Gender Binary - Alok Vaid-Menon

Eat Drink Nap: Bringing the House Home - Soho House

Gray Malin: Coastal - Gray Malin

Lucille Bell Treasures - Cindy De La Hoz

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

Name Drop - Ross Mathews

Taylor Swift is Life - Kathleen Perricone

The Life of Christine Jorgensen - Jennifer Hopkins

The Official Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book - Taylor Swift

The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary - Chloe O. Davis

The Queens' English: The Young Readers' LGBTQIA+ Dictionary - Chloe O. Davis

The World According to Mister Rogers - Fred Rogers

Fiction: 

A Nearly Normal Family - M.T. Edvardsson

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda

Animal Farm - George Orwell

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume

August: Osage County - Tracy Letts

Barbie: The Screenplay - Greta Gerwig

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

for colored girls who have considered suicide - Ntozake Shange

Hamlet - William Shakespeare

In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Kline

Lily and the Octopus - Steven Rowley

Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn

Fiction - Series: 

Kill Joy (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #0.5) - Holly Jackson

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle & Dante, #1) - Benjamin Alire Saenz

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, #1) - John Boyne *

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1) - Roald Dahl

Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them (Fantastic Beasts, #1) - J.K. Rowling

Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts, #2) - J.K. Rowling

Fantastic Beasts The Secrets of Dumbledore (Fantastic Beasts, #3) - J.K. Rowling

The Guncle Abroad (The Guncle, #2) - Steven Rowley

Heartstopper: Volume 5 - Alice Oseman

The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1) - Freida McFadden

It Ends with Us (It Ends with Us, #1) - Colleen Hoover

It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us, #2) - Colleen Hoover

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #3) - Ransom Riggs

The Last Mrs. Parrish (Mrs. Parrish, #1) - Liv Constantine

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 3 - L. Frank Baum

The Patchwork Girl of Oz (Oz, #7) - L. Frank Baum

Tik-Tok of Oz (Oz, #8) - L. Frank Baum

The Scarecrow of Oz (Oz, #9) - L. Frank Baum

Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0) - Angie Thomas

The One and Only Family (The One and Only Ivan, #4) - Katherine Applegate

Fairest of All (Villains, #1) - Serena Valentino

The Beast Within (Villains, #2) - Serena Valentino

Poor Unfortunate Soul (Villains, #3) - Serena Valentino

Poetry: 

the princess saves herself in this one - Amanda Lovelace

Short Stories - Fiction:

Cut & Thirst - Margaret Atwood

Harry Potter Spells - Prince Vincent

Lovers at the Museum - Isabel Allende

Mermaid - Jodi Picoult

Natural Selection - Elon Hilderbrand

The Absent-Minded Gentleman - Frank Heller

The Answer is No - Fredrik Backman

The Deal of a Lifetime - Fredrik Backman

The Raven - Edgar Allen Poe

When We Were Friends - Jane Green

Short Stories - Non Fiction:

Enemy of the People: The Untold Story of the Journalists Who Opposed Hitler - Terrence Petty

The Texas Tower Sniper: The Terrifying True Story of Charles Whitman - Ryan Green

Two Women Walk Into a Bar - Cheryl Strayed

We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie

Short Stories - Series: 

Amelia's Shadow (Blaze Collection, #1) - Marie Benedict

The June Paintings (Blaze Collection, #2) - Maggie Shipstead

The Forgotten Chapter (Blaze Collection, #3) - Pam Jenoff

Fires to Come (Blaze Collection, #4) - Asha Lemmie

Tune in Tomorrow (Blaze Collection, #5) - Melanie Benjamin

Fallen Grace (Blaze Collection, #6) - Sadeqa Johnson

Barriers to Entry (Blaze Collection, #7) - Ariel Lawhon 

The Summer We Believed (Denim Days, #1) - Shel Delisle

The Best Girls (Disorder Collection, #1) - Min Jin Lee

Loam (Disorder Collection, #2) - Scott Heim

Ungirls (Disorder Collection, #3) - Lauren Beaks

Anonymous (Disorder Collection, #4) - Uzodinma Iweala 

The Beckoning Fair One (Disorder Collection, #5) - Dan Chaon

Will Williams (Disorder Collection, #6) - Namwali Serpell

Candace (The Fairer Sex Collection, #1) - Michelle Miller

Meredith (The Fairer Sex Collection, #2) - Michelle Miller

Alicia (The Fairer Sex Collection, #3) - Michelle Miller

Heidi (The Fairer Sex Collection, #4) - Michelle Miller

Clara (The Fairer Sex Collection, #5) - Michelle Miller

Lauren (The Fairer Sex Collection, #6) - Michelle Miller

Eleanor (The Fairer Sex Collection, #7) - Michelle Miller

Keridee (The Fairer Sex Collection, #8) - Michelle Miller

The Vanishing Man (The Spy Who Vanished, #1) - Alma Katsu

On Enemy Ground (The Spy Who Vanished, #2) - Alma Katsu

Shaken, Not Stirred (The Spy Who Vanished, #3) - Alma Katsu

Children's Books:

Disney: Winnie the Pooh (Tiny Book) - Brooke Vitale

The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be - Joanna Gaines *

* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times