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2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


27 / 30 books. 90% done!

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


39 / 50 books. 78% done!

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
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International:

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My Progress:


34 / 51 states. 67% done!

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

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24 / 25 books. 96% done!

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

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29 / 50 books. 58% done!

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

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38 / 52 books. 73% done!

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

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34 / 52 books. 65% done!

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

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22 / 40 books. 55% done!

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

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24 / 51 books. 47% done!

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

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19 / 25 books. 76% done!

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

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44 / 52 books. 85% done!

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

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54 / 65 books. 83% done!

2026 Countdown Reading Challenge

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55 / 55 books. 100% done!

2026 Series Reading Challenge


23 / 36 books. 64% done!

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

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70 / 125 books. 56% done!

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

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9 / 9 books. 100% done!

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

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36 / 60 books. 60% done!

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

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10 / 40 books. 25% done!

European Reading Challenge 2026

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7 / 50 books. 14% done!

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

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67 / 125 books. 54% done!

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

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4 / 5 challenges. 80% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

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98 / 100 names. 98% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

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76 / 80 skills. 95% done!
Showing posts with label Margaret Coel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Margaret Coel. Show all posts
Friday, December 04, 2020

Series Opener Not So Engaging Second Time Around

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After fighting a debilitating alcohol addiction, Father John O'Malley was sent to the Wind River Reservation in central Wyoming to dry out.  Six years later, he's come to love the Arapaho people he serves, even if he still doesn't fully understand all the nuances of their culture.  He appreciates their ancient traditions and counts the members of his flock as treasured friends.  When Harvey Castle, the tribal chairman, is stabbed to death in his teepee while attending a local powwow, John is just as shocked and sad as everyone else on the rez. 

Suspicion for the murder immediately falls on Harvey's nephew, Anthony, who was heard arguing with his uncle the night before his death.  Although the kid's an undeniable hothead, John doesn't think he's a killer.  Vicky Holden, a lawyer who grew up at Wind River, agrees.  If they're going to clear his name, John and Vicky need to find out who really killed Harvey—and why.  Their investigation leads in unexpected directions, putting the duo in danger from someone who's desperate to keep old secrets buried.  Can they expose the murderer and free Anthony without becoming the next victims of a cold-blooded killer?

Back in the Dark Ages before I started reviewing books on this blog, I read the first few installments in Margaret Coel's Father John O'Malley mystery series.  I enjoyed learning about Arapaho culture, following the developing relationship between John and Vicky, and reading mysteries that were engaging without being graphic.  When I needed a book set in Wyoming for the Literary Escapes Reading Challenge, I decided to revisit the series.  While I still appreciated the things that first drew me to the series, this time around I found its first installment, The Eagle Catcher, not quite as engrossing or compelling as I did the first time I read it.  John and Vicky are both likable characters, but they're so underdeveloped that neither comes off as very unique or exciting.  The supporting cast is the same, with so many similar people that they all ran together for me.  Plotwise, The Eagle Catcher is predictable, with no real twists to keep it interesting.  In a word: boring.  The story is slow and dull.  I'm not saying this series opener is a terrible read; it's not.  It's just a bit of a slog, which disappointed me because I wanted to love it as much as I did the first time I read it.  Bummer.

(Readalikes:  Coel's books have been compared to those by Tony Hillerman, although I don't know how apt the comparison is since I've never read Hillerman.)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language (no F-bombs), violence, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Tuesday, September 08, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Rereads for 2020


I've been drawing a blank on a lot of the recent Top Ten Tuesday topics and today's is no different.  It's Top Ten Books For My Younger Self.  If the subject sounds familiar, it's because we did the same one back in April (which our host, Jana, just realized - ha ha).  If you're interested in my list of Top Ten Books I Loved Waaayyyy Back in the Day, you can check it out here.  

So, this week, I had a shocking revelation—it's September!  Even though 2020 seems like it's lasted for five years, it's actually almost over, which is crazy.  There are only 115 days left in the year (if Google did its math correctly), so I've been thinking about what I want to read before 2020 vanishes forever (thank goodness).  My goal of reading 200 books in 2020 isn't looking super doable at this point, but I'm still going to give it my best shot.  I'm set to finish The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman today (an excellent MG historical, by the by), which will be my 107th read of the year.  I'd love to get at least 62 more in so I can beat the number of books I read last year (168).  We'll see how it goes.

Since I'm a super book nerd (as opposed to just an ordinary one), I sat down the other day and typed up a list of 70 books I'd like to read before January 1, 2021.  Some of them are simply titles I've been meaning to read but haven't gotten to yet.  Others are books that fill prompts for reading challenges I haven't yet completed.  About ten of them are actually re-reads, which is funny because I rarely re-read.  Since ten is our golden number today, I decided to share them with you:  

Top Ten Books I Want to Re-read Before 2020 Disappears for Good


1.  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith—I loved this novel when I read it for a literature course in college, so I'm excited to revisit it.  It fits several prompts for the PopSugar Reading Challenge:  a Bildungsroman, a Book Over 500 Pages, or a Book Published in the 20th Century.


2.  The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin—This mystery is one I enjoyed as a kid.  Prompt(s):  Wisconsin Setting (Literary Escapes Reading Challenge) and Reread a Childhood Favorite or A Mystery or Under 200 Pages (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge)


3.  A Separate Peace by John Knowles—This classic was also part of the curriculum for a literature class either in high school or college.  Prompt(s):  New Hampshire Setting (Literary Escapes Reading Challenge)


4.  The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel—I read several books in Coel's mystery series set on an Indian reservation before I started blogging.  I never finished the series for some reason, so I'm going to start over with the first installment.  Prompt(s):  Wyoming Setting (Literary Escapes Reading Challenge) 


5.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee—There are very few books that I've read multiple times, but this is one of them.  Since it's my favorite novel of all time and one that is frequently banned, it's perfect for the Read a Banned Book During Banned Book Week prompt (PopSugar Reading Challenge).  It also fits the prompt for Reread a Favorite Book (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge) and Book Published in the 20th Century (PopSugar Reading Challenge).


6.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens—I reread this holiday classic every year to get me feeling all Christmas-y.  Prompt(s):  Reread a Favorite Book (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge) 


7.  Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier—This may be a cheat since I can't remember if I've read this book or not.  Regardless, it should be a great Halloween read.  Prompt(s):  Book Published in the 20th Century (PopSugar Reading Challenge)


8.  The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate—I'm not usually one for books about animals (especially if they talk), but this is a lovely children's book.  In preparation for reading its sequel, The One and Only Bob, which just came out, I'm going to reread this powerful novel.  Prompt(s):  Reread a Favorite Book (Booklist Queen Reading Challenge), Book Made into a Movie in 2020 (The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge and Booklist Queen Reading Challenge), Middle Grade Reading Challenge


9.  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley—I read this one as a teenager.  It will make a great reread for Halloween.  Prompt(s):  a Book Published in the 20th Century or a Book Written By Someone in Their 20's (PopSugar Reading Challenge)  


10.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling—Okay, this is cheating a little bit since technically, I'm not the one rereading it.  I am, however, listening while my husband reads it aloud to our 11-year-old daughter, neither of whom has read it before.  Even though I'm usually reading my own book at the same time, I'm enjoying hearing the story for the third time.  It never gets old!  

Do you re-read books?  Why or why not?  What do you think of my rereads?  Have you read or re-read any of them?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave a comment on this post and I will return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!  

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: On Hold at the E-Library


Happy MonTueWedThurFriSatSunWhateverday!  My kids have now been out of school for a month thanks to Spring Break and COVID-19.  We've been plugging along pretty well, all considered, but my 11-year-old social butterfly did have a little breakdown yesterday over missing her friends.  She said (with a sad little sniff), "I love hanging out with my family, but I just want to see other people's faces!"  My husband owns his own business and has still been going to the office most days.  Yesterday, even he said, "I'm going a little crazy."  I haven't gone anywhere in days, but I've been busy reading, blogging, working on a cross-stitching project, cleaning, etc.  What have you been doing to stay sane during these crazy times?

Top Ten Tuesday is always a fun diversion, even in normal times.  If you haven't heard of it, remedy that!  All you have to do is hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few quick instructions, create your own list, then click around the book blogosphere checking out other people's lists.  It's a great way to spread the love—and who couldn't use a little of that right now?  The topic du jour is Top Ten Books I Bought/Borrowed Because ... I haven't bought any books lately, but I have been checking out e-books from my library.  So, that will be the focus of my list today.

Top Ten E-Books I've Borrowed From the Library During the Quarantine (and Why):


1.  A Single Light by Tosca Lee.  Why?

  • I enjoyed the first book, The Line Between.  It's a fast-paced, engrossing, well-written dystopian novel that is surprisingly clean and faith-promoting, although it's not a religious/Christian book.  
  • I had to know what happens to Wynter, Chase, and the others.
  • So far, A Single Light is darker than The Line Between but just as exciting.

2.  Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower.  Why?
  • that punny title!
  • A blogger (sorry, can't remember who) mentioned enjoying this cozy series that takes place in an Amish candy shop.  I'm in the mood for lighter mysteries and this first installment sounds fun.

3.  From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks.  Why?
  • I love middle-grade novels.
  • This mystery features a 12-year-old African-American girl who's curious about the father she's never met.  He's in prison for a terrible crime he insists he didn't commit.  Zoe's desperate to prove her dad's innocence.  Can she?  Sounds intriguing!

4.  Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry.  Why?
  • Stephanie from She's Probably at the Library gave it an excellent review.  She was especially impressed by the way religion (mine specifically) is portrayed in this book and thought I would enjoy both its story and the faith exploration.
  • The plot sounds interesting.  It features a teen girl who's obsessed with all the ways the world can end and a new friend who knows when it will.  Definitely sounds like my kind of book.


5.  The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel.  Why?
  • Back before I started blogging, I read several installments in Coel's Wind River Reservation mystery series.  As much as I enjoyed them, I didn't continue on with the series for some reason.  I'm ready to dive back in.
  • I need a Wyoming book for the 2020 Literary Escapes Challenge.
  • Since it's been so long since and I have a terrible memory, I won't remember whodunit! 

6.  The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams.  Why?
  • The fun premise:  In an attempt to save his crumbling marriage, a macho baseball player joins a secret romance book club, where he's coached by other alpha males on how to woo back his wife.
  • I need a "book about a book club" for a POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt.
  • I've read lots of positive reviews, so I'm hopeful it will be a light, entertaining read that's more sweet than steamy.  Too much to ask for??

7.  Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker.  Why?
  • I've long been fascinated by the mechanics of sleep and why we dream what we do, so this book just sounds crazy intriguing.

8.  Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin.  Why?
  • my aforementioned affinity for middle-grade novels
  • the cute, colorful cover art
  • The premise sounds interesting:  A 12-year-old girl notices her mother displaying disturbing behavior, the kind that has previously landed her in a mental hospital.  Desperate to fix her mom, the girl puts her faith in Bee Lady's magic honey, only to find the solution may have more to do with healing her own heart.  Sounds like a sweet read.

9.  Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf.  Why?
  • Lark's review
  • Small town setting + baffling mystery + family drama = Yes, please! 

10.  A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.  Why?
  • A high school senior decides to reexamine a murder that rocked her town five years ago for her senior project.  What could possibly go wrong?  Now that's a compelling premise right there! 
There you go.  Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  What other books do I need to add to my library e-book wishlist?  What books have you bought/borrowed lately and why?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!
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