Hi, everyone!!
I will see you on the other side of the Holidays in 2025. However, I most likely won't be able to resist reading after the New Year so don't be surprised if I come back early!!
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!!
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, December 19, 2024
booksbydorothea 2024 Annual Book Blog Wrap-up
Hello, all!
This is the booksbydorothea 2024 Book Blog Wrap-up!
SPECIAL NOTE: Many books I read are ARCs (Advance Reader Copies). ARCs are usually published many months after I have read and reviewed them. It also means some books could be read and reviewed in one year and published the following year. The books that I have included in the booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024 are books I have read in 2024 regardless of when the book has or will be published.
booksbydorothea BEST BOOKS OF 2024
If you want more specific and detailed information about the Nominees, Finalists, and Winners, you can check it out HERE.
18 total books vied for booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024.
EBOOK WINNER:
All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore
AUDIOBOOK WINNER:
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
2024 GOODREADS STATISTICS
2024 Goodreads Book Goal: 100
2024
Goodreads Book Total: 93
I will continue with a goal of 100 for 2025 as it is a good stretch goal. My biggest issue is that my Pages Read differs greatly from the Goodreads calculation. Also, audiobooks are not included in the calculations at all.
2024 MONTHLY WRAP-UPS
Here are all of the links to the 2024 Monthly wrap-ups!
January 2024: LINK
February 2024: LINK
March 2024: LINK
April 2024: LINK
May 2024: LINK
June 2024: LINK
July 2024: LINK
August 2024: LINK
September 2024: LINK
October 2024: LINK
November 2024: LINK
December 2024: LINK
HELPFUL LINKS
Glossary: LINK
Book Ratings: LINK
2024 TOTAL STATISTICS:
Now for all of the statistics of 2024!
It is all so fascinating to me, but you may find it boring so feel free to skip
this!
Biggest Takeaway
This is the first year I have read more audiobooks than any other type of book. I really enjoy listening to memoirs and autobiographies as audiobooks.
2024 total books (ALL book types)
TOTAL: 93 physical, ebooks, and audiobooks
2024 Ebooks
TOTAL: 38 ebooks
2024 Audiobooks
TOTAL: 55 audiobooks
2024 Personal Books
TOTAL: 0 personal books
2024 Library books (ebooks/audiobooks)
TOTAL: 53 Library ebooks
2024 Amazon Prime First Reads books (First Reads) (also counted as ebooks)
TOTAL: 10 First Reads ebooks
2024 ARCs (Advance Reader Copy) (also counted as ebooks)
TOTAL: 30 ARCs
2024 Total Listening Time (audiobooks)
TOTAL: 365 hours, 56 minutes Listening Time
2024 Pages Read
TOTAL: 21,956 Pages read
2024 BOOK RATINGS
Overall book rating
4.24 stars
5.0-star books
4.5-star books
TOTAL: 27 books
4.0-star books
TOTAL: 23 books
3.5-star books
TOTAL: 11 books
3.0-star books
CLOSING
I hope I have been helpful by
suggesting and recommending the books I have read. If you think so, please share booksbydorothea with anyone who would enjoy it!! I would appreciate any referrals to friends or family to share my love of reading more broadly!
Note: I will be on a holiday break from social media and blogging from December 20, 2024, through January 5, 2025. I will resume blogging and social media on January 6, 2025.
Please join me in 2025 for more adventures in reading!!
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
December 2024 - Monthly Wrap-up
Hello, everyone!!
I am cutting the book reading month and book reading year short this year with the culmination of the Goodreads challenge results! My monthly wrap-up for December 2024 ends today, December 19th.
December was a month
for audiobooks ONLY! There were so many good audiobooks released towards the
end of the year I needed to take a break from ebooks.
My best book for December 2024 is an audiobook – On Living by Kerry Egan.
2nd ANNUAL
booksbydorothea BEST BOOKS NOMINEES OF 2024:
All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (January) 5
stars (ebook)
Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles
(February) 5 stars (ebook)
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (March) 5 stars
(ebook)
How To Read a Book by Monica Wood (April) 5 stars
(ebook)
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarity (May) 4.5 stars (ebook)
The Friday Afternoon Club (June) 5 stars (audiobook)
The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman (July) 5 stars (ebook)
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (August) 5 stars (ebook)
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (September) 5 stars (audiobook)
When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman (October - TIE) 5 stars (ebook)
Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine (October - TIE) 5 stars (ebook)
The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L Warren (November – TIE) 5 stars (ebook)
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (November – TIE) 5 stars (audiobook)
On Living by Kerry Egan (December) 5 stars (audiobook)
GOODREADS READING GOAL:
My goal is to read 100
books in 2024. As of December 19th, I have read 93 books, or 93% of my goal. So I did really well this year with a big goal!
DECEMBER 2024 STATISTICS:
5 total books
0 ebooks; 5 audiobooks; 0
physical books
0 books were an ARC
(Advance Reader Copy)
5 books were library borrows
0 books were purchased
0 books were an Amazon
First Reads
0 books were a Book Club
Girl
Audio listening time in December:
52 hours, 23 minutes
Pages read in December:
0 pages
Average review rating: 4.15
stars
DECEMBER BOOK RATINGS with
BOOK COVERS:
5.0-star book (1)
On Living by Kerry Egan (audiobook) LINK
4.5-star book (2)
Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson (audiobook) LINK
Cher: The Memoir (Part I) by Cher (audiobook) LINK
4.0-star book (1)
If Jewels Could Talk by Carol Woolton (audiobook) LINK
3.5-star book (1)
Brothers by Alex Van Halen (audiobook) LINK
3.0-star book (0)
If you want to read my
full review of any of these books, there are individual review links for each
ebook or audiobook next to the book title and author. Click on the link to get to that specific book review!!
Please note that my Best Books of 2024 and my Annual Wrap-up for 2024 will be posted shortly.
Happy reading and Happy
Holidays!
Dorothea 💜
P.S. You can find out more about my book ratings HERE.
My Year in Books 2024 Goodreads
Hi, everyone!!
The end of 2024 is coming fast and furious! The Goodreads "My Year in Books 2024" has been updated. So here are my results!
There were a few interesting statistics:
- Pages read: 28,937 which is less than last year.
- Books read: 93 - the same as last year.
- Shortest book: 25 pages
- Longest book: 550 pages
- Average book length in 2024: 311 pages
- Average book rating in 2024: 4.1 stars - the same as last year
Note: Goodreads does not include the time listened to audiobooks. This would be a nice feature to add!
If you want to check out booksbydorothea "My Year in Books 2024" data, it is available HERE.
What an honor to be among the "Top 10% Reader"! NOTE: This is based on the NUMBER of books.
Not surprisingly, my top genres are: Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, and Memoir!!
Check out YOUR Goodreads "My Year in Books 2024"!! To find it:
- Go to your Goodreads app on your phone or to the website on your computer.
- Log in, if necessary.
- FOR COMPUTERS
- Click on the "Your Year in Books 2024" banner towards the top-middle of your screen.
- Your 2024 information will populate the screen.
- In the upper left corner under "Your Year in Books 2024" is a small "Go to previous year" link. Click on this to compare and/or contrast to previous years!!
- FOR PHONES
- Click on the Home icon (little house) and then click on the My Books icon (little book).
- Scroll all the way down to "2024 Year in Books". Click on it.
- Your 2024 information will populate the screen.
- In the upper left corner under "Your Year in Books 2024" is a small "Go to previous year" link. Click on this to compare and/or contrast to previous years!!
My ebooks and audiobooks are complete for 2024. The Goodreads "My Year in Books 2024" was a perfect stopping point with the approaching holidays. However, I will be back at it in January 2025.
Tomorrow, I will publish my December 2024 blog wrap-up! Please look for it!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
REVIEW - Lovely One (audiobook)
Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
This audiobook was an incredibly dense, deep, and thorough memoir. It was long coming in at over 18 hours. So as I usually say with most long audiobooks, it could have used some editing as she will probably write another memoir when she retires from the Supreme Court many years from now.
Kentanji opens with her origin story by discussing both sides of her family and ends with her swearing-in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. She covers her career thoroughly from childhood in Miami, education at Harvard, multiple law clerking jobs, law practice, and her judgeships. Additionally, she talks fondly of her parents, brother, husband, and children throughout the book.
When she was discussing her friends or family, this memoir shined and sparkled. Unfortunately, her detailed explanation of her law precedents and rulings didn't interest me. This is where some editing could have happened. Yes, she is the first Black, female Supreme Court Associate Justice; however, the intense legal detail was unnecessary to tell her amazing life story.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
Ketanji writes really well, but not beautifully in the literary sense. She writes like an attorney and judge except when discussing her friends and family. I would have preferred the friends and family writing style throughout the entire memoir.
Additionally, she is a person of faith. So she shared her religious beliefs, scriptures, and Bible commentary which was not my cup of tea.
Narration: 4.5 stars
She is an exceptional narrator. Kentanji has the perfect narration voice with such a lovely tone.
Her narration was stronger and more relatable when speaking of her friends and family versus the law. When discussing the law, it was more dry and unemotional.
Character Arc: 4.5 stars
This audiobook was primarily chronological with some asides for clarity or explanations of an event. But, it was very easy to follow.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about both sides of her parents' families and her husband's family.
My real issue is that this memoir could have been edited, especially in the law sections from over 18 hours which is long.
Memorable: 5.0 stars
I loved that Ketanji was so real. She is a daughter, sister, wife, and mom, but she has the same insecurities most moms do. I relate to her work-life balance as a stay-at-home mom because my life wasn't balanced when I worked.
I love how she wears chunky, unique, and beautiful necklaces with her judicial robes. It gives her a spark of joy that shines through!
Ketanji comes across as warm, loyal, and relatable. I would love to have dinner with this amazing and strong woman!!
Entertaining: 4.5 stars
It wasn't entertaining per se. It was more of a true memoir where I learned about her life rather than being super funny.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Just a "lovely one" - an inside joke from the book.
STRONG recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)
Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson
Random House Audio
18 hours, 26 minutes
Release date of 9/3/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Review - Brothers (audiobook)
Brothers by Alex Van Halen (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
This audiobook was not what I expected at all. From the title, it could be assumed that it would be a deep dive into the relationship between Alex and Ed Van Halen. Unfortunately, it was all over the place, ended abruptly after the release of the 1984 album, and was somewhat superficial.
Alex details the brothers' early life in Holland, immigration to the US (Pasadena, California), and the family's financial difficulties. Also, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and rocker lifestyle are fully discussed. It was also shocking to me how badly the band was handled with their contract which is still happening today - it is all about money for the record label.
NOTE: there is a lot of raw language, drug use, and alcohol abuse. If these are triggers for you, don't read this book.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am one degree of separation from Van Halen as my husband was friends with Nathan Roth, David's father. I have never met David, but my husband has and it was not a favorable opinion of him or his behavior.
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Alex writes well and from the heart, but I believe there was a ghostwriter. If not, kudos to Alex!
There are a lot of quotations from books, magazines, interviews, etc. It was a bit overdone and got to be a "bit". I expected more about Alex's thoughts, feelings, and observations about his relationship with Ed. Maybe, with some quotations from Ed sprinkled in.
The writing was great for an audiobook. But, it may not translate well to a Kindle or print book.
Narration: 4.0 stars
Alex was a good narrator and it was as if he was in the room with you having a coffee. He had the appropriate inflection and emotions as it was his and Ed's lives together.
The only bothersome thing was that Alex would crack up at his stories.
Character Arc: 3.0 stars
This audiobook was mostly chronological, but it went back and forth in time a lot. Alex would talk about something and then say, "I'll get back to that" which would ruin the flow of the stories and narrative.
Normally, my issue with books is more editing is needed. Not this book, as it ended in 1984 and I want more of the brothers' relationship. Alex doesn't need to discuss the details of Ed's passing or other personal issues as it is none of my business. But, much more of their time together was a valid expectation.
Memorable: 3.0 stars
The biggest takeaway was how difficult the transition from Holland to the US was for the Van Halen boys and family. I wanted more stories of the family and the interactions between the brothers.
Entertaining: 3.0 stars
It was good. I liked it, but I didn't love it. There was so much opportunity that was missed.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Great picture.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
RECOMMEND
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)
Brothers by Alex Van Halen
Blackstone Publishing, Inc.
6 hours, 9 minutes
Release date of 10/22/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
REVIEW - On Living (audiobook)
On Living by Kerry Egan (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
Firstly, this book was recommended by my very dear friend, Jennifer. Jennifer recommends the most thought-provoking and introspective books with this being no exception. But, the most amazing part is that Jennifer is working on her Masters degree to become a chaplain, which, is her true calling in life. I have repeatedly told Jennifer she should write a book, but Kerry beat her to it about being a chaplain! I'm still waiting for your book, Jennifer!
This is a short, but powerful book. It is packed with amazing hospice stories as Kerry is a hospice chaplain. The stories are meaningful, powerful, and unforgettable including the author's ketamine post-partum psychosis.
I loved listening to this beautiful book as an audiobook.
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
The writing was well done, thoughtful, and honest. Kerry writes from the heart and mind with such realness.
Narration: 5.0 stars
The narration was spot on. Kerry has a nice voice, good inflection, and the appropriate emotional response to what she is reading.
Character Arc: 5.0 stars
This audiobook was grouped into chapters with lovely titles that were keys to what the chapter unlocked. There was no character arc as this was not a memoir per se, but it was formatted perfectly.
Memorable: 5.0 stars
It was obvious that Kerry learned so much about herself, the process of dying, and how to live as a chaplain. She is an amazing chaplain who helps her patients do the hard work which is a beautiful gift.
The most important part for me was the takeaway that dying is a verb, not the definition of a person. So insightful.
Entertaining: 5.0 stars
There were funny parts in a book about hospice and dying. The one that stuck in my head was an elderly patient who wanted to feel the wind on certain body parts. Hysterical!
But, this book was more enlightening than entertaining. It was just so well done!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Lovely.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
HIGHLY recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)
On Living by Kerry Egan
Penguin Audiobooks
4 hours, 11 minutes
Release date of 10/25/2016
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Saturday, December 7, 2024
REVIEW - If Jewels Could Talk (audiobook)
If Jewels Could Talk by Carol Woolton (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
This was a fascinating audiobook by Carol Woolton, jewelry historian and jewelry editor at British Vogue, and podcaster. She discusses the seven most important types of jewelry: hoops, rings, beads, charms, brooches, cuffs, and head ornaments. This self-appointed "history nerd" loved hearing all about the origins of the seven types of jewelry from prehistoric times to the current.
Unfortunately, Carol works with jewelry and knows all the cool, specialized names for everything which I don't. Since I couldn't see the spelling of some of these terms, it would be hard to research further. I just went with the flow and enjoyed the audiobook.
If I had read this as an ebook, it would have been less enjoyable as I would have researched as I read. It would have completely ruined the flow.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing was well done, but it was written as if the reader knew fashion and jewelry. Since there weren't explanations about these specific terms, it made it hard to follow.
However, this book was very well-researched and thorough. There was so much fascinating information about the origins and history of jewelry. Since the author is a podcaster, it is possible that listening to the podcasts first would have been helpful.
Narration: 4.0 stars
So the narration was weird for me as Carol has a strong British accent which I quickly acclimated to. The problem was the fashion and jewelry language, primarily in French.
Character Arc: 4.0 stars
This audiobook had a chapter for each type of jewelry with sub-chapters for the different types. This made it easy to follow and focus on each jewelry type.
Memorable: 4.0 stars
The big takeaway is that humans have always adorned themselves with whatever was available. This could have been furs, leather, or flowers. When metal was used, jewelry became important for trading and business.
Entertaining: 4.0 stars
This was not an entertaining book, per se. It was more informative.
I liked this book but didn't love it.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
Pretty.
Book title: 4.0 stars
Appropriate.
STRONG recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)
If Jewels Could Talk by Carol Woolton
Simon & Schuster Audio UK
7 hours, 50 minutes
Release date of 7/26/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, December 5, 2024
My next audiobook is...
If Jewels Could Talk by Carol Woolton (audiobook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Goodreads Choice Awards 2024
Hi, everyone!
Well, I picked THREE of the Goodreads Choice Awards 2024 winners. I also had many of the nominees and semi-finalists!
The three winners were all five-star reads and wonderful reads! I have included the Goodreads blurb about the winning book with a link to my blog review that includes my Goodreads review!
Please note that I read The Women in 2024 and Somewhere Beyond the Sea and The Third Gilmore Girl were read as audiobooks.
HISTORICAL FICTION WINNER
The Women by Kristin Hannah (ebook) LINK
FANTASY WINNER
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (audiobook) LINK
MEMOIR WINNER
The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly Bishop (audiobook) LINK
To review all of the Goodreads Choice Awards 2024, click HERE.
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - Cher (audiobook)
Cher: The Memoir (Part 1) by Cher (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
Wow! Cher lets it all hang out in Part 1 of her memoirs. This book covers her life before she was born and ends with her move to New York to pursue her acting career without a man in her life in approximately 1980.
She details her marriages with Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman and relationships with David Geffen and Gene Simmons. She also discusses her music career including the ups and downs including her television shows and tours. It is a Cher fan's dream!
But there is a lot of sadness in this book also. Cher had a difficult childhood so she would run wild to escape and explore. She was kicked out of her mom's home as a teenager setting her up to meet Sonny Bono who would change her life at sixteen.
Finally, Cher was lucky in her career breaks, but biggest of all was surviving the '60s and '70s when so many died young.
Full disclosure: there is a lot of raw language. So if that offends you, don't read this book.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing was perfect for an audiobook, but I'm unsure if it would be the same for a Kindle or print book. She has a warm, but honest style of writing. She talks about her recollections about events and people with some of these stories ending tragically or badly. Cher is real when talking about the "casting couches" in movies and the cut-throat music business.
I think Cher had a ghostwriter to "clean up" the writing, but it ultimately came across as HER writing and her book.
Narration: 4.0 stars
So the narration was really unusual for any audiobook that I had read. Cher has dyslexia which I didn't know. So narrating the entire book would have been difficult for her to say the least.
A workaround was created where Cher would narrate the beginning of each chapter and then her narrator would take it from there. It worked well. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Cher so the transition to the narrator was somewhat jarring.
Character Arc: 3.5 stars
This audiobook was in a somewhat chronological order, but it went back and forth in time which wasn't easy to follow. This method of storytelling is exactly how I think Cher tells stories in real life. But in an audiobook, it can be difficult to follow.
Also, there were so many different people in this book from writers, directors, singers, musicians, and other people in her life that I didn't always understand Cher's relationship with them. However, it was easy to just ignore the lack of context and enjoy the audiobook.
I would also say that some editing would have helped this memoir. This is only Part 1 of her memoir so there is still more to learn about Cher and her life!
Memorable: 5.0 stars
Since this was a tell-all memoir, it really told it all! From what Cher discusses, Phil Spector was bizarre even back then, Sonny was a womanizer and control freak, and she met some very good people along the way including David Geffen and Bob Mackie.
By telling her issues with the men in her life, she will help others who read her book realize they can leave their controlling husbands or boyfriends. Cher wrote the ultimate female empowerment self-help book and it was awesome.
As another California girl, Cher sounds like a girls girl, and would be amazing to have a nice long dinner with her by the beach in Malibu.
Entertaining: 5.0 stars
This is so obviously top-notch. Cher knew everyone who was anyone! She has wild stories from Salvador Dali to Cass Elliot. It was fun to listen to and I am grateful she survived it.
Part II of her memoir should be another fun ride.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfection.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
STRONG recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)
Cher: The Memoir (Part 1) by Cher
HarperCollins
15 hours, 47 minutes
Release date of 11/19/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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