Suggested Books from the 2022 Reading ChallengeLike this list

100 items

• Anxious People

  Backman, Fredrik, 1981-

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  Backman has done it again! This was a beautiful story that really resonated with me. Each character was fully realized with humor, depth, and great emotion. I especially loved that each character represented a certain point in life, from expecting…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Intimacies

  Kitamura, Katie M.,

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  The premise of the book was unique but I felt the author could have been more detailed in her overall depiction. The characters weren't very in depth nor relatable. The ending felt abrupt and vague.

• The Lover's Dictionary

  Levithan, David

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  This book was very creative and well-written. I really enjoyed reading about the stages of a relationship through short journal like entries with various vocabulary serving as the basis for the entries. I would highly recommend any literary romance…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Where the Crawdads Sing

  Owens, Delia,

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  I was surprised to see mixed reviews of this book. I found it to be very moving and a wonderful, fictional story. I did have to adjust to the southern accent but other than that it was a real page turner. I was rooting for Kya throughout and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Yearbook

  Rogen, Seth, 1982-

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  Rogan's autobiographical essay collection has some funny stories but the theme of drug usage plays a prominent role in many of the essays. Overall, somewhat repetitive but otherwise, a fun read. Recommend to anyone interested in this comedic actor…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Oh William!

  An Amgash Novel

  Strout, Elizabeth,

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  I chose this book because, as an avid family history researcher, I was intrigued by the fact that the plot involved following up in information derived from Ancestry DNA matches. Little did I know that this book was one of several by Strout that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Love Marriage

  Ali, Monica, 1967-

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  Very compelling read. Shorter chapters, which in this age of Covid distraction, is actually a plus. Great characters and a storyline that seems fresh and relevant. I really enjoyed this book.

• Troubled Blood

  a Cormoran Strike Novel

  Galbraith, Robert,

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  Robert Galbraith (better known as J. K. Rowling) delivers on this fifth volume of the Cormoran Strike mystery series. For anyone familiar with Harry Potter, it will not come as a surprise that Galbraith builds a complex and twisted cold case that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Circe

  Miller, Madeline,

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  A modern retelling of the Odyssey from the perspective of a very minor character -- I actually re-read the Odyssey directly after this and was so surprised by how much of the original story made it into this retelling -- but Circe is so much more…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Song of Achilles

  Miller, Madeline,

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  A modern retelling of The Illiad from the point of view of a very minor character. I actually re-read the Illiad directly after reading this book, and was surprised by the amount of the original story that is contained here. This book pretty much…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Gentleman in Moscow

  Towles, Amor,

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  Loved it! A beautifully written novel that follows a Russian aristocrat for 30 years after he is imprisoned in a luxury hotel by the Bolsheviks. Part romance, part politics, part parenting, part friendship, part meaning of life, part history - this…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The House in the Cerulean Sea

  Klune, TJ,

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  This fantasy book takes place on an island full of magical beings. It's a sweet and predictable story, in a good way. It's a fairly light read so perfect book for summertime. I think it's likely a better fit for a young adult audience but I did…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kamila Knows Best

  Heron, Farah,

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  This was an adorable and sweet romance that had many fun tropes. The friends to surprise lovers trope, the sparkly personality with the grumpy goose trope, internalized self-loathing to loving oneself trope, etc. And the main character (and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• This Time Tomorrow

  Straub, Emma,

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  I enjoyed this clever, engaging story of friends and family, and, wait for it... time travel. Alice is celebrating her 40th birthday, but after a solitary night at an old favorite watering hole, she goes back to her father's apartment and wakes up…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Candy House

  a Goon Squad Novel

  Egan, Jennifer,

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  Jennifer Egan is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Visit From the Goon Squad. The Candy House has some of the same characters but is not exactly a sequel. The story fits into the genre of speculative fiction because the premise is a radical…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Project Hail Mary

  Weir, Andy,

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  I had high hopes for Andy Weir's latest sci-fi exploration. It's about a cynical scientist who is far from home floating in space on a science expedition in the hopes of saving humanity (sound familiar)? The backstory, sprinkled throughout the story…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mr. Wrong Number

  Painter, Lynn,

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  3.5 out of 5 stars This book was a fun, quick read. It was basically an enemies to lovers plot with quirky girl trope thrown into the mix, but the banter between the main characters was pretty funny and didn't feel forced. My main quibble is that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Last Book Party

  Dukess, Karen,

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  Several plot lines unravel at Cape Cod’s most exclusive end-of-summer costume party. Among the guests, we have a past-his-prime journalist who writes for The New Yorker, a wannabe writer who can’t seem to finish a story, a free-spirited poet, and a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• City on Fire

  a Danny Ryan Trilogy Novel

  Winslow, Don, 1953-

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  DNF 20%. I got a fifth of the way through the book before confessing I didn’t care what happened to the men in this modern-day Gangs of New York in Providence, RI. Another book that fails the Alison Bechdel test: Do we meet two or more women…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Violin Conspiracy

  Slocumb, Brendan,

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  An excellent story about a Black violinist who was gifted a “fiddle” by his grandmother. The fiddle turns out to be a rare Stradivarius violin and we meet a few creeps who believe because the violinist is Black — working twice as hard as other…Read moreRead more of this annotation