A to Z Reading Challenge - Completed

I finished the A to Z Reading Challenge a few weeks ago. I did a mixture of Fiction and Non-Fiction. 

A to Z Reading Challenge 

A -- Ain't Burned All The Bright - Jason Reynolds ‡

B -- The Bell Jar (50th Anniversary) - Sylvia Plath ‡

C -- Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid

D -- The Devil At His Elbow - Valerie Bauerlein

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

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

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

H -- The House of Hidden Meanings - RuPaul

I -- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou ‡

J -- Journey Into Darkness (Mindhunter, #2) - John Douglas & Mark Olshaker,

K -- Karma - Boy George

L -- The Lightmaker's Manifesto: How to Work For Change Without Losing Your Joy - Karen Walrond

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

N -- Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice - Virginia Roberts Giuffre

O -- The Opposite of Loneliness - Marina Keegan

P -- Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter

Q -- The Queen's English: The Young Reader's LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases - Chloe O. Davis

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

S -- Sociopath: A Memoir - Patric Gagne, PhD

T -- The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1) - Richard Osman

U -- Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune

V -- The Virgin Suicides (25th Anniversary Edition) - Jeffrey Eugenides ‡

W -- What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry, MD. PhD

X -- Anxious People - Fredrik Backman

Y -- You (You, #1) - Caroline Kepnes ‡

Z -- Zero Days - Ruth Ware

One Word Title -- Acres - Kendra Barnes

Color on the Cover -- The Color Purple - Alice Walker ‡

Number in the Title -- 11/22/63 - Stephen King

Animal on the Cover -- Lily and the Octopus - Steven Rowley

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* Books that have been read 2 times

† Books that have been read 3 times

‡ Books that are Banned

Goodreads Review - "His & Hers"

His & Hers by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Twisty. Gripping. Suspenseful.

"We all hide behind the version of ourselves we let the rest of the world see."

WOW! Just WOW! I won't give away the page number but during the first 1/3 of the book, I took a wild guess as to who I thought was the murderer and then I added another one to the list shortly after that and it turns out that I was right. I loved how I kept getting pulled in different directions as to who it was.

It was one of the first two that I thought all along but then there were twists towards the end that led me into another direction until the very last part where it was revealed who it was and I was right all along. It was just a lucky guess and I thought I had spoiled it for myself but the twist and turns had me second guessing the whole time.

Highly recommend this book especially if you've read a lot of suspense/thrillers. This one will leave you guessing the entire time.


A few quotes to save for later.

"Home is not always where the heart is. For people like me, home is where the hurt lives that made us into who we are." -- Anna Andrews

"You can't help someone find their way if they won't admit they're lost." -- Jack Harper

"In the future, I expect people will long for fifteen minutes of privacy, rather than fifteen minutes of fame." -- Anna Andrews

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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

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* 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

Emotional. Thoughtful. Unforgettable.

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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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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Goodreads Review - "Oz, Complete Collection, Volume 3"

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 3: The Patchwork Girl of Oz / Tik-Tok of Oz / The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Patchwork Girl of Oz (3 stars)
Another new adventure in the land of Oz. It was good but not too exciting. More characters were introduced. How the patchwork girl was created was very creative. On to the next adventure.

Tik-Tok of Oz (3 stars)
Each adventure is exciting to read with new and creative characters and places in the Land of Oz but this one was a bit boring for me. I'm still not sure why this was labeled after "Tik-Tok" because we barely got to see Tik-Tok and when we did, he didn't really do much but that's just my opinion. This review won't stop me from finishing the series because there are a lot of creative stories, characters, and places that I'm excited to see more of.


The Scarecrow of Oz (3 stars)
I love the fact that two new characters appeared from another one of L. Frank Baum's book outside of the Oz collection. The book is titled after the Scarecrow but he doesn't appear until the last half of the book. This books was okay but not one of my favorites. It's important to note that one of the chapter's title has the "m" word when referring to little people so it may be triggering for some.

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Date Read: 19 Apr - 15 Dec 2024

Goodreads Review - "It Ends with Us" (It Ends with Us, #1)

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure if I would like this book because I have been disappointed before when so many people hype up a book but not this time. Some parts were very hard to read but it had to be in there because people need to hear the raw and dark reality of domestic violence and what it can entail.

I always wonder where the naming of the book comes from while reading and when I finally read it, I loved the title even more.

“Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in the same familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet. It Ends With Us.”

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Date Read: 5 - 13 Jan 2024

Goodreads Review - "The Guncle" (The Guncle, #1)

The Guncle by Steven Rowley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love seeing more and more books with LGBTQ+ storylines because representation matters and I wish I would have seen more of these when I was a child.

When I read books I like to put a face to the person that I'm reading about. If it's already on the screen, then I look up the actors/actresses on iMDB. If it's not on screen yet, I just figure out which person would play the part if it did become one.

I just could not help myself while I was reading this novel. I was able to figure out who Patrick (the guncle) was from the very beginning because Steven Rowley did such a good job with it. I figured out exactly who would be perfect for this role and that's Dan Levy. I kept thinking that Patrick's character was somewhat close to David's character on Schitt's Creek. By doing this, I fell in love with the book even more.

If they make this a movie, I really hope it's Dan Levy as Patrick!! I can't wait for the next book in this series, The Guncle Abroad.

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Date Read: 13 - 17 Jul 2024

Goodreads Review - "The Winners" (Beartown, #3)

The Winners by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great ending to an amazing series!!! I would still rank Us Against You as my favorite of the series. This is my favorite quote from the book.

“All children are victims of their parents' childhoods, because all adults try to give their kids what they themselves enjoyed or lacked. In the end everything is either a revolt against the adults we encountered or an attempt to copy them. That's why someone who hated their own childhood often has greater empathy than someone who loved theirs. Because someone who had a hard time dreamed of other realities, but someone who had it easy can hardly imagine that things could be any different. We take happiness so easily for granted if we've had it from the start.” - Pg. 461 (paperback)

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Date Read: 12 Sep - 1 Nov 2023

Goodreads Review - "Reminders of Him"

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My first CoHo book and it did not disappoint. Very beautiful story!

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Date Read: 18 Apr - 14 Jun 2023

Goodreads Review - "Big Little Lies"

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This one is in my Top 10 favorite books. Decided to read it again this year.

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Date Read: 2017

Date Read: 20 - 30 Nov 2022

Goodreads Review - "Nineteen Minutes"

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jodi Picoult is an amazing writer and I’m still impressed every time I pick up a book from her.

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Date Read: 2  - 18 Jan 2020

Goodreads Review - "Pumpkin (Dumplin', 3)"

Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Dumplin’ series is one of my favorites and this one did not disappoint. LGBTQ+ representation matters. Very relatable story if you’re from a small Texas town like myself.

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Date Read: 14 - 19 Oct 2022

Goodreads Review - "Puddin' (Dumplin', 2)"

Puddin' by Julie Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Dumplin’ series is one of my favorites and this one did not disappoint. Very relatable story if you’re from a small Texas town like myself.

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Date Read: 5 - 11 Sep 2022

Goodreads Review - "Oz, Complete Collection, Volume 2"

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 2: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz / The Road to Oz / The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (4 stars)
This one was not my favorite of the series but it was still creative and really good. I love that there are more characters introduced and it was good to have Dorothy back. Eureka, the kitten, is my favorite character in this book.

The Road to Oz (4 stars)
Another adventure in Oz where a group of queer (which is what they are referred to in the book) people are getting from one location to the next. This book was not the best but the creativity was really good. Interesting to see that Santa Claus makes an appearance in this book.

The Emerald City of Oz (4 stars)
This book was okay. Not the best one. The adventure wasn't too exciting but the creativity was good. It was another adventure through other parts of Oz not previously mentioned and then leading to another battle at the end where the Nome King wants the magic belt back. I love the idea of the Forbidden Fountain. I kind of wish we had one of those in this world.

"Foolish fears, and worries over nothing, with a mixture of nerves and ifs, will soon make a Flutterbudget of any one." I guess if I could be any character in Oz, so far, it would be the Futterbudgets.

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Date Read: 6 Jan - 14 Mar 2023

Goodreads Review - "Oz, Complete Collection, Volume 1"

Oz, Complete Collection, Volume 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz / The Marvelous Land of Oz / Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (5 stars)
It's always fun to relive a childhood story but in a book instead of on the screen. I really enjoyed how different the book was from the movie.

The Marvelous Land of Oz (5 stars)
I really loved this book after the second half. It got more humorous and eventful towards the end. *Side note: It's extremely important to remember that this book was published in 1904 which means that some words are used in a different context like the word 'molest' which Jinjur and Glenda the Good Witch used. So I went and looked up the definition and the older use for the word was: "to bother, interfere with, or annoy." It has since been updated in the dictionary to reflect the current definition.

Ozma of Oz (4 stars)
Not as good as the 2nd book but it still kept my attention all the way until the end. Can't wait to start the next one.

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Date Read: 26 May - 4 Jul 2022

Goodreads Review - "Girl in Pieces"

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was pretty good. Very relatable and there were two quotes that I loved:

“Your job here is you. We are all here to get better, aren’t we?”
Which means: we are all presently shit.

and

I am having too many feelings! I need someone to hear my feelings!

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Date Read: 2 - 13 Dec 2022

Goodread Reviews - "Anxious People"

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fredrik Backman has yet to disappoint me! This book made me sad, happy, and hopeful all at the same time. I loved the humor (especially from Zara) and I laughed quite a bit while reading this novel.

This is the 4th book I have read from him ("A Man Called Ove", "Beartown", & "Us Against You"). I appreciate how he beautifully writes about emotions and the importance of human connection in his stories.

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Date Read: 10 - 29 Jan 2022