Amazon First Reads - January 2025

Hi, everyone!!

As a reminder, if you have an Amazon Prime membership, you get a FREE monthly Kindle book! The program is called Amazon First Reads!! You can find out more about the program HERE. 

My Amazon First Reads email arrived this evening. Score, there are two free Kindle books this month!! This month neither of my book selections is a short story or about WWII which is a positive change for me!

My free Amazon First Reads are:

Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance

There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev

Have you selected your two Kindle books? Also, don't forget to "buy" AND download the FREE books from Amazon! 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Goodreads 2025 Reading Challenge

 

Hi, everyone!

Initially, my Goodreads 2025 Reading Challenge was going to be 100 books. But instead, I increased to 101!  It is a big number, but I will do my best to meet this challenge while having a lot of fun reading great books and audiobooks!. 

To set your Goodreads 2025 Reading Challenge:

• Log in, if necessary.
• Go to the Main/Home page on the Goodreads page. 
• Click on the 2025 Reading Challenge in the middle left of the Main/Home Page.
• You will be prompted to enter your 2025 goal! 
• Good luck!

Happy reading! 

Dorothea 💜

My next eARC/eBOOK is...

 The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (eARC/eBOOK)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook AND Review - Me by Elton John (audiobook)

Me by Elton John (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

So I have begun listening to part of my selected audiobook before posting here on my blog and Goodreads. Normally, the audiobook sample provided by the library is not enough to get a feel for the audiobook. So that is how I missed posting about this particular audiobook. 

But, I did have the benefit of it being my first audiobook of 2025. As I was finishing it way after midnight on New Year's Day, fireworks were going off which was appropriate for this autobiography! Outlandish, outrageous, and wild!

Thank you to my friend, Becky, for recommending this book. For some reason, I had returned it and barely read it! I am so glad that I checked it out from the library again!

NOTE: I have been a huge fan of Elton John since the early 1970s. Also, I even attended one of his concerts with my husband which included me knocking out one of his contact lenses. I guess I got a little too excited! LOL! 

TRIGGER ALERT: Alcohol abuse, drug usage, foul language 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Elton writes beautifully. He was honest, real, and raw. The strong writing doesn't surprise me as Elton is a child of the British school system, but he may have had a ghostwriter, too. Who knows and who cares?

Narration: 4.5 stars

It was good narration by Taron Egerton who played Elton in the movie, Rocketman. He is a great mimic and did fantastic voices. Taron and Elton have similar voices, but not identical. 

Normally, I choose to read memoirs or autobiographies narrated by the author. It gives more emotion and character to the audiobook. So it was a little disappointing not to be narrated by Elton. 

Character Arc: 5.0 stars

The audiobook is primarily chronological with some flashbacks to fully explain important parts of the story. This is my preferred choice for memoirs and autobiographies. 

Memorable:  5.0 stars

Elton really spills the tea so to speak. He is a huge gossip which is so hilarious! However, he is a very loyal and devoted friend to his long-term friends including many celebrities and friends from his childhood. 

His life has been a series of ups and downs with a difficult childhood, drug and alcohol addiction, health issues, and family of origin issues. I related to Elton and his life especially the working class upbringing and difficult family life. He set boundaries and kept them for himself, his husband, and his children. This is important to me as I have done the same. Thank you for the validation, Elton!

Entertaining:   5.0 stars

Oh, my goodness! Elton is a hoot! He told real and hysterically funny stories! Also, he really enjoyed sharing his life with such a dry sense of humor. Elton is another celebrity I could enjoy a meal, but enjoy the conversation even more!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect.     

Book title: 5.0 stars 

It sums Elton up! 

HIGHLY recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

Me by Elton John

Macmillan Audio

12 hours, 28 minutes

Release date of 10/15/2019

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Elton John

My Goodreads review

Macmillan Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eBOOK AND Review - The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern (eBOOK)

 The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman (eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

I forgot to post about reading this ebook because I was on a social media and blog hiatus. My mistake!

This was a lovely and sweet book to begin 2025. I originally thought it would be my last book of 2024, but life got in the way. So instead I finished after midnight on New Year's Day! 

This was my first book by Lynda Cohen Loigman and won't be my last. It combined magical realism, Jewish culture, mystery, and a dual timeline with historical fiction. Perfection! 

The two timelines are 1920s Brooklyn and 1980s Florida. The two periods dovetailed beautifully into a satisfying novel. The Brooklyn timeline included a family pharmacy, Jewish gangsters, love and loss, and a changing socioeconomic period. The Florida timeline was about a retirement home with eclectic and eccentric retired Jewish folks - they were a hoot!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing was descriptive, fascinating, and authentic. It reflected the language of the two times and used great Yiddish words interspersed throughout. The characters still used the phrasing and slang of their youth in their eighties which was adorable! 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main character is Augusta "Goldie" (daughter/retired pharmacist). Her name is in the book title so it is evident that the book revolves around her. She is the kind of elderly woman I want to be when I grow up!

The secondary characters are Solomon (Augusta's father), Irving (Augusta's friend), Bess (Augusta's sister), Esther (Augusta's great-aunt), and Jackie (Augusta's niece). 

The tertiary characters are the Brooklyn neighbors, Brooklyn pharmacy customers, and Florida retirees. 

As is true for most historical fiction, many characters are necessary for the detailed storyline. But the main characters and secondary characters are fully developed and so fascinating. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The first part of the storyline is about Augusta's family, their pharmacy, and their life in Brooklyn which is upended when Aunt Esther comes to live with them. The second part of the storyline is about Augusta retiring to Florida and the wild and crazy lives of retirees. 

The main locations were Brooklyn, New York, and Florida. 

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

I always enjoy learning about different times and cultures. So the Jewish part of Brooklyn in the 1920s was a very close-knit and wonderful community. The food descriptions alone make me want chicken soup with kreplach!! 

What intrigued me was the similarities to the local Boyle Heights community here in Los Angeles.  The neighborhood is now primarily Hispanic, but remnants of the former large Jewish community remain!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Very pretty!!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Combination of the plot. Excellent choice!  

HIGHLY recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

317 pages 

St. Martin's Press

Release date of 10/8/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Lynda Cohen Loigman

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Back from Holiday Break

Hello, everyone!!

Happy New Year!! 

As predicted, I'm back from Holiday Break early and looking forward to an amazing 2025 reading year! 

Now, get ready for some ebook and audiobook reviews!! I've been reading for the past few days!!!

Happy reading!

Dorothea 💜

Holiday Break

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 💜

 

 

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 

ORIGINAL REVIEW LINK

AUDIOBOOK WINNER:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

ORIGINAL REVIEW LINK

  

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

TOTAL: 23 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

TOTAL: 9 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 💜

 

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.

 

2^nd 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.

What an exciting first for me to be included as a "Top 1% Reviewer"! NOTE: This is based on the number of reviews, review engagement, engagement with other users, and overall community influence. 

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 💜