Book #101 of the year was Boleyn Traitor, by Philippa Gregory. I have been reading novels about Henry VIII and his wives since I was a teenager, so this story was familiar to me. It's about Jane Boleyn, who was married to Anne Boleyn's brother George. She survived her much more famous sister-in-law and lived to be a lady-in-waiting to several of Henry VIII's later queens. I always enjoy Gregory's books, and this terrible, tragic tale was no exception.
Book #102 was a book group pick, the "fluffy" book I teased at the end of my November Reading Update. It was my first Karen Kingsbury novel, The Christmas Ring. I can't say I'm eager to read more Kingsbury, but the book was fun to read and discuss with my lovely book group. We even got together for pizza and Christmas cookies to watch the movie!
Book #103 was Hazel Says No, by Jessica Berger Gross. I enjoyed this one. In the first chapter, Hazel is propositioned by an adult who should know better. The rest of the book deals with the fallout of Hazel saying no, on her family, her dad's new job, her senior year of high school, and Hazel herself.
Book #104 was The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer. Comer gives lots of practical suggestions for how to be more focused on what matters and less addicted to what doesn't. I found it worth reading.
Book #105 was a reread, The Hours, by Michael Cunningham. I still found it brilliantly written. And it brought back the circumstances of when I last read it, which I wrote about here.
Book #106 was The Heart of Winter, by Jonathan Evison. It's the story of a long marriage and all its ups and downs, starting with a difficult diagnosis of one of the partners and flashing back to moments all through their life together. I couldn't stop reading it.
Book #107 was Audition, by Katie Kitamura. This was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and lots of people loved it. I hated it and wished I hadn't kept reading. I kept thinking it was going to start being worthwhile. It did not.
Book #108 was another family saga like #106, The Bright Years, by Sarah Damoff. The first part of the book was just OK. I almost stopped reading because it seemed predictable. But I was very glad I hadn't. It ended up being a beautiful and satisfying story about a family that struggled, but eventually found ways for love to break through.
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